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Picking dogs based on looks

11K views 153 replies 36 participants last post by  lalachka 
#1 ·
It's looked down upon to do that. I understand the reasons behind it, health and temperament should come first. You can have a beautiful dog that bites or is crippled and his looks don't mean much at that point.

But I don't think we can deny that people are visual creatures. Looks matter in our world, people can talk about 'inside beauty' all they want but I think I read about studies that prove that pretty people have things a little easier.

Back to dogs, the reason most people are attached to a certain breed to begin with is largely because of looks. Yes, there are breed traits and breed reputation (some people want a 'tough dog') but i'd say looks do play a huge part in the picking process.

So if you agree with that then what's wrong with taking it a step further and picking the color and look?

It's much easier to bond with an animal if you like their look IMO. Or maybe, I like my dog's look because I bonded with him?
That's an interesting one)))))


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#4 ·
I don't think you should pick a dog based on looks alone. But there are so many good breeders out there that it's not hard to find one breeding for EVERYTHING on your list. It's just can't be the only thing on your list.




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#5 ·
I agree.

What if there wasn't such a selection? What if you found a dog that's perfect in every way but looks wise is not your type.

I'm not sure what i'd do. Hopefully take him anyway))))))


Now I'm wondering, do I like my dog's looks because he's mine or he just happened to look the way I like? He's not the traditional looking gsd (or mix) so I think it's the first.



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#6 ·
Just over a year ago I was getting a black/red from a reputable breeder , until I walked into the shelter and walked past Midnites cage. I did not like his looks , they did not appeal to me even a little bit. He looked at me with such longing in his eyes and it hit me hard. If course I had them bring him out and his temperament was absolutely wonderful. Needless to say I spent the next couple days thinking about him and made the decision to get him and give up the puppy I was going to get. It took me a long time to even like his looks, we bonded way before I realized he was good looking. In my case looks had nothing to with why I chose him or making it easier to bond.

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#7 ·
I had my heart set on a sable when I got Delta. She was from a litter that produced almost all sables... But she was the only female. She's a black and tan. She may not be what I thought I wanted in terms of looks but she's utterly perfect in every other way and exactly what I wanted for temperament (and she's a very pretty girl, if I do say). I'm glad I didn't hold out and wait for a sable. I think it's fine to have something in mind in terms of looks, but it's a problem when you forego everything else to get a look you want.


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#9 ·
I saw your post in the other thread. That's why I posted. You replying to that post.

I think this is the right way to go about it, just not sure how easy it is to do for everyone.

I wonder if looks have something to do with dogs being dumped in shelters. Or it's always temperament?

Like did anyone dump their dogs because they don't like their looks? No one would probably admit to it because they'd be afraid to look shallow but I wonder if it happens often?

If it does then maybe picking based on looks is not such a bad idea for some? Then again, if someone is keeping their dog only because they like his look then maybe that's not the best place for them.

Lol, excuse me, I am having fun. I like thinking about stuff like this.



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#10 ·

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#13 ·
There is nothing wrong with wanting a certain color or pattern. A dog is a 12-14 year investment so why not get what you want if you are willing to wait for it?

However, along with color all the other things need to be considered. Temp., Health, energy level you want. It can't just be all about color.
 
#19 ·
That's what I thought)))) I picked my dog based on looks only (puppy looks, not sure how reliable that is)))) but I didn't know any better. Now I do and if I get another one then I will try picking the one with the right temperament and hopefully no health issues. Since I'm still largely clueless, I'm not sure how I will judge temperament. hopefully by then I either learn or someone will help))))

And looks)))))


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#15 ·
Otto was my first puppy after years of having rescues. Both his parents were rich bicolors who looked like Luther which was what first caught my eye on this match up. I met the dam, what a charm and the sire, drive out the waz. At 5 weeks old, I did a PAT on the whole litter. 2 of them were black, I kinda always wanted a black but Otto was the puppy I wanted. At 5 weeks, he looked like Luther.

Turned out I wanted a puppy with Luther's temperment and that's what I got. Other than bone structure, Otto looks nothing like Luther now that he's grown. Acts just like him though and I love that.

With Viv, I still had black dog on the brain. Karen breeds for blacks with health tests and solid temperments (everyone remembers Blackjack and Sally - Viv's sire's parents, One of the black girls from the dynmaic Thing 1 and Thing 2 duo, one of them is V's mother)

Venus was shipped to me at 8 weeks old after Karen took great care to listen to Otto's quirks and what I wanted in a puppy. I got exactly what I wanted. And she's black.

Readers digest version of that: trust your breeder
 
#17 · (Edited)
I had my heart set on one particular female because she was pretty and she liked ball... One year later I'm taking her to a barn to learn to bite appropriately, I'm into an extremely time consuming dog sport, and I have gotten her a brother and bought a house so she can have a yard...Now I have an intelligent and gorgeous creature that I must learn to control for her own safety . Such is the life of a GSD owner who is responsible for her decision to love a dog completely no matter what she needs. The rewards, however, are endless with German Shepherds.
 
#18 ·
I fell in love with a petfinder photo of a local stray. I wanted to foster the dog and did so. I wish I could have been a foster failure with him, he was such a great dog, but he was reactive/aggressive to my husband and son...so not a good fit for my family.
We bonded quickly, even though I knew he'd only be temporarily living with me. Once he earned my trust, his loyalty was so amazing. I still miss him.
I would always choose a breeder that has what I'm looking for visually as the lines are part of the structure and color that goes right along with the rest of the dog. Nothing wrong with it, IMO.
 
#26 ·
Looks are not everything! When I got my girl Athena she was the last puppy left in her litter and she had no fur on her nose due to rough play with litter mates. It was unknown if her fur would grow back but her personality grabbed me. She was so bubbly and happy! The breeder and I spoke for over an hour about this girls amazing personality, temperament and drive. She may have been the "ugly duckling" but Athena turned into a stunning swan. Wouldn't trade her for all the money in the world! Best decision I ever made!
 
#29 · (Edited)
I will admit I picked little dex because he looked like the border collie from babe. That being said I also was border collie prepared and knew exactly what we were up against in terms of training and exercise. Shiggies Lamarre was picked bc she needed a home and was a good girl not because she was an epic beauty queen. . Ty had looks and attitude and he just happened to never leave lol

Human beings are complex creatures. We all know what floats our boat :) I know people that love the look of doodles, or hideous guess purses but I will stick with my GSD's and MK bags lol.

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#32 ·
Omg. I hope this isn't true. IMO looks do play a part when you first meet but after that, once you get to know person/animal, looks fade away, you sometimes don't even notice them.

Or, I had a friend who was really pretty. She had the exotic beauty, really pretty girl. After a few months, once I got to know her, she became ugly. I looked at her and saw an ugly girl.


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#33 ·
I think something is quite wrong with you if you allow a dog’s color to affect the bond with it. Like…at the end of the day, it’s more than likely a very cute dog, rarely, if ever do I see an ugly dog.

I think part of this discussion is different lines…and if you throw that in it, then sure, I don’t like the look of certain lines. But at the end of the day, if you give me a working line, it could be all colors of the rainbow and I wouldn’t care. I’m not partial to SL dogs (both types) and would never even consider a breeder of those lines, so that completely rules out the way those dogs look. But I train with some WGSL dogs that I think are very beautiful and I don’t think I’d have any problem not bonding with them just because of their look.
 
#41 ·
Here’s the thing…most people answering have different standards for what they need out of a dog than you do at this point in your life. You’re training a pet, as long as the dog is normal in regular life, you could care less about certain temperament/work traits. So to you, the look is important because in theory you can get what you want from a dog out of a wide variety of not just dogs, but breeds. It’s understandable, a lot of people are like that. If all you want in life is a great companion, that doesn’t bite people, will bark at the door, and will go out on a walk with you and play fetch when you ask, there are tons of options.

But when you start looking for a dog that can do more than that. A dog that will get you higher scores at your club trial, or a dog that can take you to nationals. Most people don’t care what it looks like because the temperament and drive that is needed for that type of stuff is much harder to find than good looks.
 
#42 ·
In my 20s I was convinced I wanted an Afghan Hound. I loved the way they looked. Then a 2 yo that I loved was being given up. I tried to find the 2 yo a home. I did. It was mine. He was with me for 14 years. Did I think of that at the time? Of course not. I just knew I couldn't let him go to the pound and be euthanized.

This 1/2 GSD 1/2 Elk. taught me the beauty of a thinking dog. While I liked the looks of GSDs I loved their brains more. After he & his companion sammy died, I found a GSD X with who knows what pup. She was perfect, too.

Then a GSD appeared in our back yard, spurting blood from a puncture wound to his neck. That was an expensive dog & it's been GSDs ever since.

Brains before beauty (or I'd probably be with the hound of my 20s) but they've all been beautiful. The GSDs have been long coats, stock coats & other coats. Classic black and tans, a bi-color, different patterns. I suppose in a way I had my color preferences because I like strong colors.
 
#43 ·
Interesting thread for sure. I'll admit that before I knew an ounce of anything about dogs (temperament, drive, pet, working, etc.) I was a looks girl. I picked Titan because I wanted a large dark GSD. It was between him and another and I picked him because he has more dark on his paws than the other.. then I learned about everything and now I pay more attention to those things.

When I picked my next pup a Boerboel, I let the breeder pick her for me based on temperament and drive.. and what I wanted her for. I wanted a Brindle or a dark fawn with a dark mask but didn't say anything to her about that because I really wanted the right dog for me. I ended up with a light fawn with virtually no mask and I loved that little girl!!! :)

BUT I would be lying if I didn't say looks don't mean anything.. it's too prevailent in our society and it's in our biology to be that way.
 
#49 ·
It wasn't started FOR you. As someone said, I read your thread, that got me thinking)))))) lol never a good thing



Martemchik, so it's a progression in a way. You start off with going by looks because you usually don't know much about the breed and the looks and the reputation attracts you.

Then you have the dog, learn, realize there are other things to do with it (lol remember you said I might do ipo. What do you know, I might join a club. I doubt i'd ever go beyond training for it but who knows) and your next dog is picked in a different way all together.




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#50 ·
Why do ppl get Pitts then? A dog to me is a dog, a friend, family, and sometimes to me my therapist hahaha. So there for I see no point in looking that deep into a breeds temperament and what not. I know GSD are loyal, most I the ones I've had are very affectionate, protective, somewhat active, independent, all that good stuff. And tbh that's all I really need to know. It's doesn't take rocket science to raise/take care/train a dog or ppl would not have that many pittbulls.
 
#55 ·
It's still important to research the dog you want to make sure it is a god fit for your family and lifestyle. I can't even count how many people I have come across who got a GSD because "it's smart, loyal, energetic, and the perfect family dog!" who ended up dumping it six months later because they picked a dog based on generalizations and didn't know what they had actually gotten themselves into.

It's even more important to a breed like the GSD because you usually don't realize until you research that picking up a backyard bred dog can land you with a fearful, nervy basket case. I've had clients with perfectly well-raised dogs with near perfect socialization that I still had to help rehabilitate because they were just off in the head. There are two in boarding right now that can only be handled by me and the owners, through no fault of the owners, but just because they are extremely poorly bred fear biters.

And people get pits for several reasons - because they have researched and decided they wanted a pit, they picked up a cute puppy at the shelter that happened to be a pit, they want a status symbol, they've been fed some ridiculous propaganda that pits are super easy dogs and the breed doesn't have any problems. Plus there are plenty of people that say they have a pit because it looks pit-ish, but just ended up with a mix breed of some kind.

Even with a pit it is important to research because they are prone to dog aggression, are highly energetic dogs, and are not right for all families. But many many people end up with them because they make opinions based on the loads of propaganda and generalization out there instead of actually doing unbiased research on the breed.

While it is generally not rocket science to take care of a dog, it is very common for people to get dogs and apply no common sense to what they get or what kinds of problems they may face. That, coupled with the disposable trend of society today means that I come across clients who want to give up their puppies and dogs of all kinds for things ranging from being too hyper (too much energy), too destructive (needs training), on up to just plain aggressive (not a proper fit for the family's skill level).

Millions of dogs are euthanized every single year. THAT is why it is important to research the dog you want instead of just impulse buying it like you would a toy for a child. Because otherwise, I watch dogs die going to the needle simply because the family was not willing or not able to meet its needs.
 
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