New Dog Owners & the breeds they choose!

[pattymac]

I've always wondered this and why people who have little to no dog knowledge pick breeds that are usually recommended for experienced dog owners. I see alot on different forums with new, never had a dog before, people saying that I'm having trouble with my Rotti, Dobie, Pit Bull, Shepherd, Husky etc. They haven't researched the breed, so don't know what to expect from them. Makes me sad for these poor dogs.

I wondered if I hadn't taken on more dog than I could handle with Bayley. So far though I think we're doing pretty good. I would love to have a real honest to good Shepherd, but don't know if I'm ready to handle one. One trainer I respect told me if you can handle Bayley, you can handle anything! My first dog was a total opposite of Bayley. I don't remember having any biting/landshark issues with my first dog. She was very mellow, laid back puppy. Bayley was let's play...let's run...let's chew on Mom!! Let's talk back to Mom, argue is what I called it.

[Masha]

I think its because people have emotional connections/associations with how certain breeds look and this is coupled with undeestimating the difference between various breeds. A friend that likes traveling and lives in a 500 sq ft apartment, works full time and never owned a dog wants a husky.... I tried explaining that this may not be a good idea and why but it falls on deaf ears... Oh and he goes out a lot evenings and weekends, hates drool and freaked out when his ex gf's dog vomited in his car.....

[luckypenny]

I think most new owners, if they do some research, often look at the positive aspects of certain breeds that may interest them. Google some of the more popular breeds and the first things that pop up are all the "good" things about them. I honestly think that most folks don't consider any of the difficult aspects only because they're not expecting them....until something goes wrong (in their eyes).

[Melinda]

I also think it has to do with whats in "fad" at the moment in your area, for some reason in Cornwall the new "fad" is dobermans.....we're seeing a large number of them on the streets now, mostly with young owners being pulled down the street. a few years ago it was huskies, right this minute there are 3 adult and 4 mixed pups in our shelter, all of vary ages....

[Marty11]

I don't think the movies help either For instance the 1001 Dalmations......

[SamIam]

I think the majority of dog owners are completely unaware that there is more to different breeds than just looks, that serious behaviour problems are most often caused by failure to provide for the dogs needs (exercise, attention, etc), or that that really awesome dog they met or saw on tv got that way via years of training. I'm not sure the average person does any research whatsoever beyond "where can I get one?"

[Loki Love]

Hubby and I are a first time dog owner - and we started off with a Great Dane. Maybe we are not part of the norm, but we knew exactly what we were getting into (the good, the bad and the ugly!).

I've often heard that people will spend more time researching what kind of washer/dryer to buy than what kind of dog breed (along with researching proper breeders, or rescues for that matter). I will never understand that notion.

[fleolicious]

I'd say a lot that attitude comes from the first-time owners not taking dogs (or any other animals, really) seriously. If you've never lived with a dog before it can be very difficult to imagine what dealing with a living being 24/7 is really like. People seem to have these slow-motion movie scenes playing in their heads - beautiful scenery, shiny, well-groomed dog happily running around, listening attentively to their every word, gentle breeze and sweet smells of late summer in the air... oooooh, isn't that wonderful? ... yes, they want a dog And then suddenly there's the real dog, not a pretty movie sequence, and they're all so terribly shocked by the serious reality of his needs, and how many needs!, and how everyday!, and how much work it all is, and why won't the dog behave?, and how you can't turn him off when you have company... and he'd better just go to the shelter

People just can't wrap their minds around the idea that it's a demanding 4-legged person, and that it won't always do what they want.

[Sib.HuskyMom]

Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with how a person was raised. Personally, I always had a dog in the house growing up, and I was very much involved in the training, feeding, walking, cleaning up the backyard, etc.
DH was the same way so when we decided to get a dog (or 2) we knew exactly what we were getting into.

But some people never grew up around animals. They never learned about the love and respect and joy and responsibility they can bring, so the new owner has to figure it out on their own later on. Some never do , but everyone is different.

I know someone who got a dog when she moved out on her own, simply because she was never allowed to have one as a kid. I think she got her dog for all the wrong reasons, bought her from a BYB and didn't do any research about the breed, nothing. Everyone thought she was doomed to fail, but she really fell in love with the dog and wanted to learn more about how to take care of it better.

Whether your an experienced dog owner or not, there's bound to be difficult times no matter what the breed is. The point is, some people have it in them to want to do better, and some people don't. All we can do as a society is try to help them because it's the dogs that obviously suffer in the end as a result.

A lot like general parenting when you think about it....

[pattymac]

I guess I was lucky, we had cats when I was little, then went for quite a few years without an animal in the house but I had my pony, boarded but when we were there, we always helped with chores around the barn, watering the horses, cleaning stalls, feeding.

Then I got another cat..and then another cat..and then a puppy. Took me a long time to find the right one. Just a muttnik and I really knew nothing, but she turned out pretty decently.

It would be nice if people really took the time to check out what's involved with raising any animal. They just want to see all the sunshine and flowers. They don't think about what if your puppy is in it's crate and has the runs!! That happened to poor Bayley one time..poor puppy! She was beside herself. She managed not to get it all over herself! Mind you I had quite a clean-up of the crate, the floor, etc, first thing in the morning of course!!

[Longblades]

I know for sure that some knew a dog of that breed and thought it was wonderful. What they failed to realize was the dog was old, or superlatively trained by an experienced owner or simply was the exception for that breed and was easy to keep. I'm thinking of a couple of neighbours as I type.

[Goldfields]

I have to say a big kudos to the American Aust. Cattle Dog forum people who, when asked by a prospective owner whether the breed would suit them, tells them exactly what they are in for. Kudos too, to Sibe breeders/exhibitors I directed my nephew to at a show when he was mad keen to get one. They talked him out of it. He ended up with a Golden Retriever which fitted their lifestyle beautifully. When I was just new to showing and breeding I was told it was a very bad thing for your breed to become popular, or as Melinda said, the current fad. I wonder if that isn't what happened to Pit Bulls in America and Canada and too many have fallen into the wrong hands? Melinda mentions Dobes and Huskies, and I can recall it being GSDs here at one time .... the latter are still immensely popular of course, a great dog, but maybe now the fad is gone, they're with more responsible owners.
Myself, well, I used to stay on a friend's farm and help her show stud ponies, and she had two cattle dogs, so I knew they were the dog I wanted. But then being a dog lover, I must admit I've had to be talked out of getting a whole lot of other breeds. LOL.

[Etown_Chick]

Excellent topic, patty.
I, too, am baffled by all the owners I meet who seem to have no clue about the breed they just bought.
Like the husky owners who whine because the dogs pull on the leash. Um yes, they're huskies! omg
Labs who are obsessed with fetch.
Collies who bark and herd other animals..etc etc.
Patty I'm like you - I have a terrier/Satan cross who challenges me daily. A few times I came so close to returning him to the shelter but I stuck it out and now have a wonderful (challenging!) companion.

[cell]

I worked in a SPCA, I never want a lab, husky, shepherd, pit bull, collies, jack russel, and I have a list of a few more. Some dogs are not suited to my living situation, some have too much energy, some I don't like typical behavior traits, some I don't like appearance, some are too prone aggression/dominance, some too likley to be dog aggressive. too hyper, too needy, too strung out. too barky. List goes on.
Some of these dogs require you to find a EXCELLENT (not good) breeder to avoid horrible crippling hereditary medical conditions.

These are things you learn from first hand experience and from research, eventually preference and bias is developed based on personal preference. I think this is important before picking a dog.
If getting a pup you have to keep breed trait in mind, because that is all you can work with really (and parent temperament if available). If rescuing a adult you get a better idea of the adult temperament, (if you can get a accurate description of the dog), something you don't usually get from strays at shelters.

I picked a laid back doxie, and I am happy, he has energy outside but is not a pest and does not test me (besides dachshund deafness).