The arc of interest in the appearance of a dog - Page 1

Often people assume that the nature of the changes they've experienced in a particular interest - is - if not universal - at the very least common.

Lately, I've come to believe that it would be worth my while to wage battle against BELIEF without DEMONSTRABLE EVIDENCE, therefore I pose a question here about something that I've previously ASSUMED to be true; that other long time dog lovers moved from an initial strong attraction to good looks -towards-  a position of disinterest.

What has your experience been?

If you have been interested in "the dog hobby" for more than a little while -

A) has your interest in the physical conformation of dogs  lessened, grown or stayed the same?

B) has your valuation of beauty changed? (in percentage of importance, let's say)

C) have the physical things that you thought were important as individual points changed  and if so have they grown more or less important.

 I actually assumed that most people travelled the same "path to a far province" that I have... and my assumption might very well be false. I would like to know how other dog-lovers describe their interest in the appearance of dogs.

To be explicit, my experience has been as follows.

My interest in dogs as a bit of a pup myself - focused in it's nascency on LOOKS.

Originally I was a person OBSESSED with the conformation of dogs. I was originally drawn to those dogs that posessed UNUSUAL physical characteristics. In the later stages of my interest in physicality I started to migrate towards looks that reflected what I believed to be HEALTH & VIGOR. Eventually, even what characteristics appeared to be healthy, athletic and talented seemed to change until  the ability to even NOTE appearance differences started to falter.

After thousands upon thousands of hours looking at MINUTE physical differences, I lost interest in or the ability to discern th physical differences that at one time meant something.

As my ability to "see" physicality disappeared I became hyper sensitive to what I feel is character, ability, talent, temperament etc.... and can honestly say that to me - looks don't mattter.  Funny, since I started out OBSESSED with looks and spent the vast majority of my discretionary free time as a child- observiing the "looks" of dogs.

Interesting Trafalgar.

I've been interested in dogs, and up until recent years, interested in showing dogs, for most of my life (so far) and I can say that since my interest in showing has waned, I feel as if I have a new understanding of physical conformation, as if my blinkers have been removed.

So yes, I'd agree with your observation to a point....... I now have less of an interest in "good looks" but an increased interest in conformation.

As a species evolved as predators, we humans have a natural tendency to notice the unusual.  To be attracted to the one that stands out in the herd gives us the advantage in focussing on the weakest, youngest, oldest.... the most vulnerable.  And naturally we (well some of us at least) use this in evaluating our pets, for different reasons obviously.

In the showring it seems.... the fluffiest, biggest head, broadest chest, longest stride... etc etc  is the one that attracts attention, and so exaggerations become entrenched in our breeds.  A term used so often to describe sucessful show dogs is outstanding but really don't we just mean standing out.