do you think a dog should match it's owners personality, or be opposite?

Question

is it the age old "opposites attract" or should it be more along the lines of compatible with like interests and personalities?

Answer 1

I think it depends.. I am a rather.. tense person.. I was also raised with schnauzers who tend to be rather tense and nervous dogs.. Right now I'm living with two schnauzers and a beagle/basset mix and he is the complete opposite.. he is a goofy, and easy going dog.. I get along equally with both.. although I do notice I tend to relax more if I'm with the beagle mix.. (or the schnauzers are calm.. which the beagle sometimes encourages them to be).

I think every dog has something to bring to everyone.. it's a matter of finding it in them before the other stuff gets in the way.

And I actually disagree with the answer above me.. I am more encourged to be active when I have an active dog.. I was never very active.. My beagle mix is VERY high energy.. and if I don't get him exercised enough he does things that are a huge risk. (Like chew things or swallow things.. even pieces of fabric that he'll swallow whole).

I don't think EVERY nonactive person will respond as well to an active dog, but it's not a case where you can just say it will never work either.

Answer 2

Opposites don't tend to work in the dog world. A person who likes to lounge around on the couch watching tv is NOT a good match for a dog who is a bundle of energy and needs a good long romp every day. It's a disaster waiting to happen.

Compulsive neat freaks who can't stand hair being all over everything shouldn't have profusely shedding dogs like Huskies.

People should definitely seek a dog who matches well with their lifestyle. A lot of dogs end up in shelters simply because someone bought a cute puppy with no thought to the fact that the little lab they just bought is actually a high energy dog and could easily be destructive and a complete nuisance without daily exersize. Or that darling little whateverpoo will need grooming on a regular basis to keep its fur free of mats.

Answer 3

For the best interest of the dog, it should be matched to the owner's personality and lifestyle. I would not keep an aggressive dog. I would not keep a hyper dog. It would not be in the best interest of a dog with those traits to live here. The same can be said for other people with other personalities. Some people cannot handle a messy dog. They do better with a non-shedding breed that is just easier to care for. Some people love active dogs. It is better to have a pet that matches your life rather than one that does not.

Answer 4

They should match, in as far as you can say a dog has personaliy. And actually, the social psychology research shows that in humans, we tend to form relationships with people that are more like us, than unlike us. So, opposites usually don't attract, and I would expect that to sort of hold true for our choice of dogs as well. If you're a couch potato, you don't want a dog that needs four or five hours of physical activity each day, for example, unless you're willing to change your life style significantly.

Answer 5

Well, you sure don't want to put a Border Collie with a couch potato kind of person! They are opposite, but that's a recipe for disaster!

If someone is active, they would be well suited with and active dog. If someone is more of a couch potato type, they would probably do better with a calmer breed that doesn't require a ton of exercise.

Answer 6

You probably want your dog to be basically suited to your life style. An active, energetic dog that needs to be out and about teamed with a stay at home couch potato is just frustrating for both of you and sheer torture for the dog since they have to sit around and wait for you all day while you're gone anyway.
Conversely, a slow moving lazy type dog with someone who is always on the go and likes to be active a lot, not so much.
Can you imagine trying to jog with your basset hound?What you need to strive for I a happy middle ground. You love him, he loves you, you're half way there.

Answer 7

You should be totally compatible. DEFINITELY! you want a dog that will like the things you like, and have fun with you. I used to have a dog and I LOVED the dog because she liked to play around and she was hyper, but she knew when to comfort me and to behave. Opposites don't attract in this situation. =]

Answer 8

It's impossible to choose a dog with the same personality as you, but once you get a puppy, over time it will adapt itself to your habits and lifestyle. My two dogs know when it's time to go to the office and sit under the desk while I'm working, they know when it's time to lay down in the bedroom while I take a shower, and they know when it's okay to lay on the couch too. In my experience, it takes about two years to fully train and dog and for the dog to learn how to live with you, but it's well worth it. I don't even have to speak commands to my dogs anymore. They know what I'm up to instinctively now, and if they're confused they know the hand signals I taught them, and that's one of the best things about having dogs. They are the best companions.

Answer 9

I think you should choose a dog that has the same level of energy that you do. We wanted a dog that does not have a lot of energy, does not have a lot of upkeep, and a dog that is kind of a guard dog... but not really hurt anyone.. So we got an American bulldog. We used this site to help us pick a do that we knew would fit our life style!

Answer 10

Each dog has his own personality. Therefore even within the breed the true match can be a difficult one.
The true relationship is a matter of hard work, and understanding.
Same like with humans.