Temperment and the Standard

[Lissa]

Does your dog's temperment fit the breed "standard"??? And for the mixes - who are they most like???

Because Foxhounds are so unpopular as pets, the ckc/akc/MFHA/AMF do not include a temperment description under the breed profile (but if your dog's temperment is included, feel free to post it!)...
Paraphrasing from some books: "foxhounds are extremely high energy and noisy, making them unsuitable for city living. They are mild mannered but strong willed and will follow their noses. They are described as incredibly sociable and friendly to over protective. They are hard to housebreak, don't do well with non-canine pets and make good guard dogs (in the sense that they will bay and anything). Am Foxhounds prefer to hunt alone while Eng Foxhound do better in packs. They also do not do well with non-canine pets..."

Dodger is the complete opposite of these gross generalizations! He does like to hunt but that is pretty much all he has in common with the "standard" temperment of Foxhounds.

And since we are talking about breed standards... feel free to share a pic! Dodger is as tall as they come and in the middle or slightly under the weight range, depending on which standard you follow. His tail is one massive fault, as are his muzzle and back (the tail drives me nuts)... He is built too light for Eng Foxhound but too heavy for an Am so he's likely a crossbred.

[Prin]

Ok, I don't know breed standards really, so I'm just going to go with breed stereotypes. Is that ok?

Jemma's a lab husky mix and it makes her a lab with husky endurance as far as energy goes... Imagine a lab who can play forever... But she's super smart, and I'm guessing that comes from the husky side, but she's not stubborn at all- lab side.

Boo, I think is a Weim with Newf, and that's because of the breed stereotypes... Weims are stubborn as heck and will look at you while breaking the rules (Boo)... Newfs are calmer and are disturbed by people in trouble (also Boo). They're also the sweetest, most gentle dogs ever, and Boo is both, too. He's got the short hair of the weim, but the fluffiness of the newf.

[BeagleMum]

This is the temperment from www.dogbreedinfo.com

So, let's see.

The Beagle is a gentle, sweet, lively and curious dog that just loves everyone! Yup, both Spencer & Sydney
A happy little tail-wagger! Again, both Spencer & Sydney although since Spencer has a little tail, he wags his really fast and Sydney wags her whole back end.
Sociable, brave and intelligent. Ya, this would be both of them as well. Sydney is timid at first but quickly warms up. Spencer is usually more interested in the owners than the dogs at a dog social.
Calm and loving. Calm? Really? Definitely NOT my two. They are really energetic dogs.
Excellent with children (yes) and generally good with other dogs (for Spencer, this is true but only off leash), but should not be trusted with non-canine pets (yes, Sydney saw a cat in our back yard last night and was freaking out to get out there and chase it. Spencer then joined in on the excitement and they were both bouncing at the door), unless they are socialized with cats and other household animals when they are young (Spencer lived with cats since he was a pup and it did not go very well. He would drag one of them around by the scruff of her neck).
Beagles have minds of their own. I like this one, so true!!
They are determined and watchful (in other words, they bark at everything...yup) and require patient, firm training. My two were actually very easy to train aside from the leash issues I am having. They catch on to regular training and tricks very quickly.
This breed doesn't like being left alone. (Again, very true for my two) Consider buying two if you will be gone a lot.
A Beagle has a loud baying cry that was a delight to hunting horsemen, but can be disturbing to family and neighbors. Loud is not the word. Not sure but my neighbour on one side actually loves it when they bark because they think the baying is cute.
Beagles have a tendency to follow their own noses. Can't be more true. When we go for walks, their noses don't leave the ground.
They may take off on their own exploration if let off their leash in an unfenced area. I know Spencer would follow his nose and take off but I think Sydney would stop if I told her two. Either way, I am not taking the risk with either of them. They are either in a fenced area or they are leashed.

[Treener]

This was taken from my breed profile:

Malamutes are seen as very affectionate but will howl and destroy objects if they feel ignored or excluded from the pack.Yep that would be Skadi all the way They are very pack oriented and do best with a family of humans and/or dogs.[I]Yep skadi again[/i] Malamutes are generally not a one person dog. This openness to all humans makes them a poor guard dog. They are a visual deterrent only; Malamutes are likely to meet a stranger as affectionately as a “pack” member.Skadi seems to love all people and would go with anyone. We took her to a new park last night and she tried to leave with a complete stranger and their dog!! Due to the strong pack nature of this breed, Malamutes can be aggressive to dogs outside of their pack, a lot of socialization starting as young as possible is a must.This I really have no experience with, as I started to socialize Skadi so young that she loves all dogs, but if they are aggressive towards her she tends to not back down.

Malamutes are quiet dogs that generally don’t bark, but tend to “talk”. They can make all sorts of sounds from howls, grumbles and woo woos. You may recall the Chewbacca character from Star Wars, that identifiable sound was inspired by an Alaskan Malamute, named Indiana owned by George Lucas.This is definetly skadi, but she has been known to give a bit of a bark, if she has spent alot of time with a dog that does bark

The hard living conditions of the Artic caused the Malamute to have a strong prey drive, as food was scarce. Malamutes may attack small animals such as squirrels, rabbits and have been known to take a bird right out of the air. Skadi has a big prey drive, don't know if she would kill, but it wouldn't surprise me if she did However a dog that is raised with cats may lovingly live with cats as it will be seen as a member of the pack, but all bets are off for those outside of the home.She has only seen cats through glass and if they swat at her she will bite at the glass With this harsh environment came the competition for food and most will have resource guarding issues that will constantly have to be addressed.Skadi definetly has guarding issues with food and dogs but not with people. She used to have a water issue to but that seems to have gone away. She will share toys, IF she wants to play tug but if she wants to play by herself then she will not let nother dog take a toy Also Malamutes had to dig for food when required which has caused modern day dogs to use digging as a way to escape a fenced yard and fight boredom.[i]Skadi has never had the opprotunity to dig, but she has been known to try and dig a laundry basket bigger. [/I]

[Little Floggy Doggy]

Mocha is always on or around my feet - which Lhasa's were bred for in Tibet; to be foot warmers.

He's also a very "warm" dog...we call him a heat tab! I guess that's characteristic of Lhasa's as well - because it's so cold in Tibet.

That's all I know!! Ha ha ha!!!

[Angeleyes]

I took my breed standard from greatdogsite.com (even though Maximus is DEFINITELY a mix with something like AmBulldog, or Dogo)

American Pit Bull Terriers are believed to possess more human-like qualities than any other breed.

Yes... they do...

They have a natural propensity to be aggressive towards animals and other dogs, but they are not aggressive towards people or their families. If properly socialized and trained, an American Pit Bull Terrier will be kind and gentle with other animals, dogs, and pets.

This is Maximus... not aggressive toward other animals, but certainly leary of unknown dogs. Once he knows them, he's fine with them... actually too sweet to the point where he gets abused

The breed is an excellent companion dog, as they are extremely affectionate, loyal, and kind-natured.

I cannot agree with this more. I've never in my life met a dog as sweet and affectionate as Maximus. It's actually endearing to everyone who meets him over and over again... the love never stops coming.

They are a type of dog that aims to please, and they are almost always extraordinarily obedient.

The best (in the right hands) and worst (in the wrong hands) quality of an American Pit Bull Terrier. They are always aiming to please... Maximus acts as though his purpose on this earth is to please us... and he's always doing things that he knows makes us laugh.

American Pit Bull Terriers are tenacious, loyal, and protective of their owners. If they feel as though their family is being threatened, they will fight to the death.

So true. I have no doubt that Maximus would die for us, and the feeling is mutual.

They are very friendly, but aren’t recommended for most people.

Very friendly, but Maximus isn't welcoming of strangers approaching us on leash. Anyone is welcome into the house when he sees us welcome them (I doubt a cable guy or burglar could just walk in our house without him seeing our approval though) or if he already knows them... and he never forgets a person. These dogs are NOT meant for any old owner, especially due to the scrutiny they are under ... it's so important to be repsonsible with this breed and other like-breeds. It's never Maximus I worry about doing something wrong, it's other people, lol.

The breed requires a certain type of owner, and they shouldn’t be left unattended with unfamiliar children.

Definitely. As does any powerful tenacious dog. And NO dog should be left unattended with ANY child IMO.

[BeagleMum]

OMG AE, that picture is awesome!!

[StaceyB]

I feel that most breed traits that are placed on breeds are for the most part, there to amuse us.
One of the things I don't like about them is when someone accepts a bad behaviour in a dog because it was said to be a trait of the breed.

[BeagleMum]

I totally agree StaceyB. It's like for beagles where they say that they are excessive barkers and can disturb the family and the neighbours. I don't just say "Oh well, he's a beagle so he's allowed to do that." We immediately correct the dogs for barking when there is no reason for it (or sometimes when there is). I don't try to make my dog like the "breed standard" I try to make him the best dog that I can.

[Melinda]

brina has the playfullness and energy of the lab, very friendly, very boisterous, loves the water, the whole 9 yds, but, she also has the protectiveness of the shepherd, gets between us and new people, has such a deep bark if a stranger comes near the house, mind you, they only stay strangers for about 2 minutes *L* I'd say we ended up with the best of the two breeds