Dog Breeds and Suspicious Minds

What dog breeds are specifically described as being aloof, or even not liking, strangers? You should know this because when you pick a breed like this, and your dog shows that kind of response, this is NOT something wrong with the dog, instead there is something wrong with your perspective of that dog. 

I see people pick dogs like this, either from specific breeds, or individual dogs like this, and then spend a ton of money trying to socialize and train that out of their dog. That isn’t fair to the dog, and it isn’t going to work. And for a trainer to accept such an assignment, without recognizing and educating their students, is not fair to either the people or the dog. What do you do? Love the dog, work with what you have, be realistic about your dog, not forcing strangers onto your dog or forcing your dog to "like" strangers, recognize that this trait was selected for long ago to help the dog do its original job, and then train, supervise and manage your dog correctly. For some dogs, it is just mild disinterest in strangers, others clear suspicion, and other dogs actively reject getting to know anyone other than the person or family they are bonded to.

Here is the list (yes, you will find specimens that aren't aloof or suspicious, but that doesn't negate what I'm saying here), combining results from the AKC and FCI. There are probably more than this, but I’d have to do a lot more research and that would take too much time just for this article. You will have to dig and do it yourself before you either decide to get a dog or try to change what your dog is doing.

Afghan Hound, Akita, American Eskimo Dog, Anatolian Shepherd, Appenzeller Sennenhund, Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Azawakh, Basenji, Beauceron, Belgian Malinois, Bernese Mountain Dog, Black Russian Terrier, Boerboel, Bouvier des Flandres, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Canaan Dog, Cane Corso, Caucasian Ovcharka, Chinook, Chow Chow, Czechoslovakian Vlcak, Doberman Pinscher, Dogo Argentino, Dutch Shepherd, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, Eurasier, Fila Brasileiro, Finnish Spitz, German Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, German Spitz, German Wirehaired Pointer, Giant Schnauzer (in fact all the Schnauzers), Great Pyrenees, Greyhound, Kangal Dog, Kishu Ken, Komondor, Kuvasz, Lhasa Apso, Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, Norwegian Lundehund, Peruvian Inca Orchid, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Portuguese Water Dog, Press Canario, Puli, Pyrenean Shepherd, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Rottweiler, Saluki, Schipperke, Shar-Pei, Shiba Inu, Siberian Husky, Sloughi, Spanish Mastiff, Spanish Water Dog, St Bernard, Thai Ridgeback, Tibetan Mastiff, Tibetan Spaniel, Tibetan Terrier, XL Bully, Wetterhoun. 

Do you have one of these breeds? This topic is especially important to consider when you get a dog that is bigger, stronger, and more determined than you. For example, if you get a giant 140+ lb. molosser, and you are not so big, not so strong, can’t hold such a dog back if it is full-on aroused to action, then you aren’t being very smart. And you are endangering your dog, other people, and yourself. You are letting the image of the dog override any good sense. Leave the big dogs to people who can handle them. And if you have such a dog now, then you need to double up on the training to take the control as far as possible, yet being humane to the dog by not bullying them. The rules of good dog training don't go out the door just because you want a quick fix.