26/07/2026
I dislike sweeping statements to describe any dog breed but I particularly dislike it when describing LGD breeds.
Mostly, because it stops people from even bothering to try and help their dog ... "Well, he's barking at strangers and that's just what he is supposed to do" which means the poor dog spends his whole life getting frustrated & wound up whenever he sees strangers .... Spends his whole life taking on this imaginary role and spends his whole life never feeling supported by his humans.
But also, the other reason that I dislike sweeping statements is because they are not true!
"LGDs are great with kids" .... Yes, maybe they are. But, maybe they're not, too, and either way, the success of an LGD (or, any other breed!) living with children relies on many, many factors including how sensible the parents were when introducing the children & how well they promoted the correct way to let children & dogs interact.
"LGDs are not great with other dogs" ... Maybe! Maybe not. The same as any other breed, if that LGD missed out on critical, early socialisation or if that socialising was done poorly ... If that LGD had negative experiences.... Genetics ... Health problems .... The exact same issues as any other breed means that your LGD may or may not be good with other dogs.
"LGDs don't like strangers - it's normal for them to bark at people. He's just doing his job" .... Maybe!! However, many of the LGDs that I Assess for "barking at people" or "reactive towards other dogs" are not actually doing it out of 'protection' and they are not "just doing their job" but they are incredibly frustrated and caught up in a cycle of practising a learnt behaviour over & over again with no way of getting off the MerryGoRound. Once we've put them on the right path they are not actually reactive towards strangers or dogs at all.
"LGDs are great with livestock " ... You'd think!! But, I've known plenty of LGDs who have injured their flock because, sometimes, they need additional support, guidance & training to become amazing Livestock Guardian Dogs.
The temperament & behaviour of your LGD (and every other dog on the planet) is not defined by their genetics alone and you cannot offer sweeping statements with any real certainty. Of course, breed traits matter and of course, you need to be aware of the behaviour which you may expect to see from your chosen breed of dog but also, you should be prepared to step-up and do some training to help with that behaviour - the majority of these issues can be worked through & helped.
The genetics, the early experiences, the critical exposure to novel stimuli, the way in which you handle, control & train your dog, the health & medical history ALL plays a part in how your dog is behaving NOT genetics alone 🐾🐾
