Posted by Dinah on November 14, 2012, at 10:22:58
In reply to Study shows dogs are like their owners, posted by papillon2 on November 13, 2012, at 21:33:25
It doesn't surprise me. I can't handle dominant dogs at all, so my dogs tend to come from the submissive, agreeable, and occasionally neurotic breeds.
Not that I'm actually all that submissive or agreeable...
Of my current dogs, neurotic is definitely represented. As is loyal and devoted. I have a definite preference for one person dogs over dogs who love everyone. Even my hounds of the past, who aren't usually thought of as devoted to anyone, actually were one person or one family dogs. They just showed devotion differently. They weren't particularly agreeable in the sense of being obedient or eager to please, but weren't dominant either and they could love as fiercely as a sheepdog. I'm like that, I suppose. Once I attach, I attach for good.
My special favorites have been both introverted and mildly extroverted one man dogs, both neurotic and not at all neurotic. Their strongest common characteristics were intelligence and self confidence combined with a strongish will and a love of life. To a large extent, they appealed to me both because we were similar and because they provided things I was lacking. I need their zest for life to lend spice to my life. I also enjoyed watching their self confidence and will, since it was unaccompanied by dominance.
As dogs go, I prefer the ones like sheepdogs best. Sweetness accompanied by liveliness.
But I'm most like a sighthound. Devoted and loyal, but with greater distance and need for solitude and independence.
Enough similarities to make us in sympathy with one another, but enough differences to add something to my life.
Perhaps the reason they're similarly neurotic is because we can sympathize with flaws we share more than flaws we don't share? I have sympathy for a frightened dog in a way I just don't have with an aggressive dog. I prefer a sensitive dog, aware of everything around them, to a stolidly insensitive dog because I understand the former better than the latter? When I think back, sensitivity is one thing sheepdogs and sighthounds definitely share.
poster:Dinah
thread:1031276
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20120922/msgs/1031296.html