(196) Dogs World Views

While Beeker played with a number of different breeds of dogs this past weekend at the dog park, I began to think about dogs and dog breeds. I watched as Beeker worked to engage with different dogs by bowing as he approached them or by siding up to them but not looking directly at them. I thought his approach was the same one that I have seen him use while playing with Maxie. It seemed to work for him. I also noticed that he developed a new approach, the cattle dog herding crouch which I had not observed previously. No other dog in the park was crouching as others approached. The Golden Retriever was only concerned with fetching the ball that its owner was throwing. The intact male mixed breed was semi curious about Beeker but mostly just wanted to claim everything including the female greyhound.


Here’s my point of curiosity. I wonder what would happen if the park were full of just cattle dogs. Would they all run around trying to herd each other? If the park were full of all Golden’s would they just run after thrown balls? Allowing for individual differences, I wonder if like breeds of dogs know that they are the same breed? Or do they individually approach the world with a certain way of approaching and playing with other dogs? Does Maxie know (understand) that he is a different breed of dog than Beeker? Does he know that he is different breed and species than Chez? Does he think that he is just a member of this family and that we are all the same? I do know that Max doesn’t bark at Chez but he will bark incessantly at the black cat that walks in our neighbor’s back yard. We often joke that Maxie doesn’t know his own size. He thinks he;s a small dog. I’ve heard others say that their little dogs think they are huge and don’t know they are little. Maybe it’s the same with breeds. Maybe they are all lumped together to them into “dog” category, or into prey and predator category.

I would love to watch one of the dog meet ups that some large cities have at dog parks. In Seattle my nephew takes his Italian Greyhound to an IG Meet Up at their park where Iggies will all meet to interact. This would be a hoot to see. All one breed together doing what the breed does. Do they look into the eyes of another Iggy and think, “Oh look it’s a dog that looks just like me!” Or do they look at another and think, “Oh Goody, a small fast dog that likes to run like me!” I know dogs probably just enjoy the company of another dog that likes to pay in a similar fashion and most dogs are able to adapt to other dogs style of play but how cool would it be to play with 50 herding dogs all chasing and nipping at each other’s tails and heels? I’d love for Beeks to be outrun when he plays. He’s so quick in his maneuvering I’d love to see another Texas Heeler playing with him to see if his quickness is an individual trait or a breed trait. Can you imagine a Meet Up of 50 Beagles? Yea, that would be a quiet time in the park!

I wonder if it makes the world less interesting to play with your own breed. I mean, herding dogs like to herd but do they like to herded? And Golden’s love to retrieve balls but what if you never get to retrieve one because the demand is so great? The fun is in the actual doing. I think it would be extremely exciting to watch a breed Meet Up but for the dogs I wonder if it is just as true for them as it is for humans. Variety really is the spice of life isn’t it?