How well you know your dog means you understand how he responds emotionally to the events around him. What are your dog's traits? Is she sociable and friendly with strangers? How does he carry himself when he's around other dogs? Is he afraid to visit certain places or people? Does he have good training potential?

Dogs need the same type of understanding and emotional support that people do. This is especially true when you are raising a puppy. What motivates him?

The better you know your dog, the more you'll succeed.....

Getting to Know Your Dog

In this study, 78 dogs of all shapes, sizes, and breeds performed specific tasks and were rated on four sets of characteristics. In general, the owners and observing strangers agreed on an individual dog's personality. Gosling says this shows dog personalities are real, and concludes that dogs should be matched with their owners on the basis of similar personalities.

Know Your Dog's Personality

Over Achiever-This dog will do anything to please. How do we know? Our dog Maggie is the classic example. If she was a student she’d know all the answers and get all A’s. Sports? If she played football, she’d run the ball to score the touchdown, and then kick the winning field goal. She always has to be first one in line, and the best at everything. A real type "A" personality!

Easy Eddie-Mellow and laid back, this dog is the one everyone wants to be around. A real crowd pleaser and tail wagger. But can also be a bit stubborn as he tends to run at his own pace. If he was in school he’d be a solid B student. Sports? Probably a surfer, maybe a windsurfer? Hmm, he sounds a bit like our dog Toby.

Class Clown-Everyone remembers the class clown in high school. But did you ever think your dog would be one? They’ll do almost anything for a laugh, and enjoy the attention. Sports? Only if you count rummaging through the laundry basket or running through the backyard barbecue with your daughter’s doll in his mouth. Our childhood dog Morgan, a beautiful Golden Retriever, was our very lovable and affectionate class clown.

Tough Guy/Gal-Think of "The Terminator" or "Lara Croft-Tomb Raider." An action figure with a dominate personality, these dogs want to be the pack leader. If they were in school, they would be the bully who took your lunch money. Their aggressive nature really packs a punch. A childhood friend and her family owned two German Shepherds named Thunder and Lightning, and they were two high energy dogs whose very names suggested a tough temperament. 

Sweet Sue-My grandmother owned a female Chihuahua named Keeta. Her personality was meek and mild, and she was often tucked under Nana’s arm wherever they went.  Truly a dog with a pleasant personality, Keeta would kiss anyone within reach. Most likely to be voted Miss Congeniality. Sports? No thank you, this dog would rather watch from the sidelines.

Shy Guy/Gal-Does your dog hide under the bed during thunderstorms? Or run from other dogs and people? Another childhood dog, Penny, a cute little Beagle, was our shy, lovable dog. If she were in school, she’d be afraid to ask a question. Sports? We knew her well...no swimming in the lake, just wading at the shoreline. The worst thing to do is soothe this dog's timid nature, because it will only reinforce it.

(The personalities noted above are in no way a stereotype suggestion of a particular breed. Of course, personalities vary widely within breeds.)

What's your personality? What kind of person are you, and how compatible is your personality with your dog's? Are you the obsessive type? Laid back? Mellow? Disciplined and organized?  What type of dog do you think your own personality can tolerate?

The ideal situation in dog training and ownership
is to match your needs, wants, and personality
with your dog's.

But sometimes that’s not always the case. What if you’re an over-achiever, but you know your dog is an "Easy Eddie"? If you're a no-nonsense person and your dog is difficult to train...will your personalities clash?

When you know your dog....your training approach can be adjusted, and will be more effective.

You might even begin recognize your own personality in your dog, or notice that your dog has picked up some of your character traits. We like to joke that Maggie takes after Joanne, my sister, who is the headstrong one in the family, while Toby takes after Joanne’s husband Sam, who is more mellow in nature. Coincidence? Maybe..but we sure know our dogs, and their personalities.