Breed History/Instinct vs Training
- Thread starter Zhucca
- Start date
No, it's not an instinct. But he has something in his make-up that causes a propensity perhaps to being interested in playing basketball...something that made him strive harder than most...not to mention his physical structure. So no, basketball isn't an instinct and behavior itself isn't genetic. It's something that sort of steers or causes a propensity toward engaging in some behaviors which propells some to do certain things and some not to do those things that is genetic. I think.
And he had no training other than "sit" "stay" "down". lol
I bet your parents were pleased. They didn't have to do it themselves. Heh, heh. Yeah, they don't need much, if any training to herd. They just do it.
One of my GSDs when he was very, very young....still a pup really herded our little piglets when they escaped out of their place. He shouldered them all along this bank...all the way back to their fenced area where we opened the gate. He never had any training for that either.
Even my Doberman showed strong herding instincts and would herd his doggie playmates sometimes. My other dog, a mix would go chasing after a ball. Lyric couldn't care less about the ball but would block her like a cutting horse does with a cow. Dobermans have Rottweiler, (which is a herding breed actually) in their make up and also some old shepherds. So I guess Dobes sometimes have that tendency from those breeds. Or maybe it's simply play and lots of dogs do that a little bit anyhow. It is one of those things that all dogs have in them but it's just that some have it stronger than others.
One of my GSDs when he was very, very young....still a pup really herded our little piglets when they escaped out of their place. He shouldered them all along this bank...all the way back to their fenced area where we opened the gate. He never had any training for that either.
Even my Doberman showed strong herding instincts and would herd his doggie playmates sometimes. My other dog, a mix would go chasing after a ball. Lyric couldn't care less about the ball but would block her like a cutting horse does with a cow. Dobermans have Rottweiler, (which is a herding breed actually) in their make up and also some old shepherds. So I guess Dobes sometimes have that tendency from those breeds. Or maybe it's simply play and lots of dogs do that a little bit anyhow. It is one of those things that all dogs have in them but it's just that some have it stronger than others.
No but his competitiveness is, his "Gameness" is etc..... all these are a part of basketball and success in sports in general. He could have funneled these traits in other ways but because of socialization and training he expressed in Basketball.
Many border collies are funneled into things beside herding. Many APBTs are funneled into other activities like WP.
Clearly humans are more complicated in some ways when talking about nature vs nurture (not to mention our innate fear of being compare to animals) but the basic idea hold true IMHO.
Many border collies are funneled into things beside herding. Many APBTs are funneled into other activities like WP.
Clearly humans are more complicated in some ways when talking about nature vs nurture (not to mention our innate fear of being compare to animals) but the basic idea hold true IMHO.
Teaching a dog basic obedience, even teaching advanced obedience or agility or tracking or many other things really isn't going to depend on breed. There may be a difference in terms of some breeds learn faster, some are more athletic, some are natural air scenters and won't easily learn footstep tracking, but for the most part they all learn things the same way.
There are times though when a problem behavior arises where breed is relevant and where breed may alter the course of action for a solution. A doxie with a digging problem is digging because it's a hard wired behavior. I'm going to set up a sandbox and give the dog a place to dig appropriately. A border collie with a digging problem is probably bored and I'm going to engage in more activities with the dog for mental and physical stimulation.
There are times though when a problem behavior arises where breed is relevant and where breed may alter the course of action for a solution. A doxie with a digging problem is digging because it's a hard wired behavior. I'm going to set up a sandbox and give the dog a place to dig appropriately. A border collie with a digging problem is probably bored and I'm going to engage in more activities with the dog for mental and physical stimulation.