Do dogs recognise breeds?

[JoanneF]

I have always taken it with a pinch of salt when people say 'my dog hates rotties/German shepherds/Jack Russells' or whatever, because while I totally get that they see size, weight etc, I thought they read body language and assessed that rather than recognised breed traits like colour, shape and so on. Now here's my issue. My dog is friendly but reserved around dogs he doesnt know, but playful with his pals. He has a chum we walk with often, a Dalmatian. Yesterday he met a different Dalmatian and played with her like he does with the one he knows well. This is quite out of character. Have I just been proved completely wrong in my theory? Look forward to hearing your experiences folks!

 

[gypsysmum]

I am sure they can differentiate between breeds. A friend's dog was attacked by a black Labrador and now does not like black Labradors. I think there are too many reports of it for it not to be so.

My old dog was frightened of an area where she was attacked. She did not associate the attack with a breed of dog but with the area it happened.

I knew a dog that had never seen a long coated dog in its life. When a Tibetan Terrier joined a training class the poor dog was terrified of it.

 

[Biker John]

My Whippet is friendly with most dogs, but she has different reactions to them. Roughly along the lines of ok with most dogs, happier with Sight Hounds and happiest with Whippets. Now if its connected to my reactions or not I dont of course know.

 

[Cash_Dolly]

I have had many sighthounds for many years and I can categorically say I have always found sighthounds are drawn towards other sighthounds. I have been lucky in that most of my dogs have been friendly but the lurchers and whippets would always want to say hello and play with other lurchers and whippets! I had one whippet who was very timid but two big greyhounds came bounding up to him (very big in comparison) and he was absolutely fine. I had my little whippet boy at an agricultural show in the summer and another whippet came running right up and her owner said she is normally timid with other dogs but ok with other whippets.

I also had a bull lurcher at one time and she was fine with other lurchers, could mix with almost any, was slightly off around other breeds, but DID NOT tolerate black labs! The difference was unreal!

As biker john says I suppose there may be something in the dog judging our reactions eg I am a HUGE sighthound fan and have a particular soft spot for whippets so if I see them I get excited and want to speak so there is a chance they feed of that. The same being that after a bad experience with a black lab as described above I may well have been giving off tension vibes on approach from black labs, as I had it in my head that the dog didn't like them

Generally though I think that yes they can tell to a certain extent

 

[4PawsandClaws.co.uk]

When I was younger my childhood dog was a border collie x rough collie (basically a black and white lassie!). When i was walking him and he say another border colllie he could lay down with his head flat on the floor (like they do when herding sheep) and would not move until the dog had passed by...and this ONLY happened with other border collies, no other dog, so I'm pretty sure some can recognise breeds, but whether it's by sight/ and/or smell we may never know

 

[dogmatize]

Cesar Milan in his book "Caesar's way" talks about running in the mountains with his pack of about 35 dogs,all off lead. He says that when he stops to rest they break up into breeds.The Rottweiler will go together,the pit bulls will all lie down together etc.

I know that when my whippet met a borzoi at the vet's she did a double take because we used to have one.She seemed to need to check if it might be him.