FAQ on Mental Assessment

   This website received a few rather memorable comments upon the publishing of Editorial 1. Regrettably, we are unable to quote them. J Visitors, therefore, will have to make do with the following versions of questions and opinions that keep turning up in the ongoing discussions among Swedish Collie fanciers. You´re likely to hear of them if you are planning to buy a puppy from this country.  

” But surely the Mental Assessment is not all you need to know about a dog?”

Obviously not! The MA does point out certain important aspects of the dog´s innate mental make-up, e g curiosity, playfulness, interest in people. And it points to other things, which the dog might not possess – like a great fear of loud noise, or difficulties in regaining confidence after having been frightened.

If a dog and a bitch with MA results showing playfulness and no reaction to gun shots between them produce a litter – then your chances of finding a playful dog that isn´t gunshy will be greater, if you choose a puppy from that litter. It´s as simple as that.  

”But might a dog not be a good one, even though it didn´t make such a great job of its MA?”

Yes indeed! A dog might be very affectionate to its family, or it might be clever and easily trained, or possess some other trait which you may come to set great store by. These things don´t show up in the MA simply because the MA – like other tests – shows only what it is designed to test, not a lot of other stuff. A dog can grow up to be a good worker – e g, be a brilliant tracking dog, or a great agility dog – without anything remarkable showing in its MA results. The Mental Assessment shows parts of the dog´s personality only. But then, those parts are usually important for its ability to function in everyday life. So unless you have plenty of experience in judging the potential of puppies, you´d be right in thinking that the safe way to get a good one would be reasonably good MA results in its parents. 

”I´m not really impressed by all that MA stuff. Surely the way the dog works in real life is what matters!”

 What real life would that be? A quiet existence in kennels in the countryside – or a city and the tube at rush hour? See previous question.

 ”Well, actually it´s not everyone who wants a dog for the Working Trials!”

Very true, what has that got to do with it?

Except that in the Collie world, it is often hinted that the only people interested in Mental Assessment of breeding dogs are Trial faddists. The truth of it is that the people who have the greatest cause to take an interest in the MA profiles of a puppy’s parents are those who want a family dog. If you’re looking for a Trial winner, you might not be bothered by snappishness  in your dog. But if you want a family dog, your children most definitely would…and maybe your neighbours, too. 

”Why is that MA stuff so important? Most Collies after all are just family dogs!”

Yep. The same goes for the vast majority of the German Shepherd dogs in this country. And no one makes excuses for breeders of gunshy or nervous GSD:s. Or suggest that they would make particularly good family dogs.

Also, see previous question.

 ”Collies with a lot of curiosity and playfulness in their MA are too demanding for ordinary dog owners.”

The MA is for very young dogs. Young dogs with plenty of go in them will settle down in time. Unfortunately, gunshyness won´t. The truly demanding dog is one that will be always afraid of many things.

 ”May there not be acceptable reasons why a litter has parents who lack their MA?”

Yes, occasionally. The most common reason is perhaps that the sire lives abroad, and no test at all is available in that country. Or he was an import from abroad when he was already past the age of a MA. Once in a blue moon, a mishap mating.

 ”May there not be perfectly good reasons why a dog was very nervous at its MA Event?”

Yes. Like, on the way home the dog became obviously ill, or the next day, if it´s a bitch, surprised its owner by being suddenly in season. It´s easy to see how such changes in body function may change the way the dog reacts.  

It´s also quite easy to see how these would be rare events indeed, but frequent enough as explanations offered as to why the MA results are less than impressive by breeders who are determined to use their prize-winning, lovely-looking, good-natured, etc,  dog or bitch regardless of what.

If you´re interested in a puppy from a litter where one parent has no MA and such explanations are offered for it – take a look at the MA results of that parent dog`s litter mates. Everyone else tested and it looks all right? You´re probable on the safe side.

Not a single one tested? All bets are off. 

 ”It´s not very easy with those MA diagrams… I´m not sure I can understand what the breeder is telling me.”

Well, I too at times feel a little at a loss looking at ”the spiders”. For a very brief explanation of how they are put together, separate article will be published shortly. Luckily, it so happens that all MA results are official and public and be accessed through the registers of the Swedish Collie Club. And on the Registrar´s Committee are a couple of people who are very well versed in reading and interpreting Mental Assessment results for you. You do NOT have to be a member of the Club to ask– as I said, the results are public, and questions will be welcome. They are already coming in from neighbouring countries, so if you live outside of Sweden, go ahead and ask.