Do dogs take on the personality traits of their masters?

[PALADIN85020]

I've noticed this phenom on multiple occasions - a dog raised from puppyhood by an individual will usually take on the personality of his master. An aggressive, combative dog will usually have been raised by a pugnacious master. A relaxed, laid-back dog will often have a pacifist couch potato for a master.

As an example of this, here is a dog owned by one of our friends on this forum who shall not be named here...

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Well, I'm not a Jack Daniels Drinker so it isn't mine

 

[bk43]

I was not aware of this. The mutt goes in the crate from now on.

Bob

 

[HAWKEYE10]

I think they do. My daughter has three dogs and and she and the dogs are all spoiled. Don

 

[WC145]

Well, if you asked my wife she'd say that that theory explains why my dog ignores her most of the time and even when he acknowledges her presence doesn't do what she tells him.

 

[Big Cholla]

While I'm sure some are going to have a lot of fun with this thread, I have to answer seriously and positively. For the several years my wife and I lived in Anchorage she became known as a Poodle fan. We (she) had two Standard Poodles. The Vets were well acquainted with the fact that lots of people not making it in Anchorage just moved away and while leaving turned their pet dogs and cats out. We became 'Foster' parents for Poodles of all sizes and temperments. At first I was not in favor of this practice but got out voted by my wife and her two Std. Poodles. The point of the story is that no matter how flighty, high strung or vocal any little Poodle was when it arrived within a month of living in our house it was a mirror of my, my wife's and our two Std. Poodles calm quiet persona. We were very successful at adopting out the abandoned little guys because of their newly acquired personalities. .... Big Cholla

 

[smith revolver cop]

Absolutely! My dog is obsessive-compulsive, too!

 

[smith revolver cop]

While I'm sure some are going to have a lot of fun with this thread, I have to answer seriously and positively. For the several years my wife and I lived in Anchorage she became known as a Poodle fan. We (she) had two Standard Poodles. The Vets were well acquainted with the fact that lots of people not making it in Anchorage just moved away and while leaving turned their pet dogs and cats out. We became 'Foster' parents for Poodles of all sizes and temperments. At first I was not in favor of this practice but got out voted by my wife and her two Std. Poodles. The point of the story is that no matter how flighty, high strung or vocal any little Poodle was when it arrived within a month of living in our house it was a mirror of my, my wife's and our two Std. Poodles calm quiet persona. We were very successful at adopting out the abandoned little guys because of their newly acquired personalities. .... Big Cholla

Thank you for your great work rescuing, fostering, and placing dogs. It says a lot about how proper training and behavior by the OWNER affects the dog. It is because of irresponsible HUMANS that some entire breeds get a bad reputation- whether it is for being yippy or for being "vicious."

 

[sipowicz]

I was thinking the very same thing last night while licking myself.

 

[mwtdvm]

Dogs are good judges of character..

Yes, some have adopted the owner's personalities, others, almost the opposite. BUT the one thing I have seen over the last quarter century is that dogs are a good judge of a person's character, by whatever means they do it. If a dog that normally likes people is leery of person, watch out! That individual usually was not someone you wanted to associate with in the future. Just my $0.02

 

[BarbC]

If a dog that normally likes people is leery of person, watch out! That individual usually was not someone you wanted to associate with in the future.

My Shiba Inu, Sadie, loves everybody in the world except for the one rotten bastard I had to eventually evict. The first time she ever saw him, she stayed under my desk and growled. I thought that was odd but I hadn't gotten to know him yet.

 

[LoadedRound]

Well, my dog pees in the yard and seems to have a gas problem...............

 

[Cyrano]

They don't always take on our traits. I had two Shelties, a mother and son. She was very placid, he was very nervous and yippy.

 

[44forever]

Once you get to know them well, each has their own personality, just like people.

Over time accomodations are reached with reguard to walking speed, house rules, etc. Who accomodates depends on whether the dog sees you as the leader of the pack.

 

[AKAOV1MAN]

Actually in my house it's the reverse. My wife says I act like the dog. Current is a shepherd/ridgeback mix named (sorry) Ruger. My last two were a yellow and Black lab named---Smith and Wesson.
I have found the mix is really interesting, one gets 97 pound dog with solid ivory teeth, really long fast legs, that smiles a lot, does not bark much at all, and stalks things he dosen't like. And he and I are of exactly the same opinion as to whom should be allowed on the property, or in the park, or pretty much anywhere in sight or scent.

 

[doublesharp]

Now that you mention it......

 

[model70hunter]

My male lab is a creampuff that likes 99.99% of the folks he meets. There are some he looks at and starts growling. He judged them well and never changes his opinion of them. One day I received a call from our new CEO, he said folks told him I dove, duck and goose hunt and have labs. He was wondering if he could tag along with me during hunting season. My male took an immediate and total dislike to him, tried to bite the boss' hand when he reached down to pet my dog. I'm thinking next promotion out the door. Every time we hunted I'd have to stand in the middle. My lab also kept him honest by looking around my leg and growling at him. I was a much better shot than my boss, but then I didn't have to keep one eye on the dog. The new boss didn't last long. I guess the board heard my dog didn't like him.

 

[Uncle Larry]

I dunno...I have Greyhounds..they don't have owners/masters, they have staff to see to their wants and needs .....see pic below....

Merlin the Heathen....