Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Dog Breeding & Your New Puppies’ Temperament

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Your puppies’ temperaments are affected by their genetic predisposition toward certain character traits and their environment. The greatest factor influencing your puppies’ behavior is initially through their dam, her relationship with you and generalized perception of her environment. Her perception and acceptance of outside stimuli such as, for example, strangers who come to view the litter can set an indelible example for her offspring.

Therefore, no female dog should be bred who has an unsound temperament. If the temperament is the oven product of abuse, and the female exhibits exceptional redeemable qualities given an optimum supportive environment, breeding is a possibility. The attitude of the dam will always be reflected at least to some degree in every puppy.

The environment in which a litter is reared, therefore, is of paramount importance to having well socialized and confident puppies. As a result, it behooves anyone who engages in a breeding program, whether for a single litter or a long-term endeavor encompassing multiple years and litters, to breed only those dogs that most closely meet the breed Standard’s physical criteria, as well as those animals exhibiting the ideal temperament.

Examples Of Working Dogs (Part 1)

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Boxers: A well-bred boxer is a wonderful family dog. They have a coat easy to care for, are not too large, and tend to be well behaved with children. The boxer is an easy breed to train. Although generally friendly, it commands respect because of its size and square face. This is a very jumpy breed of dog, so if you choose the boxer be prepared. The naturally active boxer needs quite a bit of exercise in order to maintain a relaxed demeanor.

Bullmastiff: Bullmastiffs are just plain nice, easily cared for, slow-going, beautiful dogs. Most examples are tight lipped, so the saliva is not all over the place, as is true with other mastiff dogs. Trainers have never had reservations in recommending the bullmastiff to any family that had the space to house them properly.

Doberman Pinscher: The Doberman is a dog that has suffered from an unearned reputation of aggression. The fact is that they are almost everything but. Dobermans train as if there were some genetic predisposition toward the training itself. They are extremely sensitive and at the same time more defensive than the German shepherd dog. They have a very warm and responsive character. They always seem to have their heads somewhere on your body, or at least one part of their anatomy is touching you.

Giant Schnauzer: The giant schnauzer is a large, very classy, and elegant breed of dog that carries itself proudly in conformation and character. The giant schnauzer needs grooming to maintain the coat type, They are a bit stubborn yet are very bright and train well with consistent handling.

The male can appear a little sharp at times, showing his readiness to react to any adverse situation. Trainers who have trained this breed in obedience has found them to be quite responsive to consistent training. This breed may possess enough initiative to run a household. Although they are nice, they are best housed by experienced enthusiasts of giant schnauzers.

Great Dane: There are many problems that life has to offer the poor Great Dane, both physical and behavioral. The sheer size of this breed brings with it orthopedic and systemic medical trouble. When there is an aggression problem in the Great Dane it is further complicated by the dog’s size. Obviously, if you are bitten by a dog of this size you are likely to have severe injuries.

Many trainers have very successfully trained many Great Danes and they are a pleasure to work with. Not a breed for the first-time owner; this is a prince of breeds when the genetics are correct and the dog is in the hands of a capable owner.

Examples Of Terriers (Part 1)

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Airedale Terrier: The Airedale terrier is a large dog with tremendous play drive. Exercise is imperative for this breed. Should you attempt to cheat your Airedale out of running, he will climb the walls. Airedale terriers have been found by trainers to be comical, energetic, easy to train. This breed is also very capable of protection or police work. Airedales require regular professional grooming, and many are actually plucked instead of cut. A well-groomed Airedale is a happy Airedale.

American Staffordshire Terrier: The American Staffordshire terrier is a close relative to the English Staffordshire bull terrier. Similar to the American pit bull terrier in appearance, this breed is AKC registered. The American pit bull terrier is still often bred for its fighting drive. The American Staffordshire terrier is more commonly bred for the show ring. As with all dogs, there are exceptions. We do not mean to imply that every American Staffordshire terrier will be gentle and that all pit bull terriers will be aggressive. Everything considered, many people recommend this breed for its loyalty toward family and its desire to comply.

Australian Terrier: The Australian terrier is a spunky little guy that is lively, stubborn, smart, adorable, and often slow to housebreak. It takes an assertive owner to command the respect of an Australian terrier. You would be marveled at the fine performances offered by this breed at obedience matches. Once you have earned his respect, you have gained a great little dog.

Bedlington Terrier: The Bedlington terrier resembles a lamb, is as stubborn as a mule, and is as cute as a bunny. Trainers who work with the lovely Bedlingtons claim that they can be trained like a dream and capture their hearts. She was great with the family and possessed the uncanny ability to read their minds. Some have a genetic predisposition to liver disease, but it is important to know that diagnostic tests are available in order to rule out this problem in your potential puppy.

Bull Terrier: The bull terrier is generally recognized as the dog of General George Patton or as Spuds McKenzie. This breed is known for its aggression toward other dogs and small animals. They do however tend to have good relationships with children because they perceive the youngsters’ vulnerability as part of the pack they should protect. Many trainers have trained bull terriers in obedience with good success. Unfortunately, obsessive-compulsive behaviors have been noted in this breed, which can be exhibited as tail chasing, obsessive licking, and self-mutilation.

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