Genes & Behaviour

Does most Dog Training suppress a dog's behavioural genes?

Not quite sure how to phrase this - but hope you understand....are you talking about behaviours in bred by people (herding etc) or more generalised behaviour genes?

(Assuming that behaviour is controlled more by genetics than environmental factors?)

Hi Tassle

I'm saying that if a dog's phenotype = genetics + environment.
What's the thoughts on how much training (part of the environment) suppresses the genes?
I mean all genes, breed specific or not.
thanks

I...personally.....do not think you can supress instinctive behaviours.....just redirect them. I would not class that as supressed...

Part of that redirection would be environmental training...but - as I said - I do not see that as supressing behaviours.

What do you mean by "most"? I'm not sure that basic training, e.g. KCGCS, would be enough to teach a novice owner how to handle high drive dogs, if that's what you mean?

I think Good Training can "harness" the genes in a positive way But crap training will supress them!!!!

Some Positive Examples

Huskys & other Sled Dogs, their Genes /natural Drive are Used to Make Great Workers/ competion Sled teams,

Obvisley Collies are breed to Herd Sheep & training for this Harnesses their Genes, However the Focas & Attitude in this part of them can be used for example to Create Great Focas in obedience,

Working spaniels, searching & flushing & Hunting Needs training as does Sniffer dog work!

With GSDs for eg with Natural Guarding & Poscession Instinct this is ANOTHER way to train a great Obedience dog.

It is a trainers Skill /job to asscess what natural Qualities their dog Poscesses & how to Harness these in whatever Sphere.

Good Training can ENHANCE the natural ability!!!!!!

Interesting question and one that will definitely get me thinking.

immediate thought is that I think dogs are opportunists - they will therefore 'let' us train them in return for food/shelter/affection. So from that point of view, us training them is going with this natural behaviour.

That might mean that they themselves suppress other natural behaviours to go with the over-riding one of keeping their human happy as the easiest way to survive.

But I'm sure there are exceptions to this - some dogs/breeds might be less willing to rely on humans and for these, training might go more against their behavioural genes.

I think most trainers would try to work with the dogs natural behaviours, some may bend that behaviour to something more suitable for the type of life a dog lives,

on the odd occassion it may be that a dog needs the behaviour supressed for whatever reason, its more of a challenge to a trainer to do this.

Some dog training might. Every dog is unique, every owner unique, every situation unique (like chaos theory!). I don't think a Yes or No answer is possible here?