Did you ever wonder what shapes your dog’s personality? And why do dogs behave so differently, even within their own breeds?
I have had several dogs, all rescues, in my lifetime and they have all had their own unique personalities. They have ranged from being hyper, funny and frisky to being very laid back.
Snoopy was a rescue puppy from the Central Aroostook Humane Society. We brought him home around 1983, and he was our first dog as a married couple.
We think he was a shepherd mix; he certainly was a herding dog. He would try to herd me, pushing the back of my knees to move faster. Snoopy was also a little territorial, and was known to nip a few times — not being mean, just urging us to move along.
Lucy came along as a rescue from a neighbor. A terrier mix of sorts, she was an exceptional little dog. She was very laid back, loved zoomies, had a sweet nature about her and loved everyone, including every dog and cat.
Her only personality flaw was she was stubborn and hard to potty train. It took a year before she stopped doing her business in the house. But thankfully, we were patient, and finally she got it and only did her business outside. Lucy lived a good, long and spoiled life until she passed at 19.
Sometimes, I think dogs’ personalities are inbred, and other times I think they are developed from their owners.
After we lost Snoopy, a few days later we noticed a neighbor at the end of the road had some puppies. They were a mix of Labrador retriever, Chesapeake Bay retriever and Husky. We stopped in to choose one.
I picked up one of the little puppies, a brown and golden color. I turned him over in my arms, holding him like a baby, and he never moved. A long time ago, a vet told me if you hold a dog like this and he doesn’t squirm around, you’ve got yourself a good dog with a laid-back personality.
He was so right. We named him Bo. He weighed 125 pounds and was the kindest dog we ever had. He loved everyone, never barked, never left the yard and was so easy to potty train. We called him our porch puppy or under-the-tree dog. If you looked for him, he was at one of those two places.
You never know when you rescue a dog or cat what personality you may get. If the animal is at the shelter for a while, the shelter staff can usually tell you what kind of personality that animal has. Once you adopt and get that animal home, I believe their personality will shine through.
All they need is love, understanding, training, food and water, a warm place to lay their head, and you will be the one rewarded because they have so much to give back to you.
Check out the Central Aroostook Humane Society at 210 Cross St. in Presque Isle.
Tom Jones said, “Dogs have a way of finding the people who need them and filling an emptiness we didn’t know we had.”
Gail Wieder is on the Central Aroostook Humane Society Board of Directors.
