11/23/2024
In my years of dog training- one type of dog has reigned for most behavioral issues.
Iāve trained shepherds, bully breeds, labs, Goldens- but the type of dog with the most bites, most likely to be on medication, and most likely to be nervy-
is doodles.
Now, this isnāt a doodle hate post. I donāt hate individual dogs. What I do hate, is systems that perpetuate dangerous dogs, nervy dogs, and just genetically unstable dogs. My goal, with everything I do, is to educate dog owners on training so we can keep dogs out of shelters- and part of that is education around unethical breeding practices.
Doodles are bred for looks, plain and simple. People like specific colors or sizes, and donāt pick dogs based on temperament. Itās a trendy ābreedā and so backyard breeding is rampant to keep up with demand.
This leads to dogs biting people and when they do bite, itās minimized unlike breeds like pitbulls or shepherds.
Because doodles are cute, they get away with more.
These messages I received are from a person who enrolled their dog in training with us and pulled it out early because of something I said online. This was over a year ago, and I received these messages today.
This post isnāt about them, itās simply an opportunity to highlight why educating yourself around the type of dog you get and where they come from can set both you and the dog up for success.
Educated owners = smarter dog choices = less dogs in shelters due to behavioral issues.
And trainers, speak your truth. You will never make everyone happy and that is okay. The people that youāre meant to reach will find you.
Happy training š