[Britster]

I see this statement said a lot.

"A Yorkie is not like other dogs!"

At the same time, I feel like EVERY breed owners do this. I see it on every forum.

Obviously, each breed is different from each other, or we wouldn't have breeds. There's a reason different breeds appeal to different people for unique traits and temperaments and whatnot. And obviously a person who has had x breed of dog for a lot of years is going to feel they are special, just like the person who has had y breed for just as many years feels THEIR breed is "not like other dogs". There's nothing wrong with having a favorite breed obviously!

But I'm not sure I'd go as far to say it has to be THAT different in terms of training, exercise, feeding. At the base of it all, they are all dogs.

I often see breed used to brush off why people allow dogs to potty everywhere in the house, or why they won't come outside when it's below 40 degrees, or why they won't let their dog off leash or why they won't let their dog do agility or anything active or why their dog pulls on a leash, etc. "x" breed of dog is just too special and fragile to be normal dogs.

Everyone always says "oh well MY breed is not your typical dog". ALL depends on what your definition of a typical dog is. The basics, learning theory, nutrition (to an extent, more important in some breeds), etc are the same...they are DOGS! Now, of course breeds have different inherent traits, different drives, jobs, etc that are going to make them different from each other. They are also each individuals, again, being different. But at the end of the day, they are still dogs which have a WIDE variance.

I hear it a lot...oh, "that" doesn't work with MY dog, they are a *insert breed*. They are different. For one thing, saying "X breed is not like other dogs!" is sort of lumping all other breeds together. There's X, and everything else. Meanwhile, owners of breed Y and breed Z are saying the same thing...Not all breeds are like each other, or we wouldn't have breeds. But there is NO breed so special that it is completely unlike all other breeds.

As a sort-of example, I know someone who has a Yorkie and her sister has the other Yorkie from the same litter (both weigh the same). One is a huge baby, won't do anything for herself, won't jump on the couch, whines to be held all the time, and the other is capable of being nice to children, getting on the couch, playing with other dogs, etc. Now obviously the first person enjoys having a dog that is like a baby, and if that's what floats their boat, that's fine... but they both raised completely different, and it just goes to show how different a dog can be if you raise it differently. Both are capable, but one was never really taught.

I don't know - just thinking aloud. Rambling... Thoughts? Discussion, and gooo....