When my dogs do something wonderful and brilliant, of course it is because of nuturing, because I have trained them so well.

When my dogs do something horrible and disobedient, of course it is because of nature, an inherited issue that can't be resolved.

Hey, works for me!



Seriously, I think it is a combination.

For example, my dog Lacie hates kids and is aloof and not at all snuggly and cuddly. She has been like this since the day I got her, at about five weeks old. I have tried and tried to change these things, but it's just the way she is. Nature.

However, there are many, many things that my rescue dogs did or didn't do when I got them, that I have since taught them to do/stop doing. Nurture.


The same is true of humans. A huge amount of what we do and know is learned behavior. However, there is a lot that is not. I don't like loud noises, crowded places, or the taste of asparagus. I like the color purple, the taste of vanilla. I am afraid of heights and insects. These are nothing I've learned, it's just how I am. Nature.