What kind of temperament do you like in a dog?

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#41
- Driven, but with medium to high thresholds.

- Biddable and eager to learn/carry out a task.

- Enough handler softness for a correction to be recognized and accepted, but not so much that it would shut the dog down.

- "Honest", to quote other Chazzers. A trait I never thought about before but now agree is incredibly important to me.

- Strong nerves.

- Serious. I am okay with a dog that possesses some sense of humor, but perpetual "hai I'm in your faaaace~~" happiness is overwhelming for me. Same rule applies to the humans around me :D

- "Thinking" dog.

- Able to accept new people and environments.

- Intuitive but able to settle/back off if acting on that intuition. I do not want a dog that is too sharp.

- Confident.

- Self-preservation instincts. I am okay with a dog that is reasonably cautious. No, I do not want a dog that will fling himself over a cliff for a ball. I have terrible aim and constantly throw balls into blackberry bushes, and I can't afford to have a dog that would dive into the thorny bushes.

- Handler/one person oriented, but still independent as an individual. Gravitates without clinging.

- Trusting people in dangerous situations. This is one of Trent's traits that I really appreciate. If he is injured or his paw is snagged on something or he's in a potentially dangerous situation, he will trust me, or any person, to resolve the situation or at least help him.

- Aloof with strangers and dogs.

- Cuddly, without a constant need/desire to invade space. Trent is neither :(
:) Wish you could meet Bimmer. I think you'd really love him. That description fits him beautifully.
 

Julee

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#42
ahhhh but they're so much more complicated. lol

Tons of drive is never enough. What else do you seek!?
They are, but it's more fun!

Hrm. I love lots of energy, as well as tons of drive. I want a dog that's going to throw balls or toys at me incessantly throughout the day. I want a dog who is a thinker, and difficult to convince that you're worth listening to. I love dogs who constantly want to go somewhere and do something new. Dogs with an attitude make me ridiculously happy.

Basically, I want more Embyrs.
 

Sit Stay

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#43
- Driven, but with medium to high thresholds.

- Biddable and eager to learn/carry out a task.

- Enough handler softness for a correction to be recognized and accepted, but not so much that it would shut the dog down.

- "Honest", to quote other Chazzers. A trait I never thought about before but now agree is incredibly important to me.

- Strong nerves.

- Serious. I am okay with a dog that possesses some sense of humor, but perpetual "hai I'm in your faaaace~~" happiness is overwhelming for me. Same rule applies to the humans around me :D

- "Thinking" dog.

- Able to accept new people and environments.

- Intuitive but able to settle/back off if acting on that intuition. I do not want a dog that is too sharp.

- Confident.

- Self-preservation instincts. I am okay with a dog that is reasonably cautious. No, I do not want a dog that will fling himself over a cliff for a ball. I have terrible aim and constantly throw balls into blackberry bushes, and I can't afford to have a dog that would dive into the thorny bushes.

- Handler/one person oriented, but still independent as an individual. Gravitates without clinging.

- Trusting people in dangerous situations. This is one of Trent's traits that I really appreciate. If he is injured or his paw is snagged on something or he's in a potentially dangerous situation, he will trust me, or any person, to resolve the situation or at least help him.

- Aloof with strangers and dogs.

- Cuddly, without a constant need/desire to invade space. Trent is neither :(




You...liked German Shepherds at one point? :rofl1:

Trent's aware and respectful of space and hasn't ever knocked me around, but "kindness", "gentleness", "polite", and "quiet temperament" are not words I'd use to describe him LOL

He's good and boring and follows the rules but he can also be inconsiderate, even if it's unintentional. The majority of his "good" (or more accurately, "satisfactory") behavior was learned rather than inherent... learned quickly and stuck to well, whether it was conditioned, trained, self taught, out of observation, etc., but just not quite innate. Not to say he's a terrible dog at the core (at least not today while he's been behaving ;) ) but in many ways his saving grace seems to be his eagerness to please and natural inclination to be my good dog, as opposed to the kindly dispositioned, considerate dog I imagine many English Shepherds tend to be - all at the risk of anthropomorphizing.

And as far as disposition goes, I am okay either way.
I still love GSDs! And I still love Trent - being your good dog is admirable and totally enough for me! It's the dogs like Viszlas and some labs I have met who are like "I have zoomies so I'm going to run right into your knees! And whip you with my tail! And leap at your face and scratch you!". I like a more gentle, hands off dog.

Quinn was incredibly hands off as a puppy. She didn't even like it when I touched her trying to get her excited or revved up. Hates rough housing. Now we can play chase a little bit and she'll actually jump beside me if she's really excited, and loves it when I push her down again. It's still like she doesn't know how to be excited and touch people, so the big huge rear-on-her-hind-legs beside me is her default. I actually have a picture of it on my flickr but I have my out of shape bikini butt in it so I'm not posting it LOL.
 

Equinox

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#44
:) Wish you could meet Bimmer. I think you'd really love him. That description fits him beautifully.
That's my perfect dog <3

I still love GSDs! And I still love Trent - being your good dog is admirable and totally enough for me! It's the dogs like Viszlas and some labs I have met who are like "I have zoomies so I'm going to run right into your knees! And whip you with my tail! And leap at your face and scratch you!". I like a more gentle, hands off dog.

Quinn was incredibly hands off as a puppy. She didn't even like it when I touched her trying to get her excited or revved up. Hates rough housing. Now we can play chase a little bit and she'll actually jump beside me if she's really excited, and loves it when I push her down again. It's still like she doesn't know how to be excited and touch people, so the big huge rear-on-her-hind-legs beside me is her default. I actually have a picture of it on my flickr but I have my out of shape bikini butt in it so I'm not posting it LOL.
LOL Okay then. Come to Oregon sometime and you can meet him, and we'll both camp out in Lake Oswego with the Shepherds' Way dogs :D Trent is one of those dogs that go at you full throttle but somehow never directly, so he ends up 5 - 10 feet to your left or right.

Geez, Quinn just sounds like the cutest little girl ever. I need a Quinn.
 

Kat09Tails

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#45
Temperament -

Not shy but not so full of themselves they can't be biddable.
I want prey drive but not so much that they are a danger to themselves.
I want food drive but not so much that food is a distraction.
I want a thinking dog - one who sees a goal and works out how to get there.
I want a dog who can recover from pressure.
I am not looking for a dog with a ton of fight drive but later I might want a different dog with a fair amount of fight in them
 

Aleron

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#46
I like having different dogs. I really love wild, crazy dogs with lots of drive and "oomph". But I also want at least one easy dog. The dog you can take anywhere, into any setting and they won't cause problems. Good with people, dogs, strange environments, etc. Also easy in the house, good with other household pets. But I still want the drive and craziness in good dogs too :)

Beyond that more specifically I like:

- Strong interest in tugging. This is huge to me, I've picked dogs based on this lol

- Food drive. Seems easy enough but trying to train a dog who doesn't have it can be difficult.

- Fun loving. I like dogs who have a fun, silly, happy side. Serious dogs don't bother me as long as they can still have fun.

- Prey drive. I just love dogs who love to chase :)

- Adventurous, curious. Dogs who like to explore and interact with the environment. Savvy takes this to the extreme...and I love it!

- Dogs who love to run and leap and climb and balance just for the fun of it.

- Biddable. I don't want to have to work harder than the dog for training ;)

- Handler sensitive...within reason anyway. I don't want an overly soft dog who crumbles and gives up if they think they did something wrong. But I want a dog who wants to work with me, cares about being right and isn't oblivious about our interactions.

- Protective...also within reason. I don't mind and even like dogs to be guardy at home and in the car but I want them to be sensible enough to be safe with guests and strangers. If they can't be level headed, I'd rather they not be guardy. Certainly this is a trait that is more complicated and with the breeds I like, I won't always get the ideal in this area.
 
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AdrianneIsabel

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#47
I like having different dogs. I really love wild, crazy dogs with lots of drive and "oomph". But I also want at least one easy dog. The dog you can take anywhere, into any setting and they won't cause problems. Good with people, dogs, strange environments, etc. Also easy in the house, good with other household pets. But I still want the drive and craziness in good dogs too :)

Beyond that more specifically I like:

- Strong interest in tugging. This is huge to me, I've picked dogs based on this lol

- Food drive. Seems easy enough but trying to train a dog who doesn't have it can be difficult.

- Fun loving. I like dogs who have a fun, silly, happy side. Serious dogs don't bother me as long as they can still have fun.

- Prey drive. I just love dogs who love to chase :)

- Adventurous, curious. Dogs who like to explore and interact with the environment. Savvy takes this to the extreme...and I love it!

- Dogs who love to run and leap and climb and balance just for the fun of it.

- Biddable. I don't want to have to work harder than the dog for training ;)

- Handler sensitive...within reason anyway. I don't want an overly soft dog who crumbles and gives up if they think they did something wrong. But I want a dog who wants to work with me, cares about being right and isn't oblivious about our interactions.

- Protective...also within reason. I don't mind and even like dogs to be guardy at home and in the car but I want them to be sensible enough to be safe with guests and strangers. If they can't be level headed, I'd rather they not be guardy. Certainly this is a trait that is more complicated and with the breeds I like, I won't always get the ideal in this area.
You have good taste in dogs. :)
 

Fran101

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#48
- Happy. Smiley, loves a good game, seems to think life is full of fun

- Silly. Likes to wiggle and dance around the living room with me

- Fun. Likes to go out and play

- Sense of humor.. I love a dog that is quirky in a funny way and doesn't take everything too seriously

- Likes to play fetch. It's my favorite doggy game

- Activity level that involves short bursts of activity (game, walks, fetch, parks, etc..) but with an otherwise calm easygoing demeanor and ability to settle down. Good off switch.
I am an active person in many ways.. I love to run, I like to go to the park, play fetch/soccer etc.. but I am the kind of person that other than these periods of high activity a few times a day... is almost entirely immobile lol

- Likes to learn, thinks the training game is fun, EAGER TO PLEASE. I think trying to enthuse dogs into wanting to please you is irritating.

- Eager to please in a sense of "No..means no" and "do this..means do this"..I CANNOT STAND stubborn brattiness in dogs. The terrier-like stubborn streak of independence would seriously be a deal breaker for me. It drives me NUTS.

- Handler oriented. Likes to be around me. I like velcro dogs in a sense of not being on top of me/touching me at all times.. but wanting to be AROUND.

- Likes dogs, likes other people, just generally pleasant in most environments.

- Eager. I like a dog that can get hyped about a walk or a game just because lol

- Independent thinker in the sense of.. I dunno. It's hard to describe. I walk dogs that spend the whole time staring at me/wanting to involve me in a game.. and I have dogs that I walk that are happy to spend some moments thinking and enjoying their walk on their own with me just holding the leash. I like the latter
Merlin is of the former lol
 

crazedACD

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#49
I'd really, really like to get more into sports...this list is for my next sporty dog. And yes, Romeo really hits most of these marks...I need a Romeo with good eyes.

-Handler oriented. Romeo is very much so and I LOVE it...we step outside together, he's looking at me for something to do or getting his ball. If I step outside with the other dogs, they meander and sniff around.
-High toy drive but lower prey drive. Romeo <3's his toys and fetching, he pays no attention to squirrels, my pet birds, etc.
-Low DA, since I like to foster and have multiple dog households.
-Biddable
-Outgoing to aloof but trustworthy with strangers. I don't really care about protection.
-I like 'quick' 'snappy' 'excited' focus. "We're doing clicker work?! HOORAY Let's do it!".
-Prefer dogs that can be trusted to be out of a crate by 1-2 years old
-As above..I like to get my dogs to (willingly) climb on boulders, fallen trees, try to get the toy out of the tree, that leaps and jumps and is athletic.

So basically..a stable temperament dog with a good work ethic :). I don't think I would hang onto an unstable dog ever again.
 

Paviche

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#52
My ideal dog would be:

- Quick to learn
- Eager to please (but I don't mind a bit of a stubborn streak either)
- Food motivated
- Toy motivated
- Attached to me/more of a one person dog
- Aloof/reserved with strangers or really friendly. Just not shy or aggressive.
- Handler oriented
- Confident and bold/likes to investigate and explore
- Strange dog tolerant or friendly
- Energetic and wants to do things
- Good off switch
- Up for trying anything
- Athletic
- Not super soft and easily shut down
- Sense of humour but knows when to be serious
- Happy
- Thinks for itself and preferably thinks before it acts

And not temperamentally, but preferably my ideal dog is usually between 30-40lbs and not over 60lbs.
This is pretty much my list, too. :) Including the size. I would go bigger for certain breeds, but generally my tastes fall between 30-50 lbs.
 
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#54
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Upendi&Mina

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#55
My ideal dog would be:

- Quick to learn
- Eager to please (but I don't mind a bit of a stubborn streak either)
- Food motivated
- Toy motivated
- Attached to me/more of a one person dog
- Aloof/reserved with strangers or really friendly. Just not shy or aggressive.
- Handler oriented
- Confident and bold/likes to investigate and explore
- Strange dog tolerant or friendly
- Energetic and wants to do things
- Good off switch
- Up for trying anything
- Athletic
- Not super soft and easily shut down
- Sense of humour but knows when to be serious
- Happy
- Thinks for itself and preferably thinks before it acts

And not temperamentally, but preferably my ideal dog is usually between 30-40lbs and not over 60lbs.
This is pretty much my list, with the addition of being affectionate/cuddly.
 

*blackrose

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#56
- Loyal: aka, one person dog. Loves his family and would prefer them over a stranger.
- On the same note, handler oriented
- Intelligent
- Biddable, eager to please (in most cases lol)
- Protective: will alert to abnormal things and if something extremely abnormal were to happen the dog would react accordingly
- Good with family pets
- strange dog indifferent in public
- stable
- confident, not shy!
- playful and physical: fetch, tug, and wrestling!
- food motivated
- athletic, preferably one that loves water!
- can be a complete and utter goof and be a derpy dog, but can also be serious
- able to lay around the house all day if needed'

Hmm. I think I like retrievers. :rofl1:
 

Red.Apricot

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#57
Handler soft
Happy
Willing to work
Intelligent
Handler focused
Active
'Up'
Play/toy drive
Food drive
A little cautious about new things is fine

Basically Elsie.
 
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#58
Basically King's utter fearlessness, except hoping that would include not being terrified of the vacuum. Only the vac at home, the one at work barely even got a sigh out of him, and an identical vac to the one at home had no effect at a friend's house. His ability to sleep like a rock through fireworks, storms, etc. It might have been nice if he was more responsive to trainers and training, but that's not a big deal, I like "characters", and most of my dogs have qualified as being one.
 

FG167

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#60
Each of my dogs has a different personality and I love something of each of them...

Loyal (one person dogs) and aloof to others
Sweet
Affectionate
Funny/sense of humor/happy
EXTREME ball/toy and food drive - EXTREME
Can be a little crazy
Ability to either entertain themselves in the house or settle down
Dog tolerant - I prefer dogs that do not LOVE all other dogs but tolerates well
STABLE - take everywhere dogs, because that's what I do
High pack drive
Athletic/dogs that like to do crazy things with their bodies
Fast
Biddable/trainable
Pushy/cocky/confident
Although it drives me crazy, I am inevitably drawn to loud mouths
Protective/guardy
Tiny bit of an edge (enough to do protection/guard)/civil
Loves water
I like sensitive, tough dogs. Ones that can take a hard correction or a tough hit (like while herding or in other sports), but will respond to the handler's tone of voice
I'd like a better frustration threshold on Kastle and Limit but not too high hehe
 

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