Temperament |
Structure |
It's easy to lie about temperament. "Oh sure, the parents are great pets!" Even if a breeder is not lying about the temperament of the parents of your future puppy, dogs far back in the pedigree can pass on their genetics to your puppy. Two excellent pet temperament dogs can produce a dog that is likely to bite a child, start fights with your other pet dogs, or worse. Ethical breeders carefully trace every dog they can in the pedigree to ensure good temperaments are being passed on, but the proof is in the titles!
A champion show dog has proven it can handle the relative stress of multiple dog shows. It can travel well, it can let strangers approach and touch it, it can handle being around large crowds of people and many strange dogs, and it is trainable enough to walk nicely and stand as it is supposed to. Similarly, a dog that has obedience or rally titles shows it can handle the stress of dogs and people and is also trainable. Dogs that can handle that most certainly can also handle being a friendly, well-adjusted pet! Many people think it all comes down to how you raise a dog. While raising a dog properly is indeed very important, no amount of love and careful training can change genetics. |
Structure is the foundation upon which a dog is built. The bones and joints make up the structure which the muscle is built on. Bad structure makes dogs break down over time. A dog with bad structure will have more wear and tear on joints. If you like to hike, want to do dog sports, or even just want to be sure your beloved pet can safely jump up and down from the sofa, you will want to care about structure. You can learn more about why it is important for a family pet [HERE].
You might not care about terms like "straight shoulders" and "bad angulation", but a responsible breeder does! Improper structure limits what a dog can do and increases the risk of both injury and arthritis. You can learn more about dog structure [HERE] and [HERE]. |