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.

topbitch I honestly think mine would invite a burglar in for a cuppa. 70kg of dog and neither of them would save me

Dogs are slobbery monsters who are after my PFB because they glanced at him/her when coming into the park.

This seems the most common misperception here.

Also, Labradoodles are cute and don't shed. Nonsense.

Labradoodlepoo and pomsky are proper breeds. No, they are not, not that it matters, but don't come and announce that great breed you have managed to find.

Small fluffy dogs, and all fluffy dogs for that matter, are friendly and safe to let your toddler harass in the pub. No.

Beagles are used in labs because they're stupid.

Nope, they're used because they are good natured, medium sized and generally healthy so cheap to maintain. Unluckily for them.

My cavalier is completely bonkers. He'd walk for hours a day happily and wants to play 24/7. He just ran into a door trying to leap at a fly that he's been chasing at speed for the last half hour. Trying to make friends with everyone, chasing things and destroying everything I own are his main hobbies I have met a few super chilled ones though that didn't need nearly as much exercise as mine.

I've met dozens of cavaliers and never met a snappy one, my vet has probably seen hundreds and said they're the friendliest dog breed he's ever come across.

Bubble I don't allow my child to run and scream from dogs - her reaction is instinctive and despite me telling her many many times to stand like a tree, she still bolts and screams. I have a dog, she's fine with him, but some time ago she was "herded" by a nutso, uncontrolled elkhound (who chased her, nipped at her heels and eventually pushed her over and sat on her!) and she is now terrified of all dogs except our own. Sadly, there are many dog owners (around where I live anyway) who think shouting out "oh, he's fine, he loves children" while their huge dog bounds across a field towards a terrified child absolves them of any responsibility.

Sorry - didn't mean to turn this into an essay - it just winds me up when people blame children for reacting instinctively, when a (to them) great big beast with great big teeth comes galloping towards them.

Fiddlefigs I agree. I run screaming from daddy long legs and they can't cause any damage to me.
I say he won't hurt you to children and get him on the lead asap. We're lucky where we live because there are lots of places he can go off lead, but sometimes we come across children on bikes etc.

That terriers are snappy and have bad recall. Nope. I have two rescue terriers, they have excellent recall and are not snappy. The recall took training, and didn't come naturally, but we got there eventually.

You can't have a dog if you live in a flat. Yes you can. I live in Manhattan. Thousands of dogs happily live in flats, you just have to actually, you know, walk them as opposed to chucking them out in the garden 🙄 it makes my blood boil when rescues won't adopt to people in flats or people without gardens

That dogs love unconditionally, hero worship you and are eager to please. No one has told my terriers this. GirlDog particularly thinks I am an absolute moron, and even has a special sound we think means "fuck you human. Fuck you".

Ah yes the "eager to please" myth.

As if dogs have any concept of what being pleased is, or are able to understand or care whether we are pleased - at least beyond "Human happy = good things for dogs".

My dog is definitely not eager to please, she is eager to get treats and that's about it!

Nancy I can actually see GirlDog weighing up whether she wants the treat more than she wants to do what she wants. Often she's all "nah. Don't feel like giving you a high five, I'll pass on the treat."

A dog is evil a rabid monster planning on eating children or a ball of fluff that kids can do anything to.

Most are somewhere in the middle. And that ball of fluff will get sick of it one day.

A perfectly trained dog will respond immediately to all commands and if it has an off day it is untrained.

Don't be stupid.

Digs immediately stop being puppies and are grown up at a set age decided by the myth maker.

Hahahahaha. Seriously, no.

No, my GSD does not, infact, want to eat your small dog for breakfast.

Nancy I'm 90% sure my dog has worked out that she cant be told to stop doing something and get a treat, until she starts doing the bad activity first.

spider I think bright dogs can indeed learn to do the naughty behaviour to be rewarded for then being good again.

I'd describe my dog as 'eager to please' but I'm under no illusions that it's because happy human = fuss and attention. Thus it's more of an 'eager to get positive attention' thing

I've just had cold leftovers for my lunch. Yum.

Completely agree with all the GSD and raw fed ones!

People cross the street when I'm walking my dog, over the field I have to tell people she's friendly when she's off lead as 99% of the time people put theirs back on their lead soon as they spot mine, but will remove the lead once I reassure she's friendly. Often if someone has a small dog I'll get "oh are you sure she won't bite it!"

Despite being a raw fed GSD, she has never hurt or killed another animal, infact she avoids confrontation and heads towards me if other dogs are having a pop at one another.

My giant wolfhound puppy lives with two tiny tortie kitties and two kids.
She will happily chew on a chicken neck or foot. But she's most likely to hurt you by trying to sit on your knee. If anything the change to raw has made her calmer.

Unfortunately my dog is terrified of all shepherd-type dogs, having been attacked by 2 GSDs and a Belgian shepherd when he was a puppy. We try to get him to have positive experiences with GSDs who we know are friendly but every now and again one will bark at him and we're back to square one again ...

That the same training methods will work for all dogs.

Dogs have been bred to do a wide range of jobs so if you think the same training will work on a gundog and a ratter you are likely to be disappointed.

On top of which dogs are individuals so that can complicate matters further.

Border Collies are so intelligent they virtually train themselves.

Novice owner with a lovely BC puppy who had developed an interest in joggers. Didn't cross his mind that he needed to distract his dog before the chase had begun.

Mothership- you're partly right.

Breed traits often mean that motivations vary. However positive reinforcement works on all breeds.

Finding something that motivates them is the challenge!

...... and yes, a lot of people seem to assume BCs emerge from the womb fully trained 🙄

wolfie

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