To insinuate that dogs can be easily understood and that their behavioral patterns can be classified in types is simply ridiculous. Dogs have some characteristic traits and display them freely. These can be observed and recognized as such. But dog behavior cannot be typecast in simple form, just like human behavior cannot be clearly classified. Every dog, just like the human counterpart, is an individual being, with individual experiences, characteristics, disposition and personality.
Some perceive that dogs can be playful, aggressive, dangerous, calm, friendly, obedient, even intelligent and try to construe these traits into types which declare some behavior of the dog as being within a certain type. But limiting dogs to these typecasting exercises in wannabe psychology is clearly a try to generalize a wide population into a scheme, where there are clear black and white definitions, or binary definitions of canine behavior.
Aggressive behavior is being cited by many as a definition of a behavioral type, because many dogs bite or bark and there you have it. But it is not possible to define just how shallow such a remark is, and it is simply inaccurate. Aggressive behavior is not a type it is a form of response to an event or a cause which resulted in such a reaction. If you scare a dog, it will bark or even bite. It is a fact, not a type of behavior. If you flick a switch, something will go on, is this a type of behavior?
Ever since the Roman Empire invented and practiced bureaucracy people intend to classify everything they encounter. All existing species, dogs included, are being catalogued and written up, for reasons unknown, or perhaps to allow current or future generations to recognize when the same species becomes extinct. Plants have been catalogued to death, every single version of a tulip has a Latin name and a couple of common names, just for the sake of it. Who cares, it’s still a tulip. But it allows the people who are into botany to do something.
This urge to put a classification mark on everything is probably the only reason why someone started to classify dog behavior into types. The reason is obvious, the person did not know anything about dogs, and by putting up a chart, something is there which can be learned. But every single dog is an individual and charts will not make the dog love you or help you understand its needs and wishes. Dogs need to be evaluated on a personal level, and that is why dog behaviorists exist.

Filed under: Dogs

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