Why Do Dogs Prefer Their Own Breed?

[smkie]

VIctor prefers standard poodles to all others at the dog park because they are the ones most likely to play with him. He did go way overboard showing off to Mollie which is the closest to his own breed he has been around. Pepper seems to pair up with a dog, usually a girl the same size as she is at the dog park. Mary doesnt' care. She is happy with everyone.

[Amstaffer]

I don't agree. Athena much prefers Basset hounds to any other breed. Sal doesn't care what breed as long as they will chase him.

[joce]

I have definitely seen this in dobes! Its like only other dobes can understand their goofiness Byron tries to play with other dogs of random breed that don't know him and they are kinda put off by the flying around and goofiness, while another dobe joins right in with the same thing.

[Romy]

We definitely see this in Strider. He is perfectly happy to play with any dog, but there is a definite "dumbing down" in his play, meaning, the other dog is running as fast as caninely possible...and he is cantering ahead barely out of reach.

Robert finally gave me the green light on another sighthound when we had a borzoi buddy for him come visit. Holy Moly. Neither of us had any IDEA he could move that fast, and play so hard for so long. Having Charlie as a play buddy doesn't even come close.

[girlbuffalo1]

It's definitely true in Brussels Griffons! Honey likes to play with other dogs that are small and that like to play chase and wrestle--but when she gets to play with another Griffon it's a whole other level of all out sprints and what I call "griffy rolls" when they make them selves wipe out and roll around at full speed while playing chase.

[roughhouse]

Bo loves dogs of all kinds. He gets really excited to see them. The only breed that he didn't get all whiny about was a pug. It was almost like he didn't recognize it as a dog. It kinda made me laugh to see that he didn't seem to believe it was real. Maybe he thought it was a stuffed animal. It was incredibly cute and calm.

[Giny]

I see that with poodles too. It's probably because they can read their own breeds body language better, that's my thought on it. lol

[Bailey08]

I agree that it probably has something to do with play type, though my dog is a mutt so that's all I have to base it on. Bailey likes fairly physical wrestling type play (but not super physical like I've seen some breeds, like huskies, play). He'll run with the herding dogs, and initiate the running, but I think he prefers wrestling. He's actually very easy going with other dogs, though he stays away from really dominant dogs who get in his face.

He also has a thing for pugs. He likes to hump them.

[Tahla9999]

Hmmmm, maybe it is because when they were pups, the dogs that they interacted with was each other and their parents. If they were a purebred, they would see dogs that look like themselves.

[sisco16]

My sibes really seem to get excited to play when they see another sibe, they then have boundless eneregy, where she would just sort of bounce around and play with any other dog.