Comments on: Stance On Dog Breeds?

By: ainawgsd

ainawgsd — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:58 +0000

Are all canines created equally? Yes, in the same sense that humans are created equally. Are they all equally capable of performing the same task? No. Are they all capable of being trained to perform any task? Yes, I believe you can train a dog to do anything that you want to do regardless of breed. Sure, certain breeds tend to excel at certain tasks. But that doesn’t mean a breed that was bred primarily to do some other task can’t also do well at something that isn’t their “specialty.” And even if a dog was bred to do a specific task that doesn’t mean that every individual of that breed will be able to do that task…there are plenty of border collies, shepherds, etc that are useless for herding. A gun-shy sporting dog will be useless for hunting. And not all retrievers possess the soft mouth that enables them to retrieve game without damaging it. I personally know a papillon who is a titled weight pull champion. He’s damn good at pulling. This doesn’t make him useful the same way a malamute or pit bull would be for pulling heavy things, but he really enjoys it and if his owner had said “I shouldn’t even bother training that dog to pull because he’s a papillon,” would have meant that his life would be that much less fulfilling for him. I try as many different activities with my dogs as possible. If they enjoy it and I enjoy it, then we continue to do it even if they aren’t great at it. If they don’t like it or I don’t like it, then we don’t continue…simple as that. I personally love rally obedience. One of my dogs loves it and we have a great time together at rally competitions. My other dog is miserable and when I do take her to competitions we are both pretty unhappy. So she is now semi-retired from rally (we still do a few, just because I think she needs to continue to cope with doing things she doesn’t like occasionally, but never more than two trials a year and only if they are in the same town we live in).
As for one dog’s purpose ranking higher than another…as a general statement that applies to all humanity the answer would have to be hell no. The reason there ARE so many different breeds (and the reason that there are so many people set on believing that herding dogs should only herd and only herding dogs should perform this task, etc, etc) is because everyone has different needs. We spayed a 3lb yorkie at work today. She’s cute and all (and probably very smart), but I personally have no use for a dog that small. Likewise, that yorkie’s owner probably couldn’t imagine having two 70-80lb german shepherds as housedogs.

By: Curtis M

Curtis M — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:58 +0000

Dogs are dogs, so yes, they’re all created equally and all enjoy the same legal protection from abuse and cruelty. As far as any breed being able to perform any task with the proper training? No. You can’t turn a Labrador Retriever into a apprehension police dog. Sure he/she can sniff for narcotics but it can’t do protection work. It could be trained to bite the sleeve, but that’s because they have high prey drive, they do not genetically have fight drive which is what police service dogs are bred for. But as far as I can think, if the breed of dog is physically capable of the said task, yes, I believe they can do anything anyother breed can do given a large amount of patience. Do I believe hound could become a herding dog? Sure if he was a more athletic breed of hound with adequate prey drive. Could you train a sight hound to do scent tracking? Sure. Could you race Pugs at the Greyhound track? Sure. Can you use Collie as a sled dog? Why not. The only thing is any breed bred for a task is going to be better at that said task than any breed not bred for that said task. Now I know you said don’t be biased but, I think the highest purpose any dog or human could ever have is to take on the responsibility to protect others. I think Police Service Dogs, and war dogs are the heroes of the Dog World just as Police Officers and our Military men and women are to us. That said, any of the dog breeds suitable for police/military work have a great purpose. German Shepherd Dogs, Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, and Rottweilers seem to be the only acceptable 4 breeds for police/military work, but I think police/military are slightly “breedist” against other breeds such as the American Bulldog, and even some Pitbulls who could be just as effective at police work but have a bad wrap. But like I said, it’s all a question of drive and physical ability. Labs retrieve because they have high prey drive, but you could just as easily teach a Boxer with high prey drive to go out duck hunting with you.

By: The future is now Rodgers in GB!

The future is now Rodgers in GB! — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:58 +0000

I dont think that there should be dog breeds…..it helps contribute to the overpopulation of dogs….ie overcrowding than the killing of dogs.
However if I were to rank i’d put Labs at the top..they are great service dogs.

By: wedding planner to be

wedding planner to be — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:58 +0000

i like golden retrievers
all kinds of labs
chiwawas
blood hounds*
basset hounds

By: anwen55

anwen55 — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:57 +0000

Dogs have been selectively bred for hundreds of years with breeders breeding only from those dogs who excel at doing a particular job – that’s why Sheepdogs herd, Bloodhound follow trails and Terriers dig holes!
They have been bred up in size to produce guarding breeds like the Great Dane & down in size to produce Lapdogs like the Pomeranian.
If I want a dog who can run I’ll get a Saluki (which are actually faster than a Greyhound) not a Basset hound.
If all dogs were created equally we’d have a species which was Jack of all Trades – and master of none!
No, canines are not created equally – horses for courses.

By: charlie

charlie — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:57 +0000

I dont think all men or dogs are created equal. Like dogs people have lots of different talents. There are fast runners and herders and plodders. Each one has a talent for different things and all of them important. If you are going to buy a greyhound and expect it to keep you company as a lapdog then you are going to be disappointed. My dogs keep me company, love to go for walks but dont need a huge amount of exercise, and stand guard over me when I need it. A farmer or a gamekeeper would need a different kind of dog. The reason there are so many breeds is because people have so many requirements and you have to pick one that suits your lifestyle. Edit: Having said all that I have two huge Mastiffs and a Rottie and they all try and sit on my lap and just one of them weighs in at 70kg!

By: Messykat

Messykat — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:57 +0000

Great question!
I do think they’re equal in the eyes of their creator. There are lots of breeds but each breed (and each dog within the breed) is unique. My dog might bark too much and eat weird things, but he’s also adorable, loves humans and makes me laugh.
Another dog might not be pleasing to me in appearance, but might be the most loyal dog on the planet.
It’s “our” job to celebrate what’s good in our unique dogs, and overlook what isn’t. They’re not perfect, but then neither are we.

By: old and ugly

old and ugly — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:57 +0000

I have had six dogs (still have two) over the years, they were/are large dogs and all but the two living kept it up for 15 years or more each. Each had distinct personalities. Dogs for the most part do what they want. I had one that, although not the breed for it, I could not keep out of the back yard pond. One of my labs I could not get out of the river when our walks were over but she never went in the pond. One would chase anything I threw and another would only chase the one chasing the thrown object. Dogs love to learn and will do what they are capable of. But each one is as different as you and me. Only two of my dogs were what you might call pure bred but they came from the pound. So I recommend a pound mutt anytime, you may not think so but they will be eternally grateful and they will show it.

By: Valentines gift ideas

Valentines gift ideas — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:57 +0000

LOL!!
When you said that thing about hounds and herding it brought back an infamous image to my head.
I frequent sheepdog trails a lot. And I have once seen a bloodhound herding. His owner had stated that he was bored with his dog only being able to track, and since he wasn’t in law enforcement wasn’t able to show off his dog’s skills that much.
Nevertheless, not all dogs are created equal. Chihuahuas can not be service dogs, Great Danes are not lap dogs, although they think they are, and no dog can beat a racing Greyhound.
When you look at some of the facts there are dogs superior to another in a certain field, just like a doctor has no right doing construction or a garbage man transplanting a kidney.
Like humans all dogs have their speciality.
Therefore, men are not equal to one another in speciality or intelligence and neither are their dogs (although my corgi is a world reknown writer and painter lol j/k!)

By: Ista

Ista — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:26:56 +0000

I don’t think you can define them as “Equally being defined as they all have the abilities to preform any task, given vigorous training” as each breed was created to serve a different purpose.
For example, the border collie was bred for herding, the chihuahua was bred to be a companion. Those are two completely different purposes, neither is more valuable than the other in the grand scheme of things. It really depends on what your needs are.
Also, no amount of training is going to compare to the gifts each were bred with. Can you expect a border collie to track as well as a bloodhound?
You could say, all are equally important in that they all serve a different purpose. But to try and state that all should be able to perform all tasks, or that one task is more important than another, is really quite biased.
Edit: I think you meant me. I wasn’t implying that you were defining them as such, merely explaining my reasoning for why it couldn’t be so.
Edit: No pickle. Such are the drawbacks of written communication.