Who's Right for You?

by Trish King

Having a happy relationship with your dog means learning how to work together. If there´s a topic you´d like to see Trish cover, email editors@fetchthepaper.com.

You and your family have decided to get a dog. You flip through the pages of multiple dog books looking at this one and that. There’s a marvelous array of looks: short hair, long hair, curly hair, drop-eared, prick-eared, long tail, curly tail, no tail. And the sizes range all the way from the giants, which include the Irish Wolfhound and Great Dane, to the tiny ones, like the Chihuahuas, Malteses and Yorkies. In fact, there are 145 breeds in the American Kennel Club and hundreds of other breeds worldwide. People are constantly developing new breeds by combining breeds or resurfacing old ones. An example of a new breed of dog is a doodle. Doodles are Poodles bred with another breed. A Labradoodle is, obviously, a Labrador bred to a Poodle, and a Goldendoodle is a Golden Retriever/Poodle.

I’m often asked what breed of dog is appropriate for a particular person or family. That’s a very difficult question to answer for many reasons. In this column we will explore different breeds so you can get closer to answering the question in a way that works best for your situation.

Form, function, or fun?

Each breed of dog was developed for a particular purpose, some of which are self-explanatory. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Golden Retrievers were bred to retrieve. Hunters who use Goldens breed them for that as well as a soft mouth, tremendous energy, and pliable disposition. This is called breeding for function, in this case hunting. Later, when retrievers were brought into show rings, fanciers stopped breeding for function, and began breeding for form, for the way a dog should look and move. Dogs in the same breed who are bred specifically as working dogs usually are behaviorally different from those to be used as show dogs.

There are very few dogs bred just to be pets, which is a shame. Most families don’t want their dogs to work or to show; they just want companions. Families have quite different needs from those who need their dogs to work or show.

I often jokingly refer to the perfect pet dog as having to meet the following criteria:

• Likes to play, but is easy to calm down
• Is not over protective of his home, toys, food or guardians
• Wants to be with his guardian, but can be left alone with no problems
• Doesn’t shed
• Is tolerant of weird-looking people, people with hats, canes, beards.
• Loves children and can handle being tugged at, screamed at, and played with
• Doesn’t want to chase anything except balls or other appropriate items
• Likes other dogs
• Likes or at least tolerates cats and other animals smaller than himself

There are very few dogs that meet all those criteria, but if I were a breeder (which I have no wish to be), those are the things I’d be breeding for. If you’re searching for a family pet, aren’t these many of the behaviors you would like in your dog?

Do keep in mind that breeding isn’t the sole determinant of behavior, even though it plays a much bigger part than most people think. Socialization, the way the dogs are treated from the time they are very tiny plays a huge part. So, before you get a puppy of any breed make sure it has been socialized properly.

You love me; you really, really love me

Now, as to your choice of breed. the most popular breed by far in the bay area is the Labrador Retriever. In fact, the Lab is the most popular breed in the country. The second most popular breed in much of the country is the German Shepherd. Other popular dogs are Poodles, Golden Retrievers, Chihuahuas, Rottweilers, and Pit Bulls.

Why are Labs so popular? I think it’s because they meet many of the above criteria. Although they do shed, they have short hair, so they’re easily groomed. They tend to be physically and mentally tolerant and thus good for children. They have tons of energy when they’re young, but unless they’re bred for hunting, they do tend to settle down around the age of three. They’re usually very social with other dogs and can be a perfect dog park dog. As a breed they’re not particularly predatory, so can be taught to get along with the family cat. And although they can and do protect their property they do not tend to do so aggressively. There are always exceptions to the rule, so choose the puppy that best meets your criteria. Many Lab mixes also have that cheerful outlook on life that is typical of the breed. The most common problems we see are being mouthy, playing rough, and some food or toy possessiveness.

German Shepherds are the second most popular dog in most of the country, which is quite curious. Many German Shepherds meet very few of the criteria! These days, many Shepherds are spooky and anxious rather than tolerant; they have what’s called a high prey drive, meaning they tend to chase things that move, like bicycles, skateboards, and runners. They can be suspicious of strangers, both dogs and people; separation anxiety is common in the breed, and they shed like crazy! In fact, we sometimes call them German Shedders. Then why do we love them so much? I think we love them so because they are connected mentally to their owners as is my dog Strider to me. They tend to read our moods and respond to them. In short we love their personalities. Some breeders are very careful to breed stable, tolerant dogs, and those can be excellent family dogs.

However, should you decide to get a German Shepherd, make sure you go to a very good breeder who will take the dog back if he or she isn’t appropriate. Be sure to meet at least the puppy’s mom and preferably the dad as well. Never get a puppy from a breeder who will not let you meet the mom. Some female dogs do tend to aggressively defend their puppies, and this may not bode well for the pup’s eventual personality, as temperament is heritable. If you get one from a shelter ascertain whether the shelter does temperament testing, and if they do, take their findings into serious consideration.

Let’s look at another popular breed, the Chihuahua. We at the Marin Humane Society tend to have lots of them these days, because we bring in dogs from over-crowded shelters to be adopted here. These little pistols also very rarely fit the criteria I listed above. They tend to be defensive and intolerant, probably because the world is so big to them, and they can be world class lap guarders. With some exceptions they’re not generally good with children, who can be rough and insensitive to their
needs. Though they can’t do major damage if they bite, it still hurts!

You can see that dogs in each of these breeds bring their genetic history with them when they enter a new home. They also bring their own individual temperaments which are formed very early in life through their individual exposure to people, animals, noises, treatment. The Lab, Golden, Chihuahua, or other puppy you get is a complex mixture of breed characteristics and personality. Get to know as much as you can about your potential puppy’s breed and social history as you can before you bring her home. You will be so happy you did, and she will be doubly delighted you did, too, since it will enhance her chances of staying with you for a long time to come.