As most dog parents have noticed, dogs have different characters and respond differently to commands, human attention, and new situations. Understanding how your pup best interacts with his environment will help you to make decisions concerning training and lifestyle. For example, in the same way you would not coddle or hover over an independent child, you should not interact excessively with an independent dog who may prefer to play alone with a toy or sniff around on his own. Read through the following character types, and see if you can identify which category most closely matches your pooch:
1- Independent Dogs
Independent dogs are lone wolves who prefer to stand apart from the crowd. Don’t try to force these pups to socialize too much or they could respond with aggression. They bond well with their chosen leader and prefer to spend time with this person alone. These pups can be difficult to train, as they usually have their own ideas about how to do things. However, you can test whether they are best motivated by treats, toys or attention and use these as rewards for performance.
2- Confident Dogs
These dogs are the alphas, the leaders of the pack. They are comfortable in almost any surroundings and are usually very social dogs. They can exhibit dominant behavior traits, but this does not mean they are aggressive. On the contrary, confident dogs are rarely aggressive, because they are not fearful animals and are comfortable in almost any situation. Do not try and curb their confidence or “break” them during training, or you will turn a happy, confident dog into a resentful, aggressive one. Through positive reinforcement training techniques, these dogs will continue to hold their tails up high while showing their owners loyalty and respect.
3- Shy or Timid Dogs
Like shy people, shy dogs become nervous in unfamiliar situations. While they can benefit from professional socialization training, do not force them into loud, crowded areas or unfamiliar dog parks. This type of dog needs to acclimate to new people and environments slowly with plenty of patience and support from you. Use love, praise and gentleness when training these dogs. Do not challenge their timidity or their fear will increase, and they will not trust you, which could lead to unreliable or even aggressive behavior.
4- Adaptable/happy Dog
These enthusiastic fun-loving dogs are the friendliest of the dog types. They not only greet their owners with enthusiastic wags and jumps but complete strangers as well. These are not the dogs you can rely on to protect your home or even to warn you of impending danger, as they see all strangers as potential friends. Trusting and lovable, these pups are easy to train, as they are people pleasers and will perform almost any task just to make their owners happy.
5- Guardian/Protector Dog
As the category name denotes, these dogs are protective about their homes and humans. Breeds such as German Shepherds, Dobermans and Malinois will rely on their natural instincts to problem solve how best to safeguard their territory. Proper training will enhance these natural abilities giving your family a trustworthy and able guardian. These dogs are naturally suspicious of people and other dogs so socialization training will be vital to their development. Obedience training, mental and physical stimulation are also important for these pups, so that they use their natural abilities in a constructive and not haphazard way.
Of course, dogs may possess aspects of more than one of these character types. However, you will probably notice your pooch most closely resembles one of these categories. Once you identify Fido’s character, you will be better able to interact with him in a way that elicits the most desirable response from him and strengthens your bond.
