|
Vizsladogs, Ltd.
Vizslas and Dominance, Part 2
Subject: Dominance is not a four-letter word! by Lu Hart
I'm pleased to see the many thoughtful discussions of temperament occurring
among vizsla fanciers. I am , however, becoming mildly concerned that the
term "dominance" is sometimes being used as though this were an undesirable
quality in a dog. Dominance and submissiveness are the names we give to two
extremes of ONE personality component, and it's pretty much a
value-neutral component by itself. Someone looking for an easy to handle
household companion might prefer a more submissive pup; someone looking for a
great competition dog might prefer a more dominant pup. Most of us would
probably agree that an "ideal" temperament doesn't go all the way to either
extreme.
Our standard describes the vizsla as "fearless, with a well-developed
protective instinct". Folks, that requires some dominance in the personality
mix. We aren't surprised when our "natural hunter" points their first bird
purely on instinct; nor do we expect that first puppy point to look like the
poised, polished work of a master hunter. So why should we be surprised when
our "fearless" vizsla is urged by instinct to growl and guard? We expect to
put in long hours and weeks of training to teach a new pup proper hunting
behavior. We should expect to put in similar effort to properly channel the
natural protective instinct.
(Aside -- embarrassing personal confession -- Pink STILL points the
occasional field mouse. I swear she grins at me when she does it!)
In my humble opinion, extemely submissive dogs are much harder to train --- and to get
good work out of -- than extremely dominant dogs. It's just that extremely
submissive behavior doesn't frighten people. Urinating at the sight of a
visitor may not please owners, but it doesn't tend to upset the average
person in the same way that growling at a visitor does. Neither behavior, of
course, is acceptable greeting behavior -- that's where we come in.
(Remember that "above average ability to take training" phrase in the
standard? )
Looking back at things I've written before, I may sometimes have been
unintentionally misleading when discussing dominance. Dominant dogs often
create more handling problems for a novice, but they are NOT "bad". Whether
a dog is dominant or submissive, what we want to see is a STABLE temperament
-- a sensible, mentally sound animal.
|