Raising a dog for a purpose has some significant assumptions-
- That you know what the dog is specifically required to do
- That you know how to develop those particular behaviors
- That the terminology you use to describe how your dog performs will match with those who need this type of dog
The slides above demonstrate the difficulty in “wordsmithing” for standards of performance in contract. 5 of the slides draw from actual statements of work for dog purchasing by different government entities. The first draws from the original contract between the Wright brothers and the Department of the Army in 1907.
These picture graphs make the words used most frequently, the biggest in the image. We should hope that the words that really stand out would be applicable to the efficient assessment. Ironically, it is often not the case. Be clear on the vernacular you use to describe a dog’s performance and that when dealing with outside agencies you begin with a clear understanding of the terminology.