Different people value different personality traits in their pets. Some people look for a dog that will be highly protective of the house and family; some people want a dog that will be friendly and affectionate to friend and stranger alike.
Things to think about in temperament:
- Obedience level. Part of being a responsible owner is knowing that your dog will respond to your commands under pressure. My Lally has a pretty high obedience level — she’s pretty attentive to me. Moose, on the other hand, needs more work.
- Trainability. Is your dog willing and able to learn new tricks and behaviors? Can he adjust to new situations? My dogs are showing off their trainability in adjusting to the new apartment — new walk times and bed times, new places for food bowls and water bowls, etc.
- Love and loyalty. Do you want a Velcro dog (like Lally) that will stick to your side all day? Do you want a dog who is more independent and won’t mind being left alone or with other family members?
- Confidence level. Some dogs are ill at ease in unfamiliar situations and around unfamiliar people. A confident dog can take some things in stride — like sudden loud noises, running children, or changes in light. Moose is much more confident than Lally is; about the only thing that really throws him is thunderstorms.
- Comfort with children. Interactions with children should always be supervised, but if you’ve got a big family, you aren’t going to want a dog who doesn’t like children! I’ve seen Lally and Moose both let little kids hang all over them without a problem.
- Comfort with strangers. If you want to bring your dog with you to new places, your dog needs to be comfortable with strangers! Some of this can be learned through careful and constant socialization. Moose is very comfortable with people; Lally takes a little time to warm up.
- Comfort with other animals. You may have more than one pet in the house; you may want to spend time in public with your dog.
- Bite inhibition. This is something dogs learn as puppies — when they first start to play, they yelp to signal a bite that’s too hard or play that’s too rough. A well socialized dog will know how to pull his punches, so to speak. I had to work on this one with Lally when she first came home — she could be a little too rough at play.
- Protectiveness. Some dogs will patrol the yard and bark at strangers. Some dogs go a little too overboard with this; some are too lax and would look for belly rubs from the burglar stealing your television!
What’s important for you in a dog, or any pet?