[melundie]

In my research for a doggie day care, I came across a website that lists "Breed Tendencies" for lots of different breeds out there. The website as a whole is actually a really excellent source for finding positive dog trainers in my area, but when I saw this I was a little miffed. There is a disclaimer at the beginning, but some of these seem a little off...though I do agree with the description of herding dogs, to an extent. They site "Humane Society University" as the source for these descriptions which I'm pretty sure is made up, lol... What do you all think?

******
(Not compatible with AKC groupings, grouped according to behavior traits)
Remember that dogs are individuals. These descriptions cannot be generalized to every dog.

Sighthounds:
(Irish Wolfhound, Greyhound, Whippet...)
Bred to hunt by seeing, following, and chasing prey for as long as they could see it, without direct instruction from people

• Can be challenging to train because of their independence
• Not reliable off-leash (If it moves, they’ll chase it. If in hot pursuit, few will listen.)
• Usually good with other dogs, but cats may bring out high prey drive
• Need to run very fast in short bursts a few times a week; otherwise, content to lie around the house
• Seek a soft sleeping spot (furniture) because of low body fat and little coat

Scent Hounds (small and medium):
(Beagle, Dachshund, Foxhound…)
Bred to track, follow and find prey in groups while telling each other and everyone else exactly where they are

• Vocal
• Medium energy level
• Easily distracted by smells on the ground
• Usually get along well with other dogs (unless food is involved)
• Get along well with people, although pleasing them is not a priority
• Live to eat; can be difficult to housebreak (beagle, basset, bloodhound)

Scent Hounds (large):
(Basset Hound, Coonhound, Bloodhound…)
Bred to track, follow and find prey singly or in pairs far ahead of their people, then alert their people

• Low-energy, mellow
• Will follow nose anywhere
• Independent
• Gentle and accepting of people

Sporting:
(Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, Portuguese Water Dog, some lesser known spaniels and setters…)
Bred to flush and retrieve birds under direction from their people

• Friendly; normally tolerant of children’s behavior (Chesapeake may be a one-person protective dog, as well as territorial and aggressive toward other dogs)
• Enthusiastic and physical (mouthing, jumping, pulling, chewing)
• Willing to take direction from their people
• Though they may be quite active when young, they usually settle down as they mature (Generally can’t handle unsupervised freedom in the house until after 2 yrs. old)
• Need early training to help them find acceptable objects to carry around
• Need a job to keep them busy (happy retrieving)

Extremely Enthusiastic Sporting:
(Brittany, Cocker Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, Welsh Springer Spaniel, Dalmation, German Shorthaired and Wirehaired Pointers, English Pointer, Irish Setter, Standard Poodle, Vizsla, Weimaraner, Curly-Coated Retriever…)
Bred to flush, point, retrieve under the direction of their people; each bred to work in a specific environment

• Much higher energy levels (adolescents in shelters because “too much to handle”)
• Need a job to keep them mentally and physically stimulated if the owner wants to avoid behavior issues, like escaping, destruction, barking
• Pointers are strong, active, physical and directed, requiring early training and lots of activity
• Irish Setters need several long runs daily and, even then, don’t look for long periods of calm
• Good spaniels take well to training, but seeing increasing aggression because of over breeding

Terriers:
(Boston Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Fox Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Rat Terrier, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Welsh Terrier, Scottish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Wheaten Terrier…)
Bred to find, follow, dig out and kill vermin without instructions from people; barked to help their people find them inside the hole they dug to get to what they were pursuing.

• Feisty, high-energy, fearless
• Quick to learn, but have little time to sit and stay
• Hard to interrupt an excited terrier
• Not always good with other pets
• Prone to digging
• BARK
• High prey drive; difficult to trust off-lead
• NOT lap dogs
• Need a job that is mentally and physically stimulating to avoid behavior problems

Herding Dogs:
(Australian Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Border Collie, Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Corgi…)
Bred to manipulate stock as a partner with a person

• Easy to train; very intelligent
• Need lots of mental and physical stimulation to be happy (otherwise, expect pacing, spinning and circling)
• May nip at heels of running children; chase anything that moves
• May be particularly sensitive to noises
• Some, like the Sheltie or Bearded Collie, will bark when excited or frustrated

Asian Dogs:
(Akita, Chinese Sharpei, Chow Chow, Shiba Inu, Jindo, Basenji (not Asian, but shares physical and character traits)…)

• Confident and assertive
• Not social with people (may be affectionate with their immediate family)
• Not high-energy (except for Basenji)
• Need experienced owners willing to put a lot of effort into training

Protection Dogs:
(Mastiff, Great Dane, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Belgian Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, Boxer…)
Bred to guard and protect; work closely with humans, but must also be willing to challenge humans. Bred to respond to threats with violence.

• Confident and pushy (especially with their bodies)
• People focused (These dogs will give you their soul if they respect you.)
• Lower-energy (except for those that also herded)
• Often bark a lot when behind a fence; trying to keep everything away from their turf
• Because the dogs are willing to challenge humans, they need an owner who will be a firm and consistent leader, willing to set rules and enforce them and willing to do positive obedience training. Not for the casual owner
• Females in these breeds are sometimes less assertive than the males.

Fighting Dogs:
(Bull Dog, English Bull Dog, Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull, Staffordshire Bull Terrier…)
Bred to fight other animals, but the English Bull Dog and Bull Terrier don’t fit as neatly in this category because their fighting origins are further in the past.

• Tend to become highly aroused
• May not get along well with other pets; dogs with strong jaws should not be left unattended with another pet
• Assertive; tend to have their own agenda
• Need experienced owners willing to obedience train them
• Pit bulls need to be around people; can by affectionate, playful companions if properly raised and supervised

Northern Breeds (spitzes):
(Norwegian Elkhound, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, American Eskimo, Samoyed, Keeshond…)
Bred for various jobs (guarding, hunting, pulling, herding)

• Independent minded
• Medium energy level (except for the husky, which has high energy levels and a tendency to roam)
• May dig to stay cool
• May not be good with smaller dogs, but generally ok with other dogs
• Affectionate with their own people, but aloof with strangers
• Thick coats that shed a great deal
• Howlers/Talkers
• May be good for joggers and hikers

Flock/Mountain Rescue Dogs:
(Bernese Mountain Dog, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernard, Newfoundland…)

• Lower energy requirements
• Gentle, friendly and easy going
• Lots of coat and a tendency to drool

Lap Dogs:
(Bichon Frise, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Miniature Dachshund, French Bulldog, Italian Greyhound, Japanese Chin, Lhasa Apso, Maltese, Manchester Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, Papillon, Pekingese, Pomeranian, Miniature and Toy Poodle, Pug, ShihTzu, Silky Terrier, Tibetan Spaniel, Yorkshire Terrier…)
Primary purpose now as human companion

• Tend to be demanding
• Health and behavior problems from being overbred
• Often trembly, fearful and snappy
• Live much longer than the large breeds
• Some have frequent grooming requirements
• With a few exceptions, like the pug, many are too fragile for small children and some will be defensively nippy.
• Humans tend to spoil them, leading to bad behavior
• Can also be difficult to housetrain because of the relative size of confined areas

******

 

[mcdavis]

For Hamish, cairn terrier, answers in red so around 80% correct

Terriers:
(Boston Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Fox Terrier, Parson Russell Terrier, Rat Terrier, Norfolk Terrier, Norwich Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Welsh Terrier, Scottish Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Wheaten Terrier…)
Bred to find, follow, dig out and kill vermin without instructions from people; barked to help their people find them inside the hole they dug to get to what they were pursuing.

• Feisty, high-energy, fearless - TRUE
• Quick to learn, but have little time to sit and stay - TRUE
• Hard to interrupt an excited terrier - TRUE
• Not always good with other pets - TRUE
• Prone to digging - Given the chance!
• BARK - Hardly ever
• High prey drive; difficult to trust off-lead - TRUE
• NOT lap dogs - Totally FALSE

 

[Abbylynn]

If mixes count ....

I can tell you that the "Terriers" description sounds "exactly" like Eddee ... 90% like Leeo was ... who are both Schnauzer mixes.

Blu Boy is also a Schnauzer mix and almost the opposite ... He "is" trustworthy off leash ... is a "barker" and is a "lap dog" ... and is "low energy"

He is not easy to "interrupt".... He is not "feisty" ... He does not "dig" ... like they say ... every dog is an individual.

But IMHO ... they were pretty close with the Terrier descriptions used as a generalization.

 

[momtolabs]

Sporting dog-in red just like the above

Sporting:
(Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, Portuguese Water Dog, some lesser known spaniels and setters…)
Bred to flush and retrieve birds under direction from their people
Friendly; normally tolerant of children’s behavior (Chesapeake may be a one-person protective dog, as well as territorial and aggressive toward other dogs)-depends on the dog$ . like other breeds some are more tolerable than others.
Enthusiastic and physical (mouthing, jumping, pulling, chewing)depends on the training. My dogs are not allowed to put their mouth on anyone for any reason. They are also not allowed to jump.
Willing to take direction from their peopleMy dogs will usually only listen to me.
Though they may be quite active when young, they usually settle down as they mature (Generally can’t handle unsupervised freedom in the house until after 2 yrs. old)Tank is seven and acts two.....
Need early training to help them find acceptable objects to carry aroundtrue
Need a job to keep them busy (happy retrieving)true.

 

[KodiBarracuda]

Based on my two herding dogs, not my known generalization to the breed.

Herding Dogs:
(Australian Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Border Collie, Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Corgi…)
Bred to manipulate stock as a partner with a person

Easy to train; very intelligent -True to a point, intelligent doesn't equal easy to train.
Need lots of mental and physical stimulation to be happy (otherwise, expect pacing, spinning and circling)True
May nip at heels of running children; chase anything that moves False
May be particularly sensitive to noises False
Some, like the Sheltie or Bearded Collie, will bark when excited or frustrated Don't know, I don't have a sheltie or bearded collie.

 

[Laurelin]

The herding one is pretty basic. Not horribly untrue, I've dealt with all that with my herders to some extent. I do think they can be particularly oversensitive, especially some breeds. I think they in general take more socialization than say retrievers.

The toy one is TERRIBLE. I don't even know where to start.

 

[R.Scott]

This is from my experiences (corgis and vallhunds)!

Herding Dogs:
(Australian Shepherd, Australian Cattle Dog, Border Collie, Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, Corgi…)
Bred to manipulate stock as a partner with a person

Easy to train; very intelligent - Sort of. They can be very headstrong (they have to be in order to herd cattle or sheep all day!)

Need lots of mental and physical stimulation to be happy (otherwise, expect pacing, spinning and circling) - Very true

May nip at heels of running children; chase anything that moves - True in my cases. My corgi and vallhund are very prone to movement, but have stopped them from nipping. (but they are heelers and were bred to nip at heels while other breeds were bred to stare and use their eyes)

May be particularly sensitive to noises - Somewhat true in my case. My female corgi and vallhund make great watchdogs. (they don't bark excessively though) Just a bark or two (more of the huffing bark thing)

Some, like the Sheltie or Bearded Collie, will bark when excited or frustrated - True for my female corgi and vallhund. They like to bark a lot while playing and getting all excited. My male corgi only barked and howled out of excitement when we came home, but rarely barked any other time.

 

[boxerlover876]

Protection Dogs:
(Mastiff, Great Dane, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Belgian Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, Boxer…)
Bred to guard and protect; work closely with humans, but must also be willing to challenge humans. Bred to respond to threats with violence.•Confident and pushy (especially with their bodies)
•People focused (These dogs will give you their soul if they respect you.) Depends...
•Lower-energy (except for those that also herded) If you count the Boxer as a herder since they sort of were
•Often bark a lot when behind a fence; trying to keep everything away from their turf Anyone that still has good drive, sadly not all of them
•Because the dogs are willing to challenge humans, they need an owner who will be a firm and consistent leader, willing to set rules and enforce them and willing to do positive obedience training. Not for the casual owner They are becoming breeds for the casual owner because they are losing their drive to me. I don't believe they should be good for the casual owner though
•Females in these breeds are sometimes less assertive than the males. Depends..Duke definitely gets told by girls sometimes

Fighting Dogs:
(Bull Dog, English Bull Dog, Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Pit Bull, Staffordshire Bull Terrier…)
Bred to fight other animals, but the English Bull Dog and Bull Terrier don’t fit as neatly in this category because their fighting origins are further in the past. Same with Boxers, many forget they were bull baiters. Their looks have almost all to do with fighting.
•Tend to become highly aroused Yep, even at a rabbit...
•May not get along well with other pets; dogs with strong jaws should not be left unattended with another pet Ehh, not really. He does have a strong jaw though.
•Assertive; tend to have their own agenda Yep, he'll only do some things if it will benefit him somehow or he feels like it.
•Need experienced owners willing to obedience train them Yep, they can get crazy without it, although Duke doesn't know obedience really
•Pit bulls need to be around people; can by affectionate, playful companions if properly raised and supervised Don't have a Pit, but I agree

 

[mcdavis]

The herding one is pretty basic. Not horribly untrue, I've dealt with all that with my herders to some extent. I do think they can be particularly oversensitive, especially some breeds. I think they in general take more socialization than say retrievers.

The toy one is TERRIBLE. I don't even know where to start.

Totally agree (I grew up with a toy poodle and the only statement that describes him is the long life as he lived to 18) - it's a wonder anyone gets a 'toy dog' after they read that!

 

[CrimsonAccent]

While some of those descriptions are ...mildy...helpful, most of them seem to be a bunch of stereotypes. Granted, stereotypes usually comes from something, but what would y'all put as your own generalizations for the groups? (I know, I know, y'all are going back and saying what's true and what's not, I just like to see things all together. Also, to see what we can all come to a consensus on )

 

[melundie]

it's a wonder anyone gets a 'toy dog' after they read that!

LOL, It's a wonder anyone would get many of the categories listed above after reading it!! Maybe they're just trying to point out all the potentially bad stuff instead of listing good stuff? Who knows...

 

[Avie]

I'm not sure about the rest, but this one isn't right:

Flock/Mountain Rescue Dogs:
(Bernese Mountain Dog, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernard, Newfoundland…)
Lower energy requirements
Gentle, friendly and easy going
Lots of coat and a tendency to drool

Maybe true for Newfoundlands, Saint Bernards and Leonbergers, perhaps also Bernese mountain dogs... for for flock guardians like the Great Pyrenees, Kuvasz, Caucasian Ovcharka, Sarplaninac etcetera? No way.

 

[BuggLover]

These lists are actually kind of neat to go through, I'm sure they aren't completely accurate but it's still interesting. Winston definitely takes after the Boston Terrier more than the Pug...

Terriers:
Feisty, high-energy, fearless - 100% this is him!
Quick to learn, but have little time to sit and stay - I chuckled at this because I say that he has ADD; he gets distracted so easily, I have only been able to get him to sit and stay for 2 minutes, and he acts like that is torture!
Hard to interrupt an excited terrier - Yup
Not always good with other pets - This is not true, he loves people and other dogs, he has never shown any aggression towards any dogs that he has met
Prone to digging - The holes in my backyard are a testament to this.
BARK - Only when he is in the backyard, but he is very territorial when people walk by...
High prey drive; difficult to trust off-lead - I wouldn't say he has high prey drive but he has a high wanderlust and is only good offleash if we are walking with someone else and their dog
NOT lap dogs - Not true, he loves to cuddle on the couch.
Need a job that is mentally and physically stimulating to avoid behavior problems - I can see this with him for sure

Lap Dogs:
Tend to be demanding - He can get cranky if I am sitting on the computer because he would prefer to be downstairs on the couch.
Health and behavior problems from being overbred - Haven't seen this yet, but he is a cross.
Often trembly, fearful and snappy - Not at all.
Live much longer than the large breeds
Some have frequent grooming requirements
With a few exceptions, like the pug, many are too fragile for small children and some will be defensively nippy. - Obviously not an an issue with him.
Humans tend to spoil them, leading to bad behavior
Can also be difficult to housetrain because of the relative size of confined areas - Unfortunately he has had issues with this but is getting alot better

 

[Sighthounds4me]

Sighthounds:
(Irish Wolfhound, Greyhound, Whippet...)
Bred to hunt by seeing, following, and chasing prey for as long as they could see it, without direct instruction from people

Can be challenging to train because of their independence More or less true. Some individuals may be more trainable than others, but generally they are very independent. With proper motivation, and short, positive training sessions, they can be taught to move mountains!
Not reliable off-leash (If it moves, they’ll chase it. If in hot pursuit, few will listen.) ABSOLUTELY TRUE!
Usually good with other dogs, but cats may bring out high prey drive Not always accurate. I have one that does great with other dogs, and two that can vary, depending on the dog. I have found that many sighthounds do well with other respectful dogs, but not with rude or socially inept dogs.
Need to run very fast in short bursts a few times a week; otherwise, content to lie around the house Not always true. Generally a common trait, but some individuals are higher energy than others. And Whippets are pretty commonly high energy.
Seek a soft sleeping spot (furniture) because of low body fat and little coat Generally true, but some (like Borzoi) have a ton of coat!

I do have to say, I am glad to see this article does not repute sighthounds to be unintelligent. They are not (generally)! They are, however, very independent, and tough to train, as a result. It does often require creativity to train them!

 

[Active Dog]

Northern Breeds (spitzes):
(Norwegian Elkhound, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, American Eskimo, Samoyed, Keeshond…)

Bred for various jobs (guarding, hunting, pulling, herding). True, but not a good guard dog, good hunter, strong puller, and not at all a herder.

Independent minded. Absolutely true!

Medium energy level (except for the husky, which has high energy levels and a tendency to roam). They can still lay around, but all in all high energy. He does not have a roaming tendency.

May dig to stay cool. Haven't seen him do it to stay cool, just for fun.

May not be good with smaller dogs, but generally ok with other dogs. Fine with small dogs, its pushy dogs he doesn't like.

Affectionate with their own people, but aloof with strangers. True!

Thick coats that shed a great deal. True, but only twice a year!

Howlers/Talkers. Very True!

May be good for joggers and hikers. Also True!

 

[amosmoses89]

This is weird, I've been thinking of starting a tread about how closely your dog follows the breed specifications!
The herding fits Chloe, my ACD mix fairly well although she has never shown any desire to herd anyone. I feel silly asking, but where does my Catahoula fall in all of this? She is a herding, hunting, scent hound... Thoughts?

 

[momtolabs]

This is weird, I've been thinking of starting a tread about how closely your dog follows the breed specifications!
The herding fits Chloe, my ACD mix fairly well although she has never shown any desire to herd anyone. I feel silly asking, but where does my Catahoula fall in all of this? She is a herding, hunting, scent hound... Thoughts?

The UKC has them under the herding group. I don't think the AKC accepts them though.

 

[PatchworkRobot]

In regards to my doberman and other dobes that I know... responses are in red.

Protection Dogs:
(Mastiff, Great Dane, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Belgian Malinois, Giant Schnauzer, Boxer…)
Bred to guard and protect; work closely with humans, but must also be willing to challenge humans. Bred to respond to threats with violence.
Confident and pushy (especially with their bodies) - Yeah, pretty much. Definitely confident and a little pushy.
People focused (These dogs will give you their soul if they respect you.) - Only on their people
Lower-energy (except for those that also herded) - This is a defiinite NO. I can remember days where I took my boy to work to play all day (doggie daycare) and then two hours at the dog park and when we got home he'd still want to play and run around some more. I've never met a low energy doberman or boxer (unless they were super old).
Often bark a lot when behind a fence; trying to keep everything away from their turf - Not in my experience.
Because the dogs are willing to challenge humans, they need an owner who will be a firm and consistent leader, willing to set rules and enforce them and willing to do positive obedience training. Not for the casual owner - I do agree with this for dobes.
Females in these breeds are sometimes less assertive than the males. - Females, in my experience, are just as assertive if not moreso.

 

[kadylady]

Luke, 2 yo half lab half golden.

Sporting:
(Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Flat-Coated Retriever, Portuguese Water Dog, some lesser known spaniels and setters…)
Bred to flush and retrieve birds under direction from their people
Friendly; normally tolerant of children’s behavior (Chesapeake may be a one-person protective dog, as well as territorial and aggressive toward other dogs) Yes, Luke loves almost all people, can be shy upon first meeting but not all the time, but loves kids!!
Enthusiastic and physical (mouthing, jumping, pulling, chewing) Enthusiastic yes, happy yes, physical...not so much but that was something we spent a lot of time training right away (no jumping mouthing etc)
Willing to take direction from their people Oh yes, Luke is always willing to please, no matter who gives the direction
Though they may be quite active when young, they usually settle down as they mature (Generally can’t handle unsupervised freedom in the house until after 2 yrs. old) Luke has always been laid back and mature, he was never a wild puppy or teen, we call him the wise old soul
Need early training to help them find acceptable objects to carry around Yes, he loves to carry around his favorite toys and bones, and we taught him early what was his and what wasn't
Need a job to keep them busy (happy retrieving) Not really, unless maybe he thinks his job is to keep his little sister in line lol he's totally a tattle tale, other than that he's pretty content holding down the couch and going for a walk, playing in the backyard, lake on the weekends

Zoey doesn't really fall under a category, she's totally mixed and we don't know for sure what she is. She was listed Plott Hound mix, probably retreiver mix, I feel like she shows more retreiver type characteristcs than hound. She is very friendly with both people and dogs, very enthusiastic, med-high energy, requires more mental stimulation, is mostly quiet, has a very physical/rough play style, more independant than a typical retreiver but less than a hound, still relatively easy to train, definitaly immature, high chase drive, will wander when bored but has great recall, extremely food motivated!!! So I guess she has kind of falls between those two categories.

 

[hanksimon]

Sounds like most people agree with these general descriptions with the addition (to paraphrase Ian Dunbar): The difference in personality between an untrained dog and a trained socialized dog of the same breed is much greater than the difference between two different breeds with the same training.....