Ex or In
How do you know if your dog is an extrovert or an introvert? Your dog could also be an Ambivert, which is half way between an extrovert & an introvert.
* Put your dog on this continuum, based on how much your dog likes meeting new people:
EE = very extroverted/ ee = extroverted/ ei = ambiverted/ ii = introverted/ II = very introverted.
EE - My dog loves everybody, he loves to meet new people.
ee - My dog likes everybody, he likes to meet new people.
ei - My dog is selective about which strangers he likes, and who he doesn't like. I don't usually know which strangers my dog will like.
ii - My dog has certain people he likes, but is often scared of strangers or aggressive towards them.
II - My dog is shy, and hides when company comes. or, My dog warms up to strangers very slowly. or, My dog is aggressive toward strangers.
* In areas where dogs can run loose (like where there are dirt roads and only a few houses between you and the dead end of your road, how far would your dog roam?
EE - My dog would head for the hills, he wouldn't even think about where home was until he nearly dropped from exhaustion.
ee - He would run around, but he would stay near our home, and come back in a few hours.
ei - He would quickly learn where the edge of our property was, and you could leave the gate open, he wouldn't leave unless I called him.
ii - There are areas in our backyard the dog doesn't bother to go into, or rooms in the house, that he seldom goes into. Our home is bigger than the size of territory he needs.
II - Our dog only goes outside to go to the bathroom, or if we go out with him. Or our dog doesn't go upstairs unless we call him, although he is allowed to. All on his own, he has carved out an area, on our property which he thinks of as his territory and he doesn't cross this self imposed boundary unless he is following us.
How well does your dog play with other dogs?
EE- My dog loves to play with other dogs, he is always happy and excited to meet other dogs.
ee - My dog likes to play with most other dogs, and doesn't try to fight, or get all into that dominance stuff.
ei - My dog likes some dogs more than others. He plays well with some of them, but ignores the rest.
ii - My dog likes to play, but is a little shy, even with dogs his own size. or, My dog usually likes to play, but he can't be trusted - sometimes he gets mean towards other dogs.
II - My dog doesn't play well with other dogs - either he is too aggressive, or too scared, or he just isn't social.
****
Beagles tend to love everybody, love other dogs, and roam far from home if they get a chance.
Some lines of Rat Terriers (An American breed of farm dog), are so introverted that people who get a grown one, often assume that it was abused (unless they have had a rat terrier before).
If someone tells me that their dog only lives in some rooms of the house, even though the door is open to the other rooms, or if the owner says that their are certain rooms that the dog wont go in unless a family member walks in their first - then the first thing I think is, "Is your dog a rat terrier?"
If there was a breed of dog that most acted like it believed in ghosts, it would be a rat terrier.
The one time I felt this the most, was visiting people who lived in a large, multi-story home. They had one house dog, a rat terrier.
I began to feel spooked which is rare for me - then I realized why.
The dog would walk to the big open area, between dining room and living room, and then walk back, like wanting me to follow him. When I went into the other room to get something, he would rush and get a drink or something, like as if he was scared to be alone.
He looked around corners before he would enter a room, unless he was following someone.
He listened for every tiny sound - which makes sense - rat terriers are bred to kill mice & rats on farms - they find the rodents by listening for the tiny patter of mouse scurrying.
But I found myself mimicking his heightened awareness, and it spooked me. Like sneezing when other people sneeze.
Rat terriers are probably the most common breed of farm dog in the US. They usually aren't chained up, and the farms aren't fenced (note: I said farm dog, not ranch dog). If they roam, chances are a coyote invites them for dinner. Rat terriers usually live in the house or barn, and don't explore much alone.
Beagles usually can't be trusted off leash - they will be gone. You usually have to work to get a beagle back.
Here's the weird part. American Rat Terriers are a mix of fox terriers like the Jack Russell, Whippets, and Beagles - and a bit of whatever was around the barn at the time.
But, maybe because the bold ones got eaten by coyotes, they aren't at all like beagles, and even though you might have to look hard to see the difference between Jack Russells and Rat Terriers - there are big behavioral difference between the fearless Jacks, and the introverted Rat T.
* Put your dog on this continuum, based on how much your dog likes meeting new people:
EE = very extroverted/ ee = extroverted/ ei = ambiverted/ ii = introverted/ II = very introverted.
EE - My dog loves everybody, he loves to meet new people.
ee - My dog likes everybody, he likes to meet new people.
ei - My dog is selective about which strangers he likes, and who he doesn't like. I don't usually know which strangers my dog will like.
ii - My dog has certain people he likes, but is often scared of strangers or aggressive towards them.
II - My dog is shy, and hides when company comes. or, My dog warms up to strangers very slowly. or, My dog is aggressive toward strangers.
* In areas where dogs can run loose (like where there are dirt roads and only a few houses between you and the dead end of your road, how far would your dog roam?
EE - My dog would head for the hills, he wouldn't even think about where home was until he nearly dropped from exhaustion.
ee - He would run around, but he would stay near our home, and come back in a few hours.
ei - He would quickly learn where the edge of our property was, and you could leave the gate open, he wouldn't leave unless I called him.
ii - There are areas in our backyard the dog doesn't bother to go into, or rooms in the house, that he seldom goes into. Our home is bigger than the size of territory he needs.
II - Our dog only goes outside to go to the bathroom, or if we go out with him. Or our dog doesn't go upstairs unless we call him, although he is allowed to. All on his own, he has carved out an area, on our property which he thinks of as his territory and he doesn't cross this self imposed boundary unless he is following us.
How well does your dog play with other dogs?
EE- My dog loves to play with other dogs, he is always happy and excited to meet other dogs.
ee - My dog likes to play with most other dogs, and doesn't try to fight, or get all into that dominance stuff.
ei - My dog likes some dogs more than others. He plays well with some of them, but ignores the rest.
ii - My dog likes to play, but is a little shy, even with dogs his own size. or, My dog usually likes to play, but he can't be trusted - sometimes he gets mean towards other dogs.
II - My dog doesn't play well with other dogs - either he is too aggressive, or too scared, or he just isn't social.
****
Beagles tend to love everybody, love other dogs, and roam far from home if they get a chance.
Some lines of Rat Terriers (An American breed of farm dog), are so introverted that people who get a grown one, often assume that it was abused (unless they have had a rat terrier before).
If someone tells me that their dog only lives in some rooms of the house, even though the door is open to the other rooms, or if the owner says that their are certain rooms that the dog wont go in unless a family member walks in their first - then the first thing I think is, "Is your dog a rat terrier?"
If there was a breed of dog that most acted like it believed in ghosts, it would be a rat terrier.
The one time I felt this the most, was visiting people who lived in a large, multi-story home. They had one house dog, a rat terrier.
I began to feel spooked which is rare for me - then I realized why.
The dog would walk to the big open area, between dining room and living room, and then walk back, like wanting me to follow him. When I went into the other room to get something, he would rush and get a drink or something, like as if he was scared to be alone.
He looked around corners before he would enter a room, unless he was following someone.
He listened for every tiny sound - which makes sense - rat terriers are bred to kill mice & rats on farms - they find the rodents by listening for the tiny patter of mouse scurrying.
But I found myself mimicking his heightened awareness, and it spooked me. Like sneezing when other people sneeze.
Rat terriers are probably the most common breed of farm dog in the US. They usually aren't chained up, and the farms aren't fenced (note: I said farm dog, not ranch dog). If they roam, chances are a coyote invites them for dinner. Rat terriers usually live in the house or barn, and don't explore much alone.
Beagles usually can't be trusted off leash - they will be gone. You usually have to work to get a beagle back.
Here's the weird part. American Rat Terriers are a mix of fox terriers like the Jack Russell, Whippets, and Beagles - and a bit of whatever was around the barn at the time.
But, maybe because the bold ones got eaten by coyotes, they aren't at all like beagles, and even though you might have to look hard to see the difference between Jack Russells and Rat Terriers - there are big behavioral difference between the fearless Jacks, and the introverted Rat T.
