I'm curious about breed-trait accuracy...
 

How definitive *is* a breed's traits? And how can I tell whether my pup is showing a breed trait, or it's something I'm doing to inadvertently reinforce a behaviour?

It's thought that he's part husky (and collie maybe and something else), and I understand that Husky is a breed that is quite jump-y and escape artists but my guy isn't very jumpy (except when I've got a toy in my hand that he wants a LOT. Is this breed behaviour and therefore is 'natural' to him, or should I be working harder on NOT giving him the toy until 4-on-the-floor?

Also, he seems to 'give up' on playing or training - I'm wondering if it's because I'm not a fun training partner/inconsistent somehow, or is he stubborn like a husky (or too smart like a Collie and so gets tired of my shananigans)...

I'm keen to hear how a predicted trait presents itself in your dog, and how you've worked with it.

:)

It would help if posted a posted photo of your puppy awake and standing up.
I am not seeing any husky in him . Someone did say it's easier to tell your breed when it get older.
I was told my dog part mini poodle and terrier . Marty does love to dig like some terrier do and her loves to hunt small animals and some terriers were bred to hunt rodents . Marty is always poking his nose into a chipmunk's hole and I keep expecting my dog to get his nose bitten one day.


[url]http://www.ask.com/pets-animals/breeds-dogs-webbed-feet-5edb735ead01cda1[/url] This web site tell which breeds of dogs has webbed feet. Does your puppy love the water?

GF has a pure minpin, and everything said about the breed is correct. Loves to hunt, loves to burrow, loves affection and full of energy, full of bullheaded.

Post some pics...

so! It turns out it's really tough to take a photo of a dog! He's so squiggly and I'm just using my moderately ok blackberry camera. Here's what I was able to grab...

He likes the water - is always keen to jump in the lake, or a creek or even puddles (do all dogs like that?) but we've yet to really go into the water (and I'm reluctant to let him go in without me attached) because we connected too late in the season for me to go deeper into the water -brr!! He also seems to really like to dig wherever I let him (and some places I don't!), and pull up my lawn with his teeth, like he enjoys the challenge of pulling out a big clump of grass roots.

Hopefully the pics will give you an idea. Unfortunately his mama died shortly after she and the litter were rescued, but she was black and white and had very long fur.


Thanks!

[url]http://www.terrificpets.com/articles/102302365.asp[/url]



Wowie! He doe have huge paws ! He look like there could some lab in him and Great Dane , he going to be a big handsome boy . :lovestruck:
I think when he fill into his paws you may be able to have a better idea what bread he is. I had Standard Poodle that did not like the water and they're water dogs . He would only get his paws wet when I took him to the ocean . When I threw a ball into the water my dog would wait for a lab to go get the ball out the water . It was very funny , I think my dog was very vane and did not what to mess his hairdo up. :laughing:

Breed traits are just as much fun and inconclusive as appearance.

My purebred, show lines Lab was a great swimmer and retriever. So was her cousin, my sister's pet store dog who we called an English Shepherd as that was what he looked like.

Some of my training friends took their dogs to a herding instinct test. The Newfie scored higher than the two Shelties, the Basenji and the GSD.

I just helped out a temperament test where the only two dogs who failed when I was there were the two Dobermans and they both failed on the drunk stranger test. They both hid behind their owner. The Golden Retriever was getting more and more worried as the drunk approached him but he did not back off and he passed. All the Rotties passed and the Irish Wolfhound, I swear the IW just stood and thought to himself, "Keep on coming buddy, I weigh more than you and I'm taller than you." LOL

So traits are just a clue to background breed, not decisive. And like appearance, you'll see more clues when the dog is mature.

If any of you ever hear of a temperament test needing helpers I urge you to volunteer to help. It was fascinating to see the reactions.

[QUOTE=Longblades;1068970]Breed traits are just as much fun and inconclusive as appearance.

My purebred, show lines Lab was a great swimmer and retriever. So was her cousin, my sister's pet store dog who we called an English Shepherd as that was what he looked like.

Some of my training friends took their dogs to a herding instinct test. The Newfie scored higher than the two Shelties, the Basenji and the GSD.

I just helped out a temperament test where the only two dogs who failed when I was there were the two Dobermans and they both failed on the drunk stranger test. They both hid behind their owner. The Golden Retriever was getting more and more worried as the drunk approached him but he did not back off and he passed. All the Rotties passed and the Irish Wolfhound, I swear the IW just stood and thought to himself, "Keep on coming buddy, I weigh more than you and I'm taller than you." LOL

So traits are just a clue to background breed, not decisive. And like appearance, you'll see more clues when the dog is mature.

If any of you ever hear of a temperament test needing helpers I urge you to volunteer to help. It was fascinating to see the reactions.[/QUOTE]

I would love to had taken my Standard Poodle to a temperament test . He was my hearing dog and trained to be around all kind of people. He had very good judgment in people.

Looks wise - he's a handsome Dooger! :highfive:
I see some possible black lab in there but I see black lab everywhere these days.

Thanks all! I have alternating feelings about his eventual size. I like bigger dogs generally, but I worry that he's going to be really big (and since he's my first dog ever, I'm worried that I will mess him up!)

If you can afford it you should bring your dog to a training class, this is cheaper than having one on one training . Petco has training classes ,I am not sure if you have Petco where you live.

Hi there, he is beautiful. I see Lab for sure, maybe flat coated retriever? If this makes you feel any better, I had way less issues with my big dogs than with my little dogs.......Go to dog school and even better go to agility class it's so much fun and the dog will still learn obedience and you will get exercise. It's a win win situation. :thumbs up

Oh yes, we're in training classes - I couldn't even consider having a dog in our family without going to obedience.

I'd love to do agility training with him too - so fun! Does it matter what kind of dog he is? I don't think I've ever seen a lab do agility....

That's one of the reasons I like bigger dogs, they seem to be more chillaxed (sweeping generalization, I apologize!) than smaller dogs, in my limited experience. And my Loki is, overall, a fairly relaxed and easy-going dog. I'm glad we're in training so I can better interact with him.

Any breed can do it, however the flat faced breeds like mine, struggle in over exerting or heat. Boo hoo! My Manchester Terrier was amazing. Your dog will be great at it, no problem.

I'm so used to FB that I keep looking for a "like" button on the posts!! lol

Thanks for that comment about agility. I understand he's too young yet, and we're working on the basic commands and relationship building schtuff still, while we all get used to each other and build trust.

It's defo what I'd like to do, and I'd be interested to hear from someone (somepeeps) who have walked that road to help me understand what it entails and what that world looks like.

Thanks!