Showsight Spring Edition, February/March 2021

Form Follows FUNCTION

BY STEPHANIE HEDGEPATH

TEMPERAMENT, PERSONALITY AND SOUNDNESS W hat is the one thing that is difficult to assess in the dog show ring? It’s the heart of the dog. I’m not refer- ring to the physical heart, but the mental “heart” of the dog—the willingness to do what it takes to get the job done. In race horses, it means the drive to run and beat all others to the finish line. In a dog, it is the mindset to keep going until the dog simply cannot take another step. It means performing beyond one’s physical limita- tions simply because of the will to do so. The fact is that many dogs that are not very well-structured can still per- form the duties for which they were developed. These dogs actually out-per- form their structure due to their strong work ethic (temperament), and will continue to work until they physically breakdown. The well-structured dog that also has the drive to accomplish tasks set by his master will be able to work far longer than his less well put together brethren, and will suffer much less damage to his body. A dog that lacks correct angulation in both front and rear, but is balanced in this lack of angulation, may well be exhausted at the end of the day because he had to take far more steps than a well-angled dog of the same breed. This dog, however, will live to work another day, whereas the dog that is unbalanced with an upright shoulder assembly (but with a well- angled hindquarter) will eventually breakdown in the front and will no longer be able to work. We are all aware of the results of Nobel laureate Ivan Pavlov’s 1906 research program designed to identify the basic types of canine temperament. “Despite this auspicious start, the study of temperament and personality in animals did not evolve into a major area of research except, of course, in humans. Yet, pet owners and practitioners working with dogs have long recognized that temper- ament is important. It influences an individual’s behavior and responses to the environment. Groups interested in temperament have ranged from private dog owners and dogs breeders to professional animal handlers and animal-research scientists; they have been consumed with such practical issues as matching dogs to appropriate homes and with understanding basic theoretical issues in animal behavior.” 1

“THE FACT IS THAT MANY

DOGS THAT ARE NOT VERY WELL- STRUCTURED CAN STILL PERFORM THE DUTIES FOR WHICH THEY WERE DEVELOPED.”

82 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, SPRING EDITION

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