Lately, I’ve been thinking more and more about some of my clients who are really mis-matched with the purebred dog they have chosen. It is a struggle for both the owner and the dog, and while certainly I can help them learn to better understand, communicate with and live with their pet, it is never going to be smooth sailing. For instance consider a really high energy dog with a low-energy person, a vocal dog in an apartment living situation, a dog-aggressive dog living in an urban setting where close proximity with other dogs is unavoidable-no way will these be easy situations!

While yes, within breeds there can be many differences (considering how different my own two smooth collies are!), genetics does matter. So I looked over breed club and breeder individual websites to see breed descriptions.  As I looked I noticed that most breed club websites have very little space devoted to temperament and behavior-arguably the most important thing a prospective puppy buyer needs to know.  And wording is very vague. Common terms: “intelligent,” “energetic,” only rarely will you get a bit of a clue about some “not so nice stuff” about the breed and even that is vague. Some of the breed rescue websites are better-and a number include pages with information on “is this the right breed for you,” but if someone is choosing a new puppy from a breeder, they will not be looking at breed rescue websites.

Louie was an adorable puppy, finding just the right puppy from a breeder can be a challenge.

The problem is not that the sites are lying or misrepresenting their breeds, but they really aren’t providing enough detailed information on behavior/temperament. For instance, the term “energetic” often really means “most members of this breed need an opportunity to run in an open space at least a couple hours a day and if not they will be a total spazz and drive their owners crazy!” Ok, may be they may want to say it in a nicer way than that, but the term “energetic” isn’t really coming close to cutting it.

“Protective” is a term that is my personal pet peeve. Dog trainers know that “protective” (and “aloof,” “serious,” “devoted” too for that matter) is often a term that is used as a nice way of saying “some members of this breed may show aggressive behavior to unfamiliar people in/around the home.” Pet owners do not however fully understand that is what the term “protective” often means. A breed like this we want to be very sure does not end up in a home where pet owners are not prepared to introduce visitors carefully and heavily socialize the dog to boot.

Supposedly, if pet owners go to responsible breeders then they will be educated by the breeder right? Yes, some breeders do a really amazing job of educating their prospective puppy owners. But in the real world, not all breeders are created equal–and sometimes it really isn’t the breeder’s fault per se. Most breeders are not professional dog trainers, they do not routinely work with novice pet owners so they aren’t really aware of what a novice pet owner’s lifestyle, challenges and expectations are actually like. In fact, breeders often live in rural areas and spend lots of time with dog-savvy folk. So an urban prospective puppy buyer who calls a breeder saying “yeah I have had dogs before” (meaning they grew up with them-so really their parents raised dogs they just played with and lived with) and “I am very active and will hike a lot” (translates to hikes only in nice weather, only on weekends, three seasons a year) ends up being happily sold a very high energy dog to live in a high rise in an urban setting.  Situations that an experienced breeder would have no problem handling, may be a major problem for a novice pet owner. Additionally, breeders who live with breeds that are more likely to show aggressive behavior often themselves have a higher threshhold for aggression. They see a lot of the behavior as normal dog stuff-and may manage a situation differently and have different expectations. They may mistakenly assume that their buyer will be the same way – in short what to a breeder is common sense may in reality may not be.

Ultimately it comes down to prospective puppy/dog owners should absolutely not be relying on the internet or even conversations with breeders as their sole research. They need to delve beyond the surface to learn both the pros and the cons of their individual breed. Also because each breed has individual lines of dogs that may have their own tendencies, to really find the right match, an owner needs that information as well. My smooth collie, Louie, is a much less energetic dog than my adorable Firefly. Adding to the fact that really responsible breeders often have a wait (because they do not breed that frequently), it is a lot of work! It has never taken me less than 6 months to acquire a puppy from a reputable breeder and it has always taken me more emails/phone conversations than I have ever been able to keep track of.

Firefly and Louie enjoy their nap on the couch. While both of these dogs are smooth collies, they have very different temperaments, personalities and energy levels. Within each breed there is variability.

A novice owner looking for a purebred dog from a breeder needs to make sure they look at information from a wide array of sources. There are a variety of books out there that give some excellent information on dog breeds including the pro’s and cons. I really like Darlene Arden’s book, “Small Dogs, Big Hearts” breed descriptions on the toy breeds. Many dog trainer/consultants (including me! ;o) do offer services to guide prospective puppy buyers in their puppy/dog purchase. Trainers/consultants by definition, tend to see people who are having problems with their dogs. As a result, we can offer a prospective owner a different level of insight. Yep, this might cost a little money, but the reality is that if the dog chosen is really the right match, they won’t be spending a bundle on behavior consultations sessions later – not to mention the heartache that the wrong match can cause.