How Important are Looks?

[sillysally]

This is something that I've been thinking about for a while. I've read a number of times, both on these boards and others comments like "Why have "X" breed if nobody can recognize it as X?" "if I didn't care if the dog looked like the breed standard i would have gone to the shelter"--usually referring to features of appearance such as color, cropped ears, etc. It got me thinking about why we choose the breeds we do.

For me, i like the look of labs, but honestly, it is very low on my list of reasons I have the breed. There are actually tons of breeds whose looks I like better than labs (like northern breeds, akitas, etc), but they are not what i am looking for in a dog so i would not even consider them.

I have my breed because the well bred ones are fun loving, people oriented, good around most dogs and small animals, not guardy, good with kids, into water and fetching, biddable, able to put up with my bitch's bitchiness, etc. The only place that physical features even mattered was size (wanted something at least as big as Sally but not too big for the car) and coat type/length (I'm willing to deal with anything but DH doesn't want extremely long haired dogs). As far as whether the general public can tell Jack is a lab when they see him--well, honestly, I couldn't possibly care less. Since he's bench bred most people around here think he's a mix anyway, and personally I think it's funny to hear the things that people come up with. I know what he is and he doesn't care what he is, so it's all good.

Not to say that it is wrong for people to be attracted to certain "looks" in dogs, I just find it curious that many people seem very focused on appearance.

So, to the point of the post--How important *are* looks for you when choosing a purebred dog? Should breed fanciers consider altering certain physical characteristics, even if they are distinctive to the breed, to improve the health and quality of life for that breed? Do you think the purebred dog world focuses too much on physical appearance?

 

[drmom777]

I love the way Uncle Fred looks. I love his big ears, flews, and especially his hard, athletic, beautifully formed body and the way he moves. Of course, I also love his loyalty, his personality, and his voice, but watching him run brings me pleasure because he is a beautiful creature. I would love him if he weren't gorgeous, but I take great pleasure in how he looks.

 

[Blue_Dog]

Well I personally go for big mutts. For me it isn't so much the looks so much as the size that initially attracts me to a breed. One of my all time favourite breed is great dane. I haven't done thorough research but based on meeting other danes and reading through some breed based websites they are gentle giants, they are intelligent, dependable, loyal, etc. I wouldn't take on a large breed if it didn't fit my life style.

 

[smkie]

I LOve the way Victor looks...I Love the way Pepper looks. ONE is full bred one is a mix. GUess beauty is in the eyes of a beholder. THen again i have seen only a handful of dogs i would call truly ugly.

 

[Xandra]

Looks aren't very important. GSD's aren't my favorite looking dogs and my dog's coloring is like, in the bottom 20% when it comes to working GSD's.

As long as it looks like a shepherd-type dog, that works just dandy for me.

IMO yeah, English Bulldogs are overdone. But I'm not going to go on a crusade for them or anything, if people want to keep them that way, that's their business.

The breeds that I like all look that way for a reason. Temperament is paramount. The non-working people tend to mess up their appearance for the sake of appearance (how ironic). Showline GSD's and "dogo" canarios vs the traditional presa. THAT annoys me.

I think most people judge a dog by its looks. I wouldn't say the purebred dog world focuses too much on looks, the show world does though.

 

[smkie]

I just spent 4 hours watching my pointer run. Makes me feel sorry for all the short legged dogs in the world. He trotted like a walking horse and his lines are just classic. HE acts like the air is silk against his skin. I like the rosy of the sun through his ears, the spot on his hocks, the coral glow at the base of his throat.

 

[Xandra]

I love the way Uncle Fred looks. I love his big ears, flews, and especially his hard, athletic, beautifully formed body and the way he moves. Of course, I also love his loyalty, his personality, and his voice, but watching him run brings me pleasure because he is a beautiful creature. I would love him if he weren't gorgeous, but I take great pleasure in how he looks.

That is very true. Something I should've mentioned. I think seeing a lean dog jump an 8 ft fence, or get like 4' of air is so beautiful. Something that looks like a painting off of a collector plate does nothing for me.

ETA smkie beat me to it. I need a faster head-hand connection.

 

[Dekka]

if i love something it becomes beautiful to my eyes. So no not very.

 

[Romy]

Should breed fanciers consider altering certain physical characteristics, even if they are distinctive to the breed, to improve the health and quality of life for that breed? Do you think the purebred dog world focuses too much on physical appearance?

If I was choosing a dog from rescue, no looks would not be important. If I was buying one from a breeder, absolutely. Paying for a quality dog, for it to look in standard is part of the package. That package also includes good health and correct temperament, so it's not the only factor but it's important in that situation.

Personally, I would be more upset if I got a borzoi and it acted like a lab, than if I got a lab that acted like a borzoi. I choose the breeds I get based on their temperament, and hounds, especially sight hounds, are a great fit for me.

When looks compromise health is what makes me ill. I will never buy a dog with conformation that was bred on purpose, that negatively affects its health. Possibly adopt if it was the right dog for me.

 

[iibao]

I'm not going to lie, one of the reason I got a siberian husky is because of their looks. But the health and temperament is more important to me.

 

[smkie]

Pepper looks like chocolate enough to eat. EVeryone loves her color. It is like the crust of brownies on her les and dark chololate for her mask. I"Ts really pretty and i like looking at her.

I love Mary's lumpy bumby knobby calloused old body too along with her fat feet and her thick nails. I don't think there is anything wrong with seeing Poetry in Victor and wanting to eat Pepper up. ONe like at Mary's kitten eyes in her old grey face and i am just as in love.

 

[Beanie]

I love how shelties look, but it's not the most important thing to me. There is a personality and a temperament that I enjoy in the dogs. I LOVE how collies look, too, but I'm so much more a fan of the sheltie personality that I don't know if I'll ever have a collie again.

We are visual creatures so of course people make a snap judgement based on their visual perception of an animal (be it dog or another human.) That judgement can of course be changed and we begin to see a little differently.
Personally I do think that there are some physical traits in some breeds that are physically harmful and should be changed to preserve the HEALTH of the dog over the LOOK of the dog. But I think it is possible with most breeds to have it all - looks, health, and a proper temperament - without major physical changes to the dog.

I do find it really funny when people ask me if Auggie is "one of them border collies." LOL. It doesn't BOTHER me, I just think it's funny.

 

[Lizmo]

Some border collies are, erm, not very pretty IMO (there are some pretty oddly ticked dogs I've seen), but they are stellar workers.

I try not to judge a dog by color - especially border collies. And most of the time, what I think might not be the cutest BC pup, they usually turn into gorgeous adults.

 

[colliewog]

I'm attracted to certain markings (blazes especially) but wouldn't turn down a dog who didn't have one ... like my little Dora. No a bit of white on her face, but I still love her the same. Yet, if I were to draw a picture of my perfect dog, it would have a blaze. We can all have preferences, but you have to be able to be realistic at the same time when dealing with a living being ...

 

[Maxy24]

Well if I went to a good breeder for a pit bull I want this:

If I got this:

I'd be pretty upset, even if those hippos had the same exact personalities of proper pit bulls I would not want one, I don't like how they look. So in that way yes I do think looks are important to me, especially when going to a breeder, the look of the breed is something that makes the dog what it is and so a breeder should strive to keep their dogs in line with the standard as long as they are not breeding purely for work (in which case they would inform all puppy buyers of this). People going to a breeder should have research their breed intensely (talking about going to a good breeder) and have looked through all the breeds to finally decide that this one is right for them. It's likely that part of that reason was the looks of the breed (some buyers may care more than others) and that should be honored by the breeder IMO. I would be pretty upset if my well bred dog looked like a puppy mill dog.

But in other cases no looks are not important. If I have no expectations in mind I can fall in love with any dog that fits my life. But some looks I have to turn down for other reasons, no long coats because I don't like intense grooming, no super flat faces because I want to do lots of stuff with my dogs and where I live does get warm, no stubby legs because I want to take the dog swimming, etc. So looks can be important for that reason.

I have often looked on Save A Dog's website, decided I didn't like the looks of a dog and fallen in love with him when I got there. The opposite has happened too, where I see a dog I'm sure I'll love and don't care for much at all. So for me it depends on the situation. If I was very interested in the breed and knew all about that breed and decided to go get a well bred dog, I'd want a dog who was the epitome of the breed in every way (as close as possible), including looks, after all I chose the breed for a reason and looks was part of it. On the other hand if I love the breed but am not interested in having a really well bred one at the moment I'd go to a shelter and get a pure or mix of the breed and wouldn't care one way or the other if he looked just like the breed was supposed to, but I still wouldn't get him if I hated the way he looked (aka hippo pit). It's all about expectations I guess.

 

[bubbatd]

Looks are very important to me . As you know I'm into Goldens , but if I went with any other breed , I would go by their eyes and smiles . I'm sorry to say that no Bully breeds turn me on . I can appreciate them but would never own one . Same as the many who would never own a Golden or Lab !

 

[Boemy]

There are certain physical features I just don't care for in dogs . . . smooshed-in faces, for example, or dogs that have a hard time running, like overdone English bulldogs. I like dogs with a body that is pretty much proportionate to the build of wolves/coyotes/wild dogs. They can be bigger or smaller, but I like those proportions.

On the other hand, if a dog has mismatched ears or its markings are "wrong" . . . Well, those are not a big deal to me. Someone one here posted pictures of a working border collie a while ago--I don't recall who, sorry--and I think if it walked into an AKC ring, the judge would have spasms and die. One ear up, one ear down, mismatched eyes IIRC, and its coloring was speckled and uneven.

But there were pictures of it working and BOY COULD IT WORK.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

If I rescue it is what it is. I'd likely fall for whatever I brought home. Cider isn't to standard, I also didn't pick or pay for her, and I love her very much.

If I'm going to a breeder I want temperament, health and looks. I can be swayed on colour for personality in a breed that comes in many. But I want a dog that meets breed standard if I am paying out a decent chunk of change for a puppy.

Most of the cockers in the area are from bybs and they often paid more than I did for Smudge. Their cockers fall into the fuggo verging on ET the alien category. I'd be awfully upset to go to a breeder and get something that only a mother could love. I'm sure they love their dogs too, but they all seem to fawn over Smudge and how pretty and different he is from theirs.

 

[Laurelin]

I will say I'm attracted to certain looks. I tend to like longer, leaner breeds with many possibilities in markings and most the time with some coat. I tend to like longer snouts and erect ears... I love funny ears. Lopsided, overly large and hairy, I just love them. I love breeds where there's a lot of variation too. That's more important to me than a certain look, I just love how individual dogs like border collies and papillons look. Dogs in general are beautiful creatures and I've thought every single one I've owned has been gorgeous. I am probably biased though.

 

[Doberluv]

Maxi, that first pit bull looks soooooo much like Tokie, I can't believe it. Tokie wears more eye liner and has a black muzzle, but omg. Spitting image.