It’s All In How You Raise them… Right?

Have you ever heard that before, that it doesn’t matter what the breed of a dog is because it’s all in how you raise them? Maybe you’ve said it yourself.

I have.

I used to said it a lot, actually, specifically when it came to breeds that tend to have a negative reputation like a Pit Bull or Rottweiler.

But I was wrong.
Sort of.

How you raise your dog is really important when it comes to their behaviour, it is true.
But it’s not the only important part.

Applied Ethologist, Kim Brophey (who is also a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, among many other credentials) has made it her life’s work to educate humans on canine behavior, ethology, and welfare.  She has broken down the way that dogs learn and live into four parts called L.E.G.S. = Learning, Environment, Genetics, and Self. 

When we say that it’s “All in how we raise them”, we are only taking two of the four important parts into consideration: the Learning and the Environment.

Genetics really are a key part in how our dogs behave, too. 

Do you ever wonder why your Labrador Retriever likes the water so much more than a beagle does?
Or why your Australian Shepherd runs circles around your children but your neighbors Mastiff is just happy to lounge on the couch?
Maybe you can’t understand why your Yorkie barks so much but your neighbors greyhound is so quiet and calm.

That’s because the G = genetics really do make a difference in a dogs life and behaviour.

When humans started to live with dogs, we recognized some things that certain dogs were better at than others, and in order to make future dogs even better at those jobs, they would breed them with other dogs with the same characteristics. Humans were manipulating the genetics to create dogs that they could use to fit their lifestyles and needs. For example, when they saw that some dogs were really good at rounding up their livestock, they would mate them with other dogs who were also good at rounding up livestock, creating herding dogs (like the Australian Shepherd who likes to herd your children). Other dogs were really good at finding rats and other rodents, and alerting their humans to them, and so dogs like Yorkshire Terriers were created to make more dogs that were even better than the previous ones at finding those rodents and alerting us to them. When it comes to bull breeds, such as the Pit Bull, humans created them out of guardian breeds to become strong, courageous fighters to use in combat, and then later in blood spot entertainment. So, although your pit bull has never been used for fighting, there may be some leftover DNA in their genetic makeup that makes him or her fiercely protective and ready to take down anything they may perceive as a threat.

That’s not to say that these dogs are inherently dangerous, or rodent hunters, or will never be able to stop herding your children. It simply means that their genetics and DNA are a part of the pieces that make up every dog, and they do need to be taken into consideration when choosing, training, teaching, and raising your dog.

Just as important as the learning, environment, and genetics is a dogs “self”.
Like all other cognitive, sentient beings, dogs have their own personalities to take into account. Two dogs could be bred from the same two parents (genetics), raised and trained exactly the same way (learning and environment), but behave very differently. That’s because they are their own S = selves. No two dogs are alike, just like people, or cats, or any other being with minds of their own. You don’t really know what you’re going to get until you live with them for a while and learn more about the individual dog.

All of these parts need to be taken into account when it comes to how we treat, train, and raise our dogs, so…

It’s not only in “how we raise them”. 

It’s so important to take each of these four parts into consideration when purchasing a puppy or adopting a dog. We need to consider their genetics as well as the environment they will be living in, and the amount of time and energy you will be able to dedicate into training and teaching them. It’s important to choose a dog that is right for your lifestyle, not a dog based only on their looks or what you’ve seen them do in shows, movies, or from your friends or family’s experiences. 

If you’d like help figuring out the best fit for your family before you choose a dog, send me a message and we can chat about what a good fit for your family could be.