Do you see a small dog like a shih Tzu and automatically think they are nippy and loud? Do you see a Pit Bull and automatically fear and think they will bite you? Do you see a collie and automatically think they are sweet and good natured?

I'm more of the mind that certain breeds are predisposed to certain traits. And it's up to the owner to cultivate the good traits and tame/train the bad traits.

We have a pit bull mix and when we met her at the SPCA we were given fair warning that they are a hard stubborn breed. But they are also super sweet, good natured and loyal. She was certainly hard to train and even to this day still tries to play dominance. It took a lot of training but she is really the sweetest most loyal and loving dog. She has an innate way of knowing when you're not feeling well. When one of us is sick she will stick by our side the whole day. If we're laying on the couch that's where she will be. If we get up to get a glass of water she will walk by our side.

On the flip side my ILs had a collie that has a lot of stranger anxiety and abandonment issues. Her previous owners were world travelers and would often leave her in a crate at a kennel for months at a time. She had HUGE issues with people leaving. The one time when I got up to leave she lunged at me and actually punctured through my jeans and left two teeth marks and drew blood. I would NEVER trust my baby around her dogs because as much of a huge dog lover she is, she sucks at training her dogs to listen well and be obedient.

What say you? Do you automatically assume a dog's trait to their breed?