One Dog to Fit Them All – LIFE AS A HUMAN

Somewhere in North America, there is a dog breeder carefully trying to create Shetland Sheepdogs that do not bark a lot. Likewise there is someone trying to breed Labrador Retrievers that don’t pull so much on leash. And somewhere there is a breeder who is breeding Border Collies that can be as calm and docile as their Rough Collie (think Lassie) cousins. And I know that someone has the idea that it would be great to breed Belgian Shepherds that are as easy going and affectionate as Golden Retrievers. And that upsets me.

I love my Belgian Shepherds. In our experience, they are not an easy breed to live with if you don’t know what you are getting into. Belgians are intelligent, have a lot of energy, are very creative, and can be very persistent once they decide on something. It’s no wonder that the breed has these traits. The Belgian Shepherd dog was developed in the late 1800’s to be both an assistant to shepherds in moving their flocks as well as a guardian, staying with the sheep in their pastures to protect them from predators. In addition to being cooperative and eager workers, the Belgians must also be able to run the perimeter of a field for long hours and remain vigilant for predators. They must be willing and able to drive predators away with force if necessary.

Many of those herding traits translate well to more modern day urban pursuits like law enforcement work or dog sports like agility, protection sports, or competitive obedience. But there are compromises to be made with this kind of dog. A dog that was bred to run for hours guarding sheep requires exercise and plenty of it. A dog that was bred for protecting sheep will be alert, on guard, and wary of anything unusual in their environment that could be a threat. And a dog that was bred to be left to make their own decisions regarding the welfare of themselves and the sheep in their protection will need some outlet for their intelligence and independent spirit. By contrast the Golden Retriever was bred to be outgoing, obedient, and friendly to everyone they meet.

A retriever in sheepdog’s clothing

Given the lifestyle of many pet dog homes, it isn’t surprising that Golden Retrievers are one of the most popular breeds in North America. The good natured Golden gets along with most people, is an eager companion who loves affection, requires only moderate exercise, and is incredibly adaptable to a wide variety of living situations. They are a highly marketable dog but they look very different from Belgian Shepherd dogs.

So why would someone want a dog that looked like a Belgian and acted like a Golden Retriever? I can answer that in one word – looks. Belgians are a visually stunning breed. They are reminiscent of their ancestors, the wolves, and carry a beautiful soft coat (except for the wire-haired Laekenois variety). We have been approached hundreds of times by well-meaning dog lovers who walk toward our dogs with their arms outstretched to give our Belgians a big fuss or a hug. The exact opposite of what you should do when approaching a Belgian! Remember that alert, protection dog I described earlier? But many people don’t think that way in North America in the 21st century.

Your dog – available in a variety of shapes and colors

There seems to be an idea that there should be a standard personality for dogs. They should just love people – all people, any people. And children, they should be gentle and tolerant of children of any age regardless of what that child may be doing. They need to settle down when we tell them. They should adapt easily to whatever our lifestyle has to offer whether it’s relatively inactive and home-bound or athletic and full of the great outdoors. By and large, people seem to want to choose a dog based on the shape, size, and colour they prefer but still get that ideal “DOG” that has all of those desirable traits and none of the yucky difficult ones.

Like many things in our modern society, I think we can chalk some of this kind of thinking up to marketing and commerce. As difficult to admit as it may be, dogs are often treated as a commodity in our modern world. You can run down to the mall and pick up a dog from the local pet shop or, if that’s too much work, you can simply go online and order a new puppy from one of the hundreds of websites that will happily sell you the breed you are looking for sight unseen.

Before going too far down this road, let me acknowledge the many conscientious breeders who diligently work to continue the foundation traits of their chosen breed. There are many breeders of impeccable integrity who work hard to produce excellent representatives of their respective breeds. But it’s a simple fact that those breeders are frequently out-produced by individuals less concerned with genetics and more concerned with profit. It can be a constant struggle.

Supply and Demand

One answer to this problem would be regulation. A set of laws could be developed to control how dogs are bred and sold but this brings with it a host of problems regarding enforcement and fairness. It seems a very difficult proposition all around. Instead of focusing on regulating the supply side of this problem, perhaps an answer lies in changing the demand side. Perhaps the answer is to do a better job of setting the expectations of potential dog owners.

There seems to be an expectation that it is not only possible but desirable to produce a dog that looks like one breed but a personality that is more like another breed. Genetics is an interesting science and the fact that we have over 400 different recognized breeds of dogs is a testament to our ability to modify the dog in an incredible number of ways. But our ability to produce both the Pug and the Great Dane through careful breeding has its side effects.

Russian geneticist and researcher Dmitri Belyaev began an experiment in 1959 to try to produce a domesticated version of the Silver Fox. By selecting the most tame and human-friendly of his foxes for breeding generation after generation, Belyaev ultimately achieved a large measure of success creating foxes that were more docile and affectionate with humans than the original foxes (video). To his surprise, these foxes also began showing physical changes such as coat colour and ear set as well as behavioural changes such as barking. It seems that you cannot alter the genetic make up of an animal to change their personality or temperament without also producing physical changes.

A dog is a dog is a dog – or is it?

If we can learn anything from Belyaev’s work, it should be that you cannot just tug on one genetic thread without having some additional effect on the outcome. If we breed for a particular coat or size in a dog, what to we also get in terms of personality changes? Belyaev was a trained scientist and he could not predict his results with complete accuracy. Why should we expect greater precision of dog fanciers with less scientific training than Belaev?

Despite what we want to believe about them, all dogs are not the same on the inside. Yes, as the same species, different breeds will exhibit certain common traits – four legs, heightened sense of smell, some form of prey drive, etc. But different breeds will display different levels of those traits. Some may even exhibit traits that other breeds seem to lack. While they have a lot in common, my dog is not the same as your dog.

Genetic differences extend beyond just the breed type. Certain breeding lines within a given breed can show more or less amounts of certain traits. There are even unique genetics that can come about that can produce dogs that seem out of character for that breed. When you add in the effects of environment, history, and training, a particular dog may be seem very unlike any dog you have ever met!

What’s the difference?

I love my Belgian Shepherds. I want their intensity, their energy, their willingness to work, their alert and independent minds. So I accept that I need to exercise them often, train with them, play with them, and devote significant time to helping them behave appropriately in public. That’s what it means to own one of these dogs. Yes, they are beautiful dogs but I wasn’t looking for black, wolf-like Golden Retriever.

It is my hope that dog lovers consider carefully what they want in a dog before just going out and getting a puppy or rescuing a dog. Expectations can be more damaging to dogs than anything they do themselves. Someone who gets a Belgian expecting a docile housemate is going to be driven crazy pretty quickly. Someone who gets a Yorkshire Terrier expecting to play flyball or take daily 2 hour hikes will likely be pretty disappointed. Regardless of what some breeders may promise, it is better for everyone concerned if we have appropriate expectations of our dogs. Understanding breeds is a big part of the story.

It’s not just a dog, after all. It’s a particular dog. An individual dog.

Until next time, have fun with your dogs!

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