Dog Information

When comparing a working dog to a pet dog, do you think their temperaments differ, why and how?

Do you think the owner/handler expectations and demands have led to a divide in temperament? Why are some behaviours deemed permissible in a pet dog that wouldn't be accepted in a working dog, when the consequences may be the same for each dog, ie, not having a dog 100% reliable off leash.

Public Comments

1. Depends on the type of work, which also determines the type of dog. Guide dogs have friendly temperaments, and are much like pet dogs. Search and rescue dogs - same. Police dogs are trained to attack on command, but their temperament can also be quite gentle, with proper leadership. As for behaviors - sniffing, scanning, and distraction are NOT good for guide dogs. High oflactory distraction is great for S&R dogs. So again, it depends on the type of work.
2. no they are the same
3. The only reason I think their temperaments differ is because the dog that is worked, has a release. Where as...most pet dogs don't seem to get that (yes there are some exceptions to this rule, let's not get hung up on it.. The rest of it, I am not sure lol I believe a reliable recall is important with any dog...even my cat has a recall (sketchy, but we're working on it).
4. The reason pet dogs get away with so much more is cause they arent trained as well as working dogs would, so its not so much the dog its more of the training a person puts forth with them.
5. depends on the type of dog/work friendly, biddable, calm (to an extent) and people focused for an assistance dog For a civil protection dog, guard dog, police dog, they would be far more driven, even appearing 'too hyper' and 'loopy' for most pet owners, especially as pups, this drive is whats needed to channel and harness energy and work ability. This leads to a well trained dog that is going to have the energy to 'up and go' when needed (in the right hands) Im not sure what you mean by some behaviors being permissible in a pet dog that wouldn't be acceptable in a working dog? A working dog learns when he is 'off-duty' or more simply, what is expected, when. Many dogs wear different collars, leads etc when working and so know which ones are a prequisite to a certain 'job' or way of being... ADDED; I agree with Curtis M
6. Nope. They are both dogs and both will be born with the same kinds of temperaments. Just because a working line might breed to get a specific temperament bred into the dogs, doesn't mean a pet dog wouldn't be born with the same temperament. Why are some behaviours deemed permissable in a pet dog and not a working dog? I think the question pretty much answers itself. Working dogs have a job they are required to do so therefore they have expectations they have to meet that a pet dog would not. Using the leash example is interesting because I would think that pet dog owners and working dog owners would all want their dogs to be 100% reliable off leash. Just because some pet dog owners don't have the tools to make this happen, doesn't mean that they don't want it to happen or aren't trying. I own a pet dog, but I am training him to make sure he is reliable off leash.
7. Depends on the work they are asked to do. All my retrievers (Flat Coats) are actively worked in the field. When I have a litter of puppies I make sure temperament testing is done prior to ME placing the right pup with the right owner. I never let a buyer choose their own puppy. Field dogs can be a bit "fast" for an average pet owner. Their desire to retrieve is so strong that it may make them a bit more difficult to train, than the pup who is more focused on his human family. For work in the field and in the show ring I need a very bold dog, while a pet puppy can be more laid back. The lifestyle a pet puppy will experience is very different than that of an active working dog. While all my personal dogs are pets first...some desireable "pet" traits would make them less effective in the field or in the show ring. Active working dogs are usually owned by people more experienced with the breed and with the "quirks" of a working dog...hence the owner and the dog are happy. A pet person with a high drive dog would likely get frustrated and both dog and owner would be less happy. Trainability for things like off leash work can certainly be achieved by pet owners and working dog owners...again the owners of working dogs tend to have the experience necessary to make sure we can control and focus the dogs high drive personality.
8. Unfortunately Jen they do differ. I think the main reason they do is because of temperament issues that working dog owners are not willing to deal with and again, unfortunately "pet" people are, or don't care!! Fundamentally, the way the dog was created, it was meant to be ONE dog, ONE breed, but, as those dogs became more popular, people wanted them as something other then a working type dog, hence the different temperaments being bred today that have all but killed several breeds because people could not handle a REAL true to type bred dog! I don't think there should be a difference in the way a dog is treated, "pet" or working and if its temperament happens to be so weak or out of character, blue juice is always a viable option, but, the PC crowd would crap all over themselves hearing that today!! As far as expectations...well, I also fail to see why a working dog NEEDS more or has more OB training for example then the average "pet"...they both live on the same planet, the same reality and it makes sense that when you say "here" to either, they would kill themselves to respond. I do so love it when I see the comment is here about "well, mine is not a working dog, he does not have to listen or respond like one"...what the hell does that mean?
9. I dont know, Jen - I would think that a dog with the strong drives required to be a good working dog would be a pain as a pet. I know my current Lab mix has very strong drives, and he has been a major pain. :o) I could train my pet dogs to be reliable off-leash, but I really dont have a good reason to. My dogs are never off leash unless they are in the yard. I do train them to stop at curbs, because, should they get loose, I want them to recognize the road as a boundary. But I live out in the country on a dead end street, so I dont usually worry about traffic. I mostly concentrate on keeping my dogs livable in the house and yard, and on the (leashed) walk.
10. ooo...here's that "working dog" thing again. Ideally, a working dog should fit in perfectly as a pet. I consider my last 2 dogs "working dogs", though a lot would disagree and term them "sport". Agility competition and current we are doing herding also. They were/are companions/pets first. A lot of drive, very busy and I find that their drive actually makes them easier to train and "want to do" for and with me. Agility, herding or no, a pet dog is a companion and as a companion for me MUST have a 100% recall, a 100% stay, and 100% heel all off leash. Or they can not be a trusted dog to accompany me. Period. End of story. Reality: yes, I think the expectations and demands of the common pet people has led to a divide in dogs. A prefect example is the huge difference in "pet" bred Labs and Goldens vs field bred. They are as if separate breeds.
11. Expectations have nothing to do with it. Bare necessity does. You can not have a functional PSD for instance if it has a skittish nervous temperament. It's not the expectations that make consistent lines of PSDs...it's the fact that dogs not capable simply aren't bred...it's like...a perverted survival of the fittest...a man made evolution. The sad part is instead of moving ahead? We're at best standing still in creating dogs who excel at their jobs. Why are some behaviors deemed permissible? No, behaviors shouldn't be. A dog not obeying is just as serious if it's a 5 pound chihuahua or a 150lb mastiff. What is deemed permissible by me is a dog of weaker temperament. I hear so much talk about people shouldn't have to suffer weaker nerved dogs...sorry...Border Collies were never tough, hard dogs...and aren't meant to be. It takes hardness to be "bulletproof" and most breeds of dogs simply are not and will never be...and furthermore were never intended to be. A "stable" dog means a lot to many apparently. But to it's core it should mean a dog who's "normal" that's what stable means. It means the crap you'd expect to scare it should scare it, the crap that shouldn't scare it don't, and that it acts in a way that's usually safe and makes sense. Meaning...if your dog has been around your kid for a year and suddenly out of nowhere bites him...the dog isn't stable... If the dog has never seen a kid, and a kid puts his eye out with a sharp pointy stick...hmmm...i'd expect it to retaliate or scream...both of which on this forum have come to mean a dog is "unstable" lol. If your dogs can be trusted home alone, with strangers, around kids and don't shake in new places...basically you have a stable dog. The kind of dog I like is stable, but it's also hard, dominant, and reactive...things that make them a nightmare for the average person. This is what the average YA person has come to think of as stable yet if they had my dogs they'd be at the shelter talking about ow psychotic it was! If you can live with your dog and trust it in most situations to obey your commands granted you have some sort of idea of different training methods (operant conditioning)...then be happy. Your dog is stable. I started to get really upset with the "put it to sleep" people when they'd hear described to them...a dog that was probably VERY similar to THEIRS!!! Emilie comes to mind...her Aussie was fearful, tried to bite her while she gave him a bath, obvious signs of weak nerves. She tried a few methods and most of them worked...on her first try...he dog is normal now...he takes baths goes on walks is good with strangers and likes pestering their cattle...a dog doomed to death because of his subpar temperament...heh. I think people are reading too much into words they don't truly understand.