UBSDA Character Test
With its roots in the European style of dog showing, it's no surprise
that UBSDA shows look a little different than other breed shows. A fairly
recent addition to the UBSDA suite is a formal French-style Character
Test, which was instituted at the 2002 National Specialty.
The UBSDA Character Test is an attempt to offer
an entry-level test that explores drive, resilience, thresholds, and nerve
quality specific to the BSD.
The UBSDA Character Test
In the UBSDA Character Test there are two options; a Simple Character Test
(SCT) and a Full Character Test (FCT). The SCT consists of two parts:
sociability with people and resistance to acoustic stress. The FCT adds a
third component to the simple test: an assessment of instinctive courage
and steadiness of character.
Sociability
Sociability with people is a basic requirement for the Belgian
Shepherd Dog to be accepted as a welcome member of the family and
society as a whole in contemporary times.
Resistance To Acoustic Stress
As dogs have taken a more and more important part in the active life of
their masters, so has their ability to cope with sudden and varied noises
taken on more importance.
A gunshot represents a synthesis of these noises and is easily
reproduced
consistently for the purpose of testing.
Courage & Steadiness Of Character
As protector and guardian of his master, his master's family and property,
the Belgian Shepherd Dog must be courageous while also stable and
approachable as required in the first test of Sociability.
This courage is tested in the context of sport "bitingness"
using a tug or rag type toy, and should not be confused with an aggressive
or defensive reaction.
This basic difference can be determined by stroking the dog during the
hold. A stable dog will ignore the stroking hand and will hold on while a
defensive dog will release the hold to snap at the hand.
Threatening the dog (with the hand or cane) enables the courage and
fighting spirit of the dog to be tested during the hold. The tester can at
this time judge whether the dog's commitment indicates its reliability.
[See Test]