Just because they’re the same breed, doesn’t mean they’re the same

When people are looking for their first or second working type pup, we always recommend doing your research on the breed. This is really useful to get a broad idea of what that dog is going to be like, and an important first step. Are they herding breeds? Gun dogs? How do they do that job - eye, bark, nip? What are some common health issues to make sure breeders are testing for? Behavioural quirks to expect?

But this also leads people into a common trap, thinking that the breed is a homogenous pool of very similar dogs rather than a whole spectrum of characters who excel in different areas.

Here’s the thing. Two different dogs of the same breed but different lines (eg one bred from generations of working farm dogs, vs one bred from generations of pets or breed show dogs) can sometimes be as different from each other as a whole new breed. It’s for this reason I think knowing your individual line is often as - if not more - important than your actual choice of breed.

Take my two most special kelpies for example.

The top dog is Dash, who came to me as an adult rescue dog. Admittedly she did have some farming history, but she was more of a bench kelpie in appearance with that stockier frame (maybe a dash of collie in there too - who knows). She was the most laid back dog. Great with everyone, follow you everywhere and in between some half hearted work was happy to just chill.

The bottom dog is Needle, my current working line kelpie - bred and selected specifically to be intense and work tough cattle when I was farming. Besides having the same overarching breed name and pointy ears, she is pretty much the opposite of Dash in every way. And that’s okay, because they were bred with different traits in mind and this is the dog I signed up for.

Having put in the work and learned how to drive Needle, she’s a great dog and I wouldn’t be without her now. But if a strictly pet home met and figured they could handle a Dash style kelpie but went and got more of a strong working line dog like Needle who has been bred to emphasise certain traits, they would really struggle.

Both are kelpies, but they are not the same.

This same division in type is really obvious in a lot of different breeds. Collies with their show/pet, sport and working lines, spaniels with the working lines vs those bred more to be pets etc etc. It’s super important that we don’t skim over this key difference when discussing what breeds are like with new people to the breed eg in our breed specific facebook groups.

Of course in any line or even litter you’re going to have variation. In the working line litters there’ll often be one or two in a litter that aren’t going to cut it in a working role and better suit the pet life, and in the show lines you might get one or two that are really intense for work. You can get a range of temperaments. A great breeder should be able to help with appropriate selection in this department.

But if you want the smoothest ride & best chance of success possible, start with finding a breed that generally fits what you’re after. From there, do your homework on the different lines, contact a few breeders and look for someone specifically breeding dogs who have already been successful in the specific type of home you’re offering. Meet the parents and as many other relatives too, and see if they fit what you’re after - one breeder might have one dog that is more likely to produce a suitable pup for your lifestyle than another in the kennel. For a rescue, meet the parents if at all possible, meet the dog/puppy (with a good trainer if you’re unsure) and find one that shows the qualities you want.

A bit of homework up front can save a lot of work and stress in the back end.