In the same theme as yesterday's post, people suggesting people get a particular breed because they own one.
I get it. You love your chosen breed. You've had great experiences with them, they're a good match for you. However....
Not everyone is.
Just as not everyone is suitable to take on a random rescue dog, not everyone will be a good match for your breed. But I see it time and time again. People, the general public, suggesting people get their own breed because....
They're wonderful.
They're great with kids.
They're fun.
They're mellow.
They're sweet.
They're loyal.
They're smart.
And so on.....
And they do truly believe their breeds are that. Their own dogs have probably been that to them. I'm NOT denying that.
What I am denying is that any given breed is suitable for any given person. It's simply not true. EVERY breed has their pros and cons. EVERY SINGLE BREED. That is NOT a bad thing. If anything, it makes dogs in all their different breeds, that much more interesting in their diversity.
You should absolutely take pride in the differences, the challenges, the quirks, the traits that make your breed that breed. And if you REALLY care about your breed, you'll stop trying to shove them down everyone's throat.
Yes, they're great. They're particularly great for you! That's awesome!
However, not everyone can deal with a Lab's energy, especially when they're young. Most Labradors get dumped within the first 2 years because they are slow to mature and can be more than just a handful. That's one of their downsides, it takes a few years for them to mellow out. Let me ask you, if you are a Lab person.....
Do you LIKE the fact that so many Labradors get dumped?
The answer, if you really care about Labrador Retrievers, should be "No". You should not want to see this breed in shelters or rescues at all. So why do you recommend them to anyone and everyone? Because you want to share your awesome breed? Then share them with the right people. Be honest. If you see someone who isn't very active, don't encourage them to get a Lab. Tell them the downsides to the breed, why the breed probably is probably a bad fit. Encourage them to make an educated and informed choice, encourage research into other breeds that are more suitable for their lifestyle.
The same goes for any breed.
And please, please, please, do not try to push a breed that is totally opposite of what a person is looking for onto them.
Furthermore, I also feel that with the general public's suggestions with breeds, is out of hand. You see the same common breeds being suggested over and over and over. I don't hate popular breeds, but I do hate popularity for what it does to a breed. Encouraging that popularity of already popular breeds to continue to grow is BAD for those breeds. Willy nilly interest is bad for any breed.
If you're going to be one of those people who gives recommendations, please.....research and learn breeds yourself. You don't need to know all the ins and outs of all of the breeds, but having a good general idea of breeds they may want to check into, especially outside of the common breeds, DOES make an impact of "Wow, I've never heard of that breed before" and sometimes encourages further research. And who knows, their perfect match might just be a breed that needs a little bit of a boost.
It's no secret that I love rare breeds and want to see them stick around long after I'm gone. I also want to encourage people to look at the dog world as a whole, see it as vast and amazing as I do, and encourage people to research instead of just diving into the first breed they get told they should get. I want to see a world where most people research breeds they're interested in more so than they do appliances, cars, and computers. I want to see a world where impulse buying of pets is not the main thing that happens (because there will always be odd things that happen, the oops litters, shelter dogs-yes I consider that buying, experienced people looking for a dog suddenly and a breeder may have had a buyer or 3 back out, etc).
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