"_____" breed is not like other dogs!

[Southpaw]

Well if we get a big enough list of breeds that are "not like other dogs".... then I guess they aren't that "different" then are they

They're all different. Boxers are not like labs which are not like huskies which are not like cocker spaniels and so on and so forth. They're all dogs. And it seems that most of the people that say things like "you wouldn't understand, X breed is not like other dogs" really don't even know what they're talking about anyway and are just repeating what someone else told them/what they want to believe to excuse behaviors.

Plus if you're talking to the average person, their image of what a "typical dog" is would be the family lab - biddable, gentle, social, happy-go-lucky. Which A LOT of dogs don't fit into - neither of mine do!

[AdrianneIsabel]

Yeah, I have a Kishu, a Hokkaido, a couple Shibas, and two Akitas as regulars at my work. They're all very... different. Not at all what I recommend for the average joe to get.

My poor shiba client was recommended the breed because it was "going to stay small". They had a GSD, an Aussie, and now a mini aussie if that shows you at all what kind of dog better suits them.

[AdrianneIsabel]

Breed types tend to help describe "like one another" pretty well actually.

[skittledoo]

Mexidogs aren't exactly a "breed", but I think those of us on this board that own Mexidogs would probably agree that they are not like other dogs. Sure they are dogs and you will find similarities between them and other dogs, but in their own way they are way different than "your average dog".

My experience with Cricket is that she is insanely smart... Smarter than me at times it seems. She can solve just about any obstacle that challenges her. She also has a very wise beyond her years mentality. Maybe its because she is a primitive type dog and because on the streets only the strongest survive... I don't know exactly and if Sizzledog sees this thread I'm sure she can explain it so much more better than I can. Cricket has a LOT of energy though thankfully she did come installed with a working off switch lol. This girl keeps me on my toes and she is the kind of dog that would need to be with someone who constantly works with her on new things since she can get bored once she has figured something out.

[Paige]

I think the statement would hold a little more weight being a bit more personal. Say someone who owns a Maltese asks me what its like to own a Border Collie. I can say "They are not similar for x, ,y and z reasons". Ultimately its about what you like in a dog. I've yet to ever meet a BC that annoys the snot out of me. I like them. They are dogs to me. Yet I find labs much more obnoxious but they are apparently as much of a "doggy dog" as you can get.

Meh. A dog is a dog is a dog is a dog. Instead of focusing on the specific breeds I think the traits are really what people should focus on. Can I really adap to dog aggression? Nope? Well, that is a known trait in the pit bull breed so for me they may not be like other dogs I like to spend time with. Do I want an obsessive kind of dog? Nope? Well, maybe I should refrain from a Mal as those dogs are not the kind of typical dog that stand out in my mind in a positive way.

Im rambling.

[elegy]

Originally Posted by Kaydee

The breed really doesn't play into it. They're individuals, when you read breed personality charts it can be like reading astrological personality charts. Some qualities will be spot on and others will be so inappropriate that they're laughable.

If that were true, why even have breeds?

[JessLough]

Originally Posted by Paige

I think the statement would hold a little more weight being a bit more personal. Say someone who owns a Maltese asks me what its like to own a Border Collie. I can say "They are not similar for x, ,y and z reasons". Ultimately its about what you like in a dog. I've yet to ever meet a BC that annoys the snot out of me. I like them. They are dogs to me. Yet I find labs much more obnoxious but they are apparently as much of a "doggy dog" as you can get.

Meh. A dog is a dog is a dog is a dog. Instead of focusing on the specific breeds I think the traits are really what people should focus on. Can I really adap to dog aggression? Nope? Well, that is a known trait in the pit bull breed so for me they may not be like other dogs I like to spend time with. Do I want an obsessive kind of dog? Nope? Well, maybe I should refrain from a Mal as those dogs are not the kind of typical dog that stand out in my mind in a positive way.

Im rambling.

This. Said better than I could have.

[JacksonsMom]

Originally Posted by Paige

I think the statement would hold a little more weight being a bit more personal. Say someone who owns a Maltese asks me what its like to own a Border Collie. I can say "They are not similar for x, ,y and z reasons". Ultimately its about what you like in a dog. I've yet to ever meet a BC that annoys the snot out of me. I like them. They are dogs to me. Yet I find labs much more obnoxious but they are apparently as much of a "doggy dog" as you can get.

Meh. A dog is a dog is a dog is a dog. Instead of focusing on the specific breeds I think the traits are really what people should focus on. Can I really adap to dog aggression? Nope? Well, that is a known trait in the pit bull breed so for me they may not be like other dogs I like to spend time with. Do I want an obsessive kind of dog? Nope? Well, maybe I should refrain from a Mal as those dogs are not the kind of typical dog that stand out in my mind in a positive way.

Im rambling.

This is pretty much how I feel!

Like, obviously to some -- Labs are like the "ideal" dog but I could never live with one personally.

This came about in my head because on another board, someone came asking for help for their energetic and OCD yorkie. I suggested exercise. She considered exercise playing one-on-one around the house and following her around the garden and being put outside in an expen. When I said something about a 4 mile walk... a few seemed to think it would be WAY too much for a yorkie (and could "kill" them). Another said "You cannot treat or train a Yorkie like a Lab, horse, or pig. They are totally different. They are different than all other dogs." I just found it a bit extreme. I think some people get in their head that little dogs CAN'T do certain things when... in my experience they very easily can. My friends 4 and 5lb yorkies walk easily 4-5 miles, and sometimes the one even goes harder than Jackson my 16lb active boy! No, Yorkies are not THAT much different or special... some may be really active and NEED a lot more to remain calm, some may be content to lay around all day. But to just base the fact that their small or whatever on that they can't POSSIBLY walk as much as a big dog.

[Greenmagick]

I dont like it...everyone always says "oh well MY breed is not your typical dog". ALL depends on what your definition of a typical dog is. The basics, learning theory, nutrition (to an extent, more important in some breeds), etc are the same...they are DOGS!. Now, of course breeds have different inherent traits, different drives, jobs, etc that are going to make them different from each other. They are also each individuals, again, being different. But at the end of the day, they are still dogs which have a WIDE variance.

I hear it a lot...oh, "that" doesnt work with MY dog, they are a *insert breed*. They are different

[JacksonsMom]

Originally Posted by skittledoo

Mexidogs aren't exactly a "breed", but I think those of us on this board that own Mexidogs would probably agree that they are not like other dogs. Sure they are dogs and you will find similarities between them and other dogs, but in their own way they are way different than "your average dog".

My experience with Cricket is that she is insanely smart... Smarter than me at times it seems. She can solve just about any obstacle that challenges her. She also has a very wise beyond her years mentality. Maybe its because she is a primitive type dog and because on the streets only the strongest survive... I don't know exactly and if Sizzledog sees this thread I'm sure she can explain it so much more better than I can. Cricket has a LOT of energy though thankfully she did come installed with a working off switch lol. This girl keeps me on my toes and she is the kind of dog that would need to be with someone who constantly works with her on new things since she can get bored once she has figured something out.

Well I do agree with this. I think there will always be just those specials dogs, in general, but I'm not sure it's necessarily relating to breed per say. Like, Jackson, to me... is not an "average dog" but what are we basing "average dog" off of, you know?

If an average dog is always happy, loves everybody and everything, is derpy and dorky, I have a feeling most dogs AREN'T that lol. Nothing wrong with that of course! I dunno, I am bad at wording what I'm trying to say right now lol...