Every dog is an individual

They may look the same but they are not the same dog.  

Dogs like to go to dog parks, dogs love to ride in the car, dogs love to run, dogs love to chew bones.  Well, maybe some do but not all.  Probably the biggest misconception about dogs is the generalization of the species.  As a highly intelligent, often scary level of intelligence species they are all very, very different.  What one may like, another may hate and vice versa.   

Recently I sat talking dogs to a couple of women at the airport.  They said that they both take their dogs to the dog park regularly; and the both dogs seem to hate it.  Hmmmmmmm, I wondered, why do they keep going back?  Probably because they, like many others think that dogs love the dog park.  A blanket generalization.  Obviously both of their dogs do not enjoy it and would be happier on a nice quiet walk with their guardians.  

Even within the same breed there are huge differences in each individual.  If we take the time to see these differences; we will better understand our dogs and dogs in general.  Being able to see the differences can take time; especially if you see them all as one group of dogs.  Dogs have their own preference for taste in foods; some more than others.  Dogs like to play different things, with different dogs and at different times.  

Some dogs are emotional while others are not.  Luke was a very emotionally sensitive dog; he was forever running to tell me things that had happened.  He was also time and place sensitive.  Meaning that if I tried to give him a snack at a different time and place he was upset by it.  I would be in the middle of cooking and think that he might like a bite.  I'd bring it into the living room where he was resting and offer it.  Even the best morsel of food could throw him for a loop if it was out of the ordinary for him.  He might even have to leave the comfort of the couch because of such a disruption in routine.  He was a funny, funny man.   

Elsa is a much more, go with the flow girl; although she does like familiarity as many dogs do.  She likes almost all foods but definitely has her preferences.  She loves activity and playing with her friends.  She must be touching if we are sitting, sleeping or chilling.  None of my other dogs had to be touching all the time.  Luke enjoyed being right beside me; Tilley like me in sight and little Jessie liked me in sight as well.  

Dogs are not just dogs.  Dogs are all an individual dog who are different from all others.  The difference may be hard to understand at times.  A retriever who does not like to retriever; a German Shepherd who will help a stranger into the house and show them where the goods are.  I've seen new guardians with a Labrador who will not go in the water no matter how hard they try.  

Like us, they are all very different.  Seeing those differences can take practice, patience, a keen eye and desire to get to know the dog inside your dog.  They do not always turn out to be the dog you thought you were getting.  But take a look at us; how different we humans are.  I am one of five and very, very different from all my brothers and sisters.  So are our dogs.  Take the time to get to know your dog.  

Categorizing temperament traits

They are all different.  

Why is temperament testing so important?  Many people or breeders don't think that it is; they allow their new puppy buyers to pick, first come first choose.  But most people have no idea what they are looking for.  Sure, they have an idea of the perfect Lassie soon to be in their life; but sadly that doesn't often end up as planned.  What they want and how to choose it comes from experience and new puppy buyers don't tend to have that.  Choosing the wrong breed and/or the wrong dog within a litter happens a lot. 

Within a litter of puppies there are many different temperaments; there in-lies the problem.   Which puppy would best suit your family and lifestyle?  If you have one or more dogs already; then choosing a good match is more difficult.  You have personalities to match up.  That said you are the leader, the boss of the pack and you have to live with each one.  So choose wisely and if you can, go with a breeder who does temperament testing and knows their litter extensively.  Each puppy is very different from the other.  Even in a very "even" litter there are differences.  

I was looking at Elsa yesterday as she stood watching out the living room window.  She was watching for lizards; which has paid off for her several times this summer.  Luke use to do the same, as did Tilley but they were all very different.  Tilley was very high drive; crazy style, high drive.  This high drive created an issue with shadow chasing.  Once I realized this OCD issue I very quickly moved it to an outlet that I could control; and Tilley became an amazing Frisbee dog.   Tilley was a high energy dog that was very happy to lay on the couch as well.  A nice combination.  She had a very accessible "off" switch.  But even with her high energy and high drive she was not highly interested in playing.  She played a bit but she was much more interested in her chase activities.  If she was involved in a chase she would completely ignore anything around her.  

Comparing Elsa's drive to Tilley's, they are very different.  Elsa has extremely high drive but is much more controllable.  She has a high drive to chase but does not zone out.  Her energy level is probably higher than Tilley's was.  She can go all day without batting an eyelash; and if there is anything going on as far as action, she's in the mix.  She loves to play more than any dog that I have known and adores her friends.  So you see, even though Tilley and Elsa may have scored very similar in the drive section of a temperament test, they were and are very different. 

Luke had drive but not crazy drive.  He was an amazing retriever but did not want to participate in the activity all day long like the girls did and do.  He was reactive, meaning that every emotion he had was bigger than most in outward behavior.  Whatever Luke was feeling, you knew it.  Not much got past him; but nothing gets past Elsa.  She is hyper sensitive to anything and everything going on around her.  She is a need to know type of gal; much like I am.  :)

When I temperament test, I read between the lines as well as the score the actual tests.  This of course is where breeder knowledge of a litter comes in as well.  I often chat about my "between the lines" thoughts with the breeder and we discuss each puppy as an individual.  A puppy may be the most active in a litter; which to the average puppy buyer looks like fun.  But, that puppy may have a whole agenda of their own.  It may involve activity but not with you or other dogs.  They may have a tough time settling once they are wound, maybe not.  Just like the puppy sitting in the corner may not be the shy one that he looks like.  Many puppies who sit back and watch are highly intelligent, thinkers.  

This is why it is extremely important for breeders to interact with their puppies on many different levels.  Interact with and watch, watch them interact with other puppies, people, inanimate objects and on their own; how do they deal with the world around them when they don't have their posse?

Letting puppy buyers pick their own puppy is like putting a blindfold on and saying "okay, choose."    

Each is an individual

 

 

We are all different and our dogs are all different.  Same breed dogs are different from one another as is a whole litter or puppies.  Temperament testing is a big eye opener if you've always thought that "a puppy is a puppy."   "All my puppies are about the same," is a common statement from those who do not do temperament testing.  Although dogs are fairly simple once you understand them; they are also very complicated.  Different, like us they are all different.  Of course within breeds there are certain common traits; but that is not always a given.  Do you know how many people I know who are very sad that their Labrador hates water?  Or that their Golden Retriever wants nothing to do with retrieving? 

Dogs have likes and dislikes; just like humans.  But the one thing dogs don't ,is pretend.  This makes them a much easier read than humans in that what you see is what you get.  Of course they will often use avoidance in a situation but if you understand that too you will be able to see it.  The more dogs I meet the more I see the individualism.  All of my poodles have loved to retrieve; they have also all been amazing guard dogs (didn't know that about poodles did you?)  But as far as the little things, like eating, affection, bold/shyness; they have each been very individual.  Luke has always been a very confident dog; he is a dominant dog but not obnoxious about it.  If a dog confronts him he will typically walk away.  He is very much a lover not a fighter.  He is very emotional; the most emotional dog that we have ever had.  Tilley on the other hand was on the shy side; but solid as a rock.  You could not startle or shake that girl for anything. 

Each is such an individual; taking the time to learn those small differences is very important.  What one likes does not mean another will.  How they perceive stimulus can differ hugely.  What one sees as a threat, another may see as a friend.  One dog may read dogs well while another goes in blindly.  It is so very important to know these small differences in your dog.  Are they a good communicator?  I see a lot of dogs out there that are very poor communicators; much like many humans I know.  But unlike humans, dogs do not pretend or lie so a read is a read. 

A dog can be summed up in a few words; as a general typing of personality.  But there is so much more to each as an individual.  Knowing the little things that make your dog tick can be secret to living together in harmony.  Look inside for the answers. 

No, I mean really individual

As many of you know I am always talking about how each dog is an individual.  Many breeds have specific traits which are commonly seen and can be seen in mixes of that breed.  But when you really breakdown a dog and their behavior; they can be radically different.  Through my  years of training I have seen this a great deal.  When I was doing group classes; they were small enough that I could take some one on one time for each dog and their family.  Listening to them as they explained specific issues with their individual dog allowed me to help that individual dog and the owners.

After many group classes I moved onto private in-home training which enabled me to really fine tune training and help each dog and their family more specifically.  It amazes me how many trainers have one way of doing things.  Once you start working with dogs you quickly realize that they are all very, very different.  Having one bag of training tricks is a handicap because as great as you might think that your one way is; it will not work on all.  Being flexible is essential in being a good dog trainer.  The next most important thing is to listen; if you aren't listening you won't understand the small differences that an owner is trying to describe. 

Dissecting behavior is what I do; not just when I'm on a training call but all the time.  Watching each and every move and breaking it down to fractional signals is huge.  When people find out that I am a trainer I often am tossed immediate questions.  "My dog does...."  I try to help but a really great answer could take a lot of time.  Each answer brings up more questions until I can get to the bottom of a problem.  Even then, if I am relying solely on the owner to give me the answers then I might not be able to help.  I often need to see a dog in action  myself or at least meet the dog in their home. 

What drives a dog can be so different.  Life experiences, genetic make up and environmental stimulus all play a huge role in making your dog, yours.  This past weekend I was once again reminded how different Penny is from Luke and Elsa.  Even though Elsa has very high drive she is not triggered by motion like Penny is.  A oscillating stream of water was coming through the back fence when Penny spotted it.  Luckily I spotted it right at the same time.  I ran and grabbed her just as she was slipping into her trance state.  She is very triggered by motion and if you don't catch her before she indulges, it is very difficult.  Elsa stood watching Penny, not understanding what she was after.

They are all so very different.  I cooked up some great food on the weekend, both for the dogs and the humans.  I made Luke and Elsa's food and threw some leftover shrimp into Elsa's bowl.  I was shocked to see her eat everything but the shrimp.  She'd eaten shrimp before and loved them; but they had been prepared deliciously, these were simple cold cocktail shrimp and she was not a fan of these rubbery, tasteless little things.  Oddly enough Luke was a fan and ate every one.  How funny. 

Each dog is so very individual; from their tastes, drive, motivation, triggers and fears.  Their exterior can be vastly different or very cookie cutter like but inside lies the heart of a very individual and special dog like no other.