How Similar Are Our Behavioral Styles to Our Dogs’?

by Souki Fournier

According to a research conducted at Michigan State University, dogs tend to take on the same personality traits and behavioral tendencies as their owners. The study also revealed that dogs are just like humans in terms of cognitive development and that their personalities are shaped over time.

These shifts in personality traits can even predict future behaviors that may surface in our dogs. While it is true that age, breed, and gender play a huge role in the shaping of their personalities and behavioral tendencies, the influence that we dog owners have plays a major role.

Here at DNA Behavior, we take it to heart to involve our 4 legged friends in everything we do and make them feel loved and appreciated, especially during these unprecedented times where we have been working mostly from home spending more time with our dogs than ever before.

While some may already worry about the potential separation anxiety the end of the WFH era might induce to our dogs, we at DNA Behavior decided to look a little bit more into it and see if we can uncover similarities between our very own DNA styles and our dogs’. After all, how ideal would it be to be able to understand your dog’s personality, interpret their behavior, and even predict how they may react to certain things.

Meet Our Paw-tastic Team

Gracie is a 6 months-year-old female Bernedoodle, which is a cross of a Poodle and Bernese mountain dog. She is a very outgoing and friendly dog who craves attention but goes with the flow at the very same time. She is extremely entertaining and would be fantastic at networking during conferences and various events. In general, Bernedoodles tend to be highly intelligent, hardworking, very loyal, and just a bit goofy. Based on our expertise, Gracie’s DNA Style is Engager, which fits the description perfectly!

Gracie is a member of Hugh Massie’s family, who is our CEO and Behavioral Strategist. Hugh is an Initiator. Initiators are strong-minded, decisive, and goal-driven individuals who are typically fast-paced and rational. Some personality traits that Hugh and Gracie have in common are that they are both optimistic and dynamic in their way of doing things. As Gracie grows older and her personality unravels, we are eager to see how much of Hugh’s DNA Style characteristics might influence her own!

Skylar is a female Shiba Inu with an eagerness to learn and an undeniable sense of style. She can be extroverted as dogs can be but also needs her alone time to charge. Her unique personality shows especially when she meets other dogs. While she enjoys it a great deal, she would ignore them and move on if they do not engage back. She is an undeniable leader, not a follower, and perfectly capable of entertaining herself if she needs exercise.  

By nature, Shiba Inu dogs are known to be independent, energetic, and exceptionally smart, and based on our expertise, Skylar’s DNA Style is Stylish Thinker.

Skylar is a member of Ryan Scott’s family, who is our CTO, Digital Experience Innovator. Ryan is a Reflective Thinker. He is a serious, focused, and analytical individual who values accuracy and precision in everything he does. The similarities between Ryan and Skylar’s unique styles are that they’re both creative and innovative. However, Ryan’s rational and thought-out approach does enable him to navigate Skylar’s strong personality without any issues. (Did somebody say stubborn?)  

Ari is a 10-year-old male English Setter. He is a very friendly, patient, and playful dog, but very sensitive and feelings oriented. While he likes interacting with his surroundings, he appreciates his own quiet time. English Setters are known to be some of the most friendly and gentle dogs. They are extremely loyal and crave affection. Based on our expertise, Ari’s DNA Style is Relationship Builder, which couldn’t be more accurate. He welcomes interactions with other people and other dogs, but is independent enough that he does not need to be constantly entertained. While Ari and Gracie are both part of Hugh’s family, they couldn’t be more different, and so are their interactions with Hugh who is an Initiator. We would go to the extent of saying that they are polar opposites, but we sure are eager to see how Ari’s personality traits develop over time.

For all our dog lovers out there, remember, dogs are complex creatures that share a unique bond with their owners. Understanding their behavioral traits starts by understanding your own.

To learn more about DNA Behavior and how our insights can help you capitalize on your strengths and manage your struggles, start our free trial. Don’t take our word for it, try it for yourself.