[Bob Engelhardt]

“When you adopt a dog based on its breed, you’re getting a dog that looks a certain way,” says co-author Elinor Karlsson, a computational biologist at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. “But as far as behavior goes, it’s kind of luck of the draw.” report: Massive study of pet dogs shows breed does not predict behaviour

No way! We all know V's have distinctive behaviors, right? But maybe other breeds have those behaviors just as much. I don't think so, but that's what the scientist says. She also says "But, on average, breed explained only around 9% of the variation in how a dog behaved, ...". Maybe the things that we know are special to V's are in that 9%. That would depend upon how many behaviors she had in her study. I'd really like to see the owner questionnaire.

Another report: Science | AAAS
The study: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk0639 (TL,too complicated,DR)

 

[texasred]

I agree that breed alone does not predict behavior. It’s the reason why some of us are drawn to certain bloodlines (even certain dogs within a bloodline) in a breed.

 

[derwos]

Bob,

Prima facie, from the quote you cited, I find this claim to be patently absurd.

Define "behavior". ;-)

[edit]: As an example of my perceived absurdity, I'd like to know from ANYONE: how many Australian Shepards have you seen pointing birds?

 

[harrigab]

I think it's (behaviour) a mix of nature and nurture

 

[derwos]

I think it's (behaviour) a mix of nature and nurture

The nouns behaviour and behavior have the same meaning. Due to different derivations of the words, their definitions are worded differently... Though, mean the same thing.

"Behaviour" is the British-English form.

When I stated "Define 'behavior'" in my last post, I was thinking in terms of context within the article.

The article, when citing to "the study", very broadly uses terms like "behaviour", "traits", "personality" and "temperament", with no clue given of how these things were empirically measured.

Additionally, there's no reference to the source of these 18,000 dogs. It would be immensely important to know!

While I'll not argue, over the past 200 years dog breeding has turned more to form over function, I'm far from convinced "on average, breed explained only around 9% of the variation in how a dog behaved".

 

[Dan_A]

It doesn't take too much research to find a link between this "study" and how it is affiliated with the "International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants", of which it's executive director has gone on record stating pitbull bans are "racist". 90% of scientists agree with whoever provides their funding....

 

[rubicon]

It doesn't take too much research to find a link between this "study" and how it is affiliated with the "International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants", of which it's executive director has gone on record stating pitbull bans are "racist". 90% of scientists agree with whoever provides their funding....

yeah, I was going to say. This is pretty clearly related to pit bull activism (whatever you might think about pit bulls)

in any case, our next dog is going to be a V, or select other breeds (thinking lab, Irish setter, GSP or beagle). I would like to see these people try to convince me otherwise. Maybe they can definitively demonstrate that I can train pugs to point at birds as easily as any pointer.

when I’m on this forum or the Vizsla subreddit I see so many dogs that are dead ringers of mine, not even just in appearance but attitude. I do not see this anywhere else.

over the past 200 years dog breeding has turned more to form over function

Not going to lie, seeing the physical evolution of certain breeds to become caricatures of their former selves does disturb me a little. But people want what they want…

 

[tiki and stormy]

Well I read about this study and it overstates the role of nurture. I’ve had two Vs and an Akita. I’d say that I treated them similarly. The Akita was a wonderful dog but never followed me from room to room, never insisted on always joining me in the bathroom, never cried when I was 5 feet away for me to be 5 inches away, never pointed at dragonflies, fortunately did not insist on being an overgrown lapdog, didn’t have energy to spare even in old age…..but my two Vs of course did and do all of these things. Such a silly study to generate so much press.

 

[derwos]

The further one delves into this study (I have done so, over the lifetime of this thread), with critical thought and eye, the more it feels like having swam in the ocean and not taken a shower for weeks. Irritation from sharp quartz crystals, in places they shouldn't be.

This study is hogwash!