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Shelter assessments can be very subjective and cannot predict future behavior. Some shelters do not have the facilities or staff to perform effective (if any) temperament assessments. I do temperment tests for a facilty that doesn't have an ideal set-up for it - no simulated home environment, etc. You are not alone in your perception that a dog is stable and safe if it has passed a shelter's test. What these tests are really looking for is in what situtations is the dog aggressive, if at all. Sadly, most dogs are given up because they are not housetrained, submissive urination, they bark, they jump, they dig...in short...they are just uneducated dogs. After these dogs have been in a few homes and turned back in because fo their behavior problems, they are pretty screwed up. They really need a home with owners who understand what they've been through. They are emotionally disturbed. Not all shelter dogs are like this, of course. I'm talking about the ones who have behavior problems that potential adoptees are not aware of until they get home and the honeymoon is over.
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