The Truth about Temperment Testing

[Chinchilla_Girl]

To learn the truth about Sue Sternberg (documentary "Shelter Dogs") please see this site http://hometown.aol.com/chicaanaranjada/ She is a total whack job and calls herself "Hitler" She wants to kill 75% of all dogs in the Northeast! Could YOUR dog pass her abusive temperment tests? Her own dogs can't! Mine sure can't! Be aware of the psycho! If I ever attended one of her seminars, I would end up on death row myself!

[RSbunny]

wow what a crazy lady...she is taking things way too far.

[jmb9101]

Thats sad

[Chrisanne]

That is just absolutely crazy. Even my Rebel who will tolerate just about anything could not pass her test.

[Dena]

Okay first you have to notice that these articles are written by advocates for no-kill shelters and EX-employees. That should be a red flag right there. Where as I don't believe in euthanazia as a method to control population shelters do need to consider the stress of sitting in a cage for long periods of time. And yeah it would be great if there were enough foster homes and rescue groups to take dogs in but there just aren't.. period. Resue groups are overloaded and I have yet to find one that can take dogs in. Of course unless they are perfectly good small dogs that seem to make a lot of people money because of demand. Most of the dogs that come into a shelter are not small dogs. As far as temperment testing by volunteers. Well they are around the animals the most and noticing abnormal behavior is pretty easy. Its NOT noticing it thats the problem and I have 19 stitches to prove it. It all boils down to liability. Dogs that show even the slightest bit of aggression have to go. I cannot take the chance of releasing a dog that I have seen aggressive behaviors in be adopted. I know I come from a completely different side of the fence but I guess you have to walk in someone elses shoes, ya know the whole cliche.

I don't think I agree with this woman completely (I did watch Shelter Dogs) but I do understand certain points. I don't think those article have one bit of objectivity in them so how can you tell what really goes on.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

I just thought a lot of her ideas were just too disturbing for words and she verbally attacks people who attend her seminars when they ask a question. She told one lady that because of the breed of dog she owned, she is probably one of the people who contacted the unibomber in prision wanting to marry him! Umm...she makes this assumption in a public seminar on a woman who she never met based on the breed of dog she owned? I realize there are alot of dogs coming into shelters with aggressive behaviors and such, but if a dog passes all her tests but looks at her funny, she deems it aggressive and unadoptable. One woman (not ever associated with her, but who attended a seminar) stated the temperment testing was so severe and set the dogs up for failure from the begining by continuing to provoke a dog for much longer than necessary. She described it as if someone was jabbing you in the arm repeatedly until eventually you HAVE to tell them to stop! Could you tolorate someone jabbing you in the are repeatedly for 20 minutes and not say anything or be bothered by it? I'm sure more dogs then the 1 in 10 she allows to live are more than adoptable and she stopped letting her employees foster "unadoptable" dogs and work with them and find suitable homes on their own...she used to allow that, but then decided 3/4 of all dogs in the Northeast needs to die AND she said that number was LOW! I'm sorry, I understand what unadoptable means, I understand overcrowded shelters and low quality of life in one, but to seek out dogs in the community, talking owners into giving them up and lying about trying to find them a good home and instead taking them straight to the vet to be put down is just no okay in my book. Also, many of the shelter dogs on the HBO special should have been put down at 1PM in the day (the ones who were suffering) but instead, she let the dogs suffer for hours just so the camera crew could get their shot. It's animal abuse, abuse of power, and she is EVIL...That's my opinion.

[Sasami]

That was sad and disturbing. Rocky's sweet and would never hurt anyone but even he wouldn't pass that test.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Are you kidding? I wouldn't pass that test! I would be deemed agressive and unadoptable and would be sentenced to death as a human! Oh, and my kids used to bite each other...they would be killed as well.

[Dena]

I honestly didn't read the entire stuff. I was responding to what they were stating a shelter should be and should do, just protecting my territory . I completely agree with what you said about her being evil if that is in fact what she is doing and saying. I forgot about the part that she does do evalutations for the public. Maybe she needs medication or something. Please don't get me wrong I didn't mean to sound like I was defended what She was doing but what the people who put up the website said I should be doing - did that even make sense?

[Chinchilla_Girl]

That makes complete sense! I thought you hadn't read through it all based on what you said in your last post! There is just no way any animal lover or human being for that matter could possibly condone the extremes she goes to! I know how disappointing it is to see a dog fail a temperment test, but she used to have programs to help deal with the issues they failed...she has completely cut that out and refuses to allow her employees foster and work with the animals on the little things! THAT's what upsets me most! Many of my rescue and foster pits couldn't pass any temperment test including my own when they first get here due to lack of training and not knowing what is acceptible and what isn't. They weren't "agressive" per say, just needed lots of TLC, Training, and Rules. Our last rescue/foster Roxie was starved and beaten. She had trust issues and was food aggressive towards other dogs. Within 4 months she became a sweetheart that would approach new people with her tail wagging happily (before she would army crawl and hide), she was eating out of the same bowl as Kali and Orion at the same time (all three would have their noses in the bowl together...quite funny!) and children could do pretty much anything to her without worrying about her snapping (she snapped at Zachary twice...we reprimanded her verbally the first time, and the second time, Kali whoopped her butt!) But she quickly learned that kids were not something to fear and she now trusts and can be trusted around young, hyper children. She is currently in a forever home with a family consisting of a vet tech (that actually assisted with her spay) and her family including a Great Dane and a Chihuahua. She is the happiest she has ever been in her life and is getting along wonderfully. I realize shelters can't put this kind of time, money, energy and effort into all their shelter dogs, but if someone is willing to do a foster/training and work with the little, not so aggressive issues, wouldn't you rather take that route than put down a dog that only needs some TLC and training? Of course you would! Our SPCA does and they call us when they get bullies that fail but have potential. This woman just feels like 75% of the dogs need to die and anyone who owns a "dangerous breed" are crack dealer, gun slinger, no good, dog fighters and she also states that as a fact. Ummm, I don't fit that discription, Carmen doesn't fit that discription and neither does anyone else on this board! I know at least 40 people in this town that own pits or bully breeds, or "dangerous" breeds, Chows, German Shephards, Dobies, Rotties...NONE of those people match that discription! Oh and any dog over 35 pounds also matches that discription so Goldens, Labs, Newfies, and everything else over 35 pounds are also owned by crack dealing, gun slinging, no good, dog fighters. That means you too Nicole and Chrisanne! Puh-leeze! Argh! That psycho just completely ticks me off! Can you tell?
My point is Dena, I understand and knew you weren't of that mentality...yes, I realized you hadn't read through it all! We know how loving you are and how hard working at a shelter is. I wasn't directing my post at you, just continuing my rant! See, I TOLD you I would personally fail her test!

[Pure14K]

Quote: Originally Posted by Chinchilla_Girl Many of my rescue and foster pits couldn't pass any temperment test including my own when they first get here due to lack of training and not knowing what is acceptible and what isn't. They weren't "agressive" per say, just needed lots of TLC, Training, and Rules.

It's such a shame that more people aren't willing to rescue dogs that don't pass temperment tests right off. Like you said, some dogs just need some TLC.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

I agree...like I said, Roxie would only army crawl, she was so scared! And food agressive to dogs because of being starved...she was NEVER food agressive to people. Working with her with the aid of Kali and Orion was great! Mostly she learned by example from the two of them. I'm sure that A) Us getting her outta that situation and B) working with her for 4 months, saved her life and gave her life quality.

[Chrisanne]

ROFLMAO.... yeah yeah... I have a housefull of fighters alright. Oh yeah... my secret is out now too. Thanks Mandie. I'm a crack dealer.

What's funny is... my most aggressive dog is my Pomeranian. Today he tried to physically challenge my 100+ lb shepard. Gazoo just looked at him and walked away.

[Chinchilla_Girl]

Yeah! Your secret is out now!!
Of course, ALL our secrets are out now!

[willibob3000]

well under her temperament test shadow would have been pts immediately! he did have dominance issues and continually challenged our leadership but i dealt with it and he never became really aggressive. Rupert would also have been euthed, for no good reason, he just hasnt been taught manners yet.poor poor dogs, just killed without being given a fair chance :0( i have a feeling my rottie mix would have passed (if he had been starved to under 35lbs so he wasnt dangerous) but he was one you could do anything with without a protest.