Nature versus nurture! I think most people in the dog world have heard of this debate: How much is inherited, and how much depends on how the puppies are raised or how well they have been “socialized?” Before I ever thought about breeding a litter, I had read the books by Dr. Konrad Lorenz and his theory of imprinting, and I had my first experience which convinced me that his theory was right—with a litter of cats!
“Kat” was a semi-feral barn kitten that we had acquired from a local farm for rodent control. I was her No. 1 person, Mother was No. 2, my brother No. 3, and she would never allow herself to be touched by another human hand. Her first litter was born in a broom cupboard near the back door and were affectionate, loving kittens. Her second litter were born away from the house and were about four weeks old when I found them in the roof of a disused stable. They hissed, scratched, and tried to bite me as I collected them and moved them into the old pump house. I fed them there, and over the next few weeks some were tamed enough to place in homes. The rest disappeared into the bushes and became feral cats. I realized that it was that handling of the first litter from birth that had made all the difference. But what of the ones that remained feral? Why could they not be tamed, though I was able to do it with some?
I have an example of my own experience back in England in my early days. I wanted to breed my bitch to an imported male whose bloodline was not otherwise available in the UK. I took my female to the stud dog on a typically gray, rainy English day. When we arrived, we were taken into the house and sat in front of a roaring fire. One of his owners took my girl’s leash and told us to stay there because the male would only breed a female outdoors. It was quickly accomplished, and the soaking wet male was taken back to the kennel. Nine weeks later, a healthy litter was born. The temperaments in the litter varied, surprisingly.
One male was super outgoing and showy; he went overseas where he gained his Championship title. The others had generally good temperaments, bar one. I had kept two females, one normal, the other was a total spook. The dam of the litter had an exemplary temperament, but the sire? I did not see him again for several months. A foreign visitor was touring a different kennel to meet breeders and see dogs (yes, that was what we did before social media and the Internet!). She wanted to see that particular dog, so his owners brought him out, but he slipped his lead and ran and ran. His owners could not catch him! A group of us had to fan out and corner him, making him go back to the house and kennel where his owners were able to leash him. He was an example of extreme shy/spooky temperament, but at that time and in that place he had other qualities and bloodlines that could not be found elsewhere.
The genetics of a shy temperament are not yet known; maybe in the future? In the meantime, we have to go by what we know of the dogs in front of us and their parents, going all the way back as far as we can. Should a shy dog be bred from if it could be hereditary? Thirty to 40 years ago, I would have said, “Why bother?” Can you not find a better male out there somewhere? Today, with the catastrophic reduction in breed numbers in many breeds and the continuing loss of the gene pool, sometimes there is little to no choice when taking all necessary things into consideration. Structure, breed type, health, and temperament are all important. What is necessary is to stop making excuses; drop the denial and look at everything. Do not duplicate problems of any type, and move ahead in the next generation. A shy bitch should be bred to a rock-solid, stable male, just as you would not want to duplicate a structural fault or any other flaw. If one of the puppies is a spook, acknowledge it, do not deny it or blame it on a lack of socialization.
Yes, temperament does have a genetic component, but choices must be made according to circumstances. Many breeds are now facing too much genetic loss—and more needs to be carefully preserved. That is why I think more attention needs to be paid to the AKC (American Kennel Club) Purebred Preservation Bank (AKC PPB), before it is too late.
