The Coat of Breed, What coat does your dog wear?!

Today I am going to talk about dog breeds in relation to your dog's behaviour. 

The fact we even have "Breed specific legislation" drives me actually bonkers, even thinking about it! I am not going to get into the details of all that. It just makes me cross.  

However, I would love for you to get curious around the connection between your dog's behaviour and their breed. 

It can be helpful to think of your dog's breed as the coat! Underneath that coat they are pure and simple dog. There are many different coats of breed and with every coat we add meaning for that dog. 

My dog is a spaniel and I am always told "oh she must be bonkers and need loads of exercise" No this is not true and if I was to believe that, then of course I will have a dog that's bonkers that I exercise excessively. 

When we discard the coat and speak to the deeper part of the dog, we start to see their true nature, their personality and their individual behaviours. 

In the last 18 years I have heard literally every excuse under the sun for a dog's behaviour!  I don't mean that in a judgey way, more in a sad way. It's why I dedicate my work to giving people hope. We make up these excuses usually when we have lost all hope of what to do and we feel like we have tried everything. 

My dog is nippy because he is a collie

My dog chases things because she is a terrier

My dog has rubbish recall because they are a basset hound

My dog steals food because they are a Labrador

I am sure you have a few examples of your own, feel free to comment and let me know.

I agree some spaniels are bonkers and some labs love their food. 

But, what I am proposing today is that when we make a sweeping statement linking breed to behaviour, we are essentially making excuses for our dog's behaviour and then giving up any hope of changing things. 

It really does not need to be that way. 

There is always hope and there is always something we can do to improve our dog's behaviour and that in turn will help your dog feel better and live their best life. 

If you are ready to throw off your dog's coat and talk to their true nature then check out my FREE E-BOOK, Dog Listening 4 Simple Solutions for a relaxed and responsive dog.