Choosing a dog is a most important decision . Not just the breed but also the individual dog. Cohabitation with a dog is going to last about 12-15 years. The human-dog relationship , our relationship with our dogs is a most important and essential relationship in our lives.
To most of us, the dog is not just a pet but also a family member and a friend. It is therefore important to make the correct choice about the dog we are going to spend twelve to fifteen years of our lives with.
Needless to say that choosing the correct breed is very important. We need to chose a breed that fits our lifestyle and needs, this we owe to ourselves and our dogs.
Given that the choice of breed has been made, it is now time to choose the right puppy.
“Well begun is half done.” –
Aristotle
Choosing the correct parents is of major importance. Not just in appearance. The parents have to be healthy, free of hereditary disease and with the correct temperament . By correct temperament I mean the dog has to have the capacity for training and the temperament of the breed.
For example, a Rottweiler without guarding instinct is not appropriate for breeding , even though he may be healthy and may hold Dog show titles.
There follows a small excerpt by the AKC breed standard document.
”Temperament: The Rottweiler is basically a calm, confident and courageous dog with a self assured aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships. A Rottweiler is self-confident and responds quietly and with a wait-and-see attitude to influences in his environment. He has an inherent desire to protect home and family, and is an intelligent dog of extreme hardness and adaptability with a strong willingness to work, making him especially suited as a companion, guardian and general all-purpose dog.”
The dog that will be chosen to breed has to be trainable and have the correct temperament. This is very important because the capacity to train, like other traits of the parents, is passed on to their offspring.
A study published at Proceedings of the Royal Society B. states that :
“Researchers at four American universities analysed genetic information and behaviour logs for 14,000 dogs from 101 breeds and determined that 60 to 70 per cent of the differences in personality traits between breeds can be explained by the genes they inherited from their parents.
Genetics were found to contribute most strongly to traits such as trainability, aggression toward strangers and attention-seeking. This fits with the idea that these were some of the most or least sought-after attributes during the early stages of breeding, making them essentially hard-wired into the breeds’ DNA.”
Choosing the right dog from trainable/ trained parents with the correct temperament does not mean their puppies will not require training. The puppies will require training and socialization to correctly grow.
Choosing the correct dog from a good kennel that pays attention to the trainability of the dogs participating in their breeding program, will ensure you get a trainable puppy with the right temperament.
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