Article written by By Jeff Stallings CPDT-KA Full article and some photographs here... http://www.bestinshowdaily.com/blog/nature-vs-nurture-dog-breeds-temperament-and-training/ I would be interested to hear any comments regarding the article.
Interesting article. My lurcher had the characteristics you would expect from a lurcher - to chase rabbits and hares. However, her previous owners (shady characters though they may have been) had trained her very well and she ignored cats, squirrels, sheep and deer. So I think training can sometimes overcome nature. My terrier mix (Yorkshire and Jack Russell) totally lacked any killer instinct. Whether this was because we brought him up with small furries or whether he was by nature a gentle soul I do not know. He used to climb in the rat cage, eat the food, and fall asleep. The rat had to climb over him to get out or in (he was a free range rat most of the time!) The cocker spaniel is obsessed with tracking down pheasants, and I cannot train him to stop doing this. As soon as I see him put his nose down and start to follow a scent, I have to grab him quickly and put him on the lead, otherwise he would follow the scent wherever it takes him and nothing will stop him. Neither can I stop the Chihuahua's instinct to sit on my lap! Not that I want to!
Non of my JRT's are interested in chasing squirrels, cats, mice or rats, as for my previous Rottweilers, Dobermans & GSD's all totally useless as gurad dogs, but all thought they were lapdogs & would want to sit on your knees all at the same time.
Interesting..I think dogs are what you teach them to be.but also they pick up what other dogs do if there is more than one in the household.they all have their own personalities and different characters..don't think any dog can be pigeon holed!!!
A bit of both. Phoebes changed so much and so many times i wonder if she has multiple personalties. As a pup and jnr she was so happy and confident, then the teenage days of hell where she was demonic, as an adult she became nervous and reactive, then about 2 years ago she started to do normal dog things that she had never done and i dont know where she got as she doesnt interact with other dogs, she started to chase small things, do wee's on a walk! sniff when on a walk and do the running man after one of her million wee's she has never done any of these things before and they just came out of the blue. Now as a senior she has become more nervy and more dependant on me but has become less reactive with other dogs unless safely inside the house or car
