Personality differences

[dogmom]

I got to thinking the other day about the different personalities of my dogs. Drake, 4 year old neutered male lab mix, is very reserved. He accepts our love, but doesn't have that 'happy, love-to-see-you' attitude of Baby, another lab mix (her nickname is "happy"). Drake seems content to sit and watch the world go by..Baby wants to be an active participant in everything. I always think Drake is depressed..I know he isn't..he has a loving home and the best of everything..food, exercise, activities, but nothing excites him..he always seems like he's just around for the ride. Even my vet jokingly said Drake always seems like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Both dogs were brought into our home at a young age, from good environments so I can't blame early nuturing or lack of it, on Drakes behaviour, just his personality, I guess. What about your dogs? Very distinct personalities? And some words of wisdom please..so I'm not constantly worrying about Drake!!!

[IceyBlueSibes]

I don't think there's anything to really worry about. My dogs have different personalities too.

Sheiba is a "princess". She HATES going outside if it's hot/wet out. She doesn't like to play very much. She enjoys sitting next to you for some petting, and LOVES attention from any guests we get. She LOVES chicken and cookies. She'd eat those all day. However, don't let her size and prissy attitude fool you! She's the "top dog" out of all of my dogs, and the others are aware of it. You don't touch her food, or come onto her "bed" -- which happens to be wherever she's laying. <-- That all pertains to the dogs, though. She's not like that with humans. But the food is a huge issue, which everyone learns very quickly if they try and sneak something out of it. She gives a stare and shows a little teeth and that's about all it takes.

Denali is a brat. LOL That's about how I can explain it. She's playful with the others, but she can be a bully at times too. If the others are playing, she does her "Chubaka" impression and tries to get them to stop. She won't let any of the dogs play with a toy with her... if she's playing with it, she's the only one allowed to touch it. If they have bones, she's been known to snitch if the others turn their head or walk away for a second. That's quickly corrected though! She can also be a bit too rough while playing... or just annoying. She's like the little sister you wish would just go somewhere else. LOL

Ike is VERY laid back. He's not afraid of much, and only a few things get him really excited. He loves to play, and loves attention. He's also very vocal. Actually, all three of my huskies are vocal, especially when they want something. But he just likes to "chill"... loves to meet new people, but he's always so polite. He's our gentleman. And accepts new dogs/cats/humans in the house with a calmly wagging tail, and a few "Rooooos"

Kelso is reserved when it comes to attention. He'll come to get attention when he feels like it, but he's not much of a dog who will come right up to you and want to cuddle. He lays on the bed, but at your feet. Barely ever up next to you. I think he gets too hot. He's always been more acceptive of sleeping in front of a fan. He's playful and spunky, but only when he knows it's okay to. He's not like that 24/7, and will sit and hang out at other times. He's a good boy

Lugar on the other hand. LOL He's probably one of the goofiest/clueless/velcro dogs I've ever come across. He has to be at your feet 24/7... if he can't lay right on top of you. LOL He loves to cuddle. And playful? That's all this dog knows how to do. He'll bring you just about anything he thinks you'd be able to play with, whether it's to tug on or fetch. He goes CONSTANTLY. If you play fetch with him, he'll be your friend forever! But he has that expression to him when you talk to him like "What...? Huuuhh??" LOL He's my stupid

[Ritz459]

All three of my dogs have different personalities as well.

Blackie is my easygoing boy. He takes everything in stride and nothing really seems to spook him. He loves people and is my 80lb lap dog; if you sit down, he wants to be in your lap. He LOVES water (that is the Lab in him ) and his kiddy pool is his favorite. lol He is also a chow hound, but he minds his manners enough to not beg for food. Blackie is basically just a good ol' boy. He dislikes other dogs and won't back down from a challenge. As much as he loves people, if we don't accept a person, neither will he. He is extreamly willing to please and will do anything you want with the only reason being, "Because you said so."

Rose, while being Blackie's daughter, is the total opposite. While she loves her family, she doesn't actively seek out attention. (Although she loves my mom and I...we are the only ones she wants affection from.) She is terrified of loud noises, strange people (mainly men, never kids), and she is fear aggressive toward other dogs, although she can learn to get along with them after a proper introduction. She won't follow a command unless she knows what is in it for her. She doesn't listen blindly. She loves to hunt and will chase anything that moves. She is happiest when she is bounding through our feild sniffing out all kinds of critters. She is a talker who "aroooos" to me what she thinks of the situation. While Blackie may be our guard dog, she is our watchdog. If anything is amiss (even if it is just a rabbit hopping through the yard), she is the first to let us know. She is my baby girl.

Then there is Chloe. LOL She's still a puppy so her personality is developing, but she is a bitch, in every sense of the word. She is skittish around loud noises and unfamiliar things, but she is willing to investigate. She is very vocal and won't hesitate to let you know what she thinks. She loves to hunt just like Rose does and is very prey driven. She doesn't get along well with other dogs, although she loves people. She is very smart and listens well to commands. She has a dominant streak in her and doesn't like being forced to do something she doesn't want to do (holding still, for instance). She is also very food driven and seeks out food on the countertops, on the kitchen table, on the floor, her dog food in the laundry room...She is a pro at the puppy butt wiggle. When she is happy to see someone she lays her ears back in a submissive state and wags her tail so hard it makes her butt wiggle back and forth (Rose does this as well). LOL

Rose and Chloe are actually a lot alike, which I find funny. Maybe it is because they both have herding breeds in them, whereas Blackie is all (or we think anyway) Lab. LOL

[Cherokee]

Varying personalities is what the world go round...or the pack be healthy.

Keiko has a very outgoing personality, very playful and friendly...he's a typical Golden Retriever.

Levi is very layed back, but out of the dogs he is dominant.

Solo just minds her own buisness for the most part, she has a very cautious personality...but I love my little husky girl.

[Sophie45]

That's so funny you posted that, because I was thinking of posting a similar thread earlier today!!!

Sophie, too, seems depressed sometimes because she is pretty lazy inside the house. Sometimes I will throw a toy, she will go sniff it, then go and plop back on her doggie bed and stare at it, doing nothing. Sometimes I worry about it, but she's been mellow like this since 9 wks old, and my vet and various trainers just say it's her personality. I've read that German Shepherds can be pretty lazy indoors, and she's GSD/Boxer so I guess she gets it from the GSD side of her. She never has shown much Boxer personality. She's always since 9 wks old been very melloowwww.

She does get very excited and happy when she is playing with other dogs and gets to run free in the park-sniffing everything, running circles around me, etc. She is not overly prey driven, thank goodness, but if there is something very close to her, she will *sometimes* chase it. (last week she chased a deer and a wild turkey on a hike but I took her to an outdoor cafe yesterday where a few friendly and possibly very stupid pigeons got literally a foot away from her and she didn't move at all, just watched them waddle around, lucky for them! She does eat and chase flies and ants quite well, though)

Whenever I come home, she doesn't get overly excited, but she's certainly very happy. She usually just wags her tail, comes up for a quick hug, does a play bow and she's off sniffing for her toys or whatever. But when my friends come over her tail starts wagging like mad! It kind of bothers me, but I guess it's just the way she is. My trainer told me she just doesn't feel she has to wag her tail crazily for me. I dunno. She is definitely very attached to me, but can act aloof sometimes. I guess it's just her personality. Don't you wish your dogs could talk sometimes to tell you what they are thinking?????

[oc_spirit]

Yes dogs have very different personalities even those within the same breed! This is strongly evident when I am out at the kennel (roughly 20 Siberians plus whoever is visiting). Between just my two though, Ronan is like an elderly Samaraii warrier (seriously thats what I think of when I look at him to the point of considering changing his name to Ronin). He is quite calm and laid back but he always has himself positioned so he can keep an eye on me. When people come over, he insists on checking them out and letting them say hi but once the initial greet is over he doesnt go back to them (unless its one of his few favourite people). He is always up or accepting a good scratch but he doesnt actively seek out attention. That being said though, he things get a little static he is quick to react and brings power. Same thing when it is time to work, he is always ready and always gives me 110%! He generally isnt interested in playing at all but every now and then he has a goofy moment where he just gets down and acts silly like a puppy. During these rare moments he may even be up for some fetch! He is my buddy and the one I rely on the most when sledding. He is very indifferent to everybody except for me and a select few other people.

OC on the other hand is pretty much the complete opposite of Ronan. He adores people and attention and will actively seek out pets from visitors. When I have a group of people over, Ronan will be to the side, away from the action, watching to make sure evrything is alright with me whereas OC is directly in the middle of the group. Oc is very responsive to my commands and is always checking in with me for approval. Like when we are on a walk, I allow and encourage the dogs to be in front of me (for sledding reasons) so long as they are not pulling or dragging me but every now and then OC will drop back to my side and look up at me with a big goofy grin. I just tell him "Good boy OC, go ahead" and he trots back up beside Ronan. He has a very happy-go-lucky personality is always tries his best to bring laughter.

[calgal]

My two Yorkies are 1st cousins and came from the same show home. Zada is an introvert and Azrael is the extrovert and like night and day. Zada will even show her belly to tiny puppies.........totally embarrassing! My two pound Chihuahua is a total alpha bitch. She exudes vibes to make even to the meanest and biggest dogs walk a wide path around her. Too funny.

[Beryl]

My guys are very different but it is not just because they are different breeds.

Latte is a social butterfly, loves attention, and fetching. He will do this until he drops from exhaustion which rarely happens. He will cuddle for a while but once he thinks he has your attention, he go get a toy for fetching. As a social butterfly, he will meet & greet anything no matter how big. He is a fearless pest.

Boo (min pin) is standoffish with strangers, cuddly with friends, and has toy guarding issues. He loves to ruin Latte's fetch-fun by taking the tossed toy and guarding it. He is obsessed with squeaky sounds and prefers to wrestle and tug toys. He is big DA which seems to stem from fear.

The different personalities is what makes dog-caretaking so enjoyable.