Doggone Etiquette —

Breed Specific

By Bardi McLennan

A Word to the Dog:

What’s your favorite thing to do – chase anything and everything? Or maybe sneak up on sitting ducks (toys, kids) or similar prey? Perhaps you are a more serious dog that takes on the job of guarding your home, your family and all their possessions. If just lying around the house, or sunning out on the deck is your idea of the perfect life, and your VIPeople go along with it, you are a lucky dog indeed.

Sometimes the toughest part of being a dog is trying to explain to people (any and all people) just what are your favorite things to do. Let’s help them figure you out.

A Word to the Dog’s Owner:

Dogs are just as different as people, but more specifically so. For example, not all Italians are artists, opera singers or vintners, but for over 2,000 years every Italian Spinone has been an all-purpose, all-terrain hunting dog. Or, take the Scots known for lots of things from golf to whisky, but for centuries the Scottish Terrier has not changed its looks or its original job as a vermin-hunter in the Scottish Highlands.

This is how you should think of the various breeds of dogs if you are a prospective puppy buyer. Don’t be swayed by the ten-year-old dog living next door, no matter what the breed. By that age, it may be very different from what it was as a ten-week-old puppy. As appealing as it is, the Italian Spinone, for example, is not a dog for everyone. It needs to be restrained from over-exercising (and over-feeding) until it is 12 months of age or more. A Scottie puppy on the other hand, is more rugged when it comes to exercise, but like most breeds needs early, consistent training and socializing to become a good pet.

When you like the looks of a breed, it’s time to do your research into the basics beyond the beauty!   The Bichon Frise is an adorable “fluffy white dog” which is actually what the name means. It has a fun, playful personality, but that coat requires proper bathing and brushing as well as regular trimming.

Beagles are a breed with an easy-going personality and easy-care coat and are very popular in the States. But here again a would-be buyer should know that breed-specifically they are intense hunters.

That means they can get bored (and destructive) if left alone for too long. Plus they bay rather than bark, which may not please the neighbors. Beagles are great with kids, but are known for their tendency to roam – no doubt merely in search of rabbits. However, these are all “breed specific” traits.

If a Golden Retriever or a Poodle are too well-known and not for you, perhaps you’d like to try getting your tongue around a Basset Fauve de Bretagne. Actually this is a dog I saw for the first time in Sweden, and it completely won me over (me, a true-terrier person!). They are rare, with a few breeders now in the States. Again, I was smitten, but this is not a dog for everyone. They are natural hunters and I’ve been told are not particularly easy to obedience train.

There are 161 different breeds registered with the American Kennel Club, and certainly one or more would be “the right dog” for you. Each one may vary slightly in size or color or coat or shape, but the important differences are in their temperament, personality and – most important of all – their breed-specific instincts. It can’t be said often enough: do your homework via books in the library, online, at dog shows. When you’ve narrowed down your possible choices, get the names of reputable breeders from the national or regional breed clubs and arrange to meet the dogs.

A good breeder will ask you lots of questions that will actually help you to decide if the breed is right for you. When you (the whole family that is) have made your final decision, you may have to go on a breeder’s waiting list. It’s worth the wait. Good breeders are not supermarkets with puppies lined up on shelves. Happy hunting!         

            

Until next time – BE GOOD!

-  Bardi

Bardi McLennan bred, trained and showed Welsh Terriers for 30 years during which time she wrote a monthly column on canine behavior in Dog fancy Magazine. In addition to contributing to numerous dog publications, she has written 15 books on dogs, the latest being Rescue Me! which received the ASPCA Humane Issues Award last year.