Why One-Size-Fits-All Doesn’t Work for Dogs 🐾

Every breed was designed for a purpose. Discover why understanding your dog’s natural instincts leads to happier, more fulfilled pets.

Imagine This… 👽

Imagine if there was a race of aliens that kept humans as pets.

For some reason, they’d decided there was a one-size-fits-all approach to looking after us: walk us twice a day and give us crossword puzzles to do.

“My friend had a pet human once and they liked crossword puzzles…”

Sounds ridiculous, right?

But that’s essentially what we do to dogs.

The Forgotten Jobs of Dogs 🐕‍🦺

Walk around your neighbourhood and you’ll see all sorts of dogs — but each one was originally bred to do a very specific job:

Herding livestock 🐑
Pulling sleds and carts ❄️
Tracking and hunting 🦌
Retrieving game 🦆

For many breeds, those original jobs no longer exist. We’ve taken them away and replaced them with life as a family pet. The trouble is, we often treat them all the same: two trips to the park, a ball thrown over and over with a chuck-it, and maybe a short training class.

Breed Matters: You’re Not Just a Dog Owner 🐾

When you get a dog, you’re not just a dog owner. You’re a spaniel owner, a beagle owner, a collie owner…

Each breed is wired differently:

Spaniels love to search and use their noses.
Beagles are born to track.
Collies thrive on movement and chase.

These behaviours aren’t “bad habits” — they’re instincts, hardwired into your dog through generations of selective breeding.

Give Dogs the Outlet They Need 🎯

The key to a happy, well-adjusted dog is providing a safe, controlled outlet for their natural instincts. That means giving them activities that simulate the work they were bred for:

Play hide-and-seek games with your spaniel 🕵️‍♂️
Take your beagle to a scent work class 👃
Try agility with your collie 🏃‍♂️

When you understand what makes your dog tick and give them the right kind of enrichment, you’ll see a calmer, more content, and more fulfilled companion at home.

Final Thoughts 🌟

Dogs aren’t all the same, and they shouldn’t be treated as if they are. By recognising their breed traits and finding fun, positive ways to let them shine, you’ll build a stronger bond and a happier life together.

At Penarth Dog Training, I use reward-based methods to help dogs channel their natural instincts in safe, enjoyable ways. If you’d like support in understanding what drives your dog, get in touch — I’d love to help.