14/05/2025
Yes, Your Dog's Breed DOES Matter - Here's Why
I've noticed a concerning trend in dog training circles lately: "Breed doesn't matter. Talking about breed traits is just stereotyping. All dogs are individuals."
While this sounds enlightened and progressive, it's dangerously misleading.
Of course every dog is an individual with their own personality. But pretending that centuries of selective breeding hasn't created meaningful differences between dog breeds isn't progressive - it's ignoring reality.
No other species on earth has been so deliberately diversified by humans. We've spent many hundreds of years selectively breeding dogs for specific traits, behaviors, and abilities to perform vastly different jobs.
And those genetics matter.
Stand a Pug next to a Belgian Malinois. Look at their physical appearance, energy level, and behavior. They're so different it's hard to believe they're the same species. Acknowledging this isn't stereotyping - it's observation.
More than half the training issues I've seen in my career could have been prevented or significantly minimized if owners had carefully considered what kind of dog they were getting.
When someone living in a small city apartment brings home a Husky bred for running miles pulling sleds in cold climates, then wonders why the dog is struggling... that's not the dog's fault. That's a mismatch of genetics and lifestyle.
When a family wants a bombproof social dog for their busy household with many visitors, but chooses a breed selectively bred for guardian tendencies - that's setting everyone up for unnecessary challenges.
Acknowledging breed tendencies isn't limiting your dog. It's seeing them for who they are - and part of who they are is their genetics.
If you have a herding breed, you should expect to work more on motion sensitivity and chase behaviors - these traits are foundational to what makes them excel at herding.
If you have a terrier, you should anticipate certain natural tendencies toward prey drive and digging.
If you have a guardian breed, their natural wariness of strangers isn't a "training failure" - it's part of what made them excellent at their historical job.
Individual personality and environment will certainly influence how these traits express themselves, but the underlying genetic predispositions are real.
All dogs need social time, enrichment, and novelty. They need daily exercise and training. But how MUCH exercise, what TYPE of training, and which specific activities will fulfill them best is significantly influenced by breed.
Respecting breed tendencies isn't stereotyping - it's setting your dog up for success by understanding and honoring who they are.
Happy (Breed-Specific) Training!
