Why are there so many different kinds of dogs - Kathleen Morrill Pirovich
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Date: 2025-09-01
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Comments and reviews: 20
rofa6086
I'd say biggest inheritable personality traits are the breeds working traits. For example, sighthounds have a strong instinct to chase and pin/kill their prey, but they wont bring it back to their master. Shepard dogs move their flock according to directions from the shepard, whilst flock guardians will independently assess risk and protect their flock with their life. Most Terriers will kill everything small that moves. Pointers will show[point] their quarry to the hunter, flushing dogs will flush the the birds to the sky so the hunter can shoot them down and the retriver retrives the carcasses to their master. Huskies have prey drive, but they hunt to feed on the kill, one of the few dogs that hunt down animals to eat, as they were to feed themselves when needs must be in the cold tundra. Hunting hounds can scent and lead the hunter to the prey, and most spitz type hunting dogs bark to stop they prey until the hunter comes to finish the job.
All these traits decend from the wolf, we have just isolated the parts of the wolf (hunting) behaviour for our needs.
For example, herding is just hunting/stalking with the killing instinct suppressed. We needed them for a specific jobs as we evolved as a species, and dogs were happy to oblige.
I know I must have missed some behaviours or misremembered, so please add your own input. I dont know much about hunting dogs beyond their basics.
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I'd say biggest inheritable personality traits are the breeds working traits. For example, sighthounds have a strong instinct to chase and pin/kill their prey, but they wont bring it back to their master. Shepard dogs move their flock according to directions from the shepard, whilst flock guardians will independently assess risk and protect their flock with their life. Most Terriers will kill everything small that moves. Pointers will show[point] their quarry to the hunter, flushing dogs will flush the the birds to the sky so the hunter can shoot them down and the retriver retrives the carcasses to their master. Huskies have prey drive, but they hunt to feed on the kill, one of the few dogs that hunt down animals to eat, as they were to feed themselves when needs must be in the cold tundra. Hunting hounds can scent and lead the hunter to the prey, and most spitz type hunting dogs bark to stop they prey until the hunter comes to finish the job.
All these traits decend from the wolf, we have just isolated the parts of the wolf (hunting) behaviour for our needs.
For example, herding is just hunting/stalking with the killing instinct suppressed. We needed them for a specific jobs as we evolved as a species, and dogs were happy to oblige.
I know I must have missed some behaviours or misremembered, so please add your own input. I dont know much about hunting dogs beyond their basics.
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ronaldpikksaar2202
So what is the answer Why is there so many dog breeds Unbelievable. 5 minutes to talk about nothing and still not answering the question. I thought Ted was supposed to be educational but people who don't know anything about dogs and dog breeds end up knowing even less now thanks to the uninformative video. Even misinformative. So first off - what study or studies are you talking about References please, not just promoting your own web traffic. Second - if certain traits are present in closely related breeds, are they not considered to be breed specific For you, probably not, but that's really important information for actual breeders. And most importantly, if you are talking about breeds and traits then why do you only look at traits present and not the ones that are missing. That's right, some traits have been breed OUT of certain dog populations. Breeding OUT traits is as important part of breeding as breeding FOR specific traits. The topic of the video has nothing to do with the title and you are most probably not even talking about the dogs anyway. Which is why you talk for 5 minutes but fail to answer anything.
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So what is the answer Why is there so many dog breeds Unbelievable. 5 minutes to talk about nothing and still not answering the question. I thought Ted was supposed to be educational but people who don't know anything about dogs and dog breeds end up knowing even less now thanks to the uninformative video. Even misinformative. So first off - what study or studies are you talking about References please, not just promoting your own web traffic. Second - if certain traits are present in closely related breeds, are they not considered to be breed specific For you, probably not, but that's really important information for actual breeders. And most importantly, if you are talking about breeds and traits then why do you only look at traits present and not the ones that are missing. That's right, some traits have been breed OUT of certain dog populations. Breeding OUT traits is as important part of breeding as breeding FOR specific traits. The topic of the video has nothing to do with the title and you are most probably not even talking about the dogs anyway. Which is why you talk for 5 minutes but fail to answer anything.
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SorenAlba54
Yes, the amount of dog breeds is insane when comparing them to other domesticated animals. If that wasn’t enough, like people, each of them of different personality traits that defines them in a cellular level. For example, I watched an episode of a scenario of how the world turn out after humans were gone, they claimed that the Anatolian Shepherd will be the only dog breed that will remain the same by protecting the sheep and avoiding mating with wolves or other wild dogs because their training and demeanor are so ingrained in their minds that even after a 1, 000 years without people, they’ll still be around being unchanged. Dogs are quite the beast that man has come to terms with; given how strong and loyal they are towards us since the beginning. Keep on teaching us, TED-Ed.
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Yes, the amount of dog breeds is insane when comparing them to other domesticated animals. If that wasn’t enough, like people, each of them of different personality traits that defines them in a cellular level. For example, I watched an episode of a scenario of how the world turn out after humans were gone, they claimed that the Anatolian Shepherd will be the only dog breed that will remain the same by protecting the sheep and avoiding mating with wolves or other wild dogs because their training and demeanor are so ingrained in their minds that even after a 1, 000 years without people, they’ll still be around being unchanged. Dogs are quite the beast that man has come to terms with; given how strong and loyal they are towards us since the beginning. Keep on teaching us, TED-Ed.
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OgawaBurukkuART
I think breed traits can manifest as personalities. A golden retriever might have a playful personality because he has more energy than a basset hound or pug or something, and a dachshund is very stubborn because they have been bred to go after badgers or wait for them patiently to reappear above ground. My Italian greyhound is such a couch potato and doesn’t care for other dogs, but he was bred to basically sit on royal laps and follow servants around. Japanese dogs like shiba inu and akita can be very standoffish to other people but very loving with their owners because they were bred to be guard dogs. I definitely prefer a dog with some traits over other dog breeds, and whenever I meet another Italian greyhound owner we have a lot of OMG mine too! moments.
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I think breed traits can manifest as personalities. A golden retriever might have a playful personality because he has more energy than a basset hound or pug or something, and a dachshund is very stubborn because they have been bred to go after badgers or wait for them patiently to reappear above ground. My Italian greyhound is such a couch potato and doesn’t care for other dogs, but he was bred to basically sit on royal laps and follow servants around. Japanese dogs like shiba inu and akita can be very standoffish to other people but very loving with their owners because they were bred to be guard dogs. I definitely prefer a dog with some traits over other dog breeds, and whenever I meet another Italian greyhound owner we have a lot of OMG mine too! moments.
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lifemotivation6789
This research really challenges the way we think about dogs. If only about 9% of personality traits are linked to breed, then should we still rely so heavily on breed stereotypeslike assuming pit bulls are aggressive or golden retrievers are always friendly
It makes me wonder: Are we overvaluing breed and undervaluing training, environment, and socialization when it comes to a dog’s behavior
Maybe the bigger truth is that how we raise and interact with dogs matters far more than the label of their breed. What do you thinkis breed destiny, or is personality shaped more by nurture
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This research really challenges the way we think about dogs. If only about 9% of personality traits are linked to breed, then should we still rely so heavily on breed stereotypeslike assuming pit bulls are aggressive or golden retrievers are always friendly
It makes me wonder: Are we overvaluing breed and undervaluing training, environment, and socialization when it comes to a dog’s behavior
Maybe the bigger truth is that how we raise and interact with dogs matters far more than the label of their breed. What do you thinkis breed destiny, or is personality shaped more by nurture
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abc_cba
What saddens me is despite millions of stray dogs on streets of India,
People prefer to purchase bred dogs instead of adopting stray pups.
The recent Suprem Court verdict saddened me.
But it's a cultural thing, our people will do everything to flex high society vibes instead of staying grounded no matter what class of society.
But in a country with millions of children hired into beggar mafia, with government doing nothing for them instead spend heavily for their own lavishes all paid from our taxes, I don't expect anything, either.
: (
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What saddens me is despite millions of stray dogs on streets of India,
People prefer to purchase bred dogs instead of adopting stray pups.
The recent Suprem Court verdict saddened me.
But it's a cultural thing, our people will do everything to flex high society vibes instead of staying grounded no matter what class of society.
But in a country with millions of children hired into beggar mafia, with government doing nothing for them instead spend heavily for their own lavishes all paid from our taxes, I don't expect anything, either.
: (
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Phootaba
I grown up around guarding and shepherds on the larger side >40 and what I come to realize is that the important part is to account for the hearding and guarding aspects.
The owner also informs the dogs so much how they should interact towards strangers, two or more legged.
It's really hurts me when people generalise that this breed is always aggressive or not.
Especially Staffordshire, and amstaffs are such sweet little babies when raised with love.
For sure they're dense as a cannon ball, but they're the sweetest cannon ball there is
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I grown up around guarding and shepherds on the larger side >40 and what I come to realize is that the important part is to account for the hearding and guarding aspects.
The owner also informs the dogs so much how they should interact towards strangers, two or more legged.
It's really hurts me when people generalise that this breed is always aggressive or not.
Especially Staffordshire, and amstaffs are such sweet little babies when raised with love.
For sure they're dense as a cannon ball, but they're the sweetest cannon ball there is
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AppalachianLady
One of the factors that's often overlooked in animal behavior is how the mother (the Dam) behaves, I worked with a wide variety of animals throughout my life and you can almost always predict an animal's behavior based on its mother's behavior; if she's friendly and outgoing her Offspring will likely be friendly and outgoing however if she's aggressive or fearful her Offspring will often act the same way.
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One of the factors that's often overlooked in animal behavior is how the mother (the Dam) behaves, I worked with a wide variety of animals throughout my life and you can almost always predict an animal's behavior based on its mother's behavior; if she's friendly and outgoing her Offspring will likely be friendly and outgoing however if she's aggressive or fearful her Offspring will often act the same way.
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ArcadianCatharsis
Different breeds end up having different needs
And when you're constantly trying to get something it creates a habit, and specific habits of a dog get specific reactions from owners, and that definitely shapes the personality of the dog. Not every dog will be so tired and hot in Sun because of their Winter coat, like huskies or others. Some dogs are so small, they easily get anxious.
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Different breeds end up having different needs
And when you're constantly trying to get something it creates a habit, and specific habits of a dog get specific reactions from owners, and that definitely shapes the personality of the dog. Not every dog will be so tired and hot in Sun because of their Winter coat, like huskies or others. Some dogs are so small, they easily get anxious.
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Eleora1997Msia
nothing is more special than a hybrid mix mutt.
Is one of it's own kind in your lifetime.
When it's gone, you never met again the same dog breed of pedigree ranked like you wished to had again, because it just only it i will think of.
it really is look different from any purebred dogs that paid extra. It had it's own beautiful feature once adopted. It just one kind.
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nothing is more special than a hybrid mix mutt.
Is one of it's own kind in your lifetime.
When it's gone, you never met again the same dog breed of pedigree ranked like you wished to had again, because it just only it i will think of.
it really is look different from any purebred dogs that paid extra. It had it's own beautiful feature once adopted. It just one kind.
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awesomehpt8938
Humans have gone too far with making these dog breeds. Now we’ve got a whole bunch of breeds that have predisposition towards serious illnesses.
Organ failure, difficulty breathing deformities or weaknesses in the skeleton etc.
All to make things like handbag dogs or ones with spots or ones with curly hairs.
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Humans have gone too far with making these dog breeds. Now we’ve got a whole bunch of breeds that have predisposition towards serious illnesses.
Organ failure, difficulty breathing deformities or weaknesses in the skeleton etc.
All to make things like handbag dogs or ones with spots or ones with curly hairs.
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pelaehj
It’s really important to mention that breeding in general is a super cruel practice since around 150 years ago. Most of the breeds today have been developed only for their aesthetics, which have developed horrible lifelong consequences for the dogs. If we really love dogs we shouldn’t buy them, only adopt them.
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It’s really important to mention that breeding in general is a super cruel practice since around 150 years ago. Most of the breeds today have been developed only for their aesthetics, which have developed horrible lifelong consequences for the dogs. If we really love dogs we shouldn’t buy them, only adopt them.
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jasongacek6487
That was largely uninformative. Didn’t explain why only DOGS come in such a wide variety. We don’t have cats’ for example that vary from 2 lbs to 100lbs. Why is it that dogs and only dogs come in such a wide variety Well you won’t get the answer watching THIS video.
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That was largely uninformative. Didn’t explain why only DOGS come in such a wide variety. We don’t have cats’ for example that vary from 2 lbs to 100lbs. Why is it that dogs and only dogs come in such a wide variety Well you won’t get the answer watching THIS video.
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Artaimus
I have four mini-dachshunds and can honestly say that the breed as a whole is very strongly opinionated and are not afraid of telling you what that might be.
Even the shyest of them will turn into a demanding diva if things aren't going the way they want.
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I have four mini-dachshunds and can honestly say that the breed as a whole is very strongly opinionated and are not afraid of telling you what that might be.
Even the shyest of them will turn into a demanding diva if things aren't going the way they want.
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ted_ed
Fascinating! It makes me wonder how much of a dog’s personality comes from genetics versus environment. If breeds carry certain traits, but individual experiences shape behavior too, then maybe every dog is like a mix of nature and nurturejust like humans.
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Fascinating! It makes me wonder how much of a dog’s personality comes from genetics versus environment. If breeds carry certain traits, but individual experiences shape behavior too, then maybe every dog is like a mix of nature and nurturejust like humans.
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ted_ed
Responsible dog owners have spayed and neutered all of the heathy dogs. Irresponsible breeders are now the primary source of dogs. This dynamic could spell doom for the domestic dog. Out furry friends could face the same fate as the Cavendish banana.
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Responsible dog owners have spayed and neutered all of the heathy dogs. Irresponsible breeders are now the primary source of dogs. This dynamic could spell doom for the domestic dog. Out furry friends could face the same fate as the Cavendish banana.
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derkaiser420
The sad thing is humans created most dog breeds and for the majority of them, this is a bad thing. Dogs like Pugs and Chihuahua suffer for the majority of their lives. Bulldogs usually require a C-Section to give birth and most labs die of cancer.
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The sad thing is humans created most dog breeds and for the majority of them, this is a bad thing. Dogs like Pugs and Chihuahua suffer for the majority of their lives. Bulldogs usually require a C-Section to give birth and most labs die of cancer.
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ted_ed
Yes, dog breeds have very different personalities. Thank you for the video.
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Greetings.
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Yes, dog breeds have very different personalities. Thank you for the video.
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Greetings.
reply
realdocumentary12
There are so many kinds of dogs because humans selectively bred them for different jobs like hunting, guarding, and companionship. Over thousands of years, this breeding created the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and behaviors we see today.
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There are so many kinds of dogs because humans selectively bred them for different jobs like hunting, guarding, and companionship. Over thousands of years, this breeding created the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and behaviors we see today.
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rickseiden1
Breed specific behavior that I find adorable: Chin Spin. Japanese Chins tend to spin in circles when they get excited. They're cute little doggos already, but when they start to spin because you pulled out the treat bag, it just warms my heart.
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Breed specific behavior that I find adorable: Chin Spin. Japanese Chins tend to spin in circles when they get excited. They're cute little doggos already, but when they start to spin because you pulled out the treat bag, it just warms my heart.
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