How important is genetic temperament in a dog?
And right behind that, how important is socialization? Is it important when this socialization occurs?
How would you determine if a dog’s behavioral issues come down to poor temperament and socialization, rather than it being a general training issue?
I have a very strong opinion on these matters, as anyone who regularly posts here knows. I’ll weigh in later. I won’t be TD’ng anyone.
I am going to give you an extreme example.
My hounds have a notable sire in their pedigree, named “The Hermit”. In his era, he had produced 63 champions..so he was top champion producing dog at the time..He had never been shown.
I met people who had had Hermit, and they all told me he was a mean son-of-gun. Didn’t want to be handled, a biter, and didn’t have a show career because of his temperament.
Well, most of my hounds have been just as an Afghan should be, “Aloof and dignified, yet gay.”.
But, 5 generations AFTER The Hermit, I whelped a pup who was spectacular in every way..probably the best and most typy I had produced, who was born a mean son-of-a-gun. She was born mean and stayed mean. .
The Hermit’s influence is still prevalent in my hounds, as I have one that is the spittin image of him, 6 generations later. Although only the one has reproduced his ill temperament, I know it can crop up any time..
Socialization is extremely important in this breed, as they are so wary by nature. I have to get them out and about at every opportunity, or they will be wallflowers, only trusting their own family, and never comfortable around strangers or other dogs. ( I never! allow a strange dog to sniff any of my dogs, and I don’t expect them to allow it)
When I rescue one that hasn’t been socialized, it takes months, and sometimes years, to get them comfortable in public.
When anyone asks me for advice on choosing a new puppy, I tell them to see and visit with both parents, and make sure the parents are exactly as they want their dog to be. That new pup will most likely have the temperament and appearance of either or both parents, so its important that the parents are the dog that you would would want.
As for the importance of genetics, It would be a bad move to choose any hound that had “The Hermit” in her ancestry to add to my program.as that would double up the chances for poor temperament.
This is also the problem with inbreeding. Our dogs can appear fine, have all manner of titles, but may have a “Hermit” in their history, and by breeding too closely related the chances are twice as likely for that trait to be reproduced.
Added:
I have loosely translated, using bablefish, for our friend, Janpyerr, who wrote in French:
Excuse me, Miss I do not master well the English I must reply to you in French. The dog is the animal by excellence that was conditioned by the man as early as his appearing on the planet, genetically speaking, this are all these indicators at once more physical, more geographic and more emotional that predominate with our friend the dog that of surcroit marked irreparably these cells that one rediscovers in what one call discomforts, the communication usually between living beings and d ‘order vibratoire, inconsciement we wave emmetons (vibrations) that right away are obtained by our friends the dogs they are by same drive which one has conditioned there are more of some centuries, in any case I easily would do confidence to this friend that to a human, an all small considered precision that the dog is endowed with an intelligence to not to be protested Which means that we have it considered as a friend has friend and not of master to dog. Thank you Source(s): J ‘had Labrador, Boxer, German shepherd and again of others that have each their characters but faithful to all point of view.
Happy Tails – Dog Temperament Tests Pt 1
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