Dog Diversity 101

All puppies are cute. If you don't think a puppy is cute you have a heart of stone. But sooo many people get a puppy just because of the way it looks and don't stop to think about how that breed is going to be when it grows up. Different breeds display different traits as adults. It's important to always take the breed's characteristics in mind when you adopt a new dog.

Canine Behavior by Breed

Not all dog breeds are created equal in my experience. Dogs exhibit a wide range of personalities and traits. Some are gentle and act well in social situations, while others are rowdy and prefer to be in familiar situations and environments. Although most dogs can be trained to be obedient and follow commands, some will take to training easily while others will fail obedience class time and time again.

Certain dogs were bred to exhibit certain characteristics. Here are some information I found on the more popular groups of breeds and some of their prominent traits:

• Herding Dogs: Herding dogs were bred to help herd large groups of animals, such as flocks of sheep. These dogs are highly intelligent and make good family pets, although they do require a fair amount of exercise.
  

• Hound: A hound helps hunters track animals. They are known for their ability to retrieve and make good family pets, as they are typically easy to train.
  
  
• Terriers: Terriers were initially bred to hunt and kill pests. Typically small, terriers are brave, tough and energetic, though they have a tendency to bark excessively.
  
  
• Toy Dogs: Simply put, a toy dog is a small dog that is kept as a pet. While some toy dogs are docile and inactive, others are highly energetic. Toy dogs make excellent pets. However, due to their small size, toy dogs might not be the best choice for a family with young kids, as over-eager children could play too rough with it and cause it injury.
  
  
• Working: A working dog is one that learns and performs tasks to assist its owner. Working dogs are highly intelligent, alert and very loyal. They typically make excellent family pets and enjoy being active.

Dog Breeds and Children

Other information I read explained that all dogs have different personalities. Some are great with children and tolerate small hands tugging on their fur and pulling their ears. Others become irritated with children and lash out when young ones are near.

Dogs that are good with kids are a must-have for family pet-owners. Golden Retrievers are very well-known for being excellent around children. Here are some other breeds that are good with youngsters:

• Basset Hounds
• Beagles
• Collies
• Labrador Retrievers
• Newfoundlands
• Pugs

Communication Between the Dog and Owner

From my vast experience of watching the dog whisperer (more on my fascination later), it seems to me that most dogs will try hard to understand and please their owners, just as most owners will work hard to understand their dogs. Cesar explains that as long as you are patient and establish a dominant role with your pet, he or she will likely respond to your commands. Of course, as stated earlier, some dogs learn more easily than others, so if you don't think you have the time or patience to train a stubborn dog, choose your breed carefully.

Not that I have specifically tried to train an animal (yet), apparently it isn't hard to teach your dog to follow a few basic commands. However, I think the most common piece of advice I've heard is to be consistent and be able to see things from your dog's point of view. Understanding your dog's instincts and his breed will help you develop strategies to erase unwanted acts. As some dogs are more prone to certain unwanted behaviors, such as biting and/or incessant barking, you might find that it is more difficult to eliminate these actions. Hopefully my next blog about types of training approaches will help start some conversation about the best methods to training your dogs.