Everyone knows that the mongrel dog occupies a gigantic space in the hearts of Brazilians. And it's no wonder: these little dogs are experts in transforming any environment into a more fun and loving place. But, unlike dog breeds that usually already have a better defined behavioral pattern, the mongrel is a real box of surprises. Therefore, it ends up beingit's very difficult to know what to expect from an SRD dog (but it's not totally impossible). To understand how the mutt's behavior is shaped and what can influence it, we talked to veterinarian Renata Bloomfield, who specializes in animal behavior. Check out what we found out!

Is the mongrel dog docile?

The mongrel photos don't lie: the dogs without defined breed are a great mix of different breeds that result in unique animals. Therefore, there is no breed of SRD dog: the dog without defined breed, in fact, has a little bit of several breeds in its genetics. Precisely for this reason it is much more difficult to define the behavior of the mongrel without knowing a little bit of his history or his friends."There are mongrels who are very loving, but not all of them are like that. It depends a lot on what they have been through throughout their lives," says Renata. Therefore, it is not possible to say with absolute certainty that every mongrel dog is docile and affectionate, but the vast majority tend to have a calm and loving temperament, in fact.

Another issue that often draws people's attention is the wide variety of SRD dog colors. There are black mongrels, white mongrels, mongrels with more than one color and, of course, the caramel mongrel, which represents Brazil more than samba and soccer. However, unlike what happens with cats, there is no study or scientific article that proves the correlation between hair color and the color of the hair.of the dog with your personality.

Is the mongrel very agitated or calmer?

Just as the personality of the mongrel is often unknown, the energy level will also vary according to each puppy. But, contrary to popular belief, this can happen even with breed dogs or puppies from the same litter, as the expert explains: "You can't say that mongrels in general are very active or not very active. There are some who are quieterThis difference is not exclusive to the SRD dog, because sometimes there are breed puppies that are from the same litter and have a calmer brother, and another more attentive. This already varies a lot when we talk about a specific breed, so when we expand this issue to dogs without a defined breed it is even more difficultpredict".

What can influence SRD dog behavior?

A mongrel dog's behavior is not shaped overnight, but depends on a number of factors ranging from genetic issues to its life history. A dog that was abandoned and spent a lot of time on the street, or was mistreated in some way, for example, may have a totally different behavior than a dog that was raised in a shelter from an early age and did not have to live"In general, what weighs most heavily is everything he's experienced, everything he's been through, what he hasn't - whether he's a pedigree dog or not. The SRD dog is a box of surprises, because we usually don't know the parents and don't know the breeds that are there. When it's a mongrel that is born in a shelter or in someone's home, we can get a better idea of the behavior.his".

Still, it is not entirely impossible to find out how a mongrel puppy will behave in adulthood, even without knowing his history. Observation at these times is very important. "One thing that can help measure this is to evaluate the animal's behavior a lot on a daily basis. Evaluate how he plays, how he rests, how he feeds, make an assessment of him in a group and even evaluate his behavior.make an assessment of him individually", suggests Renata.

Fearful mutt: how to deal with dogs that feel too much fear?

It doesn't matter if it's a mongrel dog or not, the way to deal with an animal that feels fear always follows the same logic. "The first thing is to gain the dog's trust and earn its respect. I talk a lot about the issue of being a leader. The mongrel must see you as a person of leadership, and we usually achieve this with a lot of affection, welcome and providing food ",This issue of feeding is in fact very important to gain the trust of dogs, because from the moment the dog understands that you are the person who provides his food, the role of leadership becomes even more evident and a positive association occurs.

In addition, games also play a key role in this process. "Whether it's a game of tug-of-war or ball games, it all helps to get to know the animal better. The guardian gains his trust, his respect and with that the dog gains more security in himself. The animal with fear is an insecure animal, so it has to be respected. Trust and respect are the key to this.safety must be worked on".

In the case of an SRD dog that has a phobia, the scenario is a little more delicate, as the puppy may end up putting himself at risk because of this exaggerated fear. "In this case, I advise taking it to a veterinarian specializing in animal behavior, even to be able to give a better quality of life to this puppy. The phobia can arise for several reasons, such as changes. Sometimes it isa lot of change in the life of the dog, which has already been through a lot on the street, has traumas and when it arrives home the trauma reflects on it. When this happens, the veterinarian may even indicate entering with a specific medication to help the dog adapt better in the new home ".

Can SRD dogs be aggressive, what to do in these situations?

Aggression is not a characteristic trait of dogs in general, and this also applies to mutts. Usually this type of behavior occurs as a consequence of something, as the veterinarian emphasizes. "Aggression is often linked to insecurity. This insecurity can be motivated by fear that you will hurt him in some way or take something that is his.There is also the insecurity of thinking you are invading the dog's territory and space, as well as aggression due to pain. So we have to understand the reason for the aggressive behavior to take care of the cause ".

To deal with a more nervous mongrel, affection, respect and patience are the key words. It is also necessary to learn to respect the pet's space. If the dog does not want to interact, wants to stay more in his own, that's fine - just leave him in his corner and try to approach again later.

But beware: depending on the level of aggression, be sure to seek the help of a professional. Dogs need to be understood, and should not be dismissed just because they behave a little differently than we expect. "It's one thing for the dog to growl, but it's another thing for him to start gulping for air, trying to bite. Even if it's a mild degree, it's important to be vigilant, because sometimes he'sSo if the aggression involves biting, you have to take it to a behaviorist so as not to put anyone at risk - neither the family nor the animal itself. Many dogs end up being kicked out of the house and may even be injured because many people don't understand that what they really need is help."