In my line of work, I hear stories about how people managed to acquire a specific dog, by legions.
With time, one learns to recognize certain sociological patterns pertaining to the process of choosing and buying a dog and tries to divide those patterns into categories. Here, I am going to talk about one of such categories. More specifically, the one who tends to buy a dog because they think they like the breed.
Very rarely people decide to get a specific breed because they researched what type of dog might suit their family situation best. Much more often, decisions are made based on looks and on experience that people think they might have had with that specific breed in the past, although oftentimes such an experience is purely vicarious. At the end of the day, many people tend to think that all dogs are essentially the same – they are dogs, are they not?
Here are a few examples that might sound familiar (all names are made-up)
Coreen and Brandon have a neighbour two houses away who has a German Shepherd, and his dog is the sweetest, most well-trained thing that loves all children in the neighbourhood while vigilantly guarding its property against any intruders. Coreen and Brandon have two children who have been asking for a puppy forever. Based on their experience with their neighbour’s dog the couple decides to get a German Shepherd puppy for their children. However, once the puppy is brought home, Coreen and Brandon discover that it is nothing like a shepherd that their neighbour has. The puppy has uncontrollable bursts of energy during which it nips their children; it cannot quickly grasp the concept of soiling outside only; and it destroys everything within its reach. Hoping that things will resolve themselves as the time goes by, Brandon and Coreen decide to wait it out. Children quickly become disenchanted with the whole idea of having a dog. Brandon is working long hours, and Coreen, who is pregnant with their third child, must take care of a puppy who is now the size of a full-grown shepherd. Needless to say, behavioural issues are getting worse to a point where no one can walk this dog comfortably because it developed all sorts of nasty habits, such as pulling and barking at other people and dogs.
Doug’s dad was a hunter. He preferred deer and elk and would occasionally hunt a boar. He had two jagdterriers who went out with him every time. They were great house dogs and Doug developed quite the fondness for the breed. Doug grew up and moved out into a city apartment. Unlike his dad, Doug disliked killing wild animals – he preferred buying his meat in grocery stores. Upon lending a high-paying secure job, Doug decided that it was time for him to get a pet. Naturally, he turned to a breed he thought he knew the best – jagdterriers. Very quickly, Doug discovered that his jagdterrier was very different from his dad’s dogs: his four-months old puppy demonstrated all kinds of troublesome behaviours, including resource guarding, dog aggression, and extreme separation anxiety. The dog became a master of escaping from any crate and in the process of chewing through a metal one, he broke one of his canines, which resulted in an expensive surgery. As a result, Doug is facing eviction due to all the noises and discomfort his dog brings to his neighbours.
Stephanie has always dreamed to have a well-mannered, chill dog with whom she would be able to take lazy strolls in the neighbourhood, exchange pleasantries with other dog owners, and accept compliments from strangers about her beautiful and obedient dog. Stephanie is a grade schoolteacher, and she has a chance to observe all kinds of dogs that people bring with them to a schoolyard while waiting for their children to come out of school. She noticed that one of the most popular types of dogs were the curly-coated ones. Upon talking to one of the owners of such a dog, Stephanie discovered that it was a cross between a poodle and a Labrador, and she was reassured that this mix features the best from both breeds, both in terms of health and temperament. Once the schoolyear was over, Stephanie bought a puppy. Almost immediately, Stephanie is amused at the level of energy her dog has, but she is quickly reassured that it will pass as her dog becomes older. However, things only seem to be getting worse. Her dog is not obedient or well-mannered. In fact, it is quite the opposite: it jumps on other people, which makes it impossible to walk in the neighbourhood, and its energy needs are far above those that Stephanie is willing to satisfy.
I bet you have met at least one of those imaginary people. What they all have in common is the fact that none truly knew anything about a dog they were getting. A perfect neighbour’s German Shepherd is only perfect because it was trained to be that way. Jagdterriers are an absolute menace in a non-working home. A mix between two high-energy breeds cannot possibly result in a calm, chill dog. Needless to say, no dog is born obedient by default.
Most of the times, people struggle with their dogs because the choice of the breed they made was not right for them. In many instances, we can make it work – both humans and dogs are adaptable creatures, therefore, if both are willing to put some effort into training, things end up being okay at the end.
At other times, people choose managment over training: they purchase high-impact crates, walk their dogs in halters, and only go out when it is very early in order to not meet anyone.
And sometimes, the very realization of the magnitude of lifestyle change that is required to be made in order to make a relationship with a dog work, renders the whole dog ownership thing unworthy of pursuing further – this is where dog shelters come in handy.
The only real solution to this problem is doing your research, taking time exploring different breeds, figuring out what kind of dog you might enjoy, and being honest about your own lifestyle. I do believe there is a dog out there for anyone, with any kind of lifestyle. Once the research is done and the right breed has been found, the rest is a matter of training. The most important thing to remember is that any problem is easier to prevent than to fix, and that pertains to the choice of a dog, too.