What traits do you love most in your dog(s)?

[Delisay]

Some traits are characteristics of breeds; many other traits are very individual to each dog. What do you most love about your dog's personality etc?? (Please state the breed/mix.)

e.g. With my GSD I loved her...
- Brains and surprising sensitivity/intuition
- Playfulness and happy spirit
- Protectiveness from potential baddies!
- Civility/decorum in the home

Del.

[sam]

Sammy--border collie (though not a typical one)

tries his heart out at everything he does, wants to be "right", sensitive, sweet, naturally polite, super smart


Rosie--australian shepherd

the crazy hooligan, insanely high drive, unbelievable focused even in the face of extreme distraction, aussie humor, lives to play and is up for anything, versatile, doesn't bark, wiggle butt, cuddly, sensitive

[Renee750il]

The same traits stand out in Bimmer (GSD/wolf mix) as in the Riot Grrrls (Fila Brasileiros): their complete, but cognizant devotion (which goes both ways) and their independent intellects. These dogs will NEVER excel in obedience trials. They have their own minds, and they prefer to be a part of the decision making process rather than carry out orders.

[elegy]

luce- drivey and determined, very intense, extremely athletic, smart as a whip, loves everybody and a total social butterfly, extremely tolerent of my stupid games. if i were as good a trainer as she deserves, i think she'd be a fantastic sport dog. she's only four. there's still time.

mushroom- sweet and gentle, mellow guy, silly silly dog, wants very much to please, so sweet and polite with strangers. he's luce's total polar opposite. it keeps life interesting.

[Kase]

I love how friendly she is but at the same time how if the occasion calls for it she will step up to the bar and protect herself and me if needed. She's so sweet and loving and at the same time strong and determined. I don't really know how to explain it, I just love how she is.

[ToscasMom]

I love Tosca's joy. Hard to explain but she lights up the room with it. Wherever she goes, people smile.

I really like how smart she is and how fast she learns.

I also love her clownishness.

Most of all, I love how she looks at me. You know, that Collie expression of undying love, lookin' at ya.

[MyIrishWolfie]

Binn

I love that he's sweet and loving.
I love the way he looks.. he looks just like his mama.. strawberry wheaten.
I love how big he is, and that he's not done growing.
I love his breed.

Stella

I love how fat she is.
I love her playfulness.
I love how protective she is.
I love Stella!!

[RD]

Dakota is very intense and driven, but I have to say I love his devotion more than anything else. He is very social, friendly and often playful with other people, but he is mine and makes it very clear. He is so affectionate with me, anytime I bring him somewhere and sit down, he rests his little head on my knee and gazes up at me. I love that he's protective but not at the expense of sociability.
He's very different than the dogs I've had before, that were more independent and not as eager to please. I honestly think this dog likes making me happy, that he cares about what I think of him. All my other dogs didn't care, but Dakota does. He's only 2 years old and already we have a great connection. I love him more every day.

I love Ripley's intelligence, he is a great problem solver. My favorite thing about him is his attitude, though. He talks back, he struts around like he owns the place and he "protects" us from the weirdest, most benign things. He has no idea that he's tiny. We don't own Ripley, we aren't partners with him, we are quite obviously inferior beings that, by some horrible stroke of luck, have been put in charge of the dog food. :p He's a complete brat, but I love him so much :D

/mush

[GSDlover_4ever]

Caza- GSD

I love his attitude towards life. Doesnt care about anything but what he has to do. He aint trying to run up to people saying "pet me", and could care less about what is going on in the world unless we are in a threatening situation. I also love his protective instinct. I feel 110% safe when I am with him, I can walk down 8 mile in Detroit at 2:00am and not worry about a thing. My mother also feels more comfortable when I take Caza with me, when I'm going to be out late.

Neeko- Doberman

He is very playful and friendly. When I am going to a social event like a picnic or something I take him with me. He is the perfect dog for crowds of people and loves kids. He's also very lovable. He always wants to be on top of you, I dont think he realizes he's 95lbs, lol.

Hondo- GSD

Man, Hondo is like the all around dog. He has both Caza's aloofness but Neeko's friendlyness. He wont run up to people and doesnt care for them, but if I tell him its ok then he opens up and becomes very friendly, but if were just out at the stores he doesnt even look at anyone. His drive at 7 months old is incredible. I just love Hondo so much, he's an incredible dog.

Joe- Rottweiler

He's cool, and hyper. He's very sweet and innocent. He actually cannot even go out with any of the other dogs because they abuse him. They would just drag him around and he wouldnt do a thing. He's a sweetheart.

[Doberluv]

Lyric-Doberman. I love his desire to stay close to me, to check in with me when he is playing or running in the woods...never going far and his propensity and aptnes to obedience, extremely quick to learn most things. I love his handsome looks, terrific speed, agility and in general his atheletisism. I love his alertness and watchfulness, a little suspicion of strangers and how he can be a serious protector when needed, is very discerning about who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. And he's a terrific goofball spaz most of the time...love that dorkiness. He's extremely affectionate and the most loyal dog I've ever had.

Jose- Chihuahua mix...He's smarter than a whip, quite the prey drive, very intuned and aware. I love how he's such a mama's boy, very attached and interested. He is full of life and is just flat out adorable in looks. He's one of those head cockers and makes the cutest vocalizations. He's a real cuddler and although playful, can really get into snuggling up.

Chulita-Chihuahua is perky or as the description says, "saucy" and makes the cutest antics, really funny when she plays with a piece of kibble or other small toy....she makes small things into a big joy. She's downright got a sense of humor, I swear. She'll do something silly and stop dead in her tracks to see if I'm watching. I love how these Chi's can be so playful one second and when I want them to calm down, they do in a heartbeat, just perfectly happy to cuddle up with me. She's got a tad more independence than my boys. She's game for anything, has a lot of heart. And she's not a prissy little brat either. She's my mountain mama, a really good sport on even the most difficult hikes. She really doesn't do anything that bothers me at all. She does have a shrill bark but stops when told. Other than that, she does everything right....where as the boys.....LOL.

Toker-GSD-Pit? mix. She's a real lady who really appears to appreciate everything you do for her. She's sweet, affectionate with a little independent streak, but just a little. She's got an amazing drive. She's very eager and able to learn new things extremely quickly. She thrives off of kindness because she had such a horrible beginning. She's not outwardly submissive, but I know inside she is a little bit. She's become an amazing and stable adult dog and to think how all the "rules" that usually determine how dogs turn out well were broken....all the rules. She's very muscular and atheletic... very fast which to me, is fun to watch and admire. She's just lovely and very good looking too.

Something else I love about all my dogs: They are all devoted it seems to eachother. They get along so well, just are crazy about eachother.

[rabbitsarebetter]

Ruckus, my sheltie....

he is such a sweet boy
i love how emotional he is
I love his eyes, they are so expressive
Ruckus is independant for the most part, and intertains himself.

[Delisay]

He talks back, he struts around like he owns the place... He has no idea that he's tiny. We don't own Ripley, we aren't partners with him, we are quite obviously inferior beings that, by some horrible stroke of luck, have been put in charge of the dog food.
:lol-sign: :lol-sign: :)

[bubbatd]

All my Goldens were what Goldens are supposed to be .... loving family members . Ollie is MOSTLY Golden ..... not knowing his past , he sometimes has " issues " ! More exuberant than any I've owned , but all the others had been trained properly from puppies . I wish I knew his past and real age . I'm going to call him 2 in December .

[Gig 'Em Ags]

Loyalty!!!!

[tessa_s212]

Marq-

He's not very intelligent, but he's the sweetest boy ever. He loves to cuddle. And he's a huge goof. If you've never seen the "happy pointer run" you are missing out! Or the "pointer bounce"... They are such goofs.

Cocoa-

She's ditzy, cute, and loves children. I love that she's so eager to please me, so eager to forgive.

Dega-

She's the smartest dog I've ever worked with. This dog is crazy intelligent. She picks up on things so fast. I'm running out of tricks to teach her... And her energy. Just being around her energizes me. She loves to just jump straight up and down in the air. She thinks she owns everything and everyone. If there is a table, she has to jump on it. If there is a person, she's demanding attention from them. If there is a dog, she tries her hardest to get it to play with her. She's just a puppy at heart.(And to think that such a person could ever abuse this dog... :()

I know, I've got plenty of more dogs, but I think I will just choose those three for now.

[SisMorphine]

With both of my boys I love their low energy level and their non-spastic nature. I also love their uber-dominant personalities that constantly keep me on my toes and thinking. I especially LOVE how quiet they are. I DESPISE a barking dog.

Wally:
I love how he snuggles and how he runs my life 24 hours a day :) I love how warm he is, and how great he is with all people and animals.

Mike:
I love how bonded he is to me, and how he looks for me while we're training, never liking me to be out of his sight. I also love how protective he is in the right situations, and how friendly and out going he is otherwise. I especially love how he's forcing me to grow as a trainer.

[Gempress]

Zeus, my blackmouth cur: He's an absolute sweetheart. Extremely gentle and mellow, and has a lot of dignity. While he loves people, he's not as insane about it as a golden or pittie. He will greet a new person politely and sweetly, and is not above snuggling his head in your lap for affection. This dog doesn't have a mean bone in his body.

Voodoo, my catahoula: Oy...what to say about Voodoo. He's always so happy and full of joie de vivre. I don't think you could ever bring this little dog down. Extremely drivey and intelligent, but eager to please at the same time. Do you remember the cartoon "Dexter's Laboratory?" Dexter's sister, Didi had a trademark phrase...."Oooh, what does this button do?" That is Voodoo's mantra. Inncoent curiosity becoming mayhem. :rolleyes:

[BostonBanker]

Meg, the Mountain Cur - this is actually the write-up I did for her entry into the Dog Model Contest. It's a bit long, but sums up her best qualities.

She's only been with me since February of 2006, but she has cheerfully adapted to the life I live. On our first hike together, she stopped at a small wooden footbridge, terrified to go over it, but equally scared to go through the small stream under it. She wound up running 50 yards or so out of the way so she could cross "safely". Because I wanted to do agility with her, she worked hard to overcome her fears, and happily does all the equipment, even the scary wooden obstacles. Because I wanted a dog who would swim, she learned this summer, and will cheerfully chase sticks into the reservior for as long as I want to throw them. And because I wanted to play fetch with her, she learned to love the toys she once ignored, and will fetch a ball every evening for me on the green by our house.

Meg has always adored people of all ages. She is polite but insistent with her desire to be touching someone at all times. A friend of mine christened her a "Touch Junkie", and she has a name tag that proudly states that.

Her true personality shone through a couple of months ago when our family went through a very difficult time. There was a shooting at the elementary school where my mother teaches. When I heard about it, I got in the car to try to find out what was going on. Meg, who almost always rides in the backseat (by choice), rode pressed against my side as I drove around town. When everything had ended, and the families gathered around, waiting for their loved ones to be released, Meg sat with me on the lawn for over two hours. She was happy to entertain my cousin's toddler, who crawled over to her (and over her!), kissed her, and constantly reached out to touch her. Despite the sadness of the situation, nearly everybody walking by spared a smile for the dog and baby.

Meg and I are rarely separated. She goes to work with me everyday, where she is pleased to greet everyone who comes by. She has taken it upon herself to become the dog of my dreams, and I am grateful every day to have her in my life.

[Jynx]

Sami & Dodge (GSD's)
--brains, devotion, willingness to try anything I put in front of them,
--easy trainability / drive
--their ability to adapt to any situation/place


Jynx & JAg (Aussies)
--their happy go lucky temperaments
--trainability
--their never ending enthusiasm and energy
--their adapatability

Diane

[Bahamutt99]

Loki is my APBT. I love her adaptability and versatility more than anything. Minor and major changes don't bother her. Learn something new? Sure mom, whatever you say, sounds fun!

[BSan]

Herbie golden retreiver/standard poodle mix
Herbie is a sweetheart..... He is big, but thinks he can sit on our lap (not just his back end). He is very affectionate, leans against us as close as he can get. As affectionate as he is, he also likes his own space, and doesn't need to be right with us all the time. He is very attentive when learning something new. We love to look at his eyes.....they speak alot. We love when he does his puppy crazy running around (10 mths old) He is a funny dog and loves to play alot, and has a funny bark when he is ready to roll. He is very alert, and checks at our windows when he hears something, but does not bark at everything. We are so attached already. We love our soft gentle pupper! He won our hearts quickly!

[shadowfacedanes]

The qualities/traits that keep me hooked on Great Danes:

loyalty (intense loyalty- the days of using the restroom alone are long gone)
sensitivity (cry around your great dane...they become incredibly worried and try to make you feel better)
protectiveness
goofiness
the ability to distinquish when to be silly and when to be serious.
gentleness

:)

[tempura tantrum]

sensitivity (cry around your great dane...they become incredibly worried and try to make you feel better)

I couldn't help but smile when I read this.

Could I borrow a Dane from you for finals week? :D

[tempura tantrum]

we are quite obviously inferior beings that, by some horrible stroke of luck, have been put in charge of the dog food.

HAHAHAHAHA- RD I almost spit out my tea laughing when I read this!

I swear, Ripley and the Shibas have been taking notes from one another...

[oc_spirit]

What I love about the Sibes...hmmm....NOTHING! LOL KIDDING!!!!

-individuality
-stubborness
-the way they always ask "why should I do that?"
-drive to work
-loyalty
-awesome looks!
-how they dont know the word "quit"
-outgoing personality
-goofyness
-EVERYTHING lol

What I love about the American Bulldogs...

Ok I have to divide them because they are such polar opposites...

Tank
-goofy attitude (deffinately the comic relief!)
-loyal
-snuggler
-willing to please

Marina
-her seriousness
-her commanding attitude (not out of hand but she has this heir about her that if she doesn''t know you you immediately feel like you are below her simply by being in her presence)
-her protectiveness (deffinately always feel safe when I''m alking her!)
-her calm love (you just KNOW when she accepts you and can really feel her demeaner change - its really cool!)

[mrose_s]

buster

ACD/kelpie
i love his determination
i love that he learns fast (but its hard to get him to use it unless he see's the point)
i love that he's protective (but thats not really a trait of his breed)
i love that he is so active, yet still a lap dog.

[Toller_08]

I love Tango's innate desire to please me. I love her determination and drive. I love what a quick learner she is. I love her happy-go-lucky, always ever so joyful self. I love her attitude towards life. I love how much of a perfectionist she is. If she messes something up the first time by accident, she strives to do it to the best of her ability and far better than any other dog who may be around her the next time. In obedience classes, she has this "anything you can do, I can do much better" attitude...I've never worked with a dog with this attitude before, and I love it. I love how in-tune she is to me. She always knows what I'm thinking, and what I'm feeling. There is honestly only one thing I don't particularly like about her, and it isn't even her fault (she's very reactive around other dogs she doesn't know while out for walks or such). Besides that one thing though, I love absolutely everything about her and couldn't ask for a more wonderful, enjoyable dog.

[Muggie'sMum]

Sarah - Great Dane

I love their fierce loyalty and devotion, their docile nature, the fact that they are big but very much indoor dogs, sharing my bed with something about the same size as a human is to train me for having a husband (;)). I also love her quiet, non intrusive way of looking for attention. When I come home from work, while the other dogs get all excited and crazy, she just stands there patient and quiet until I'm ready to spend some quality time with her. I like how she loves to go to the barn and visit the animals to "make sure everything's okay".

Morrie - Miniature Aussie


Love the focus and the drive, but at the same way he is really laid back and not neurotic like most dogs. Fits in my arms for a hug JUST perfectly, I love that he is excited to see me EVERYTIME I GO OUTSIDE, even if it's just for five minutes, his insatiable love for tennis balls and the dogwalk, and the way his chest wiggles when his butt does.

[dogstarsleddogs]

What I love about Huskies:
thier intelligence
thier independence
the way they just go nuts when its time for a run
they way they'll actually somewhat listen if is food is involed "Sit? You want me to sit? You're nuts! Oh, you've got food. Ok, I guess I'll do it then. Now, I've sitted, not hurry up and give me my treat!"
how sometimes they can just be so onery
how Dakota is able to dig his monster holes
Really, I love everything about them, usually...sometimes thier best traits can be thier worst.

[Laurelin]

Well

For Shack- GSD/Golden I loved how intelligent he was. He was a such a caring dog. Very protective but very gentle with me as a kid.

Nikki, Trey- Shelties- these guys are so different. Nikki I love because she's just my baby. She's so smart, and very devious. She's such a sweet yet goruchy old dog. Trey I love because he's just so sweet. He's a very calm guy with a very endearing personality.

Beau and Harry- Papillons I just can't get over how much I love this breed's personality! They're so much fun, very energetic and smart. Both my paps learned how to retrieve faster than our old hunting line lab did. They're also the most devoted breed I've been around. You'll never go anywhere by yourself again. They're also very portable. Plus, you can't not like those ears. :)

[skyeboxer]

Skye - boxer

Her sweetness, her playfulness, her patience with the kids. Her sensitivity - don't cry around a boxer unless you want 28 k leaning on you for the rest of the day (yes, I know she's overweight :)

Her gentleness. She suckled Lili - a little black kitten we took in couple of years ago and would have done the same with jerry if he had let her.

Her great big heart.

[PixieSticksandTricks]

Tucker and Maggiemay both American Cocker Spaniels.

Their constantly happy personalities
Their brains (smart dogs)
Their everything is peachy attitude
Their ability to tune into human emotions
The fact they neither one is velcro yet not too independent dogs either.
Their not yappy
Their not aggressive
They airn't too big nor too small
They know what they want


They are just all around good dogs.

[Amstaffer]

Sal Amstaff / Athena Pit Bull.... Sweetness and gentle nature with children

[Debi]

Hamlin..GSD....his loyalty and love are beyond compare. I've never been so loved. :) his intelligence surpasses most people I've met. lol

Addie..husky mix...her active nature keeps me in shape. loving nature to humans...she expects to be loved! lol

[casablanca1]

All of my dogs - their joi de vivre. All of them, when they're out on a walk, their tails are high, wide and handsome, like ships under full sail. Happy dogs.

Boomer - her loving heart. She was the most loving, expressive, true person I've ever met, and I aspire to be like her.

Mickey - her courage. She was so brave. When something scared or worried her, she didn't look to me, she examined the situation and went back in on her own.

Henrietta - her trust in me.

[squirtsmom]

Squirt is pitbull/boxer mix. I love everything about her. she is always playful, loving and trying to please. she is the best dog I have every had.