We hear it every week:
“He’s a husky, so he’s supposed to pull.”
“She’s a shepherd, she’s just naturally anxious.”
“He’s a doodle; they’re all hyper.”
“She’s a Malinois, she can’t help being reactive.”
Breed tendencies are real.
But here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud:
Most behavior problems aren’t genetic. They’re learned.
At Alaska Dog Works, after training more than 3,000 dogs across every breed group, we can tell you one thing with absolute certainty:
Structure beats genetics every single time.
Breed Doesn’t Excuse Bad Behavior
Yes, certain breeds come with certain instincts, herding, guarding, pulling, tracking, or hunting.
But instincts don’t cause chaos.
Lack of structure does.
A husky can walk politely.
A shepherd can relax.
A doodle can calm down.
A Malinois can settle.
We know because we train them to do it every day.
When owners blame the breed, they stop taking responsibility for the habits that created the behavior in the first place.
High-Drive Doesn’t Mean Out of Control
A high-drive dog isn’t “bad,” “broken,” or “too much.”
They just need more structure, clearer rules, and better outlets.
Drive without direction turns into chaos.
Drive with structure turns into obedience.
That’s why working dogs, service dogs, and sport dogs excel, not because of breed, but because of the training behind them.
You Can’t Train a Breed, You Train the Dog in Front of You
Every dog is an individual.
Two labs can behave completely differently.
Two huskies can have opposite personalities.
Two shepherds can show entirely different stress responses.
Breed may set the baseline traits.
Behavior is shaped by the environment.
At Alaska Dog Works, we don’t train stereotypes.
We train the dog who’s actually standing in front of us, their behavior, their patterns, their triggers, their potential.
Using Breed as an Excuse Limits Your Dog
When owners say “That’s just how this breed is,” they’re really saying:
“I’ve accepted this problem.”
“I’m not going to fix it.”
“This is good enough.”
Your dog deserves better than that.
You deserve better than that.
No dog is doomed by their breed.
They are shaped by your leadership.
Structure and Training Override Genetics
We’ve trained:
calm Malinois
focused huskies
relaxed shepherds
polite doodles
steady terriers
obedient heelers who don’t herd everything that moves
Not because we changed the breed, but because we taught the dog.
Obedience doesn’t care about pedigree.
Consistency doesn’t care about lineage.
Structure doesn’t care about stereotypes.
Ready to Stop Making Excuses and Start Seeing Results?
If you’re tired of saying, “That’s just how this breed is,” it’s time to change the story.
Your dog can do far more than their genetics suggest, with the right structure.
Schedule your strategy call today and let’s start training the dog you have, not the breed you’ve been blaming.
We offer a FREE Strategy Call.
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