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*disclaimer* This was not meant as an attack on anyone. I also do NOT intend for this thread to be a flame war. I'm just curious, and want some intelligent feedback.
There have been a lot of posts lately about guardian breeds. I've noticed that a common theme seems to be a desire to curb the breed's natural protective tendencies through extensive training/socialization.
That disturbs me greatly. Guardian breeds were bred to be that way for a reason. There are people out there who greatly desire these traits, and I believe they should be nurtured. These traits are written into the breed standard for a reason. The ideal breed specimen SHOULD have this type of temperament. The changing and lessening of temperament traits is just as bad for the breed integrity as the changing and lessening of physical traits.
I can't remember where I saw this quote from a dobie breeder, but it's very fitting. "If you have a doberman who sleep all day, loves everyone and never barks, then you have a great pet. But you have a bad doberman."
I don't believe in getting a dog with the condition of "I don't like XXX trait, so I will train it not to be that way." That is not fair to the dog. They are wired to be that way, and they are happiest when fulfilling their purpose. If you want a dog, you should like the ENTIRE dog. That is why there are hundreds of different breeds to choose from.
Besides, what if you can't train Fido to "not be that way"? What do you then? Shelters are full of dogs that could not be trained out of their natural tendencies: BCs who are "too active", terriers who dig and scenthounds who howl and bark. It's not considered responsible dog ownership to get a dog not suited to your situation. So why is it acceptable to get a hard guardian breed and try to train it to "play nice" with everyone?
Thoughts, anyone?
There have been a lot of posts lately about guardian breeds. I've noticed that a common theme seems to be a desire to curb the breed's natural protective tendencies through extensive training/socialization.
That disturbs me greatly. Guardian breeds were bred to be that way for a reason. There are people out there who greatly desire these traits, and I believe they should be nurtured. These traits are written into the breed standard for a reason. The ideal breed specimen SHOULD have this type of temperament. The changing and lessening of temperament traits is just as bad for the breed integrity as the changing and lessening of physical traits.
I can't remember where I saw this quote from a dobie breeder, but it's very fitting. "If you have a doberman who sleep all day, loves everyone and never barks, then you have a great pet. But you have a bad doberman."
I don't believe in getting a dog with the condition of "I don't like XXX trait, so I will train it not to be that way." That is not fair to the dog. They are wired to be that way, and they are happiest when fulfilling their purpose. If you want a dog, you should like the ENTIRE dog. That is why there are hundreds of different breeds to choose from.
Besides, what if you can't train Fido to "not be that way"? What do you then? Shelters are full of dogs that could not be trained out of their natural tendencies: BCs who are "too active", terriers who dig and scenthounds who howl and bark. It's not considered responsible dog ownership to get a dog not suited to your situation. So why is it acceptable to get a hard guardian breed and try to train it to "play nice" with everyone?
Thoughts, anyone?