How are your dogs like?

[Teresa]

 

I have two bitches, and love both of them, but they are completely different! I know each one of them has its own personality, but my dogs are oposite! Romã is what I believe to be a "normal" setter, very social, playfull, confident and easy going. Pitanga however is a very reserved dog, playfull but will not allow a stranger to touch her, and is very protective of me. And by protective i mean she will use her teeth if it comes to that! I love Pitanga, and I must say that she being so protective makes me feel very safe around her... But the more i get to know the breed, the more i get the feeling her behgavior and personality don't enterirely fit the normal patterns of the breed!

That is why I was wondering if some of you could describe your dogs... How are they like in terms of behavior, confidence, protectiveness, how they socialize, etc... Are there more dogs like Pitanga?

[Louise Perry]

Well I only have one and that is REuben who is 8 months old. He is extremely friendly, affectionate, loves all dogs and people. He doesn't like confrontation but since today has decided to tell younger pups off when they are causing trouble in a pack. He does get jealous especially wheny cat sits on my lap (Reuben banned from sofa at the mo) but will deal with it when told to go back. He is quite a calm pup and as people keep saying " Gosh he's calm for a setter, they are usually mental", Grrr....
He is very wilful but then I am extremely stubborn , so works well. I think he is fairly clever but just looks daft. I also think he is quite a stoic chap as I don't molly coddle him and he just learns to accept things ie, the car! He is very cute, cheeky and I love him to bits, even if he is an adolescent! The best thing is when we are out and having fun with doggy pals is that he runs by me every now and again as if to say " wow mum I love you for letting me have so much fun". And the look on his face is a big open mouth, sticky out tongue grin. Well I tink I could go on all night but that is Reuben as I see him!

[Ilona & Gina]

Hi Teresa!

Now that you are writing this, I wonder, too. Yes, there seem to be more Irish setters like Pitanga. I have always heard that Irish setters are so friendly, but I guess it is a generalization.

You may remember our dog Anton. He is afraid of children and barks at them. We haven't been able to fix the problem yet (he is fine with girls).

To start with, both pups were friendly with people and other dogs, but both had some not so nice encounters with both species.

One fisherman, who was standing on the dog beach - hello! hit Anton with the fishing rod because Anton sniffed at the bait in the open bucket. Since this incident, Anton has shied away from middle aged men. Children, especially young boys, frightened Anton when he was a pup, made funny noises, banged on the fence and went for him. So I am not surprised that he doesn't like kids. But Anton loves other dogs and likes to play - in contrast to Gina who sits on her bum and as close as possible to me, as soon as another dog approaches her. She doesn't like boys sniffing her bum, while she loves small female dogs, especially the white fluffy ones.

Gina was once kicked when she was little, because she jumped up at someone. This very same individual trod on her paw some weeks later. So Gina tends to avoid people, especially big chubby women who remind her of this indivicual. Sometimes, people try to make her come, but she doesn't. However, there are some people she really likes. Funny enough, these are the (very few) people I open up to.

Gina, our sweet little girl, is very protective, of me, Anton, my partner and in general, her territory. When someone gets too close, Gina can get a bit offish, even growl, be it a dog or a human. She growls when someone gets too close to our car, dog or human.

Once Anton and sweet Gina chased away a burglar! We heard a noise in the garden and went dashing out. There the two stood barking and growling and showing their teeth, while some guy must have fled over the fence. All we found was a brick on the lawn. And I am happy that both are alive. Sometimes you wonder about our friendly setters.

Maybe Pitanga had some similar experiences? Also I wonder whether dogs take on our weaknesses. Example: I am very shy - happy on my own, togehter with Gina and Anton, and I love other dogs. But I am shy around humans (not so much fellow dog owners). People, especially strangers, make me feel tense. I feel it in my shoulders. Also, I am very "pack" focussed. My family - which is my partner, my daughter, Gina and Anton are the centre of my emotional world. Gina seems to be the same, trying to keep the pack together.

Teresa, how do you feel around people? Tense or relaxed? (But then, why is your other dog so different?) Just trying to share some ideas here...

[Teresa]

Hi,
I absolutely loved your response!
Now you mention it, Pitanga does have the tendency to like who I like, and if she likes someone I don't know, I tend to like them as soon as I get to know them!
As for being protective, I think she might be like your Gina. Just the other day, there was a drunk man standing at our door, and when Pitanga tried to enter, he made an atempt to hit her. She backed of and waited for me. As I aproached the man, he tried to hit me as well. Pitanga transformed herself and jumped to the man, showing a big unfriendly "smile". she backed of as soon as I called her, and the man vanished from our sight.
On the other hand, with children and old people she is lovely and plays for hours with kids or will sit or lay down next to elderly for hours looking the happiest dog alive!
The truth is I love Pitanga and its good to know she loves me enough to jump on a drunk man to protect me, but she had such a strong reaction with taht man, taht it made me wonder if she was an entirely "normal" Setter.
She had an easy life ever sncve she is with me, but I often wonder how her first days were...
As for my other dog, being Pitanga's daughter, I know everything about her, and apart from her broken leg, her life is amazing, with no traumas or bad encounters so far. Plus she has her mum to follow around and feels safe all the time, wich i truly think bilds up her confidence. She is never unfriendly, but greets with more enthusiasm who ever her mother greets with enthusiasm. Also she is only 6 months old so it's hard to tell if she wil be like this for the rest of her life... Pitanga only became protective as an adult.