Cliche's

From the desk of Tarma Shena

One of the things I notice most in the LGD world, and I am sure it goes on in other places as well but I don't care about that because that isn't what I am involved in.

Clichés by definition are a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. Don't miss that last part, "lacks original thought" this is worth repeating because as humans we tend to parrot information without checking it's validity, no pun intended.

Gossip Mongers is what we are.

How does this effect the LGD community? We are having conversations on a daily basis about the same thing, and rather than being able to have a meaningful conversation about purchasing the right dog for you, we spend our time beating back the "experts" who can spit out clichés faster than I can "two-thumb-type" on my phone. The only thing worse are the "breeders" who deal from the bottom of the deck motivated by the possibility of a sale.

I digress, if you are making a purchase ( as with any farm investment) it is important to do your research, however, I notice that this is a lost skill these days and we count public opinion as information.

Let me give you some examples of what this looks like;

- I bought a Maremma because Great Pyrenees roam.

- I bought a Great Pyrenees because Kangals are aggressive.

- I bought a Tornjak because rare breeds are better.

- I bought an Akbash because their short coat is better for the heat.

People think their ONE dog is representative of the breed, and believe, hook line and sinker, what the "breeder" tells them is "true".

If you ask me questions about my dogs, do they really display "X" trait, and you cannot site a reputable source for your information I won't waste my time.

If you tell me "AKC says their temperament should be thus and so" I will be happy to talk about how individuals can vary and how breeder goals can effect that.

If you tell me that you "saw on YouTube that Kangals are aggressive" you are a waste of my time and not the kind of person I want to sell a dog to anyway.

Popularity does not validate information, when someone asks what breed they should get and all the "experts" jump up and say "Get X breed, mine is great", they do not ask or offer any additional information.

They do not know about the environment, goals or setup of the person asking the question.

The did not share their environment, successes or failures during their journey to help the person know "why" they are making a recommendation.

If you call them out on this, their answer is always the same; "I didn't have time." They do not care if their comment is helpful or accurate, only that it is first.