Post by ed on Jul 28, 2007 17:13:29 GMT -5
The core of this article says very well what we have both discussed and cussed over the past several years on the Board.I have seen it before and ran into it again.
from......http://www.siriusdog.com/articles/theresa-mancuso-working-dog-temperament.htm
The heart of a strong working dog is the foundation upon which all the rest of its temperament depends. It is the essence of the animal, the ground of its being as far as work is concerned. All of the dog's real power and strength depend on the depth and quality of two elements: Nerve and Resilience. The psychological balance from which physical prowess can be directed in dog work is totally dependent upon nerve and resilience. There's nothing more necessary to a real working dog than its nervous system and its resilience.
Nerve
The dog who can, without upsetment, without fear, without signs of nervous tension, flight reaction, worry, whining, etc., accept its entire universe all of its environment with every characteristic of heat, cold, noise, population, surprise, etc. is a dog of strong nerve. Nerve is a sine qua non for the working dog. The canine nervous system provides the deep inner core of calmness and confidence upon which all the working dog's strength depends. Without it, there can be no reliability in work and no matter how much training is put into the dog; it will not be a great working dog if it lacks steadiness and soundness of nerve.
Because of its significance in the whole working temperament, no excuse should be tolerated when it is lacking. A dog without nerve or with weak nerve should just not be bred. Neither should such a dog be forced to work when its basic constitution has not fitted it with this necessary requirement. A dog with poor nerve should be allowed to live its life as a pet in a non-threatening environment.
Breeders who deliberately breed weak-nerved animals (because they are pretty, because they have a nice top line or super angulation, because they have a proper tail set, etc.) are selling short the future of the breed. Even a superb physical specimen of excellent conformation, coat and color should be rejected for breeding if it exhibits the signs of a weak nervous system.
Resilience
At the heart of canine as well as human character greatness, there is a trait, which enables the bearer to proceed with courage and determination in the face of difficulties. This quality of the heart is oh, so very, very special, so splendid and noble. It is the stuff of greatness both in people and in dogs. I prefer the word "resilience" over the word "hardness" because hardness (to me) connotes a kind of tough unwillingness to bend, un-budge-ability, and as such, may be a hindrance to the human-canine working relationship. The hard dog, the super dog that can take anything you can dish out, that can face any kind of compulsion, is also a dog that is not eminently trainable. It wants to be Top Dog and will often resist human authority. The super hard dog is difficult to work properly and usually requires what many serious dog lovers would consider excessive compulsion, inhumane and even cruel. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear the macho type dog owner brag about how "hard" his dog is and then proceed to fry it alive with an electric collar because the dog cannot be worked in any other way. The "resilient" dog, on the contrary, exhibits all the same strength of purpose in the face of adversity, all the same tough grit to face difficulty and hardship, but does not require the kind of compulsion that would force a true dog lover to wince or cry out. The resilient dog is sound and balanced, if it possesses a true working temperament, it does not need to be so hard as to be unmanageable but it does need to be resilient. The dog that has resilience in its heart is a powerful, motivated upbeat, spirited worker. He is a dog who loves to work. His happy attitude is both exuberant and intend. He is serious about his work, be it tracking, obedience, protection, search and rescue, sheep tending, whatever. He faces his canine reality. He can take the knocks of life, but he does not constantly challenge his handler for supremacy, and thus, he does not need to be continually subjected to harsh compulsion.
Resilience is the quality we seek in a strong working dog. Resilience is potency at its best. The resilient dog has true grit and an indomitable spirit. Such a dog will fly with joy through all the required exercises of sport and will work with perseverance in his duties as a police service dog, search and rescue dog, military dog or sheep tending dog. We marvel at the annals of canine work that comes down to us from so many sources, sport, military, and police. There are many types of videotape available today, which portray dogs whose working ability leaves us choked with awe. If you are still reading this article, then you, too, have your experience of choked awe in the face of canine heroism. We must salute these noble canine heroes. At the heart of their success is resilience, the ability to get through the danger, get through the difficulty, the ability to work in spite of the odds. The dog that is resilient captures our heart.
from......http://www.siriusdog.com/articles/theresa-mancuso-working-dog-temperament.htm
The heart of a strong working dog is the foundation upon which all the rest of its temperament depends. It is the essence of the animal, the ground of its being as far as work is concerned. All of the dog's real power and strength depend on the depth and quality of two elements: Nerve and Resilience. The psychological balance from which physical prowess can be directed in dog work is totally dependent upon nerve and resilience. There's nothing more necessary to a real working dog than its nervous system and its resilience.
Nerve
The dog who can, without upsetment, without fear, without signs of nervous tension, flight reaction, worry, whining, etc., accept its entire universe all of its environment with every characteristic of heat, cold, noise, population, surprise, etc. is a dog of strong nerve. Nerve is a sine qua non for the working dog. The canine nervous system provides the deep inner core of calmness and confidence upon which all the working dog's strength depends. Without it, there can be no reliability in work and no matter how much training is put into the dog; it will not be a great working dog if it lacks steadiness and soundness of nerve.
Because of its significance in the whole working temperament, no excuse should be tolerated when it is lacking. A dog without nerve or with weak nerve should just not be bred. Neither should such a dog be forced to work when its basic constitution has not fitted it with this necessary requirement. A dog with poor nerve should be allowed to live its life as a pet in a non-threatening environment.
Breeders who deliberately breed weak-nerved animals (because they are pretty, because they have a nice top line or super angulation, because they have a proper tail set, etc.) are selling short the future of the breed. Even a superb physical specimen of excellent conformation, coat and color should be rejected for breeding if it exhibits the signs of a weak nervous system.
Resilience
At the heart of canine as well as human character greatness, there is a trait, which enables the bearer to proceed with courage and determination in the face of difficulties. This quality of the heart is oh, so very, very special, so splendid and noble. It is the stuff of greatness both in people and in dogs. I prefer the word "resilience" over the word "hardness" because hardness (to me) connotes a kind of tough unwillingness to bend, un-budge-ability, and as such, may be a hindrance to the human-canine working relationship. The hard dog, the super dog that can take anything you can dish out, that can face any kind of compulsion, is also a dog that is not eminently trainable. It wants to be Top Dog and will often resist human authority. The super hard dog is difficult to work properly and usually requires what many serious dog lovers would consider excessive compulsion, inhumane and even cruel. It never ceases to amaze me when I hear the macho type dog owner brag about how "hard" his dog is and then proceed to fry it alive with an electric collar because the dog cannot be worked in any other way. The "resilient" dog, on the contrary, exhibits all the same strength of purpose in the face of adversity, all the same tough grit to face difficulty and hardship, but does not require the kind of compulsion that would force a true dog lover to wince or cry out. The resilient dog is sound and balanced, if it possesses a true working temperament, it does not need to be so hard as to be unmanageable but it does need to be resilient. The dog that has resilience in its heart is a powerful, motivated upbeat, spirited worker. He is a dog who loves to work. His happy attitude is both exuberant and intend. He is serious about his work, be it tracking, obedience, protection, search and rescue, sheep tending, whatever. He faces his canine reality. He can take the knocks of life, but he does not constantly challenge his handler for supremacy, and thus, he does not need to be continually subjected to harsh compulsion.
Resilience is the quality we seek in a strong working dog. Resilience is potency at its best. The resilient dog has true grit and an indomitable spirit. Such a dog will fly with joy through all the required exercises of sport and will work with perseverance in his duties as a police service dog, search and rescue dog, military dog or sheep tending dog. We marvel at the annals of canine work that comes down to us from so many sources, sport, military, and police. There are many types of videotape available today, which portray dogs whose working ability leaves us choked with awe. If you are still reading this article, then you, too, have your experience of choked awe in the face of canine heroism. We must salute these noble canine heroes. At the heart of their success is resilience, the ability to get through the danger, get through the difficulty, the ability to work in spite of the odds. The dog that is resilient captures our heart.