Understanding Your Dog’s Unique Personality

Understanding Your Dog’s Unique Personality

This is a reminder that dogs are individual, complex, with their own unique fears, preferences, and instincts. Sometimes their quirks can defy what we think we know about them.

Take Cera, for example… This girl is a certified escape artist. I struggle to keep her contained. Luckily for her, and for myself, her top priority is to be by my side so she always comes to find me after her escape. This daring girl can effortlessly scale any type of 6-foot fence I have here, and fearlessly drop to the other side without a second thought. I am always worried she will break a leg. She’s bold, determined, and too intelligent for her own good. Except…

Stairs. Despite her acrobatics, there’s one thing she absolutely WILL NOT do: walk down my wooden stairs to the basement.

In this photo, I’m calling her to come downstairs with me and she’s hiding! this is not what I would expect to see from Cera, but it is something she simply has not been willing to work through. She will go up, but will not walk down these steps.

These individual quirks are completely normal and part of what makes each dog so special. Some quirks can be worked through with patience and training, while others are simply part of who they are—and that’s okay! Embracing these unique traits allows us to appreciate our dogs for the whole package they bring to our lives, quirks and all. After all, it’s their individuality that makes the bond we share with them so beautiful and memorable.