When I was going to sleep, for some reason I was thinking about this thing about strong dogs. For once, not actually mentally strong dogs but physically strong dogs. I pondered a bit about what that means, and for what reasons we perceive a dog as physically strong.
As references I will of course use my own dogs as well as experiences with other people's dogs I have worked with.
Ella and Boyo are the ones that are closest to each other, because they are both shepherds, and also has lived/lives with me. Ella was a smaller dog than Boyo – it differs roughly 15 – 18 centimeters in height, and around 5 kilos in weight. Boyo is quite tall to be a German shepherd, Ella was small and very petite for a bitch.
Despite that I experienced Ella as significantly stronger than Boyo.
What I have concluded to lie behind our experience of a dog's strength are slightly different things;
- Will
- Instinct
- Muscle strength
- Weight
- Center of gravity (high/low)
- Tool (leash/harness/nose halter)
- Dog/human relationship
Will
When a dog want something – until that super exciting spot, until another dog or human, to the food, the toy/resource or whatever, then it is very easy to perceive it as strong. The will puts a little extra force behind the dog's body weight, muscle mass and so on.
Instinct
For example, do you have a dog with a hunting instinct (both Ella and Boyo had and have a hunting instinct towards hares/rabbits, cats (outdoor), birds, hedgehogs, squirrels etc) then that will kicks in, and the dog suddenly becomes super strong when it gets the urge to go after something moving. But a dog that reacts with fear to something unexpected can also be perceived as strong, because the desire to escape becomes greater than the desire to stay.
Muscle strength
Some dogs are pure mountains of muscle, and muscles undeniably give strength. Other dogs do not have quite as much muscle mass, and thus will not be quite as strong either.
Weight
Major, stronger dogs are probably perceived as stronger than small dogs of a couple of kilos. My question is whether it is the weight that “is” the strength (we who are not strong enough to resist those X number of kilos who want something else), or if the dog is actually physically strong.
Center of gravity
My personal opinion is that the further down a dog has its center of gravity (the smaller the dog is, in other words), the stronger it becomes. A small dog pulling on the leash has an easier time causing my entire upper body to fall forward, than a larger dog has, because the center of gravity is at different heights. For that reason, I prefer larger dogs, as I find it easier to handle them on a leash walk. However, I think that this is something that is experienced differently from person to person.
Tool
Depending on how one's dog walks on a leash, it works differently well with different tools. My personal favorite is the noseband. Ella needed one, because she was quite uncomfortable to join (hon “hung” happy to be on a leash and always wanted to move forward). I started with a noseband at Boyo as well, when he started mopping as a young dog. Because I think it's such an incredibly comfortable way to walk a dog, so I continued, although he would probably do well with a necklace as well.
Sele, However, is something I wouldn't pick up with tongs, unless I have a very specific purpose for it – e.g. for the dog to pull something. In my world, you lose a lot of control when you have a harness on your dog, and probably the dog's strength is also perceived as very much greater.
Relation
Do you have one a bad relationship with your dog can result in it generally behaving badly on walks. When the dog chooses not to listen, to do as it pleases, takes liberties without checking with his human first, is it easy to perceive the dog as strong. The relationship and interaction is what lies behind how well you get your dog to function on a walk (how “well trained” the dog is).
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One more reason that I even started thinking about this, is how at least a couple of people at different times have thought Boyo is so freaking strong. I admit that I have a very hard time understanding it, because I don't think so – at all, actually.
Indeed he is large enough to have decent strength, but I find him more playful than strong, even when he hesitates and wants to rush after hares, rabbits, birds and so on.
I suspect that there are many people who think that they should train their dog not to use its strength, even if you would like to have a well-muscled dog. My way of dealing with it is precisely by – deal with it. When my dog sees a hare running, he wants to run after it – so I get to handle it, there and then.
Then it is also so that you know your dog well, which I assume most people do, so you soon learn what is needed to handle a situation.
Boyo becomes very fluttery and stiff when he wants to go after something, but his physical strength is the least disturbing thing about it.
The me instead what pisses me off is his complete lack of awareness of where his body is, and when he shoves his whole rear end behind my knees so I trip around while trying to calm my muppy dog. 😀
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How do you feel? your dog's physical strength? Do you think my thoughts on the matter are relevant?, or am I completely out cycling? 😀