Breed Differences
Breed Differences
Dog breeds differ enormously to look at. They come in all different sizes and shapes, just compare the giant Great Dane to the tiny Chihuahua. With the different breeds also come different characteristics and abilities.
Most breeds were developed to perform a task of some kind and while not every dog fits its breed description it can provide a good general guide to how that dog may behave.
The breeds fit into a few general categories; hunting dogs, guarding breeds, terriers, hounds, herding dogs and toys.
Each group of dogs has been specifically bred over the years to exaggerate the characteristic that has been required for working. For example the Beagle from the hound group has been bred with short legs (to keep the nose low to the ground), long, floppy ears (to block out distracting sounds), and the stamina and determination to just keep going and not give up when it is on the scent. These traits make for a phenomenal tracking hound but not an easy dog to train. In fact most dog trainers will tell you there’s only one thing harder to train than a Beagle and that’s a Bassett!
We can generalise the temperament of each breed which gives a prospective owner an idea of what his dog will be like. We can also generalise the problems that may be encountered with a breed. For example Collies are well known for developing problems with fixating on anything that moves like light reflections. This is due to the breed being bred to fix sheep with a stare to round them up and move them on. If a working breed like this is not given enough mental and physical stimulation typical breed behaviours can come out, which while they may not be an issue on the farm can become a ‘problem’ for the owners.
Even with a mixed breed dog we can get an idea if we know what breeds make it up. If you take a terrier cross you can base research of that breed on typical terrier behaviours.
For every breed that fits to type there will be someone who tells you that the dog they own does not conform but it is worth doing a little research on any breed that you are interested in so you have an idea of what you can expect.
