great working dog, great temperment, great with people/kids, great with bitches, great with some dogs, wants to be the boss all the time with others, I'm getting embarassed at times. fantastically obedient dog, well thought of in working circles, but still agressive. Suggestions please ?.

Can you be a bit more specific guest? What does he do?

Iam sorry guest how can your dog be great in temperament and be aggressive , it doesent figure , Mari

Mari, brings up a point though - what is a good temperament?

I'm sure all of us have heard more times than's good enough about the dog that has a good temperament except for one exception or one nasty incident. I don't buy that myself, but I do think that, for instance, a sighthound that is aloof with (not scared of) strangers actually has a more 'correct' temperament than one that loves everybody indiscriminately. And for all that my old Bully was a lovely dog she loved people far too much to guard her own tail. I don't imagine that is correct for a bullmastiff?

So how much emphasis do people here put on breed characteristics - guarding behaviour, gameness in terriers, aloofness in sighthounds etc - that doesn't quite fit in with the 'overall' picture of 'good temperament'?

Hi everyone, I dont think about different breeds having different kinds of good temprement, this is what I would expect from any dog that I may own:- Will allow me to do anything to them without snapping. I do not expect them to like everything, ie nail cutting, teeth cleaning, but I do expect them to allow me to do it without protest. I expect all my dogs to allow visitors in and out of the house without any trouble. Some of mine greet visitors more affectionally than others,( some remain slightly aloof and visitors will only get a gentle tail wag, whereas others greet visitors joyously) I would not live with a dog that had to be shut away when visitors come, in case they got bitten. I expect all my dogs to allow me to take anything away from them without protest, wether it be a bone, dinner, toy, or something they shouldnt have or was dangerous.
All my dogs have to learn to travel quietly and in a relaxed manner. I couldnt stand a dog that leapt all over the car barking and scrabbling.
Temprement to me dosnt just mean what the breed standard expects, to me it means a dog that can be trusted with strangers, that can be trusted to behave when its out, and particularly one that is trustworthy with children. It makes me smile when I hear people say.....oh yes he has a wondeful temprement, but he dosnt like kids, wont let people out of the house etc!! Whats wonderful about that? There is one exception I will make. If a bitch has new babies and is suspicious of strangers about. I dont particularly like the idea , but I do realise that it is natures way of mum looking after her babies. Im really not an old ogre, who expects to have saints and not animals, I just think you owe it to any dog, to train it as a pleasant member of society.

Phillipa you are describing a well brought up animal here. You can have an absolutely unruly hooligan who still has a good temperament.

I have met such, that wouldn't allow anyone to do things to them, until taugtht to allow it, but have never bitten or been unreliable, but have challenged your right to do something to them, having never learnt better. I would imagine meekness or submissiveness in these circumstances would actually be considered weak temperamnet.

I am afraiud that I beleive what is correct charcter for one breed is not for another, and temeprament that you ar3 describing is lack of vice! all those things you describe have to be learnt, and I know two hooligans who happily behave as you say, but before they learnt better would hve challenged and tried to bluff their way out of the situation by protesting with snarls and snaps of the air!

Hi Brainless, good temprement to me is NOT something you teach, it is the natural temprement of the dog. I do not consider a meek dog to have a weak temprement, just a quieter temprement to some others of perhaphs the same breed. Some dogs can be quiet and well behaved, but can still be considered to be of a bad temprement, as they can get really nasty over nothing in particular. I think our ideas on this topic are very different, so shall we agree to disagree?:) Thats what this board is all about (In my opinion) people all have different points of view, and thats what makes it all so interesting!!