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IT'S IN THE GENES

© Marilyn Koyanagi

Have you ever wondered why one breed of dog has a particular love for water, while another lives to dig and yet another plays fetch without ever being taught? It's in the genes.

Whether its purpose was to hunt, guard, destroy vermin, herd livestock or simply be a companion, each breed of dog is essentially man-made and was developed for a particular function. As discussed in the article "The Evolution of Dogs," it was not the dog that was wild, but his progenitor, the wolf. Man took advantage of the wolf's natural instincts and abilities, using him for a variety of work and eventually breeding him for traits that would better enable his offspring to perform specific duties. As a result, many of the wolf's physical and mental characteristics were altered and individual breeds evolved.

Despite the fact that many breeds no longer perform the work for which they were developed, they still possess the inherent characteristics cultivated by man through centuries of selective breeding. Today's dog also retains certain behaviors that can be traced back to his original forbears (e.g., pack instinct). Knowledge of these innate characteristics is a great advantage both in choosing a suitable pet and in training him to be a well mannered companion.

Unfortunately, people will often choose a dog for the image that it projects - the macho Rottweiler, the elegant Afghan, the comical Jack Russell - believing they can train it to become the dog they want. When training fails to produce the desired results, the dog is labelled as dumb and impossible to train.

Myths about the intelligence of dogs abound. Those breeds that excel at obedience are often seen as being the most intelligent but they are only doing what comes naturally to them. Obedience is simply an activity, as is agility, field work or earth trials. The dog who excels at these types of activities is not considered to be exceptionally clever. In fact, breeds such as terriers, are often viewed as being unintelligent, stubborn and untrainable because they do not respond to traditional training methods.

In forging a satisfying relationship with a dog, an owner or prospective owner must fully understand the background of his chosen breed and the job it was bred to perform. No amount of training will alter a dog's basic instincts. Noted trainer and behavioral specialist Pat Muller of Quansa Kennels refers to these instincts as priorities and focuses on using them as a training tool. "We must always appreciate and value the things our dog is, not what he isn't." says Pat. "We have bred dogs to have priorities. We must take what the dog is bred to do and use it to our advantage."