Your Dog's Personality
Written by: Scientific Explorer

How Well Do You Know Your Dog?

How well do you know your dog? You'll find out lots more about your pet's personality by answering the questions in this chart. Mark each box below with the number (from 1 to 5) that best describes your dog. Then add the numbers and put the total in the Score box.

1 - Almost always
2 - Over half the time
3 - About half the time
4 - Not usually
5 - Almost never

Training - My Dog:

___ Obeys well
___ Was easy to house-train
___ Is relaxed, not easily excitable
___Score

How trainable is your dog?

With a acore of 6 or lower, your dog should be trainable. Excitable dogs are easily distracted, so training them is more difficult.


Dominance - My Dog:

___ Obeys and doesn't growl at me
___ Is quiet, doesn't bark at noises in our home
___ Is nice to strangers and doesn't bark or growl at them when they come to our home
___ Doesn't seem to mind when disturbed
___ Score

A score of 6 or less means you have a great family pet. If your dog scores higher than 16 you should consult a veterinarian.


Relations with Humans - My Dog:

___ Is nice to people, doesn't bark at them
___ Is comfortable with strangers
___ Likes to be petted
___ Is comfortable with children
___ Score

Does your dog get along well with humans?

A score lower than 8 means your dog has adapted well to life in human company. A high score suggests that your pet has poor social skills and could be a fear-biter.


Relations with Other Dogs - My Dog:

___ Is self-assured in the presence of strange dogs
___ Is relaxed around other dogs
___ Likes to play with other dogs
___ Score

Does your dog get along with other dogs?

If your dog scores lower than 6, he or she likes being with other dogs. A high score means your pet probably wouldn't enjoy having other dogs in the house.


Activity Needs - My Dog:

___ Destroys things
___ Barks when excited or upset
___ Whines and demands attention
___ Needs physical activity
___ Score

How much activity does your dog require?

A score over 15 means you have a relaxed and self-contained pet. A low scoring dog requires lots of exercise and activity. These traits are largely inherited so there's not much you can do about them.

This information was obtained from Scientific Explorer.

View Citation

You may need to edit author's name to meet the style formats, which are in most cases "Last name, First name."

Bibliographic details:

  • Article: Your Dog's Personality
  • Author(s): Scientific Explorer
  • Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
  • Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
  • Date published: December 21, 2009
  • Date accessed: March 24, 2024
  • Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/your-dogs-personality

APA Style

Scientific Explorer. (2009, December 21). Your Dog's Personality. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved March 24, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/your-dogs-personality

American Psychological Association. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Chicago Manual of Style

Scientific Explorer. "Your Dog's Personality". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 21 December, 2009. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/your-dogs-personality

MLA 2017 Style

Scientific Explorer. "Your Dog's Personality". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 21 Dec 2009. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 24 Mar 2024. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/activities/your-dogs-personality

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/
Virus illustration by Arek Socha from Pixabay
How do viruses infect cells?

Be Part of
Ask A Biologist

By volunteering, or simply sending us feedback on the site. Scientists, teachers, writers, illustrators, and translators are all important to the program. If you are interested in helping with the website we have a Volunteers page to get the process started.

Donate icon  Contribute

Share this page:

 

Share to Google Classroom