Breed Specific Behaviour for the Canine Professional Workshop

What’s in a Breed?

By popular demand… here it is: a two-day workshop exploring breed-specific behaviour from a canine behaviour practitioner’s perspective.

While most breed books are written by enthusiasts extolling the virtues of particular breeds, we offer a different viewpoint, the reality of working with dogs on the front line of behaviour reformation.

Take the notoriously popular family dogs, the Cocker Spaniel, Cockapoo, and Vizsla. Despite their reputation, we find that many of these dogs aren’t ideally suited to family life, with a high propensity for aggression and fear-based behaviours, particularly in the latter.

Consider the Akita and the Malamute, wonderful, social dogs, until you overstep boundaries. When that happens, they’ll let you know (often with their teeth if you miss their initial signals).

Good family dogs? How about a well-bred German Shepherd or a Lagotto Romagnolo?

We’ll explore the divide between working lines, show lines, and pet-bred dogs, from the Working Clumber Spaniel to the Working Rottweiler, and the differences between these and various show-line dogs.

The appeal of a pedigree certificate versus a leap into the unknown, and vice versa!

How have breeds changed over the past 30 years? Do we still need the powerful genetics of high-drive security dogs and high-energy gundogs in the modern age?

How does all of this align with current UK dog legislation?

The rise of the Malinois, is it a wonderful family pet or a breed for specialists? What makes it unique?

The state of dog rescue and welfare.

The XL Bully issue and the Pit Bull Terrier, now shifting to the Kangal, Ovcharka, Cane Corso, and similar breeds. Why are these breeds involved in so many fatal dog attacks? Is it solely down to ‘how they’re raised,’ or do they possess an inherent intensity of aggression that, once triggered, is far more severe than in most other breeds?

If you don’t know the difference between a Tervuren and a Groenendael, or a well-bred Great Dane and a poorly bred one, you need this workshop.

Aesthetics versus temperament, when you breed for ‘looks,’ temperament often changes. When you breed for ‘temperament,’ aesthetics change. Knowing what you’re looking at is essential! Over years of selective breeding, a breed’s integrity can be significantly compromised.

Yes, understanding the origins of a breed is essential, but so are the nuances of recent physiological and psychological changes in breeds.

In our usual CIDBT style, we welcome all opinions. Our main aim is to help you navigate the fascinating world of dogs and, most importantly, to approach your next client with eyes wide open!

Upon successful completion you will receive the CIDBT Certificate in ‘Breed Specific Canine Behaviour Studies for Professionals’