Why do people get certain types of dogs, dogs who were bred to have very strong behavioral tendencies, and then try everything they can to discourage those behaviors?
I’m talking about people who want a small dog but hate barking, German Shepherd Dog lovers who despair of their dog’s predatory urges, and fans of Vizslas or Weimaraners who don’t have time to run their dogs enough to make them tired. I’m talking about hound owners who go bananas when their dogs bay, and Australian Shepherd owners who hire trainers to try to make sure their dogs don’t try to herd or nip the neighbor’s active, outdoor children.
When you are considering getting a purebred dog, make sure you aren’t falling for just a certain appearance or coat, without also being ready to embrace the behaviors that the coat usually covers.
And when you adopt a dog of unknown parentage, one that strongly resembles a certain breed, take the time to research those breeds, even if there isn’t any guarantee that the dog is for sure descended from that lineage.
It’s unfair to adopt a dog whose very cells are calling out do perform certain behaviors – as in sighthounds, herding breeds, protection dogs – and then punish or eliminate all of those behaviors.
Don’t forget to research the health problems that commonly affect the breed of dog that you are considering. You shouldn’t be surprised when that Golden or Flat-Coated Retriever gets stricken with cancer at age 3, or that Boxer is diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.
