[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Temperament: "man made" or genetics
- From: Gsdman2@xxxxxxx
- To: Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:10:40 EST
If you think about it, there are probably four levels of fear in dogs.
1. No Fear
2. Suspicion
3. Submission
4. Escape
Some might disagree, but I believe Suspicion is ideal for the GSD. While No
Fear seems like the best of the list, without at least suspicion, protective
instinct has no trigger. Although I agree that environment can have a serious
impact on temperament, genetics surely plays the major role in general. In
fact, fear is a survival trait. There is probably no species of animal that is
fearless, and if there ever was, it very likely was gobbled up by a bigger and
tougher critter thousands of years ago.
Watch your litters. There is always a pecking order. There is always an
alpha ... always challengers to the alpha, and there are always the submissive
ones. Take the alpha out of the litter, and the challenger will become the
alpha if he or she is not immediately challenged and defeated by one that was
once
submissive. Take out every puppy but the submissive ones, and watch as one
becomes the alpha. Fear is genetically engraved in any animal. How well other
traits overcome that fear is what creates their true temperament, according
to what I've seen.
Our second bitch was an absolute spook. She hid from virtually anything that
wasn't a part of her normal day. There was something strange about her
though. If anyone dared raise a hand toward anyone in my family, she would
instantly come out of hiding ready to do whatever was necessary to protect us.
With
that bitch, the level of fear was just sad, but the instinct to protect was
much stronger. Think about it ... If that bitch were living in the wild, she
and her litters would have the greatest advantage for survival. It seems
logical that a total lack of fear would not be natural, and actually a
liability
when looking at it from nature's point of view. Interestingly, we were able to
train that same bitch for the ring. Trainability can also overcome fear, as
I'm
sure many of us know.
Something else to consider is the fact that fear is actually a biological
reaction. We think of it as a mental trait, but the truth is, fear is created
by
a chemical reaction in the brain. The mental part of the equation is whatever
triggers that chemical reaction. I was a shy kid, my dad was shy, his mother
was shy ... shyness is genetic. However, people, and dogs, can be conditioned
to overcome their shyness. I am no longer shy around dog people. My
confidence level is pretty high due to years of experience and study. Still,
put me
in a crowded room with people I don't know, and I'll be the quiet guy in the
corner. Anyone who knows my wife Peggy, knows she's not at all shy.
Thankfully, my kids took after her in that department. <G>
Many of us have witnessed lines that start out normal, hit puberty, go
through an embarrassing shy period, and then outgrow it. I have no doubt that
is
genetic too. The question each individual breeder has to answer is whether
that
temporary insanity is enough of a problem to take a chance on going through
regularly.
Character and Temperament are complex but interesting subjects. Another
thing to think about is this... Socializing puppies is a most important duty
when
raising a litter. However, when you socialize a puppy, you are actually
eliminating, though conditioning, potential fear reaction triggers. This is
simple with some puppies, not as simple with others, difficult with a few more,
and
next to impossible with some. Which of these puppies will grow up worthy of
breeding?
Tom Langlitz
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