Moon's Graden

  My dog Bonnie is a 10 month old collie.  She's a great dog overall, has
earned a CGC, graduated puppy and basic obedience classes, and is in training
to become a therapy dog.  I'd like to get her temperament tested when she's old
enough.  The hang up is, she's blind.  Bonnie was born without eyes, so she's
never known any different.  
  My question is, to anyone who is familiar with the Temperament Test, do you
think a blind dog could show its temperament well enough in this sort of test?
 It's quite a ways off (for dogs 18 months and older), just a rhetorical
question at this point.  Some of the tests rely on visual cues (approach of a
stranger).   However, Bonnie is a very alert dog and she does know when people
are approaching.   She has used her "threatening" bark once or twice to alert
me when she hears people shuffling around in the parking lot near my townhouse
late at night.  It's usually one or two low pitched "woofs" with her standing
at attention, tail raised.   If anyone comes close enough to her, she instantly
wants to be friends.  This is true even if she is approached quickly and
"noogied", patted hard, ruffled, etc.  
  Check out:  http://atts.org.   I can see how a deaf dog would be DQd because
there is a section for reaction to unfamiliar noises...

Jana
   & Bonnie  

The 1st part of the Threatening Stranger test is visual and would be
a problem for a blind dog.

Lynn K.

Substitute a stomping, yelling Threatening Stranger?

--Cindy

Ah, but then you'd be in the 2nd part of the TS test :-)

Lynn K.

Hm...seems to me a blind dog that doesn't react to the 1st part should
score as a pass.  He won't react then, and he won't react later (in a
"real" situation), so for all intents and purposes.  (er, or fail the
dog on that criteria if lack of reaction is a failure -- you can see
my lab bias creeping out ehre :*).  Seems fair enough.

--Cindy

  I suppose it depends on what they mean by "react".  She may give a little
"woof" if she hears what she thinks is suspicious, or she may just square
herself up, wag her tail, and prepare to be petted, like she usually does when
she hears someone coming.   She can't see but she has a great sense of hearing.
  Being that she's a collie, would they expect much of a protective instinct?

Jana
  &Bonnie