Why do the do what they do?

Okay, this may be a silly question, but my husband brought this up yesterday and it got me wondering. I watch a cute little ACD every other day so the poor thing doesn't have to be cooped up in a crate while her owners are gone all day. My husband and I were out back throwing the ball with them, and they both LOVE it. However, Fiona loves to just chase the ball and leave it where it stops. Jester will get the ball and bring it back to us. I know that chasing is in Fiona's nature because she's a herding dog, and Jester lives to retrieve (Anything...his ball, bone, Kong, weird stuffed animal thing, and our newspaper. Cliche, I know, but it's really cute!).

My question is, how is it part of their nature to do these things? Why do retrievers retrieve? Why do herding dogs do what they do? I was just wondering how a breed's "job" is bred into them.

Very good question. Where did it all start with each breed ?

UM, I have a herding breed who retrieves and he would do it all day long if I kept throwing the ball LOL! I also used to have a GSD who would retrieve. My friends PUG retrieves big tennis balls which I think is a riot because pugs weren't really bred to do anything but be a companion and she can barely pick up the ball to carry it back LOL!

I'm not saying there aren't exceptions. But a Labrador Retriever wouldn't be called a retriever if it wasn't known for that. Same with dogs like Fiona. Of course not all retrievers like to retrieve (I've met quite a few), but a good majority of them do. That's what I was wondering.

Oh, I know what you were saying, I find it funny when I hear people tell me that there lab or golden doesn't even retrieve LOL! Seems hard to believe but some dogs just aren't into it.

Over breeding a certain trait over 1000 years, it just becomes "stuck." Over time, the dogs that didnt pull well, or retrieve, or herd well, were not bred, and it was only best to best. And like anything, you will get the dogs that just dont want to do what they were bred to do. It happens.

YUp exactly what was said above. Someone gets a goal in mind (EX, I want a dog that retrieves) they will go out and collect dogs that show the trait they wish to achieve the most. Then they breed exclusively for that trait until it begins showing up in most if not the whole litter. Once that is achieved and the person is happy with what they are producing they begin to inbreed until the dogs are breeding true to type (breeding the relatively same look and temperment with that desired trait, consistantly). Tadaa! A new breed with a specific intent and purpose is born!