The Most Dog Friendly Community Online
Join Dog Forum to Discuss Breeds, Training, Food and More

an algorithm for choosing yer dog, based on personality & behavior matches

leashedForLife

Well-Known Member
Registered
Messages
1,791
Reaction score
843
Points
113

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register
.

Don't just adopt a dog. Adopt your dog | How I Met My Dog

nope, not kidding - too many dog-owners choose their dog or pup based on LOOKS, as humans are very visual creatures. // That's not good - all those folks who announced they wanted an Akita, "just like mine", b/c she was cute & fluffy at 10-WO? --- they hadn't a clue about her intense desire to protect, not only her own personal space, her own body, her food, her PEOPLE, her turf! -- which, undirected & uncontrolled, & without massive happy socialization to nonfamily persons, other dogs, other species, would have been disastrous when she grew to adulthood.

How I Met My Dog, like any good dating-website, uses 30 parameters of personality & behavior to match a particular person to a particular dog.
Shelters & rescues are welcome to profile dogs who need homes, as are dog-owners who need to rehome their own dog.

Vet-behaviorist Nick Dodman, DVM, DVBCA, thinks it's so good, he's partnering with the site to help promote the concept.

- terry

.
 
Ive done a few of those online tests that ask a load of questions about what you like and dont like and then say what sort of dog should you have and each and every time they come up with a lab...

Now Im not fussy as such but a lab is way down my list as an ideal. !
 
QUOTE, Mad Murphy:

I've done a few of those online tests that ask a load of questions about what you like and don't like, and then say what sort of dog should you have [e-g, which breed], & each and every time, they come up with a Lab...

Now I'm not fussy, as such, but a Lab is way-down my list, as an ideal. !

_________________________________________
.

This doesn't match U to a BREED - but to a DOG. :)
Hence the need to list lots of individual dogs... not breeds, per se, but random bred or crossbred or any dog whatever.

.
 
Yeah. What I was trying to say is that there has to be a personal click .. Same as with humans you cant just say hey this guy/dog ticks all the boxes so go have a happy life. Its great they want to go the extra mile trying to match people but Im not convinced its the way to go for everyone.
 
I think it could be a great idea, as it could push you to the right sort of dog, for the right reasons. Maybe it could also flag up the ones whose looks you love but would be a really bad idea. Hanging around lurcher rescue forums, I often see rather nondescript lurchers who could so easily be passed over but are actually complete gems. Yes, you need to look into a dog's eyes to see if there's potential for that connection (bearing in mind the dog could be shut down and scared at the moment), but this could encourage you to go and actually look into their eyes in the first place.
 
I have never gone out 'looking' for a dog. Whenever I've lost one I've always said the same, ' If one crosses my path and needs a home then so be it'.. I always seemed to have had biggish dogs in my life until the 2 yorkies crossed my path, one after the other, I would never have thought to go rescue a yorkie but they absolutely stole my heart like every other dog I have had! Though saying all that, I do quite fancy having a Jack or Jack cross in my life,who knows what or who is around the corner eh...;)
Can I just also add that some people seem to forget that a dog is an individual, just like us,(the only difference is awareness, dogs are aware, we are aware we are aware, just to get philosophical about it!) it may be a certain breed, have certain traits, but it ain't set in stone!!!:p
 
@Flobo We have always said exactly the same about dogs... At one point we had a hyper active border collie who loved to swim, a grumpy beagle who thought water was the work of the devil and a brainless mongy who thought I was the only human he could trust and who forgot how to use his back legs in water which nearly resulted in me having to swim after him. They were so very different and yet the fitted in here as if they were made for us.

In our house its always been a case of us adapting to the dog and not the other way round..
 
.

I was hunting around on the website, & while it's "free during the launch period", there will be a $49 one-time fee for those searching for a dog after "launch" - which has no date.
Shelters & rescues post available dogs at no charge; i didn't look to see if there's a fee to list a dog being rehomed by the [former] owner.

But there is this - QUOTE,
Customized training once you’ve found your dog.
Okay, so you’ve brought home your dog - now what? Like all new relationships, there’s an adjustment period. No worries, you’ve got How I Met My Dog to guide you through it. Because we know that every dog is different and so is every person, we will give you a training plan that’s geared to both you and your dog’s P.E.T. Profile™. Training will be available after our Launch Period.
__________________________________________

I'm not particularly keen on this - knowing as i do that every dog can be trained by using rewards, while eliminating or reducing any happy outcomes from unwanted behaviors via management. [Ex, don't let the dog bolt out the door or gate & learn to escape - put a gate between the dog & the entry door, with setback.]
I'd like to see what their "training plans" might be, & how they vary from one version to another, before i signed off on them. ;)

- terry

.
 
I have never gone out 'looking' for a dog. Whenever I've lost one I've always said the same, ' If one crosses my path and needs a home then so be it'.. I always seemed to have had biggish dogs in my life until the 2 yorkies crossed my path, one after the other, I would never have thought to go rescue a yorkie but they absolutely stole my heart like every other dog I have had! Though saying all that, I do quite fancy having a Jack or Jack cross in my life,who knows what or who is around the corner eh...;)
Can I just also add that some people seem to forget that a dog is an individual, just like us,(the only difference is awareness, dogs are aware, we are aware we are aware, just to get philosophical about it!) it may be a certain breed, have certain traits, but it ain't set in stone!!!:p
We never wanted a dog until Dudley. My granddaughter pleaded with me to buy her a puppy she had seen advertised. I did, never dreaming I would end up with him. My husband was very anti us having a dog at our ages but circumstances led to him coming to us and we both adore him. My husband did say he would have preferred a real dog, not a fluff ball but he is definitely the right dog for us.
 
.

It's not a match based on looks, but on behavior & personality [of the dog].
An outgoing & excitable dog of whatever breed will be a tough go for someone who's a quiet homebody, who likes to putter in the garden & stroll country lanes; they're looking for a cuddly dog who likes to share the couch, WALK not hurdle stiles, & play fetch for 10 or 15-minutes in the evening; not one who needs to greet every human & dog within a 5-mile radius, & run marathons weekly.

Similarly, a couch-spud who likes to spend the odd night at the pub, who likes to walk & sniff, who's friendly but not on a mission to meet EVERYone, would probly suit the gardener nicely.

And yes, i've had different sorts of dogs, also - my Beagle wasn't my GSD-Kees X, & both were dissimilar to my Bassett x Dachs, who was nothing like my BSD-Groen, who certainly didn't resemble my Akita - but both my heart dogs, Wolf & Moon, were thinkers & problem-solvers, who didn't react in knee-jerk fashion but THOUGHT.
Per breed, they had nothing in common unless it was the Nordic streak of Kees + Akita, & they were opp sex, but as personalities, they were twins of different parents.

I'd love to find another "thinking" dog. :) I'm pretty sure that's not on their personality-traits list, but maybe i could suss it out with other exhibited behaviors.
- terry

.
 

Welcome to Dog Forum!

Join our vibrant online community dedicated to all things canine. Whether you're a seasoned owner or new to the world of dogs, our forum is your go-to hub for sharing stories, seeking advice, and connecting with fellow dog lovers. From training tips to health concerns, we cover it all. Register now and unleash the full potential of your dog-loving experience!

Login or Register
Back
Top