Do you dogs match the Breed Descriptions?

Do your dogs match most breed descriptions of them? How much do they differ, if at all? Or are they totally different than most breed descriptions?

Jackson matches a Silky *almost* to a tee (even though he's most likely a Yorkie -- sooo many people think he's a Silky and I tend to too).

Silky description.... bolded parts are exactly Jackson.

The only thing he's NOT is aggressive with dogs and was pretty easy to housebreak.

My dad and stepmoms Dachshund is almost exactly a Dachshund description too.

Credit: http://www.allsmalldogbreeds.com/

Reecie (a lab) does not at all.

She doesn't like kids, she doesn't like strangers, she doesn't jump or dog or chew or be obnoxious like labs tend to do, she has never in her life retrieved anything, she doesn't play. She is a very aloof dog. She acts just like the neighbor's Shar Pei, to be honest.

And I have no idea what Maggie is, but she got all the good qualities of whatever went into her

Olive the dane, yes plus good hunting drive
Sonic mostly

This reminds me of the time I was explaining to DH what conformation is (ie. adherence to the breed standard). We only had Kim at the time, and after mulling over my description he asked, "So, does Kim fit her breed standard?"

Hehe.

I cannot say if Mira fits every description of FCRs on the net, as I haven't read them all, but I do know some are contradictory so I'm guessing she does not. But going by the breed standard as laid down by the FCR Society of America -- yeah she falls within the breed standard.

Kim and Web? They wrote their own standards. So according to themselves they are the best examples in the world of their respective breeds

Not in the "may be DA" or "have high prey drive" categories. None of my dogs are even the slightest bit DA, and they all love small, furry animals. They really don't have "Terrier" personalities either, IMO anyway.

Everything else though, pretty much.

According to that site? She matches quite a bit. However most Pug folks interpret mischievous as pissing on the couch rather than clever plotting like i do.

I find most breed profiles are like horoscopes so they match most dogs of even the most remotely related to the breed.


So yes all my dogs fit the general breed profile descriptions except they are not high energy around the house. Heck the whippets are rowdier than the jacks...

Buster does NOT. He is so lazy and has no drive at all except for food of course lol.

Dixie well I am I not sure about the schnauzer part of her..but they are terriers and she fits the description to a T actually. Except her prey drive isn't that intense and she is not aggressive with other animals. She is a lot of dog though! She LOVES every person like a true terrier should.

Rudy - not sure, he is just his own dog lol.

I'll just post the parts that Juno matches because it's a long description...


It also notes that boxers should not display shyness, however Juno is pretty freaking shy.

Yes and no. For the most part I do. But also alot of Dalmatian descriptions describe dals or is interpreted to mean hyper/super high activity level. I view the activity level in Dalmatians not so much as bouncing off the walls hyper (but it certainly is a possibility) as a dog that physically, mentally and willingly go all day at a steady pace.

Judge the GSD does for the most part except he is much more friendly though and not aloof at all....Probably more to do with early socialization than breeding though since his brother is much more aloof than he is and didn't get as much socialization. His brother is still friendly but much less so with strangers. More the temp. I wanted in Judge.

LoLa fits the APBT standard temperament wise to a T. She pretty well fits the conformational standard too but not as well as I'd like.

All the paps fit bits and pieces of it. We've had 7 so far and they're all different to an extent. Rose is at one extreme of the breed and Mia is at the other extreme. Summer, Beau, Nard, Hiro and Harry have all been very moderate as far as the temperament goes and I think are in the realm of 'average papillon'. Mia is at the high extreme, probably not what most would expect from a papillon. Rose is ridiculously low key. Mia is much sharper than you'd expect and less stranger tolerant. Really Mia and Summer are not much alike in temperament.

My shelties were also all REALLY different from one another.

Both Chows are affectionate with family. Aesop is not reserved with strangers. At all. Goose is, though. Neither are very independent, either.

Jules fits the yorkie standard, temperament wise.

Nog does aside from not being too terrier-like

Tallulah is classic, physically and temperamentally.

Kharma . . . there are so many standards that are all over the place (which is a good thing, as long as we can't agree on one single set of Fila standards the AKC won't touch us ), but temperamentally she is spot on, with the aberration that we have worked hard at allowing her to learn how to function and even thrive in the modern world so that she can be with me in many situations, and physically, if you pull up old, old photos of the Filas from the fazendas, she would fit right in. As far as working, she is absolutely correct.

Bimmer is one of a kind However, he's very close to the old GSDs, back when they were smaller and more athletic. He's also shown himself as a natural stock dog.

Except for the fact that my guys are both kinda whores with strangers and are definitely not soft, pretty much. Pepper, OTOH, doesn't like most other people and IS soft, and she is also of questionable intelligence sometimes LOL.
None of my three are yappy or nuisance barkers either. Payton can be an excitement barker right now during play, but we're working on self control and the OMG OMG OMG BALL type barking is rapidly going away... even when he's playing with the other dogs he is barking less.

Like Dekka said, most breed descriptions tend to be very wide-sweeping. Considering Pig's background is a complete mystery and there is a possibility that she doesn't have any Basenjis behind her, it could be purely coincidence that she matches some generic Basenji traits.

Italics are just a partial match. Pig enjoyed swimming this past Summer, but typically hates the rain and will occasionally avoid puddles as if they were acid. She also has a wide range of very odd noises that she makes, an odd shriek being among them, but I wouldn't put it in the same category as Basenji vocalizations.


Bear is just his own dog. He matches a few different Rottweiler descriptions and has the 'holy sh*t! ball!' mindset Labs are known for, but many of his traits could fit into any number of breed descriptions.

Per Wikipedia:

I like to call Rowan "the world's only lazy Brittany." He enjoys activity but does not get crazy unless he goes for longs periods of time (a week+) without getting some sort of stimulation. He's also not nearly as soft as most people describe Brittanys; he looks incredibly hurt when he's scolded but he bounces back almost immediately. As far as temperament though he's absolutely a Brit. Affectionate to the point of clingy, playful, LOOOOVES kids, great family pet. He's not the easiest dog to train, but he hasn't been what I consider difficult, either. He's just distractable. He also has no bird sense, which is odd, although squirrels better watch out.

Are we talking about dogs matching their breed standard/parent club's description of the breed? Or random breed site descriptions? Or stereotypes?

Like Laurelin posted about her experience with Paps, my Belgians and Belgians I know well are all a bit different. But they are all a bit the same too. I do think there is a range in any breed that can fall within what is "correct".

"The Belgian Sheepdog should reflect the qualities of intelligence, courage, alertness and devotion to master. To his inherent aptitude as a guardian of flocks should be added protectiveness of the person and property of his master. He should be watchful, attentive, and always in motion when not under command. In his relationship with humans, he should be observant and vigilant with strangers, but not apprehensive. He should not show fear or shyness. He should not show viciousness by unwarranted or unprovoked attack. With those he knows well, he is most affectionate and friendly, zealous of their attention, and very possessive. Viciousness is a disqualification." http://www.akc.org/breeds/belgian_sheepdog/

I'd say mine all can fit this description pretty well with some having more of certain traits than others. Most of them are a bit too friendly with strangers, although that doesn't mean they want them to get too personal either. Definitely very exuberant to see their friends though.

PyrShep
"He is dominated by his love for his work. He has the tendency to become passionately attached to his owner to the complete exclusion of all others and is astonishingly sensitive to his owner's moods. As a companion, he is very active and enthusiastic and insists upon being involved in the day's activities whatever they may be. He is very affectionate with the members of his immediate family, but is distrustful of strangers." http://www.akc.org/breeds/pyrenean_shepherd/

Savvy is pretty spot on with temperament in the PyrShep standard, except he's not terribly distrustful of strangers. However, if someone gives him a reason to be distrustful of them, he doesn't tend to forget about it. Someone I know teased teased him a bit months ago. Savvy still doesn't like him and may never like him.

Cardigans
"Temperament:
Even-tempered, loyal, affectionate, and adaptable. Never shy nor vicious." http://www.akc.org/breeds/cardigan_welsh_corgi/index.cfm


Well their standard doesn't have much to say about temperament at all. I suppose Ziggy fits it as well as any dog LOL

GSD
"The breed has a distinct personality marked by direct and fearless, but not hostile, expression, self-confidence and a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. The dog must be approachable, quietly standing its ground and showing confidence and willingness to meet overtures without itself making them. It is poised, but when the occasion demands, eager and alert; both fit and willing to serve in its capacity as companion, watchdog, blind leader, herding dog, or guardian, whichever the circumstances may demand. The dog must not be timid, shrinking behind its master or handler; it should not be nervous, looking about or upward with anxious expression or showing nervous reactions, such as tucking of tail, to strange sounds or sights. Lack of confidence under any surroundings is not typical of good character. Any of the above deficiencies in character which indicate shyness must be penalized as very serious faults and any dog exhibiting pronounced indications of these must be excused from the ring. It must be possible for the judge to observe the teeth and to determine that both testicles are descended. Any dog that attempts to bite the judge must be disqualified. The ideal dog is a working animal with an incorruptible character combined with body and gait suitable for the arduous work that constitutes its primary purpose." http://www.akc.org/breeds/german_shepherd_dog/

I have owned three GSDs and only one had what I'd consider a correct temperament for the breed. One was too reactive and the other, too friendly and mellow.

My friend worried about softness when she was researching Brits because someone who had two show bred ones told her they were extremely soft. I couldn't imagine them being a soft breed, given the methods that are used to train them for field trials. Her's is similar to Rowan - biddable enough to realize he's being scolded but not soft.

LOL that description of basenji's almost matches Dekka perfectly!! (she barks was well as makes weird yodel noises and she is very easily trained)

He fits his standard EXACTLY! lol It's kind of scary..

Graceful, alert and swift-moving with a saucy expression, Chihuahuas are highly intelligent and should not be underestimated even though small in size. . Chihuahuas are alert dogs with terrier-like qualities. They are good with families if the children are gentle and patient. can be sensitive to cold temperatures. Smooth coated Chihuahuas need very little grooming due to their short hair. Long coats need occasional brushing but still require minimal grooming.