Understanding Dog Behaviour before getting a dog!
By now I hope you have read part one of this 5-part series that explains the 5 things you need to know before getting a dog. This post is all about understanding dog behaviour before becoming a dog parent.
This topic is very important to help you choose the right dog to bring home! It will help you decide if you can manage living with a dog and meeting his needs.
Every dog has an individual personality!
Dog behaviour, just like that of humans, is very complicated. So I recommend that you research the different breeds to learn about their physical and behavioural characteristics. Because then you can choose the breed that best matches your lifestyle! But keep in mind that when it comes to dog behaviour, there are general assumptions about each breed. However, research has shown that there is more variation of behaviour within a breed than between breeds. Here’s one article in Psychology Today by Marc Bekoff Ph.D that discusses this phenomenon. So it’s important that you understand that your future dog will have his own unique temperament and personality regardless of his breed. Plus, if you get a mixed breed or rescue dog, the behavioural characteristics are even more unpredictable! This is because you won’t know for sure what percentages of each breed are in the dog’s genetics, and how those will interact with each other.
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