Temperament Assessment

WHAT CAN CARAT TELL YOU?

• Is my dog suited for a particular sport or task?

• How do I make the most of my dog’s talents or preferences?

• What is easier or harder for this dog?

• How do I meet my dog’s needs?

• Is this a good fit?

As a Certified CARAT Assessor, Cindy Knowlton can help you find the answers you’ve been wondering about, and is available for:

WHAT IS A CERTIFIED CARAT ASSESSOR?

We know what you’re looking for, what we’re seeing when we observe your dog, and can translate what all of that means. Certified Assessors are notable for their compassionate and detailed approach to the individual animal and have demonstrated a high level of expertise in assessing dogs using CARAT. Mastering CARAT required considerable dedication and practice over several years. Certification serves to recognize the study and effort put forth by the certified assessor in developing their skills and to ensure that the individual demonstrates proficiency in both the theoretical and practical applications of CARAT.

WHAT IS CARAT?

• Developed by Suzanne Clothier in 2007, CARAT (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool) is a novel assessment system that categorizes behavior traits in multiple components that are intuitive and practical.

• CARAT takes a detailed view of the individual dog as a unique combination of many factors working together to influence, exacerbate, mitigate and enhance each other. In the profile created by the nuances and specifics of this complex interaction of multiple traits, an accurate picture is created of the individual, regardless of breed or age.

• CARAT is unique in its recognition that a response to any given stimulus can either inhibit or activate the animal, attract the animal or create avoidant behavior, and that the distinction between the two is critical in understanding the individual. For example, a dog who reacts quickly and avoidantly to a sudden noise is demonstrating a different response than a dog who reacts quickly and towards the same noise.

• At all times, behavior is assessed according to how productive, functional, or adaptive it may be, with a full understanding that what may be productive, functional or adaptive in one context may not be in another context. For example, there would be great differences in the CARAT profiles for a successful guide dog, competitive agility and a suitable companion for an elderly person with mobility issues.

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE CARAT?

While existing temperament scoring systems lump together different traits into broad categories (“big buckets”), such as confidence/fear, dominance, distraction, aggression, excitability, attachment, separation anxiety, etc., these “big bucket” categories are relatively crude measurements that offer generalized patterns, and often a poor source for more detailed information about the individual animal. CARAT takes a more detailed view of the individual dog as a unique combination of many factors working together to influence, exacerbate, mitigate and enhance each other. Specifically, CARAT will assist in identifying an animal’s unique abilities, limits and needs, and the specific placement regarding lifestyle, task(s), and/or handler to insure best possible quality of life for that animal. In the profile created by the nuances and specifics of this complex interaction of multiple traits, an accurate picture is created of the individual, regardless of breed or age.

WHAT DOES CARAT ASSESS?

CARAT looks at these main categories and specifics of temperament traits:

Interested in scheduling a CARAT assessment? Simply register below and we’ll contact you to set up an appointment that fits your schedule.