Personality Matching Between Dog & Owner? The Pros and Cons

Have you ever been walking down the street and seen a woman with her Akita... and they look exactly the same from their hairstyles to their gait? How about your next-door neighbor who has more than a passing resemblance to his bulldog?

Maybe your aunt is a dead ringer for her border collie. Their similarities might not end there.

The personalities of your dog and yourself could grow and entwine themselves to a beautiful tapestry that shows the incredible relationship that you have. When this happens, the value of puppy matchmaking really shows.

But things could take a turn and unhealthy behaviors could present themselves. How do you find the perfect dog for your personality? Let’s talk about that.

How can you tell if your dog matches your personality?

If you have or know someone who has a sibling, you know that when they’re not fighting with each other they have personality traits that directly influence or mirror one another. It’s a byproduct and fact of nurture. The same is true of our puppy pals.

The right puppy breeder will work to match you with a puppy that has the right personality for you.

Makenzie from our South Carolina doodle breedership says, “We ask families to tell us all they can about their lifestyle so we can find each unique family their own unique puppy.

Instead of forcing or teaching a dog to like what they like, and be comfortable with their lifestyle over time, that puppy is already inclined to fit right in because it shares the same sort of inclinations.”

The relationship between you and your doggie is long-term. It’s best if you take the time to not simply choose the pup with the cutest-of-cute faces but rather one that satisfies your lifestyle. No matter where you and your dog are though, you will start to take on each other’s personalities.

Think about having a baby. When you first bring them home, they’re up at all hours of the night. They spend more of the day and night crying and eating. They have no idea what’s happening in the world outside of their crib. Over time, however, they grow and adapt to the world around them, often taking on the characteristics of their parents.

Now, consider having a puppy. When you bring them home, they’re not housebroken. They chew on things they’re not supposed to. They don’t know what “dinnertime” even is. Then, over time, they learn and adapt and before you know it, they have an internal clock and are looking forward to spending the afternoon outside or evenings watching a movie. Not so different from one of your less-hairy kids.

Whatever your schedule in the day is like or how many steps are part of your nightly ritual, your attitude and mood are going to trickle down to your four-legged friend.

How does puppy personality matching help or hinder the relationship between the dog and the dog owner?

If you’re a hiker and you look forward to your twenty-seven-mile hike every morning then your dog will eventually learn to meet you step for step. If you’re a couch potato, then your dog will, over time, find themselves loving that same inactivity.

There have been studies, like the Journal of Research in Personality from Michigan State University that suggest if you are aggressive toward or around your dog, then they will demonstrate that same behavior. Same goes for anxiousness or any other problematic conduct. This can cause a schism not only with the community at large but also between the owner and their beloved pet.

As with a best friend or close family member, there will be good days and bad days. Your puppy isn’t any different. The exclamation of “bad dog” might help you feel better in the short term, but it could have longer implications than expected. Meet any abhorrent behavior with positive steps to correct these same behaviors so you both can move forward together in a positive way.

Like most problems that present themselves with dog ownership, the solution is simple: training. Nip it in the bud.

If you want your dog to do certain things, take the time to properly train them with love and affection. You'll be learning and growing together; they'll learn not only the commands of sit and stay, but you’ll learn their love languages and body languages.

You can best serve them with patience and adoration while they’re learning how to use the restroom… anywhere but the carpet!

But, this is an ongoing process. While they might not be as vocal, your doggie needs the same emotional diagnostic that any human does. Just because they seem okay, don’t take them for granted. Like you, they may have a bad day and not be able to verbalize it. How much more could a puppy be like its owner than in that one regard?

Let us help with training before you bring your fluffy buddy home. Check out our training modules here.

How we at JLDD match people with puppies

The bonding starts when you bring your dog home, and you want to start out on the best foot. We here at JLDD want to make sure that the first step is in the right direction. We understand that it is important to be in sync with your canine companion, and we believe the best way to make sure that can happen is through our Exclusive Puppy Matchmaking System.

The entire process starts with a questionnaire that might seem a little intimidating at first but is designed to be as thorough as possible to better understand you. We live with our puppies for the first few weeks and months of their lives, learning each one’s quirks and foibles.

Over the course of this time period, they show who they are going to be as they grow older. Knowing your personality as well as our puppies’, we can then match you with the dog who we believe will be the best for your family.

What are some of the questions we ask? Let’s look at just a few examples.

• Question 1: You’ll be asked to honestly rate the importance of affection in your puppy.

If you don’t want to bring home a dog that is looking forward to nothing more than pouncing on you and snuggling up as soon as you sit down after a hard day's work, then we don’t want to match you with a more clingy puppy. Of course, if you do love the wet kisses and cuddling in bed from your fur baby, we can help find you an affectionate puppy who will enjoy those things too.

• Question 2: How active are you? We want to know!

If you’re someone who enjoys long walks on the beach – literally – then we want you to be matched with a dog that wants nothing more than the same. Whatever your lifestyle choices, we want to match you with the best puppy to fit them.

• Question 3: In what ways do you imagine your life to be better with a puppy?

On one hand, you are making a pact to support your dog physically, fiscally, and emotionally. And while your dog is agreeing to do their best as well, they’ll repay you tenfold in every way possible.

Like we mentioned previously, these are only a few examples of the questions we use to determine who would be the perfect match for each other. If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times: looks aren’t everything! It’s not what’s on the outside that counts. It's what’s inside that matters.

Maybe before, getting a puppy felt like a game of chance. But with JLDD, we strive to make it easier.

So employ our emotional science. We take the time to personalize our relationship with you so that you’re not only excited about getting a new puppy, but you’re forming familial bonds from day one. We’re not in the puppy business. We’re in the business of building families.

If you take the time to figure out who you are and what you need to the best of your capabilities, you can answer the question, “What is it I need from my dog?” Then the journey begins. Maybe you’re ready right now to start the process of expanding your family - if so, click here. Or maybe you have a few more questions, in which case you can check out our FAQ page.

Jenna and the JLDD Team