Dogs bred for a purpose. [Archive]

Doberman's

10-14-2006, 07:15 PM

Since the Pit Bull thread got me thinking ( as those types of threads usually do ) I wanted to see how many dogs are actually used for the purpose they were bred.

We will start with the Doberman. :D

Dobermans were bred for personal protection; because they have such wonderful loyal attributes, they can and do make excellent personal protection dogs, police dogs and also, they make good guard dogs ( although Dobes are extremely loyal to their family the latter is not preferable for them they can become introverted and that is when you run into shy and aggressive Dobes ).

My Dobes are companion animals, they LOVE people, Children and other animals. They are not aggressive at all but I do beleive that if push came to shove they would protect me and my family to the end, that is what they were bred to do and that instinct is still there. They know when I am afraid and when things are OK.

So my Dobes are not really doing what they were bred to do BUT Heir Dobermann did love his dogs and I am sure he treated them as companion animals when he was not working as a Tax Collector.

So... who's dogs do what they were bred to do ?

JDogg

10-14-2006, 07:59 PM

American Bulldogs are well bred couch potatos hmmm.. I think thats what my dogs where bred for if not they should have been

LesterJ

10-14-2006, 08:08 PM

Bouviers were bred for driving sheep and cattle. We have herding tested a couple of the Bouvs we had. The instinct was there, they did great. :) Gator is a retired show dog and resident couch potato.

Fox terriers were bred to hunt small animals in dens. Tilly has hunted and killed baby rabbits(wild), birds and mice. So yes, her instinct is very much intact and active. :( The mice I didn't mind so much, they were in the house. We did teach her to stay away from the baby rabbits though, and watched 2 litters born and raised in the yard of our last house. Oh, and she thinks skunks are interesting and doesn't mind the squirt in the face *at all*!! She also hunts earthworms, bees and beetles. She has never eaten anything that she has killed. In the clinical sense, it's interesting to watch her "work". She's extremely patient, then very swift, cleanly killing and dropping. Sounds awful, but it's instinct.

sheplovr

10-14-2006, 09:35 PM

True German Bred Shepherds are bred to herd well sheep, goats, etc. They are used in Germany for this purpose to help the owner acquire easier work load to make money other than breeding them and reproducing to sell. They spend countless hours in fields herding the owners sheep mostly and keeping them in tack for the master in charge to make a living more than breeding the Shepherd.
Shepherds are highly intelligent to learn this almost without any training and are used more so for this reason than any other regardless of what u read of hear of. They are useful creatures that profit the owners by working. I breed only the West German Lines for work and show and very successful I might add as I select my breedings carefully and make sure they are sold and going into pet family homes only. No breeding to reproduce as good as my lines are, do not want that going on. I pay alot for my parents I raise into wonderful adults to breed later for good health, intelligence, drive, loyalty, etc.

ArticWonder

10-14-2006, 10:07 PM

Alaskan Malamutes were bred to hunt and carry large heavy loads over hundreds of miles of frozen tundra. They were bred for their instinct to find there way home in blizzard conditions and the instinct to stop when the trail is unsafe. They were bred to alert and protect their people out on the hunt from wolves and polar bears as well as to protect the wife and kids back home. They were bred to "babysit" the kids and keep them warm. They can withstand temperatures as low and -70 degrees. They were also bred to work as a team with other dogs and their owners.

They are also used for skijoring, hiking and packpacking as well as weight pulling and sledding for competition.

A large part of the malamute population is still being used today for all of these. Because of that, their instincts are still very strong. Most show dogs carry titles proving that they can still perform these tasks.

Mine are still a little young to be pulling heavy loads though they will help out in the yard pulling carts and they will pull the kids on the sleds. They are great with kids including kids with disabilities. They do have proper coats for cold weather. I do plan on showing a couple of them and maybe weight pulling competition with Harley. They will alert us of danger and some health issues and they do have prey instinct.

Most important, they will cuddle and keep us warm in winter.

Sabledog

10-14-2006, 11:08 PM

well i have pure bred mutts lol and they are a bunch of lazy house beasts, and they hog the bed and the couch and bark when cars drive by, sneak food from under the table, and occasionally they get into mischeif. i think they are pretty good mutts.

Mom to Lil Buddy

10-15-2006, 02:01 PM

Shih Tsu were bred as companion animals, and Max fulfills that role well. Watching him with his toys I would suspect that he would be an awesome rodent catcher as well, fortunately haven't had any in the house to know for sure. I was told "inside dog only", but someone forgot to tell Max, his greatest pleasure is sitting in the yard watching the world go by, even in the rain! Can't wait to see what he does in the snow!

Nicolelj

10-16-2006, 04:17 PM

WS's and GSD's were originally bred for herding. But have since become one of the most versatil breeds known to man. They can be trained to do just about anything. From herding, police work, SAR's, hunting, military work, assistants dogs for the disabled and so on. I think that is why the breed is so popular. Just about anything you can do with a dog you can train a GSD/WS to do. Persoanlly I am breeding WS's to become service dogs. Which they do very well at. For me when people ask a question like you did I say yes they are still doing what they were bred to do. Which is to help man in every way they can.
Nicole & Sheena PSD OFA FD FDX

PurposelyVague

10-16-2006, 05:13 PM

poms were bred down from sled dogs. when they were bred down, it was just to be a companion dog, as far as i know. i have read material though that said they have been used as trackers and hemi certainly has a super sniffer.

mysterydog1

10-16-2006, 05:27 PM

Standard Poodles were bred to be water retrievers. like they are EVER used for that now though.

Betsy

10-16-2006, 05:56 PM

The job of the great majority of dogs in this country is to be a companion animal. It really isn't true that "most" show malamutes "carry titles proving" they can still perform what they were bred to do. Most show malamutes don't have any titles besides conformation ones. They certainly aren't unique in that-in many, many breeds the rule is that conformation people never do much to test the ability of their dogs to do anything other than look pretty. A few notable exceptions are Belgian Tervs, malinois and sheepdogs (the Belgian Terv people say that "a well balanced Terv has a title on both ends), flat coated retrievers (lots of flat coated people put titles on both ends of their dogs) and a few rarer breeds. Most American water spaniels are still bred for hunting, for example, and they rarely are even seen in the show ring.

And while (american bred) dobermans are great protection dogs because they have the reputation of being fearsome attackers, most have been bred to be mushballs (as they should be, to be great companion animals).

I think it may be wishful thinking to believe that most of us have dogs that would put their own wellbeing on the line to protect us (although nearly everybody thinks that of their own dog, in their heart of hearts). But so what? If a Bad Person gets so up close and personal with us that we would want the dog to attack, (particularly if it is a Bad Person who is doing this to a person with a doberman standing by), do we really WANT the dog to intervene? I don't want my dogs to intervene, because intervening will likely do nothing to protect me and will probably get them killed.

Frankly, I am all for breeding most dogs to be great companion animals, without breeding for the high drive and high energy levels that go along with being a serious working dog. Reasonably well bred Labradors, for example, are pretty much two breeds--low drive couch potato slugs bred for the conformation ring and high drive, high energy nut cases bred for the field. Both can be great dogs, but a person who gets one expecting and wanting the other is going to be sorely disappointed. Golden retrievers from conformation lines can be the world's greatest companion dogs for most families. These people don't need or want a golden who is driven to spend several hours a day retrieving ducks from icy waters. I am all for responsible people breeding goldens to DO that (although maybe such people should be breeding chesapeakes or field labs or irish water spaniels) and I want even the conformation bred goldens to have some retrieving drive, but the huge amounts of retrieving drive necessary to, say, win field trials, will just get them and their owners in deep trouble.

I don't think that there is any need whatsoever to breed for a low drive border collie. We already have a low drive collie--it is called a rough collie. People who get border collies should get them with their eyes open and expect to give the dog a job.

There are a few breeds whose jobs are, frankly, not acceptable. American pit bull terriers, as Doberman's mentions, are a good example of a dog breed which should not be bred for the traits for which the breed was developed. If the fanciers of APBTs can't adapt and can't realize that they need to radically change the direction (and no, this doesn't mean just not breeding FOR dog aggression, it means a commitment to not breed dog aggressive pit bulls), then they will be banned everywhere because the trait of wanting to kill other dogs is socially unacceptable. Similarly, it is only a matter of time before Fila brasileiros, which are bred to be untouchable by every human other than the owner, start making the headlines. Presa canarios are already banned some places (not surprisingly because two have killed people and when one reflects on the incredible rarity of both dog caused human deaths and presa canarios, one realizes that the breed is headed for even bigger trouble) and probably aren't going anyplace good either, nor are cane corsos.

golden&hovawart

10-16-2006, 06:09 PM

Why are you always here to argue?.It's boring!!!!

Pit Bull

10-16-2006, 10:55 PM

but the huge amounts of retrieving drive necessary to, say, win field trials, will just get them and their owners in deep trouble.

deep trouble? :confused: Why? If people aren't aware of what it means to own a properly bred retriever that was bred for the purpose of retrieving, than they should get a companion breed, such as a ****zu or a chihuahua...not a retriever...its not the fault of breeders that enhance the desired quality in the dogs..its the fault of people who buy dogs without doing their research, in which case responsible breeders don't sell to in the first place...I don't know what brought this point up from you...

it is only a matter of time before Fila brasileiros, which are bred to be untouchable by every human other than the owner, start making the headlines.

They already have.....just not in North America...

Presa canarios are already banned some places (not surprisingly because two have killed people and when one reflects on the incredible rarity of both dog caused human deaths and presa canarios, one realizes that the breed is headed for even bigger trouble) and probably aren't going anyplace good either, nor are cane corsos.

If you are referring to North America...its rare because the breed is quite rare itself...you don't see every other dog owner walking a Fila or a Presa...
again..I don't understand the negativity in all your posts..I understand and respect the opinion that these breeds are targetted by irresponsible people...but it doesn't mean there's no hope..(this is what I am getting from your posts concerning bully breeds so far...if I'm misunderstanding, I appologize and please do correct me).....

there are, believe it or not, good pit bull or fila or presa breeders out there..and they do advocate responsible ownership...as do countless of bully breed organizations...

It all comes down to the owners...we need stronger laws pertaining to neglect, abuse, mistreatment, misbreeding...we need some sort of special licensing for breeding...we need enforcement of those licenses and laws...
I really don't know what else to say...guess that's all that needs to be said.. *shrugs*

Sabledog

10-17-2006, 01:29 AM

And while (american bred) dobermans are great protection dogs because they have the reputation of being fearsome attackers, most have been bred to be mushballs (as they should be, to be great companion animals).

I think it may be wishful thinking to believe that most of us have dogs that would put their own wellbeing on the line to protect us (although nearly everybody thinks that of their own dog, in their heart of hearts). But so what? If a Bad Person gets so up close and personal with us that we would want the dog to attack, (particularly if it is a Bad Person who is doing this to a person with a doberman standing by), do we really WANT the dog to intervene? I don't want my dogs to intervene, because intervening will likely do nothing to protect me and will probably get them killed.

I don't think that there is any need whatsoever to breed for a low drive border collie. We already have a low drive collie--it is called a rough collie. People who get border collies should get them with their eyes open and expect to give the dog a job.

There are a few breeds whose jobs are, frankly, not acceptable. American pit bull terriers, as Doberman's mentions, are a good example of a dog breed which should not be bred for the traits for which the breed was developed. If the fanciers of APBTs can't adapt and can't realize that they need to radically change the direction (and no, this doesn't mean just not breeding FOR dog aggression, it means a commitment to not breed dog aggressive pit bulls), then they will be banned everywhere because the trait of wanting to kill other dogs is socially unacceptable. Similarly, it is only a matter of time before Fila brasileiros, which are bred to be untouchable by every human other than the owner, start making the headlines. Presa canarios are already banned some places (not surprisingly because two have killed people and when one reflects on the incredible rarity of both dog caused human deaths and presa canarios, one realizes that the breed is headed for even bigger trouble) and probably aren't going anyplace good either, nor are cane corsos.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e206/Fishckabibble/wtf.jpg

Do you even belive half the stuff that you type? or do you just wing it and pretend to know what you are talking about? in the other thread you said ALL pit bulls were dog agressive so how do you propose that they selectivley breed the ones that arent dog agressive, you are completly contradicting yourself.
And Filas ,canes and presa's are GUARD DOGS, there is absolutly nothing wrong with owning a guard dog under the right care and handling.

and i would also like to know where you think that a dog would not put his life at risk for a human, they do it all the time, police dogs, family pets, search and rescue dogs, there are hundreds of cases of dogs saving their owners, be it by rescuing them or biting someone, i know our dogs would do it in a heart beat, although they are not trained attack dogs or viscious they know what is going on, and they know how to tell the bad people from the good. so before you jump on here to bash anything else think about what you are writing before hand instead of making yourself sound incompetant.

Betsy

10-17-2006, 07:35 AM

Sabledog, please quote where I said "ALL pit bulls are dog aggressive." I try to write carefully and since I don't believe "ALL pit bulls are dog aggressive," I doubt I wrote that. If you can't quote where I said that, I would really appreciate it if you wouldn't say I said it when it isn't true.

I think that the question of dogs putting their lives on the line to protect their owners is an interesting one, but it is off topic of this thread. Maybe start another thread.

Many people breed filas to be intolerant (i.e. potentially dangerous) to every person outside the immediate family. Can you describe the "right care and handling" that would make ownership of a 130 pound dog with that trait? Would you want one living next door to you?

skunkstripe

10-17-2006, 07:52 AM

Betsy why don't you just leave it alone. I was thinking of writing something about the herding dogs and hunting dogs from my friends and acquaintances, but if you are going to turn this thread into another one of your nasty personal diatribes then I don't see why I should bother. Frankly I am tired of your rhetoric.

To bad this forum does not have an "ignore" list.

Betsy

10-17-2006, 07:58 AM

Pit bull,

Why don't you think that there is a place for labs and goldens bred for WAY less drive and energy than is necessary for a field lab? Shih tzus and chihuahuas can be nice dogs, but they aren't great dogs for small children. Responsibly bred conformation bred (slug) labs and goldens tend to be fantastic family dogs and I often recommend that families looking for a great dog go to a responsible conformation lab or golden breeder. Canine Companions for Independence breeds labs and goldens (and lab/golden mixes) specifically for use as service dogs and the dogs they breed for that purpose tend to be just one step up from comatose. The waiting list to adopt the "rejects" from the CCI program is enormously long, because many reasonable people know that they want a lab and golden's saintly outlook toward all the world, and high trainability, but they aren't going to be entering any field trials and don't need a dog who wants to retrieve ducks from icy water for six hours straight. Since most dogs ARE companion dogs (and even dogs who do a little work tend to be companion dogs first, if they are responsibly owned), I see nothing wrong with breeding a great companion dog to fill a very important need.

By the way, many hunters get themselves in trouble because they think they need a dog with a huge amount of hunting drive. But they may only go hunting one weekend a month and the dog's drive doesn't turn off on Monday morning (or at the end of hunting season). This is coupled with the fact that some field trial breeders breed for dogs with hunting styles that aren't compatible with personal hunters. Pointing breed field trials, for example, are conducted on horseback because otherwise the field couldn't keep up with the dogs, who are bred to range far and fast. Not too many hunters actually hunt on horseback. So dogs bred to "do the job" often suffer and lose homes because VERY few dogs work every day.

This doesn't mean, as I said, that I have anything against breeding a high drive field trial type lab or a working border collie. Indeed, I don't think that there is any reason to breed a border collie who can't work. We don't need a slug version of the border collie because there are plenty of breeds filling that niche. Just that people who breed these high drive, high energy dogs should only do so if the dog has demonstrated working ability (and, no, just completing a basic agility course doesn't cut it to demonstrate working ability) and if the puppies will ALL be going to serious working homes. (These are not the only criteria for breeding of course, there are many others).

Betsy

10-17-2006, 08:04 AM

Skunkstripe,

I actually don't see where anything I wrote is "nasty" or a "personal diatribe." Do you think I shouldn't correct somebody if they claim I wrote something that I didn't write and don't believe?

golden&hovawart

10-17-2006, 08:56 AM

I have a golden and she is 1st: a wonderful family dog.Her 1st passion is swimming and her 2nd is retriever which golden were bred for.She also do fl;yball and loves it.
My 2nd dog is a hovawart.He is a wonderful family dog.He loves to swim.The breed is pretty much used to do anything.They are used as police dog,herder as well as a service dog.They are very versatile and are wonderful dogs.

skunkstripe

10-17-2006, 11:29 AM

Thank you goldenhova for setting a good example and bringing this thread back on topic.
http://images6.theimagehosting.com/dontfeedtrolls.th.gif (http://server6.theimagehosting.com/image.php?img=dontfeedtrolls.gif)

We have neighbors with a Border Collie / Collie mix. They have sheep and were hoping that Buddy would help them herd. Well Buddy has not taken the slightest interest in the sheep so they are out of luck. I do not knwo the exact circumstances under which they got Buddy. I do know that a lot of Collies these days have completely lost their herding instinct. On another board there was a gal who bred smooth Collies but refused to be a slave to the whims of the AKC conformation judges. Something about whether their ears are supposed to be tipped or not. Her dogs are champions at obedience and she provided a source of puppies for service dogs, so she was able to live without the conformation titles!

Around here we have a lot of hunters, both deer and wild birds. Retrievers (Labs, Chessies and Goldens) were bred to swim through icy water to retrieve the downed bird and bring it back to their owner without mangling it. It is interesting to watch local people train their hunting dogs to retrieve properly at local swimming holes. Sometimes the dogs leave a WAKE in the water, they swim so fast. Even more entertaining is the fact that some people do not recognize a Lab if is a hunting dog in good physical shape. Unfortunately a lot of family Labs are overweight.

We do notice that Sophia is a Retriever. If a toy rolls under the furniture, Zircon will give up after about 10 seconds. Sophia on the other hand, well DH has said that if a ball rolls under a car in the driveway, Sophia will move the car to get it. And swimming? One time when I took her to work with me in February, there were huge ice blocks on the river and it was below freezing. She went in to swim. The water droplets on her fur froze about 30 seconds later to ice. It did not bother her one bit. And the play behavior is different between Zircon and Sophia. If a ball is rolling, bouncing, or sailing in the air, it is his department. He is the one who can leap up and snatch a Frisbee out of the air at 6 ft. Sophia on the other hand will back away from it or if she tries to catch it, more than likely it will bounce off her nose. But as soon as the ball becomes deflated by sharp dog teeth, it is like flipping a switch. Zircon loses interest, and it becomes Sophia's toy. Like a dead bird, it won't bounce, but now if we throw it, Sophia will go get it and bring it back. Teaching her fetch was easy. It would not take much to make a reasonable gun dog out of her. Zircon on the other hand, is probably part "Labrador Evader" (from the book Marley and Me). Once he gets the ball he wants to play keepaway.

The pic is of Buddy, the BC/Collie mix.

LesterJ

10-17-2006, 11:36 AM

Betsy, your sweeping generalizations do nothing good for your credibility. I won't even bother trying to pick through the fallacies in your statements. I don't have enough time. Have a great day. :)

mysterydog1

10-17-2006, 01:11 PM

Er.... I missed something. Thing Is I try to... NOT READ long posts, chances are I would know what the people were saying and then start asking dumb questions. I don't even know what the topic of this thread is anymore. I'M LOST! :p

Borzoi mad

10-17-2006, 01:24 PM

Borzois were bred to hunt wolves and wild boar.
Dachies were bred to go down bager holes.

golden&hovawart

10-17-2006, 01:27 PM

Pit Bull

10-17-2006, 02:31 PM

Betsy..I'm not really going to bother reading your thread only because its too long and you keep repeating the same cynical OPINIONS over and over again...if you want to catch my attention, please keep it short and to the point.

I agree with what Sabledog said about you..you can't make up your mind and end up contradicting yourself over and over again...first you tell Dobermans that its only a matter of time before he meets an aggressive pit bull, than you say that pit bulls are selectively bred and only the ill bred ones are aggressive..than you say a load of something else and everyone just loses interest...

To me, you seem like the type of person that really had little information in terms of pit bulls.....other breeds? I don't know...but its apparent that alot of people disagree with your many dog philosophies...

I'm going to end my response to you by asking you to please stop repeating yourself, and stop making generalized assumptions and biased opinions about pit bulls or DOGS in general...your posts are quite CYNICAL to say the least

I think I speak on behalf of more than one member on this forum when I say....we DON'T get your point...o_O

Pit Bull

10-17-2006, 02:32 PM

Doberman's started this thread by asking people to describe the purpose of their breed.
It's started as an innocent thread but some people are trying to change it into an argument.
So,for whoever follows me,please tell us about yr breed and what you do with yr dogs.

Yes..well some people simply can't stay away from the topic of pit bulls and banning of breeds...

*sigh* its getting soooo old :rolleyes:

And you are definately right..lets get back on topic...

Sabledog

10-17-2006, 04:07 PM

Yes..well some people simply can't stay away from the topic of pit bulls and banning of breeds...

*sigh* its getting soooo old :rolleyes:

And you are definately right..lets get back on topic...

i also wasnt trying to turn this into a debate, i was simply irritated that she tried to kill yet another thread but trying to spout off about what she doesnt know. and it was late at night, i was tired, and you get my point.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks came from africa as a breed to hunt and kill lions in a pack, i dont beleive the still are used for this, but their loyalty and intellegence make them excellent family pets, and companions.

skunkstripe

10-17-2006, 04:30 PM

I enjoy a healthy and lively debate, but I lose patience with people who try to create the impression that they are highly knowledgable yet instead of presenting a logically well organized set of facts to argue their point, resort to cheap rhetorical tricks, insinuation, and a liberal sprinkling of insults. And it REALLY sticks in my craw when someone violates what is generally accepted as good practice of scientific principles when it comes to collection and interpretation of data. I am here to talk dog, not to waste my time pointing out errors of logic posted by wannabe-experts.

And I also don't care for the practice of hijacking multiple threads to push the same agenda over and over again.

:cheers:

Plummy16

10-17-2006, 05:37 PM

Well.... Lhasa apso's originated from Tibet and were used as watchdogs in the ancient monasteries. They were believed to bring a good luck due to their resemblance to lions wich were considered sacred animals. But my louie is no watchdog he'll just kiss anyone who tried to break in I'm sure of that hehe. It's said that in Tibet when you die you are reincarnated into a lhasa apso thats why they are very human like.

pippin's mum

10-17-2006, 06:13 PM

Hello!

Tibetan terriers were originally bred by Tibetan monks and were considered to be 'good luck' dogs or 'holy' dogs. Tibetan terriers were never sold, only given as gifts.

Today they are companion dogs and are good guard dogs (mine barks as soon as anyone steps foot on to my driveway!)

vagreys

10-17-2006, 06:25 PM

I have retired racing Greyhounds. Key word: retired. Born and bred to run. Fast. Chasing small furry things. Mine chased small furry things, fast, quite well. And though they were not bred to be companion dogs, they have made excellent members of my family, in their retirement.

Pit Bull

10-17-2006, 06:44 PM

Betsy

10-17-2006, 06:45 PM

Ooops. I honestly thought that this thread was partly about whether dog breeds (in general) can do what they were bred to do. Several other people also made this mistake and talked about other breeds (for example, the neighbor's collie/border collie mix who doesn't herd) in terms of dogs doing what the breeds were bred to do and whether breeding for those traits was necessarily a good thing. And Doberman's was the first person to note that the discussion of pit bulls is what got her started thinking about what breeds were bred to do.

But if all you want to do is list what your own dog's breed was bred to do, hey, go for it. I won't intrude.

skunkstripe

10-17-2006, 07:17 PM

I noticed that about Greyhounds too. When Vagreys had posted about whether a stray dog was a purebred Grey or not I searched the web for pics of puppies. Normally if you search by breed you find breeders' websites and pics of their puppies. Not so for Greys. I guess it is rare that someone breeds them as pets? What a shame as they are such wonderful, even-tempered dogs!

cg3

10-17-2006, 07:35 PM

j dog is right

Jake2006

10-18-2006, 06:35 PM

Ok Betsy I'll talk about my dog
He is an Irish Water Spaniel - also known as 'bog dog', 'rat tail'. The reason his tail is like a rats, is to give him a brilliant rudder in the water - he also dives quite deep. He will jump into the water from a great height - 30 ft is quite common. I haven't seen a dog that is quicker or has more endurance in the water than him. He wasn't bred for hunting he was bred for retreiving which he does very well - but not with live game any more.
He has webbed feet which make him an excellent swimmer.

As well as the above, he is a lapdog, companion, good guard dog and cleaner up of crumbs on the kitchen floor.

ruffian

10-18-2006, 07:09 PM

Shiba Inu were originally bred for hunting, as in they go out and kill it, like hounds they love to chase small and big furry things. They have been used for bear, deer, wild boar, and small game. Can they still do it you bet your butt they can. My parents taught himself how to kill muskrats in the dugout. He is the only shiba I know that loves to swim. Mine like to hunt bugs and mice, but I raised them with ferrets so they are ok with other small animals.

Doberman's

10-18-2006, 08:15 PM

Ruffian, my dogs LOVE to hunt mice and voles. :D They like them as a nice light crunchy snack. LMAO!!!! :D:D

Dobe's are truly versatile.

Georgia

10-19-2006, 09:35 AM

I'm going to spin this around a tad.

Our mutt appears to be a lab / border collie mix but I'm thinking she has something in her that was menat to hunt birds, perhaps a pointer. She seems to be very interested in birds of all types and even when her nose is on the ground she appears to be able to spot them in the trees. Just this week she stopped right outside the door as we were going to start our walk and stared at our front bushes which are very dense. I was thinking bunny or cat but after a while a tiny sparrow shot out. How she saw it is beyond me. She has also now discovered the bird cages at PetSmart and her excitement is hard to contain.

My father's last dog was supposed to be a pure Yorkshire Terrier but at 13 pounds Bear (yea he kind of looked like one) was obviously not pure. Anyway, he lived up to his breed when my father saw him sniffing and blowing in the basement behind the freezer. Sure enough he "smoked" out a mouse out the other side which my dad then chased down with a broom. Bear lost interest as soon as the mouse was caught. My dad later read that they use that sniff/blow technique to scare the prey into making a run for it. We never knew that before.

vagreys

10-19-2006, 12:25 PM

Isn't it sad when people use dogs for their own benefits, like greyhound racing...without a second thought about the dog's wellbeing?

Is it even possible to get a greyhound from a breeder or are they all rescues?

:( Its just so sad...
I'm not pro-racing (or anti-racing, for that matter). I am anti-abuse, though, regardless of who is doing it. I think it is a mischaracterization of the Greyhound industry, as a whole, to suggest that there is no thought about the wellbeing of the hounds, at least in the US. The vast majority of racing kennel operators care about the hounds in their charge, and take very good care of them. The breeders will often take back hard-to-place retirees, having them live out the remainder of their lives on the farm rather than seeing them put down. More owners than not care very much about their hounds and what happens to them. Are there those for whom it is just business? Sure. But even those who are in it just for business take care of their revenue generating assets.

This does raise an interesting question, though. Is it sad when people use dogs for their own benefit, like sheep herding, cattle ranching, or guided hunts? The herd of sheep is a revenue generating enterprise. The cattle are, too. The hunt guide depends on his dogs to flush and retrieve game for his clients. The security company that leases guard dogs makes money off of them, too. Is it sad when people use dogs for their own benefit, like service dogs? Or should we differentiate based on what we think of the application?

Greyhounds are not forced to race. Watch a Greyhound run (you don't even have to bet), and you cannot help but see that they run for joy. This puppy we are raising, not from a racing litter, is opening my eyes to just what it means to be a sighthound. What this pup does, everyday, is inate in the breed. I think it is amazing, and I am in awe.

I have seen Greyhounds abused. I have taken care of rescued Greyhounds, and helped them heal. Some have been from bad kennels that were shutdown for abuse. Some have been from adoptive homes where they were not taken care of properly. Abuse is not restricted to the racing industry.
I noticed that about Greyhounds too. When Vagreys had posted about whether a stray dog was a purebred Grey or not I searched the web for pics of puppies. Normally if you search by breed you find breeders' websites and pics of their puppies. Not so for Greys. I guess it is rare that someone breeds them as pets? What a shame as they are such wonderful, even-tempered dogs!
Greyhounds are not bred very often as pets, in the US. The vast majority, somewhere around 26,000, are bred as registered litters in the National Greyhound Association registry, the racing body. The American Greyhound Council estimates that about 90% of retired racers go into adoption, now. Fewer than 200 AKC Greyhound pups are whelped each year for the show ring or to go into private homes. AKC hounds are becoming increasingly different from NGA hounds. I think that, eventually, racing hounds will be considered a different breed. Another 6000-7000 hounds are privately bred for other activities, such as hunting coyotes, or cross-bred in the midwest to become staghounds for hunting.

Actually, I found a number of Greyhound breeder sites on the web, with pics of show pups at different ages. Fascinating to watch Greyhound pups evolve from generic puppiness to the sleek, racing form of the adult.

Betsy

10-19-2006, 08:26 PM

Darn. You drug me back into this discussion and I just know I am going to get in trouble because of it. Oh well, I guess if you don't want to hear other points of view, you shouldn't post on a message board.

The greyhound racing industry is inherently cruel. Go here to read a few facts: http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/running_for_their_lives_the_realities_of_greyhound _racing/greyhound_racing_facts.html

Of course, it isn't the racing that is cruel. The dogs love to race. It is everything else that goes with it, from massive numbers of culls who never even see a racetrack, to spending 22 hours per day in cages.

If the industry were responsible, there wouldn't be any need for "Adopt a retired greyhound, save a life" bumper stickers and campaigns. Responsible breeders take care of the dogs they breed, they don't try to guilt nice people into caring for them once they stop being profitable to the breeders so the breeders can continue to make a profit off of breeding dogs.

By the way, one of the ways that the greyhound industry cooks the books in terms of adoption statistics is by shipping dogs on the downhill slide off to tracks in developing countries. Not only are conditions at these tracks usually worse than conditions at US tracks, nobody is watching very carefully what happens to "retired" hounds at those tracks. Retirement, in those cases, often means a bullet to the brain.

ANY dog breeder who has to implicitly or explicitly threaten to kill excess dogs (what does "adopt a greyhound, save a life" mean if it doesn't mean that if you DON'T adopt a greyhound, one will die?) who are no longer profitable to him is irresponsible and inherently cruel, in my book. I haven't ever heard of any service dog breeders who threaten to kill retired or failed service dogs, but, hey, if you can find some who do, then I will say that they are not responsible dog breeders too.

Betsy

10-19-2006, 08:51 PM

Here is another page about the inherent cruelty of greyhound racing: http://www.greyhounds.org/gpl/contents/common.html

Doberman's

10-20-2006, 07:06 AM

Keep this thread ON topic. This thread is NOT a debate it is about what dogs are bred to do.

skunkstripe

10-20-2006, 03:01 PM

Georgia I think that is a good point. Sometimes a dog's personality can be a clue to identifying an unknown mixed breed. Of course there is no way to prove it, since if you have a mystery dog, more than likely you will never know what breeds exactly are in the mix.

CamzKees

10-20-2006, 06:26 PM

Yikes. I'm going to continue the intent of the original poster, and pretend I didn't read any of that... :p

Keeshonden were originally bred to be guardians of dutch barges, as well as companion dogs for the common people of Denmark. They're a close relative of the samoyed; however, they are one of the only spitz breeds not bred for killing animals or pulling sleds.

This is why they have such a gentle temperment. I will always have one of these great dogs in my life.

SheltieMom

10-20-2006, 08:18 PM

Shetland Sheepdogs were bred to herd livestock and small children (keep them in the yard, the children that is!) My mother does compete in herding with some of her shelties, and my guy, although quite the couch potato will not sit down until all the kids are in the room. If someone is in another room, he will pace and run around in circles until they join us. So I do believe that he still does have that herding instict in him!

ArticWonder

10-20-2006, 10:50 PM

(It really isn't true that "most" show malamutes "carry titles proving" they can still perform what they were bred to do. Most show malamutes don't have any titles besides conformation ones.)

OK Becky
I will put it this way.

The majority of the alaskan malamutes that I know, are multi titled in show, weight pulling and most of them have CGC to their name also. Again, I don't know which ones you know, but the ones I am aware of are not just confirmation, they are high ranked top show dogs with weight pulling titles. Here is a fine example of a multi titled alaskan malamute. I took this on 9/29/2006 in Monroe at a dog show.

This is one of my favorite mals. This is Windfury's Jacob Trailblazer a.k.a. Jake. He is ranked 25th in the AKC standings. He could be higher ranked by now.

http://www.rigshowcase.com/img/368wNS97/7326.jpg

I don't know how far into showing I want to go just yet. But I do intend to use and treat my malamutes for what they were used for - the best that I can.

Which I think, is what this thread it about.

Chuy's dad

10-31-2006, 01:43 PM

My Wheaten was apparently bred for vermin control on farms in Ireland. Rats, badgers, etc. Killing small animals has not happened yet with Chuy though. He has walked by squirrels and a rabbit in the yard either without seeing them, or with no interest.

Arlyn

11-07-2006, 07:26 PM

My service dog is a shepherd but I have to say I've aLways owned shepherds, and I think they will do just about anything asked of them, except be hunting dogs. I have to disagree with Betsy on the goldens and labs as service dogs....no way are they comatose. I spent 7 weeks in a facility training with my dog and there were many labs and retrievers, they were all sedate, but ready for playtime anytime.I think when the dogs are working they should be very sedate, they're in the public, the ones who aren't able to control their energy are the rejects. When someone is ready to leave with their dog, there is a special bond between the two, when working they are plain terrific, but take off the working gear and get the ball out and those dogs have energy to burn. My shepherd is also very sedate when working in public, but he is always ready to play or go for longs hikes with my husband, and if he needed to, he would protect the family. I think a lot depends on the owner and what they want in a dog. Companionship is a great healer for many shut ins or elderly, so I think any dog can be good at that.