Common dog misconceptions

[BLUEsNewSpringWatch]

I'm getting so fed up of people thinking Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are just a low energy/ lazy lap dogs. So I thought a kind of dog myth busters thread would be good. Please add whatever you can think of.
Starting myths:

1. cavaliers aren't like other spaniels and are just a low energy/ lazy lap dog - FALSE - Cavaliers, whilst they do love being on your lap, are supposed to be like other spaniels - high energy dogs that run through undergrowth (and bring half a hedge home in their fur) and can keep going all day, if you do. Unfortunately many are kept seriously overweight and never allowed off lead, so people get the wrong idea about Cavaliers.

2. poodles are poncy and are only good for prancing around a show ring and crossing with more interesting/fun breeds for their non-moulting fur - FALSE - Poodles are energetic, extremely intelligent, trick dogs. They look very much like a lot of their crosses when given a basic, rather than show clip. They make energetic, fun, engaging/interesting and highly trainable pets.

"NO, Labradors are sad if they get too fat to run and play."

Oh, that made me think of another one...

Labradors should not be 'stocky' what that means in the breed description is not what most people think it means, they should have a waist, an undertuck and the start of a rib cage just like every other breed.

As a trainer I've seen the results of bad breeding all too often.
It's rarely as severe as aggression - what we tend to see most is dogs who just tend towards lack of confidence/timidity. Still not desirable obvs and CAN mean they're more likely to react defensively if they feel they have no option.

As an owner I'm lucky enough to have the opposite with my latest pup. Confident, friendly, incredibly clever and trainable.

Getting the genetics right makes everything so much easier and can make a dog a joy to own.

Really? I'm so tired of people making smart remarks that my dog is a "spoilt brat", or "dominant" or other such bullshit. I did everything we had to do when she was a puppy, but she was very anxious and neurotic at the start. Fast forward past her being attacked by other dogs multiple times, a spinal injury and traumatic surgery at a young age and massive amounts of generalised anxiety, I now have a 10 year old reactive, fearful dog on long term pain medication, who has seen 6 trainers, and who bites and has to be managed very carefully.

It's cute when small dogs misbehave. Um no.
I have great recall until dog sees another dog. No. You have crap recall!
Big dogs need lots of exercise. Giant breeds need VERY careful exercise.
My dog is great with kids. They climb all over it. This is a BAD idea.
Rescues have something wrong with them.
Ditto everyone should rescue. Not always practical.
Dogs are fine to be left all day.
Oh and you can saddle a wolfhound. Yes she's big. No you can't ride her.

A throat hold means a dog is aggressive.

No, they are just doing a very normal part of dog play. Some do, some don't. As long as the other dog is coming back for more and there is no blood or wimpering let them have fun. Chances are they'll swop who is on top at some point.

That dogs with a high prey drive will get 'a taste for blood' and then murder you in your sleep.

Coming across a rabbit and killing it does not work the same way as vampiric law, they won't then turn in to blood crazed killers.

That your dog being "friendly and just wanting to play" is even remotely relevant or an adequate explanation when you can't call them back. They don't come when they're called = you're not in control

And I say that as an owner of an overly friendly dog who loses all control of himself and develops very selective hearing when he sees other dogs. I fear he will be on lead forever!

Oops maybe we should hire a field and let ours be friendly together! NOT a euphemism. Mine stays on lead unless we are in a secure space. I've told DH he needs to buy us a field.
And yes. We are working on recall! If your spaniel runs over to a strange dog the owners may be cross. If my wolfhound does the same they may call the police!

Good idea! Lucky for my rebel our dog walker has just that. He gets picked up and gets to run around like a loon for an hour in her field full of dogs. He likes to pick the biggest tug of war opponent he can find (because he is a noble border terrier and so is of course just as strong and tough as any Great Dane) so yours would be a great match! I have no doubt it's his favourite time of the week!

CKC Spaniels have some serious health problems. Of the five I've know that friends/relatives have had, they've all had health problems, been snappy and not wanted much exercise.

I appreciate 5 x of one type of dog, does not constitute a scientific study but it's 100% of all the ones I've seen over a lengthy period of time.

Norland I could say that about any breed if I based it solely on badly bred puppy farmed dogs.

A Cavalier should never ever be snappy, they should want a minimum of 1hr off lead walk through fields and woodland and have the energy to go all day. They are basic principles of the breed, especially the snappy part they were bred with emphasis on them being extra loving, soppy, forgiving and happiest when being literally cuddled. I know a lot of cavaliers and they all fit the breed temperament perfectly, although a lot of them are seriously fat and don't manage to display the energy they should.

Also well bred Cavaliers don't have health problems (any more than any other well bred dog). Mine comes from lines with no heart problems (in at least the previous 5 generations), who are MRI clear and genetically clear for all breed issues). All badly bred dogs of any breed will have health problems. Cavaliers and their crosses, like many breeds, suffered from their popularity - particularly as a great puppy farm dog.

Raw food = complicated diet with lots of measuring out appropriate amounts of bone and offal.

I feed a complete raw, it comes in tubs that stack neatly in the freezer. There is no mess and it defrosts tidily in the fridge. It already has all the correct proportions of meat, bone and offal with a little bit of veg. Not even a little bit complicated and less than £2 a day to feed two dogs.

This for the parents who allow their kids to scream and run when they see a dog:

You cannot run faster than a dog.

Bubble, that reminds me of my mum.

My nephew was terrified of dogs and by accident mum had agreed to dog sit my cousins golden retriever the same week as nephew (her grandson) was staying for half term.

Fortunately the GR is a very calm and gentle character, but he is very big, and the nephew was at the time quite little.

My mum told my nephew, if you stand still when GR is running round, he will never bump into you. Have you ever seen a dog running round that bumped into a tree? No? Because a dog isn't stupid, they won't bump into something, that would hurt! So pretend to be a tree and he won't bump into you.
All was good, by the end of the week nephew was hugging dog and crying because he had to go home, nephew no longer afried of dogs etc.

So I used that with my kids - pretend to be a tree, dogs never bump into trees do they? Worked fine until the friendly slightly over weight lab that was out for a walk with us crashed into dd and bowled her over. She got up rather crossly and said Well, I obviously wasn't a good enough tree!

That's lovely steppe
I also met a guy the other day who thought jumping around waving a walking stick was a good way to keep dogs away guess what it didn't work Obviously his mum never told him...

My family seem to think its my fault that my lab x staffy mooches and that i need to train him out of it as well as his seperation anxiety. Ive had him since he was 4 so 5yrs now and he still hates being left. I dont know what his previous owners were like but he was able to be left for upto 4hrs... i go out for half an hour and he howls :(

"Have you ever seen a dog running round that bumped into a tree?"

Well not to take away from the advice, because yep standing still is absolutely what to do...

But um, yes, dogs do run into trees, rofl.

Mine even runs into fences because he can't stop in time...

People that judge you negatively on your dogs behaviour, without considering for a second that the dog may be a rescue who has had a horrendous past & you are doing everything you can to improve it.

Have spent hundreds on behaviourists for my new rescue dog, hours are spent every single day training her & working on her manners. And yet I get comments out & about like 'and this is why you should train your dog' etc. Also, people thinking you take in a traumatised rescue, show it love for a week & it'll suddenly become the world's best behaved dog unfortunately doesn't work like that, some dogs are never able to get over their past no matter how much training you give them.

Picking up a dog, cast etc will immediately make any dog on the ground uninterested.

No, just no. You have now initiated a game.

greyhorses

My GSD is 9 now....soft as anything with people she knows, including kids friends. Wouldn't trust her with a stranger on her own.

aldi Yes! You're so right. I've heard that so many times. 'Once they get the taste for blood, they'll kill a child!'
Erm, no they definitely won't.
My dogs eat raw meat so they taste blood and guts every day, they are yet to go on a rampage at the local primary school.

swish

I just gave my dog some raw bacon....that's it for us now