Always remember when looking at dogs to consider the temperament and handling required before you think about getting one yourself. This goes especially for if you fall in love with a breed because of 1 (or 2 or even 101) you see in a movie as that dog/those dogs have been very well trained and probably still have many outtakes before you get what you see.

The huge rise in Dalmation puppy sales after the movie 101 Dalmations was only matched by the huge number of 1year old Dalmations dropped off at the pound the year after. Just wanted to put this here to remind people that there is a lot more to dogs than the way they look.

It is most important to see how they act and meet some members of the breed in person as well as research what type of dog they are and how much handling/training they require. This prevents any surprises in the future and ensures you will be able to give the dog a great home.



This post has been edited by Divas: Aug 2 2010, 04:34 PM

Hmm with breeds like this that are considered 'dangerous', 'wild', or 'aggressive', behavior problems or an 'unwillingness to learn' is more to do with pack dynamics and canine psychology (i guess that is what you mean by 'why should i listen to you?' luffy4688) as well as a complete lack of understanding by humans.

When you have a breed of dog that has developed with a very natural way of life (that follows very closely the lifestyle of a wolf or other wild pack canine) the instincts and pack values (as well as the knowledge of the importance of these things) is much stronger than in more domesticated dogs (such as poodles and golden retrievers, although all dog breeds will lead a much happier life if pack dynamics are maintained). Therefore in order to get them to follow you unquestionably (making them willing to learn the things that we 'humans' see as important).

Sadly, the reason a lot of fantastic breeds are banned or severely restricted in a lot of countries is because we humans have forgotten what it is like to be wild. We have over domesticated ourselves, leaving us (for the most part) totally incapable of using the instincts (which i hope are still buried somewhere deep inside our DNA) which allow us to understand dogs/cats/all wild animals without a lot of studying and effort.