Breed Stereotyping

Dogs get stereotyped according to their breed, and whilst it’s true that certain breeds have certain traits, such as Collies and their tendency to herd, other behaviours such as excessive barking, aggression, stealing and lead pulling (to name but a few) are the result of a misunderstanding between the languages.  As a behaviourist, I hear this excuse time and time again – “it’s the breed, they all do that” and with social media constantly validating our views, it’s easy to understand why owners would think that way.  However, ask anyone who has more than one dog of the same breed, and they will tell you how different they are! 

Dogs are not born with ‘bad’ behaviours, they are shaped by their environment, their experiences, and their relationship with their owners. Dogs communicate to us via behaviour, however if they feel they are not being heard, or their needs are not being met, they try a different tact. This is why your dog can display one behaviour and if not addressed correctly, another behaviour develops, and so on.    

Blaming the breed is an easy explanation for unwanted behaviour, with owners resigning themselves to ‘just living with it’ - but you really don’t have to!  When you invest some time to understand canine language, and how fundamental your interactions are in shaping your dog’s behaviour, you can make huge shifts, which makes for a more joyous and harmonious relationship for everyone involved.

Understanding the ‘why’ behind the behaviour, is key to changing the behaviour.