If we employed Assess-a-Pet methods to test Boston Terriers – a breed which is usually highly stressed in a shelter environment – many of them would have been killed.  They would not be deemed worth saving and certainly not placed with loving families.  That is where rescue comes into the equation.  We take them out of the stressful shelter environment, place them into a foster home and then see how they unwind.  After a few days of adjustment, we begin to see their true temperaments while they interact with a family and other pets.  Remember - to a lost or surrendered pet, even the best shelters are full of loud noises, odd smells, strangers and fear.  For those and many other reasons, so many of our dogs would have been killed for being too timid, too food aggressive from starvation, too fear aggressive, too hyperactive, etc. and they would not have become the beloved dogs they are today.  We absolutely do not employ, nor do we recommend, this type of temperament testing.