09/25/2026
Genetics Aren’t À La Carte
*Quick disclaimer: This isn’t meant to judge anyone for the breed they’re considering or make anyone feel bad about how they’ve approached choosing a dog. A post I came across just genuinely got me thinking about the way we talk about breed selection and whether there’s a piece of that conversation we’re missing. I don’t think most people are making uninformed choices intentionally, we don’t know what we don’t know, and a lot of this simply isn’t talked about enough.*
I keep thinking about the way we talk about breed selection, because I think there’s a pretty big piece of the conversation that gets missed.
When people ask what breed they should get, we usually hear about lifestyle: how much exercise they can provide, whether they want to hike, do dog sports, train every day, have a dog with an off switch, etc. Then there’s the wishlist of traits: protective, aloof with strangers, high drive, biddable, confident, intense, dog friendly.
Those are all important things to consider… but I think we spend a LOT of time talking about the ideal expression of those traits, and not nearly enough time talking about what those same genetics can look like when they aren’t expressed ideally.
You want a dog that’s naturally wary of strangers but what’s your experience and comfort level with a dog that becomes genuinely suspicious, territorial, reactive, fearful or aggressive?
You want high drive and intensity but how comfortable are you with frustration, difficulty settling, redirecting, prey drive or high arousal?
You want a dog with protective instincts but are you actually equipped to manage those instincts if they become inconvenient or problematic in everyday life?
And the same applies to things people consider non-negotiables.
If you absolutely NEED a socially easy dog because you have other dogs, how much research have you done into dog sociability at maturity in that breed and the specific lines you’re considering?
Are you prepared for dog selectivity or same-sex intolerance?
Would needing to manage two dogs separately be a dealbreaker?
Those questions should probably carry more weight than whether the breed checks another box on your wishlist.
Genetics aren’t à la carte.
We don’t get to pick “protective, intense, driven and wary of strangers” and then opt out of every potentially difficult expression associated with those traits.
Obviously good breeding matters tremendously, individuals vary, and none of these outcomes are guaranteed but I think part of responsible breed selection is understanding the range of dog you could realistically end up with.
So maybe we need to change the way we help people choose breeds. Instead of only asking “What do you want in a dog?”, we should also be asking:
“What are you NOT equipped or willing to deal with?”
What’s your experience with aggression?
Reactivity?
Prey drive?
Dog-dog conflict?
Environmental sensitivity?
Frustration?
Resource guarding?
Stranger suspicion?
Conflict seeking?
What behaviours would seriously affect your household or lifestyle?
What would you be willing to manage for the lifetime of the dog?
I think those answers can sometimes tell us more about which breeds are appropriate than knowing someone hikes five days a week or wants to dabble in agility.
People generally aren’t trying to make poor choices, they just don’t know what they don’t know.
And I think those of us who work with dogs could do a better job of helping people research not only the dog they’re hoping to get, but the dog they need to be prepared to get.
- A Professional Dog Trainer
