RAW Pup™

What is a RAW pup™? 

A RAW pup™ is a pup that has NOT been handled by humans, socialized, or trained.  

This testing is important as it makes sure that the breeder is seeing the genetic principle of the pup's temperament and not a pup that has been conditioned through touching, feeling, picking up, turning over, etc. since birth.  This test is especially important to do with outcross litters, but must be performed on all American Dirus litters in order to form a basis and standard.  These tests have been performed for each litter since the beginning first generation dogs and each puppy was scored according to the temperament testing scoring guide.  We now have a solid basis on which to compare the American Dirus puppy to the German Shepherd Dog, Alaskan Malamute, English Mastiff, Anatolian/Great Pyrenees cross.

RAW Pup™ Test Example

The following video shows the RAW pup™ temperament test done on F4 RAW pups at 3 weeks old.  These pups had not been in contact with humans since 3 days after their birth.  Watch for squirming, crying out, trying to get down, moving head around, tucking up feet when turned over, stiffness, etc.  The ultimate American Dirus pup should be easily manipulated, relaxed, no noise or protest, and possibly falling asleep or closing eyes.

The first RAW pup™ test is performed right after birth.  A pup stays RAW until 2.5 to 3 weeks old when we perform the second temperament testing.  At this time, we rate the temperament of each pup and now begin to socialize and shape the pup's temperament based on the testing.  A pup who scores poorly on the RAW pup™ testing will be socialized much more than the other pups.  This will raise the pup's scores on the third temperament test, which is not a RAW pup™ test, but a test to make sure our interventions have worked.

Note: There are those who may poke fun at these tests and say they cannot be accurate on such young dogs.  We disagree wholeheartedly and prove it by the altered scores of the first generation dogs compared to the now purebred American Dirus temperament testing over the years.  Not to mention the gentle companion dog temperament in our dogs.