Breeding for sports

I think it's pretty unfair to assume people who want and own designer dogs only want them for superficial reasons. I could say the same thing about people who ONLY want a purebred. Doesn't mean it's true by any means.

It's very fair to say a large percent of dogs, of all breeds and mixes, are sought after for looks with temperament, work, and health being secondary.

I really like cockapoos. I meet so many and they're all just great in temperament, they all seem pretty healthy and long-lived, and I can usually tell when a dog is a cockapoo.

Same with the Goldendoodles and Labradoodles. I understand why the guy regrets it, but I'm also glad he 'created' them because I think they're great dogs.

Um... that is "stupid and lazy" (the size part is really irrelevant), just phrased more politely. Really smart dogs are a PITA, a thinking dog is not easy to train. A dog that's a little slower is generally easier to instill the basic pet manners that most people want. A high energy dog needs constant exercise, and most people don't want to have to commit to that, they like a dog that is okay just chilling at home if needed. Or, as I said:

"They want a sweet, easy-going pet that they can take to the dog park when it's convenient, learns a few basic behaviors without drama; if they get busy at work and don't have time for the dog park or a walk, the dog can just chill at home without stress. Gets along with people, other dogs, and small animals."

Not really clear how you feel that's so different than what you stated they want, but whatever.

Yes, I think the vast majority of dogs are selected on looks. Unfortunately. That's the one sticking point in my thought that they could breed a mellow, easy to own breed for the pet people to enjoy. There's no guarantee those people would pick that breed, they're as likely to decide that they must have a Siberian Husky because Eight Below. Or something.

did not mean to be rude or anything with my opinions, we all have our topics we react to and it did not seem anyone was to put out by my ramblings?

I don't think that what Sass described is either lazy or stupid. Biddable and friendly does not equal "stupid" and adaptable plus not high energy doesn't equal "lazy."

N As someone who will be looking for a pet dog for companionship within the next year or two - I couldn't agree more than with the above quote. I have just as much right to research a breed and find a breeder who health tests their dogs as someone who will only be showing their dog, or competing in sports. At the end of the day, the dog who is shown or is competed with is a PET. It gets snuggles, and gets treats and lives with a family. So, people who look for sports dogs, they look for breeds that can do what they need and find breeders who are more likely to have their perfect sport dog in their next litter.

Whether I choose to have a mush for brains dog, or a dog with a fluffy coat or one that claims it is allergy free is my right. How I want to spend my money is none if anyone else's business.

Myself? I want a stable minded dog that I can take out jogging in the morning, that is good with other animals, that will enjoy fetching, camping, can safely ride on a boat, a breed that is relatively healthy overall. If we have kids, I want a breed of dog or a specific dog that is more likely to have a stable temperament. If I want to find a breed that has a shorter, easily manageable coat that's not anyone's business. I have a full time job, I am planning on going back to College, my boyfriend also has a full time job. if I want to spend more time enjoying my dog versus maintaining a ridiculous amount of fluff, that's ok. Whether that dog is found in a shelter or at a breeder or rescue, doesn't matter. I'd rather go to a breeder or breed specific rescue because its a specific type of dog and is more than likely to exhibit this trait, that trait and others.

I do not think it is fair to assume that people who want a dog for companionship should either get stuck owning something that they don't want just because its a pet dog, or assuming that the person wants a specific breed for superficial reasons. Not all people want a lazy, mush for brains dog. If a person has a right to look for a dog to do sports, then others have the same right to look for what they want as a pet. It takes a special dog to have what it takes to be a pet.

Sorry for typos, I am on my phone and it doesn't always cooperate with typing on forums.

My take on everything is this...

I don't care what you are breeding. As long as you are breeding sound, healthy animals, are finding appropriate homes for all of the animals you produce, and will prevent the animals you are breeding from ending up in the shelter system...then you're fine.


This.

"They want a sweet, easy-going pet that they can take to the dog park when it's convenient, learns a few basic behaviors without drama; if they get busy at work and don't have time for the dog park or a walk, the dog can just chill at home without stress. Gets along with people, other dogs, and small animals."
This is Cynder. Only instead of sweet and easy-going, she is more along the lines of polite and reserved. And she is in no way lazy, or stupid. If I were to ever create a breed of dog, it would be one like Cynder.

This. Charlotte is without a doubt the most mellow, easy going dog I've ever known. With the exception of her fear aggression which was the result of an attack some years ago, and not something she was born with, she's extremely low maintenance. But she's not stupid or lazy in any sense of the word. I find the claim to be pretty insulting, quite frankly.

I was just thinking that. That was very close to a description of Summer. Summer is an EASY dog but she is far from stupid. She is not Mia, who is constantly trying to think up new and creative ways to be bad, but she is a delightfully biddable and smart dog to train. Give her a little direction and she really shines.

Lola is just about the easiest dog in the world. She doesn't go crazy if she doesn't get exercise, and she doesn't demand much of anything, but she enjoys and does well at agility and fetch and training. She's not stupid, she picks things up far quicker than my BC mix. She just uses her smarts for good and not evil lol.

My malinois are the opposite of stupid and lazy but some days I wish I had a stupid and lazy... oh wait... hi Arnold. jk, he's extremely smart and when it comes to other animals he's far from an easy ideal family dog.

I have a combo of all three, smart and lazy Gage, you can train him to do anything, but he isn't going to run around house. He can go to the dog park, but he really just wants people to pet him, lol.

Lazy and well maybe not stupid but not biddable Bristol, she isn't going to destroy anything, she will dig in a small garbage can, IF its got food in it and is easy to, but pretty much anything will stop her, including being asleep and not noticing I have left. And walks and dog park, ya she just doesn't do them, lol.


Then we have Diesel, who, I think, is what people want in sport dogs, he is athletically built to be fast, he has springs in his legs I think, he is biddable, and a breeze to train, but he out thinks me and we have to work on controlling him because he wants to go through all the equipment lol.

Most people who have met them are drawn to Gage and Bristol. I find older people want a Bristol,younger couples with older kids want Gage....the only people who want Diesel are his trainers lol.

Unfortunately most people shop with their eyes only and buy the cutest fluffiest puppy they see, they don't often even read about the dog they bought until they get it home. The few that do research google "best family dog" and search out what ever it says is the best.

I think it's a bit hilarious when people use the "well my dog is smart" to justify their less than manageable high maintenance dogs.. I thought it was something only casual pet owners with dogs who don't listen to them said but apparently not..

A manageable friendly easy to settle sweet dog =/= stupid or lazy. No matter how much you would like it to lol

The brain doesn't channel it's energies into nervous energy or bouncing off the wall drive for some dogs. It channels it in other ways and if you honestly think it doesn't take an INTELLIGENT dog to be able to be that go everywhere, do anything, sweet, manageable, great with kids, great with dogs dog and to be able to understand when it's time to play/train and when it's time to settle down... then I feel sorry for you.

My dog is manageable and "easy" BECAUSE that's how his intelligence shows, in his ability to be in tune with me and just "get it". Get when it's time to train, to play, to settle down, to learn etc..

with some dogs it's bouncing off the walls, with some it's drive, with some it's to play, with some it's problem solving or being caring in nature.
If you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will spend it's whole life believing that it's stupid.. I believe is the quote.
That doesn't make some dogs more intelligent than others, it makes some who they are. dogs that are higher maintenance, more drivey, more laid back etc..

or hey maybe he just started detecting my seizures because he is so lazy and stupid.. :rofl1:

maybe all service dogs are lazy and stupid! I mean look how well they adapt and settle down.
Same goes with therapy dogs, stupid and lazy, the lot of them!

Honestly Backup being less smart than Sloan (and Arnold) makes him an easier keeper. I am sorry if that's mean or offensive but man some days and in some ways it's so much easier having a dog who's not an evil genius.

<shrug>

There are also different kinds of intelligence in dogs, and the intelligence works hand in hand with other traits like drive, focus, energy level, etc. To me, lazy is a dog that doesn't WANT to do anything, not a dog that's up for anything but will still chill when you chill.

A dog that's easy to train is a dog who's managed to successfully communicate with a person. I don't call that "stupid".

This thread has made me want a short (smooth?) coated Sheltie. For purely selfish reasons. So ya'll can design me one now!

Completely agree with this. Lazy would be the dog whose owners wanted to do stuff and the dog rolling their eyes and sleeping on the couch.

Lo goes to visit Alzheimer's patients, and we go around in a circle and she sits in each person's laps (About 15 people total) and will completely relax and snuggle with them, close her eyes and rest with each one. We stay for an hour. If anybody were to watch us, she would look like the laziest dog in existence, briefly getting up and stretching between people and then resting again in somebody else's lap. But it seems to me that it's not as mindless/ effortless as it looks, because she's completely zonked for hours afterwards. Much moreso than if she were to run around chasing balls for an hour.