2012/07/25 Council Agenda Packet

Mountain dog, 12.5% Staffordshire bull terrier, 12.5% bull terrier, 12% boxer and 12.5% unknown. Lucey was a lucky dog— because she was determined to be predominately Bernese Mountain dog, the city dropped all criminal charges and civil penalties and she lived another day. Temperament Testing Although not as scientifically sound as DNA testing, the American Temperament Test is another successful tool in preventing the panic-driven policymaking that results in breed-discriminatory laws. The American Temperament Test Society (ATTS) has developed a test that measures different aspects of canine temperament such as stability, shyness, aggressiveness, and friendliness, as well as the dog's instinct for protectiveness toward its handlers and/or self- , preservation in the face of a threat. The ATTS describes its test on its Web site: "The test simulates a casual walk through a park or neighborhood where everyday life situations are encountered. During this walk, the dog experiences visual, auditory and tactile stimuli. Neutral, friendly and threatening situations are encountered, calling into play the dog's ability to distinguish between non- threatening situations and those calling for watchful and protective reactions. "Dogs must be at least 18 months old to enter the test. The test takes about eight to 12 minutes to complete. The dog is on a loose six-foot (6') lead. The handler is not allowed to talk to the dog, give commands, or give corrections. "Failure on any part of the test is recognized when a dog shows: • Unprovoked aggression • Panic without recovery • Strong avoidancei20 The test's breed statistics show that the American pit-bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier consistently scored above average for all breeds tested, year in and year out.21 Decision-makers are often surprised to learn that American pit- 20 American Temperament Test Society,Description of the Temperatment Test,http://www.atts.org/testdesc.html (last visited Feb. 26,2010). 21 American Temperament Test Society,Breed Statistics,http://www.atts.orp,/statistics.html(last visited Feb.26,2010).