Nelson asked:

I am looking for character/temperament changes within a breed as breeders have concentrated on what the dog looks like rather than their temperament. Have any breeds become less stable, more aggressive, or dominant, nervous, or anxious? Any examples of generalised character changes would be helpful.

Reply:

There has been Cialis Online a great push for the “Generic American Showdog”. This is a dog who is upbeat, happy to bait for the same piece of liver for HOURS, glad to have some stranger put his hands all over it and has the ability to fly around the ring with tremendous sidegait (whether the breed standard requires it or not).

So, if you have a breed of dog that is naturally aloof (say a working or herding breed) and you have bred the dog and have selected for the proper temperament, under an uneducated judge, you can be penalized for not having a dog who is outgoing.

I had this very conversation last night with a friend. When I asked about a judge I may show to she reminded me “She likes a dog that is showy, well-trained and will interact with her.” Which pretty much means I have to have my dog do tricks (wagga tail at the judge sweetie) if I want to win, despite the fact that the Breed Standard says “The Bernese Mountain Dog should stand steady, though may remain aloof to the attentions of strangers.”

Quite frankly, given the fact that these dogs (Bernese) were originally farm dogs/carting dogs, if *I* were judging I would want a dog that would stand to be examined but who really wasn’t all that into me, a stranger. Aloof works for me.

Even in Samoyeds where the section of the breed standard on disposition says “Intelligent, gentle, loyal, adaptable, alert, full of action, eager to serve, friendly but conservative, not distrustful or shy, not overly aggressive.” if you attempt to show a dog who is “conservative” you are at a disadvantage… and frankly, one has to doubt the intelligence of a dog who is willing to work endlessly for the same dang piece of liver.

I believe MY place in breeding is to maintain the integrity of the breed whether other breeders, or judges, are doing it or not. I’ll stand firm that breeding is not a popularity contest and the purposeful production of dogs who do NOT fit the standard in every way is a detriment to the breed. My duty is to the breed as it was historically developed.

Winning is not everything.