"Temperament Issues"... please elaborate?

[Sue]

I've heard breeders and trainers use the term "temperament issues" or "temperament problems" in dogs. Often this is blamed on less than wise breedings.

So I have a couple of questions for you learned/experienced folks.

- Can you describe these issues? What sorts of issues are seen?
- Are they largely genetic in origin, or due to mis-handling, or both?
- If these are genetic, what is thought to be the cause... too much line breeding, or just breeding poor tempered dogs, or something else?
- What have you found to be effective in dealing with these problems?


Thank you in advance, for any education you can offer.

Sue

[kninebirddog]

Dogs that just have nasty behaviors.. Many times this is seen in little pups but is over looked..and what I mean is sure a pup may get into a scrap or two but I am talking about serious fights at young ages. I dropped a line entirely out of my program because I saw to many dogs from the same lines have some bad attitudes more towards other dogs but it was there,
and Line breeding wasn't the problem it was just the dogs had bad attitudes

Another female that has been bred a lot here in AZ her progeny also carried on a questionable attitude but those that breed the lines are just Oh I want a litter of pups and do not think what they do has an effect on the future of the breed. Anyways I know of a good handful again not line bred that more on the female side had to be put down for getting more and more aggressive as they matured ..and progeny from these dogs that were allowed to breed also nasty dispositions more so around other dogs but a couple lashed on family members.

I see a line of GSP's also come from a certain line and My lord many of them have nasty dispositions from seriously aggressive to another line that extremely fearful ....and this is not just from seeing one dog ...both these lines were from fill the market breeders

I work at a pheasant preserve so I do get to see quite a few dogs that have issues from those that have human related issues and get away with stuff to those that just have less then biddable temperaments which Sorry an aggressive attituded dog that offers to fight constantly in my program has n place in my program..I understand the alpha which won't back down if confronted but if they go around initiating the fights that dog doesn't belong in a gene pool

[Greg Jennings]

"Temperment Issues" usually gets down to either being Dog Aggressive or Human Aggressive. In my mind, it's bigger than that.

Also, IMHO, when we say "Temperment Issues", we're talking about issues that are baked in, not those that are layered on by the owner/trainer. Sometimes that distinction is tough to make.

[Chukar12]

I agree with both Greg and Arlette. Temperment/behavioral issues are difficult to identify because they can be both genetic and environmental. Think in terms of a Stockholm syndrom in humans. I have noticed that dogs deemed "blackhearted" and difficult to break run in lines. Ground pattern can be seen in genetics. Therefore things like barking in the kennel, the aforementioned aggression issues, etc... are all 'temperment' the sticking point is that they can all also be created in training.

[Sue]

Chukar, can you please explain a bit more about what you mean by "black hearted" or "difficult to break"?

And by "stockholm syndrome" do you mean a dog that sort of emotionally crumbles from kennel confinement?

Thanks so far, for all the responses...

[Chukar12]

by Sue » Thu Jul 07, 2011 10:19 am

Chukar, can you please explain a bit more about what you mean by "black hearted" or "difficult to break"?

And by "stockholm syndrome" do you mean a dog that sort of emotionally crumbles from kennel confinement?

There is at least one good example of "black hearted" in the best GSP post. There are dogs that in spite of handling and training by extremely successful pros never "break out" completely, It ususally refers to a dog that refuses to stay honest on birds and chases, in my experience ususlly 3 or 4 finds into a run. They do it for their whole lives. These same dogs may choose to be "run-offs" as well, simply refusing to, on a consistent basis, assume their role in the chase and the hunt, choosing to go solo. Some of them come out of it way late I hear, 5,6,7 years old..some maybe never. If you hang around field trials and listen you will hear these tales and almost without fail someone will say, "his daddy, momma or grandpa was the same way."

No I speak more of behavior in general, I only reference Stockholm syndrom because it is an example of behavior and emotion changing from a being immersed in an environment. The behavior makes no sense from an external view yet it exists internally and it wasn't created by genetics, it was created by environment.

[adogslife]

Are you referring to a self hunter?

[Chukar12]

Yes, I believe that a "self hunter" can have varying degrees of independence, up to and including a desire to do so that is so strong not even the best trainers and handlers can get it in control completely over a dogs life. I also believe there is a genetic factor to that. I guess I would further say that I prefer a dog right on the edge of that...

[snips]

I have seen temperment issues come in the form of fear..Can be man made but also genetic. Fear of strangers is a huge temperment problem and should not be bred.