Can Dogs Recognise Different Breeds?

[Sam&Saki]

I think dogs recognise other breeds that look like them and have similar body language and playing style.

I think it's more like recognising that somebody speaks the same language as you, than a nationality / breed thing.

Saki gets excited seeing Mals, Sibes, Samoyeds - basically other large-ish Spitz breeds with upright ears and curly tails. These breeds come from different parts of the world to Akitas, but they all speak the same doggy language, so to speak.

And as Lo Pan said, dogs with floppy ears, dropped tails and no ruff are often are fearful / aggressive around Saki, due to misunderstanding her body language.

So IMO it's a doggy body language thing.

[sandgrubber]

In kennels . . . mixing dogs . . . I have a lot of trouble with other dogs not liking SBT's. I'm pretty sure it's body language. In SBT language a good body slam is 'hello'. In other breeds it seems to be an invite to fight.

With my own breed . . . Labbies generally like other Labbies and seem to be fond of Ridgies and not-so-fond of shephards.

[mita]

Apart from my tibbies being ultr-tribal with other tibbies, the other dogs they accept depend on behaviour (or some kind of body language), not on breed. They avoid twittery, hyper dogs (& that's nearly all dogs to a buddhist self-possessed tibbie! )

But the dogs they do select out as APPROVED are those who've got a sense of calm & confidence about them.

Like, at a Dogs Day Out, they'll ignore most dogs, but give the paws up to a magnificent Rottie with a magnificent temperament. And I agreed with them! Or a lovely greyhound adopted via the GAP program.

When the racing greyhound at the back had 11 puppies, the tibbies ignored 10 of them....but treated a fawn girl as one of their own. And she was different.....very self-possessed & confident for her age. The greyhound vet later picked her out as the best in his opinion. The owner told him that the tibbies next door had beaten him to it!

Edited February 3, 2010 by mita

[voloclydes]

um my dally talks differently to other dallys its a tottally different tone....

the noise of it.... very funny tho. does not do it with other breeds. not even our jrts....

[Kynta]

My Dobes have always recognised their own breed. I had one Dobe who hated Standard Poodles and to this day I don't know why. He hadn't had any bad encounters that I was aware of (and I never picked up on any poodle poking their tongue at him but maybe)!

[sparkycat]

Our old GSD X was attacked by a BC when she was young and for the rest of her life she hated BCs with a passion -she could spot one across a huge sports oval and off she would go.

Even though she is no longer with us I still have a BC "watch" going

[Di*]

When the racing greyhound at the back had 11 puppies, the tibbies ignored 10 of them....but treated a fawn girl as one of their own. And she was different.....very self-possessed & confident for her age. The greyhound vet later picked her out as the best in his opinion. The owner told him that the tibbies next door had beaten him to it!

That's funny! Perhaps we could leave the temp testing of rescues to them!

Di

[mita]

When the racing greyhound at the back had 11 puppies, the tibbies ignored 10 of them....but treated a fawn girl as one of their own. And she was different.....very self-possessed & confident for her age. The greyhound vet later picked her out as the best in his opinion. The owner told him that the tibbies next door had beaten him to it!

That's funny! Perhaps we could leave the temp testing of rescues to them!

Di

I saw a similar thing with Angel, our tiny tibbie, who was a small dog tester for the GAP program. We'd always get to the test place before the grey to be tested. Angel would see the grey coming towards her & be as happy and confident about meeting a new 'friend'. She was right, they were fantastic dogs. Proving right the good racing owners who'd picked the GAP option for them.

But one day, with one grey, Angel's body language was different.....her usually upcurled tail went down & she was a bit more tibbie-still than usual. But the testing went OK. Then I learned that this grey had not come via the usual GAP route from racing people who'd picked a best option. But had come to the new owners from the RSPCA shelter. And these owners needed to have her tested in line with new laws about pet greyhounds.

The little dog had picked up some subtle difference.

It'd be interesting to know if experienced foster-carers see their own dogs picking up subtle differences in the rescue dogs they take in.

[Di*]

When the racing greyhound at the back had 11 puppies, the tibbies ignored 10 of them....but treated a fawn girl as one of their own. And she was different.....very self-possessed & confident for her age. The greyhound vet later picked her out as the best in his opinion. The owner told him that the tibbies next door had beaten him to it!

That's funny! Perhaps we could leave the temp testing of rescues to them!

Di

I saw a similar thing with Angel, our tiny tibbie, who was a small dog tester for the GAP program. We'd always get to the test place before the grey to be tested. Angel would see the grey coming towards her & be as happy and confident about meeting a new 'friend'. She was right, they were fantastic dogs. Proving right the good racing owners who'd picked the GAP option for them.

But one day, with one grey, Angel's body language was different.....her usually upcurled tail went down & she was a bit more tibbie-still than usual. But the testing went OK. Then I learned that this grey had not come via the usual GAP route from racing people who'd picked a best option. But had come to the new owners from the RSPCA shelter. And these owners needed to have her tested in line with new laws about pet greyhounds.

The little dog had picked up some subtle difference.

It'd be interesting to know if experienced foster-carers see their own dogs picking up subtle differences in the rescue dogs they take in.

If my chi x boy was relied on for testing, there'd be no border collies, labs or golden retrievers in rescue!

[Lowenhart]

Yes.

My old Afghan boy lived with a troop of Lowchen, he really likes other Afghans and Lowchen but disliked any other breed. One day I was surprised when he tentatively approached a powder puff Chinese Crested, only to have it turn away and he instantly backed off - he saw the hairy bum. LOL

I also have a Lowchen girl who got really excited by a dog in the distance, as it approached she realised it wasn't an Afghan but a Belgian Shepherd (Terv) and backed off. This particular girl got a huge fright from a Great Dane x and never liked red short coated dogs ever again.

[winewood]

My poor girl (cocker) was attacked by a beagle, now anything that even resembles a beagle she will have a go at and yes I also am on permernant beagle watch she is fine with most others . She also loves cav's went to classes with a couple and will go running at any cav's in the park to play with.

[GSDowner]

Gee, how many times I have heard when a small dog yapps at mine:

"Sorry but he does not like German Shepherds". Never mind that my "monster" German Shepherd is on a leash and their little s..t is dancing around him.

I feel like these dogs are racists against mine

Edited February 4, 2010 by GSDowner

[redangel]

A friends dog had a thing for dallys.....he would bark and act up if a dally crossed his path at a show. Problem was - he shared the same group as dallys so if in for the group specials it was always an interesting time if a dally was present. Dont think he had any bad experience with dallys......maybe he was more into stripes than spots!

[Swiss Girl]

my previous GSD used to get really excited everytime she saw any GSD, no matter what the colour, she definitely recognized the shape. My current dog doesn't care about other GSD, but she doesn't like golden retrievers (but loves labs), I dont know why as she never had a problem with one.

[Dame Aussie]

Interesting question, I've asked my OH what he thinks about this before!

I don't think they go into detail when they think of other dogs but I do think they have preferences.

For example when Lili was at Puppy Preschool her best mate was a Border Collie cross. She's an Aussie. When she sees little dogs she doesn't want anything to do with them but if she sees any kind of working/herding dog she chases them round like a maniac.

My boy Mosley (Anatolian Shepherd) loves EVERY DOG EVER BORN

[elsa]

I think they can. I have a German Shepherd and I used to have a Border Collie that she used to play with. When I take her to trials, she visibly recognises other German Shepherds first, then puppies (she loves puppies), then Border Collies. I have also noticed that she takes interest in other breeds that she has had good contact with, such as Min Schnauzers, cos a young one took a fancy to her once at a trial and they had a great play. Maybe its just that they see them, and wonder if its a dog they have known.

[*Lolapalooza*]

Lots of Border collies are racist against my berners they often fly at them at obedience.

My berners will drag me down the road if they see another berner without fail. They also love yellow dogs (goldens/labs), they like dark and red staffords too as my mum has one.

They definately recognise different breeds

[Scarlet]

It'd be interesting to know if experienced foster-carers see their own dogs picking up subtle differences in the rescue dogs they take in.

Not what you'd call experienced but over the 2 yrs I fostered I was sort of on the lookout to keep a second dog to my female BC. Now I wanted an older, quieter dog. Definately not another BC.

But when I fostered another red, young BC (Charlie) Maddy fell instantly in love with him. She got on with all the other fosters (all male as she is quite bossy) but she just had an instant rapport with him.

The funniest was my cat. Gypsie hated all the foster dogs and I continually had a baby gate up in the house so she could get away from them.

From day 1 Gypsie accepted Charlie and wasn't at all scared of him. He loves her too.

I have no idea if it because of his breed or because he is so very gentle.

[poochmad]

I definitely would say that they can recognise breeds. Henschke was attacked by a Boston Terrier (it latched on to his poor nose) and now he is very wary of them and won't say hello. Before he would go up to any dog.

[LizT]

My Cavalier girls always get excited whe nthey see another Cavalier atteh park and HAVE to say hello to them!!

Also they get very excited when they see a German Shepherd as we have one and they think it's their mate. Not always able to say Hello to every German Shepherd they meet but they would like to!! They met a bunch of youngsters socializing at KCC Park recently and were very happy to talk to the babies, didn't know that came in ther size!