Stereotype vs Breed Type
Several years ago, while out walking with my daughter, two men approached us. The hair on the back of my neck prickled. They were, after all, men, and I was basically alone with my 2-year-old. A lump rose in my throat and I broke out in a sweat. My 2-year-old stopped chattering. I realized I was gripping her hand and calculating my escape. I was very embarrassed when one of them said, “would you tell us where da Safeway?” I quickly gave them directions, but noticed distaste that they did not follow them.
Was I right to be afraid? Did I stereotype them? Sometimes we need to make snap judjements.
Do we tend to ‘catagorize’ too harshly and too quickly? Are all men dangerous? All women catty? Are all redheads hotheads? Are all cats independent? Are all little dogs yappy? Are all _____? Fill in the blank with anything the answer is NO. There are always differences (and usually there are some similarities). I’m not saying you are a bad person if you sterotype. I’m saying be aware of TYPE, BREED TYPE.
The important thing to take away from this is that within a dog breed there ARE some similarities. This is useful information when choosing and training your dog. If you know why certain breeds were bred (developed), you can predict certain behaviors within that breed. The way a breeding program (of any animal) works is that during the developmental stages- if the dog is good at “it” (whatever it is) they are sought after to reproduce. So considering the hundreds of years of retrieving is there any wonder why your lab always need something in their mouth. Or why your herding dog keeps the neighborhood children in a tight little group or nips at their heels.
Understanding your breed’s original job will help you understand why they do certain things. Knowing your breeds original function should help you form realistic expectations for your dog. This information about original function should help you with choosing a new dog as well as your current pet. Samoyed puppies are very cute but after 6 months they don’t make very effective lap dogs. On the other hand a Pomeranian would make an perfect lap dog at any age.
Something else to keep in mind. Some ‘breeders’ do not consider a dog’s structure, temperament, or function, only the money; therefore, assuming your golden will retrieve is not necessarily a given. I’ve seen hound dogs that wouldn’t hunt anything but the couch, lapdogs that never sat still, and herding dogs that would rather be on the bed than with the herd. But knowledge is power and the more you know about the breed that you have or intend to acquire the more capable you will be to deal with things that arise.
If it is at all possible try before you buy, by visiting the pound or the dog parks, or dog shows and speaking to people who have the breeds that you’re interested in. Ask as many questions from as many people as you can. Query the veterinarian about illnesses or ailments known to affect the breed you are interested in. Ask the groomer about the frequency of grooming. Ask a trainer about the trainability; some dogs were actually bred to be stubborn.
Some dogs just are. There was no plan, nature called and ... They can be loved, and trained, and figured out also.
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| Wally learned to play at 9 yrs old |
The Sassy Trainer, Tynia
If you can’t stand the sass, get out of my blog!
