Why dont people see?

Question

Each dog is an individual? I see so many ask why their new dog doesnt act like their old dog? I have two grown sons that have same mom, same dad and are nothing alike. Some breed their dogs because " I want one just like her when she goes" or even buy a different breed and wonder why their Border Collie doesnt act like their Pug. I wonder how many dogs end up in the pounds because their owners wanted them to act like a dog they used to own? Do you think own expectation is one reason dogs end up in shelters?

Friend of dog, I think you are correct. We all do it. But, I try not to at the expence of others human or animal.

Good Morning Tony and Happy Friday to you as well. :))

Answer 1

Yes they do end up in shelters and puppies returned because oh its not what I thought.

I am constantly asked if my dogs are related because they are all big black and fluffy. Even though they range from 45 to over 100 lbs. I have newf that is NOTHING like any newf Ive ever seen or heard of. She is mean and snotty and hates other dogs. Difficult as can be but LOVES people still. I hate when people say they are all the same. Not one of my five has a personality or behavior like the other. They all do everything different. I even thought about the way they would pack and attack the other night with Halloween and all the people comeing up.

Bessie would head but them out the door Mack would tear at their arms (Gets excessive over tug) Bear the smaller just bites anywhere Lillie would be in the back Yapping her head off to increase fear and Cubby would have his nose so far up their crotch they would be scared to death to move.

That is if they weren't fighting amongst each other on whose going to get the burglars attention.

Added:

Friend of dog: I don't think every one is. I am very proud of the people and dogs I work with that understand each dog is different. THat is why we don't have "set" regulations on adopting a pet. We don't have rules that every adopter must have a fence, or no electric fences or no children under a certain age. We go by each individual dog and its needs and what it is capable dealing with in order to be happy and healthy and its best environment. We don't automatically turn our back if a dog is returned because it didn't work out in their home. Sometimes the personalities just don't mesh and we do take that into consideration if we didn't know much about the dog and someone wanted to adopt. They often give us valuable input on the dogs and what they need. Many times we have to switch fosters around ourselves. Someone may have one they just don't like the way they are in their house and we'll trade. Usually the best thing for the pet too. I don't think everyone is blind to dogs individual needs in any way.

Right now I have two ferel kittens about 5 months old. It was good for them to come to my house and they are doing better but now its time for them to go to another foster to work more one on one with them. They come out play and will let me grab them but are still very fearful of the dogs. And since I picked up a kitten yesterday about six months old that is probably going to have to have one eye removed when he gets neutered and the other possibly later in life My dogs and cats daughter and I can help him.

I am very proud to say We do see each as their own and place pets on their needs each as an individual and what they require.

Answer 2

I don't know about expectation but I know for a fact that alot of dogs end up in shelters due to the owners sheer laziness and inconsideration for the animal.
They claim the dog was untrainable or they did not have the time to deal with it or they did not have the room or they were moving and the dog cannot go with.
You're right no 2 dogs are alike.They cannot be cloned with breeding.
You may end up with one that has almost the same markings but the personality is completely different.Or you can breed one with the same personality but not the same color or markings and it may not learn the same things as fast as the other.They all have their own little quirks that make them unique regardless of how they look or temperament.
If people would only understand beforehand that dragging home that cute little puppy is no different than bringing home a newborn baby and their lives are going to have to change dramatically to accomodate the dog and it's an on-going process until the day it passes away because no matter how well behaved or trained they are they never have a higher mentality than that of a 4 yr.old.They have to be kept safe from harm and healthy 24/7 for life.This takes planning and good old hard work.
No dog is untrainable.
They are only going to be as good as the time you put into them.
regardless of size if they are exercised 3-4 times daily they can live happily in a cardboard box.
And dogs should not be considered disposable.Children are'nt.

Answer 3

Good morning and happy Friday everybody. I agree with you. No two dogs are exactly the same in temperament and personality, even littermates or repeat breeding puppies. I've seen some posts ask questions about breeding because they want the puppies are exactly like the mother. That's silly and shows how ignorant people are.
I think some people turn their dogs into shelters because they don't do their research and find out that breed is way more than what they can handle. They may bought or adopt the dogs because of cuteness. Or maybe like what you say, they expect the current dog is exactly the same as their previous one. You cannot expect a Collie be a lap dog like Shih Tzu. Maybe these people live in a fantasy world of their own about dogs.
Have a nice weekend everybody!

Answer 4

I definately agree. People seem to be so stuck up about dogs these days. They blame certain breeds for being too lazy, dumb, stubborn, mean, evil, etc., but that's an OPINION. Dogs are never exactly the same, that's why it's horrible for people to think that because their Golden is amazing, the next one they have will be EXACTLY the same. That's not true at all. All dogs have their own personality, weaknesses, strengths, differences, training ability, etc. It does not even have to do with the breed. While there are TRAITS a certain breed has, that doesn't mean all of them will be completely identical. You're right, it's just like kids. I have three older brothers and while we have similarities, all of us are so different. I believe as well that is a reason dogs go to shelters. They're not what the owner "wanted" or "expected" and they get discriminized because they aren't as perfect as the owner thought. They aren't willing to help them get around a behavioral problem or even give them a chance to prove that even though they're different from the dog prior to them, they can love just as much.

Answer 5

I think this definitely contributes to the animals that get surrendered and the backyard breeding that takes place. No two dogs are going to be exactly alike. They can be somewhat influenced by how their owners train them, but there is still going to be differences.

Of course, another big reason so many dogs end up surrendered is because people are too lazy to train their dogs and they wait until the dog is a year or more, then complain how they need to train their out of control dog. Why get a dog if you aren't going to invest some time in making it a well mannered pet?

I gotta say it... that's one heck of a leap from a Pug to a Border Collie :)

Answer 6

People don't see it because they don't WANT to see. If they saw, then they would have to take responsibility for the fact that the dog isn't what they expected, isn't trained, got too big, has an unanticipated temperament etc etc etc... its easier to blame it on the dog than to admit that they are irresponsible idiots.

As a breeder I have spent sooo much time telling people that while my dogs are great, they are professionally TRAINED and that they don't just COME that way. Heck, I send 10 week old pups that already know "sit", "down" and are mostly house trained and I STILL get the calls "Bowser keeps getting on the counter, my old dog didn't do that (your old dog was 9 years old and too short to reach the counter) .. "Bowser's such a great dog but I can't keep him out of the garbage when I leave the house." They've decided that leaving a 7 mos old dog loose in the house is OK.. even though I told them to use a crate.

Yes, I'm certain that failure to reach expectations is one of the reasons dogs end up in shelters... as well as lack of memory about how much training went into their last dog.

Answer 7

My dogs are like my children total opposites.People that want a dog have to understand it's like having kids.From the moment you bring them home your whole life changes wether you want it to or not.People see friends and others with dogs for only a couple of minutes and start to think that it would be fun to have a dog but they don't think of how much time and effort it takes to raise the dog the right way.You have to consider if you have enough time and money to justify getting a dog between vet bills ,food and never mind the time it takes to train the dog so the dog behaves.Alot of people get a dog and then realize to late what it takes,so the dog is either in a pound or outside in a kennel.Thats no life for a dog. But alot of people shouldn't have children either.COMMON SENSE ISN'T THAT COMMON! Every dog is different even if they have the same parents and look identical.

Answer 8

I've had a really great dog and while I don't compare all my other dogs to her she is the bench mark for how I'd like my subsequent dogs to be and act. Of course that doesn't happen, they're all different even within the same breed. Some are easier to train, some aren't as calm, etc. People who are devoted to their animals don't throw them away because they don't live up to an unrealistic expectation. I have a particularly difficult pup, she's grown into a great dog with training and perseverance, the pup that preceded her was easy to train, mellow. I love them both. People who take their dogs to the shelter because they can't handle them are self indulgent, lazy and really shouldn't have a dog. And, no I don't think dogs end up at the shelter because of the expectations you refer to, it's because they want instant gratification with a pup, house trained immediately, the dog's unruly and don't want to take time to train, the dog's sick and can't afford or be bothered to get vet care, or the dog no longer suits their lifestyle. It's very sad.

Answer 9

Unfortunately there are far too many stupid, ignorant reasons why dogs end up in shelters. After years of working in rescue, I've heard just about every pathetic excuse there is and then some. I've heard things like...'we didn't expect the dog to act this way' to 'we've had the dog since it was a puppy, it's old now and is incontinent, so we don't want him peeing in our new house'. How pathetic are those excuses? Makes you wonder if some of these people with these pathetic excuses should even have children. And it's sad to see there are so many people out there like this.

Answer 10

I don't think thats the main reason why they are in shelters, but that could be a reason.
I realise that all dogs have a different personality, and the way I act towards them fits their personality so I never treat two dogs the same. I am actually amazed when I find that people think differently, and dislike certain dogs because of the way they act... each one is unique, and there is no set 'dog personality'.