Understanding a Dog’s Temperament

July 20, 2018

Much like with humans, all dogs have different personalities and temperaments.

For instance, you may seem some Bassett Hound dogs on sale that are rather laid back and seemingly unbothered. You may encounter Beagle dogs on sale who are just bursting at the seam with exuberance! Our point? Dogs will exhibit varied temperaments and their individual demeanors are influenced by several factors. Here are the top three factors.  

Heredity

Heredity plays a part in determining a dog’s temperament. You’ll notice a recurring theme with us and that is our constant comparison of human behavior to dog behavior! We can’t help it and that’s because it’s applicable in so many scenarios. You know the saying “it runs in the family” right? Well it’s true for furry families, too! Parents pass on certain characteristics to their children and the same goes for dogs. If there are dogs on sale that are particularly hyper, some of their offspring may naturally pick up that same trait and others may not. If the parent is hot tempered, chances are high that the offspring will pick up some of these traits.  

Training

Don’t believe it when you hear “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!” That’s simply not true. It may take some time, but it’s possible and that really applies to young dogs on sale, as well. While heredity plays a role in determining a dog’s temperament, training can combat any negative traits that may have been passed down. In order for a pet owner to obtain the desired behavior in their dog, training must be consistent and the earlier training is instilled, the better and shorter the behavioral redirection will be. An aggressive older dog can be trained to be a gentle and kind one.  

Socialization

In many of our previous blog posts, we’ve discussed the importance of early socialization. The dogs on sale in our store are socialized very early on, but it’s up to you as the owner to continue what we’ve started. The socialization process entails exposing your dog to various people and other pets and in doing so, you’ll encourage him to be more trusting of strangers and strange things. Socialization will change a skittish pup into a fearless one and it’s beautiful to witness.  

At Petland, we are here to help you along the way. We want all of the dogs on sale to remain happy and healthy pups when they leave our home and enter yours!