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Why We Love the Dogs We Do: How to Find the Dog That Matches Your Personality
A Dog's Best Friend
In Why We Love the Dogs We Do, Stanley Coren provides a foolproof guide to understanding which dog will make the best lifetime companion. He brings together his expertise in the fields of human psychology and animal behavior to provide a completely new approach to the dog/human relationship.
Working with a team of animal experts, Coren has identified seven groups of dogs based on characteristics such as friendliness, protectiveness, independence, and steadiness. Each group contains dogs from different breeds that share similar personality traits -- a unique departure from the familiar American Kennel Club breed groups. Perhaps even more fascinating are the results of Dr. Coren's extensive work matching human personality types with canine characteristics. Using his personality tests, anyone can determine which dog is the right match and which dog is almost certain to cause heartbreak.
Rich in anecdotes and grounded in scientific study, Why We Love the Dogs We Do offers us the tools we need to find happiness in what can be among the most satisfying relationships of a lifetime.
In Why We Love the Dogs We Do, Stanley Coren provides a foolproof guide to understanding which dog will make the best lifetime companion. He brings together his expertise in the fields of human psychology and animal behavior to provide a completely new approach to the dog/human relationship.
Working with a team of animal experts, Coren has identified seven groups of dogs based on characteristics such as friendliness, protectiveness, independence, and steadiness. Each group contains dogs from different breeds that share similar personality traits -- a unique departure from the familiar American Kennel Club breed groups. Perhaps even more fascinating are the results of Dr. Coren's extensive work matching human personality types with canine characteristics. Using his personality tests, anyone can determine which dog is the right match and which dog is almost certain to cause heartbreak.
Rich in anecdotes and grounded in scientific study, Why We Love the Dogs We Do offers us the tools we need to find happiness in what can be among the most satisfying relationships of a lifetime.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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224 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 7, 2018
I initially checked this book out thinking the personality quiz approach might be really helpful as we look for a new dog. It turned out the that the personality quiz was pretty much pointless, but I completely enjoyed the anecdotes about famous people and their dogs spread throughout this book.
Coren has obviously done extensive research into dogs and their personalities, and I think his new classification system is interesting and worth taking into consideration when looking at dogs. However, it falls dramatically short in terms of the practical aspects of matchmaking a person to a dog. For instance, the dog breeds most recommended to me fell under the "independent" classification.
Upon further research of each of these breeds, I found that they were overwhelmingly large, highly active dogs that can be difficult to train and need lots of exercise. While my extroverted & dominant personality may sync with the personality of these dogs, I guarantee you my couch potato lifestyle, limited interest in doing training beyond house training & sit, and desire for a dog that won't take up a third of my bed at night would not work with any of the recommended dogs.
This book does not provide information about the lifestyle habits best suited to these dogs, and in so doing ignores major factors that contribute to a dog's potential for happiness in a home.
As a dog lover, the stories and dog information were totally captivating and I read this book very quickly. It was completely entertaining, but I would recommend that others searching for the right kind of dog for them keep that in mind - this book is entertainment, not the end-all, be-all of dog selecting advice.
Coren has obviously done extensive research into dogs and their personalities, and I think his new classification system is interesting and worth taking into consideration when looking at dogs. However, it falls dramatically short in terms of the practical aspects of matchmaking a person to a dog. For instance, the dog breeds most recommended to me fell under the "independent" classification.
Upon further research of each of these breeds, I found that they were overwhelmingly large, highly active dogs that can be difficult to train and need lots of exercise. While my extroverted & dominant personality may sync with the personality of these dogs, I guarantee you my couch potato lifestyle, limited interest in doing training beyond house training & sit, and desire for a dog that won't take up a third of my bed at night would not work with any of the recommended dogs.
This book does not provide information about the lifestyle habits best suited to these dogs, and in so doing ignores major factors that contribute to a dog's potential for happiness in a home.
As a dog lover, the stories and dog information were totally captivating and I read this book very quickly. It was completely entertaining, but I would recommend that others searching for the right kind of dog for them keep that in mind - this book is entertainment, not the end-all, be-all of dog selecting advice.
May 18, 2008
Coren is by far my favorite dog author. His works always include a witty, unknown-to-me, bit of dog lore that I can appreciate, and I learn alot.
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January 16, 2021loved this book! read Jan 2021
November 2, 2012
I didn't mind this book, I think it contained too much about historical people and their dogs - I ended up skipping some as it got so repetitive. It was mainly that and then a couple of chapters about suitable dogs for you. The dogs most recommended for me were also dogs I have worked with and have no interest in owning due to their personalities not meshing well with what I want in a dog. The 2 I have had the strongest bonds with were not mentioned for me at all, and they were ideal matches for me, so overall I think the book was a good idea in theory, but didn't work in reality - he could have written it alot better.
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April 11, 2022table 5 on pg. 380-- "Dog groups that are most preferred by men and women for all four personality dimensions and all levels of traits"
*category types of dogs are independent, protective, clever, self-assured, friendly
*types of humans (spectrum of high, medium, and low) measured by extroversion, dominance (controlling), trust, and warmth
As a woman who is medium on extroversion, dominance, and trust, and high on warmth, my dog categories include (2 options for each trait): consistent, clever, consistent, friendly, friendly, clever, protective, friendly.
Friendly x3 (dog list on pg. 146)
consistent x2 (dog list on pg. 152)
clever x 2 (pg 155)
protective x1
steady dogs 0
self-assured 0
Therefore, the best "fit" of dog for me would likely be a friendly dog. This fits true for my current dog, an English Springer Spaniel. She is so friendly and has my heart!
*category types of dogs are independent, protective, clever, self-assured, friendly
*types of humans (spectrum of high, medium, and low) measured by extroversion, dominance (controlling), trust, and warmth
As a woman who is medium on extroversion, dominance, and trust, and high on warmth, my dog categories include (2 options for each trait): consistent, clever, consistent, friendly, friendly, clever, protective, friendly.
Friendly x3 (dog list on pg. 146)
consistent x2 (dog list on pg. 152)
clever x 2 (pg 155)
protective x1
steady dogs 0
self-assured 0
Therefore, the best "fit" of dog for me would likely be a friendly dog. This fits true for my current dog, an English Springer Spaniel. She is so friendly and has my heart!
December 28, 2017
My family had a so much fun figuring this system out. There were times in the book where the author really dug deep into a famous person's backstory and character to give an example of whatever personality type going with what dog, almost to the point of me losing the thread. I do think the idea behind the book is a solid one. It's a much more practical way than wandering around the pet shelter looking for a cute dog.
Coren clearly dislikes cats...that's why the book doesn't deserve 5 stars in my mind:)
Coren clearly dislikes cats...that's why the book doesn't deserve 5 stars in my mind:)
August 22, 2017
The personality test was fun and helped me think a bit more about dog personality as it relates to breed, as they both relate to me and what I need in a relationship with a dog. But the whole book is laced with weird and sometimes sexist gender assumptions. Also, I didn't need *quite* that many celebrity dog story anecdotes.
November 7, 2023
Fun and really informative. I didn't read it because I am looking to get a dog. I already have my furry soul-mate. I just wanted to learn more about the connections between us and the dogs we all live with. Highly recommend it. It even covers cats.
January 25, 2015
I borrowed this from the library. But I can not agree with the author at all. I have rescued dogs for fifteen years. I can honestly say, they are as diverse in personality as we are so they should stop trying to pigeon hole all creatures. I gave up rescuing dogs when my financial situation altered. However, I did keep three Chihuahuas and two Labrador / Shepherd mixes. According to this author who also ignorantly basis his theory on our genders, I am not made for either type. I am an introvert. Therefore I was only made for the teeny tiny terrier group. Yet Chihuahuas are too boisterous and not worth my trial with one. Simply because I am woman a GS or Lab may not be such a good idea either. Seriously? Sorry, as the two comedians on the old Living Color TV show would say, "Hated It!"
The old tests on "Which dog are right for us?" Tests by Purina, Iams, Animal Planet online that consider yard space, activity levels, etc.. Are still the best. But even they don't get it right each time. I've had a Golden Retriever who was scared, timid, and not very friendly. Yet that breed is supposed to "Hold the flash light for robbers." I've had a Chihuahua who would've went home with any one. They are supposed to be one owner dogs. While the Purina ...tests can be off, because there are exceptions in every breed. I do not think this test in Coren's book has it quite right either.
The old tests on "Which dog are right for us?" Tests by Purina, Iams, Animal Planet online that consider yard space, activity levels, etc.. Are still the best. But even they don't get it right each time. I've had a Golden Retriever who was scared, timid, and not very friendly. Yet that breed is supposed to "Hold the flash light for robbers." I've had a Chihuahua who would've went home with any one. They are supposed to be one owner dogs. While the Purina ...tests can be off, because there are exceptions in every breed. I do not think this test in Coren's book has it quite right either.
February 26, 2017
I like the idea of this book. There's also a number of stories to illustrate his conclusions about which groups work for which personality types. I found these quite entertaining, even when he spent too much time on irrelevant biographical details.
However, there's a difference that he either didn't explain or was a major mistake: in the chapter about a specific type (dominance, trust, etc.) it suggested certain breed groups, but in the summary chapter that listed all the types, some of the breed groups suggestions were different. E.G. in the chapter on trust, I (a woman) ranked high. It told me consistent and protective breeds were best, while in the summary chapter it said protective and independent. On the surface, this seems minor, but the whole point of the book is to match breeds to personalities. If there were too many of these discrepancies, how would a person know which Dr. Coren suggested?
As a cat owner, I found his chapter on cats a bit insulting. In fact, I've not met a cat-only owner who matched that description. That's not to say his stats are faulty, just that he admitted to including it a bit hastily and probably shouldn't have.
In the end, I still enjoyed the book, but I'd rather meet the individual dogs and choose then.
However, there's a difference that he either didn't explain or was a major mistake: in the chapter about a specific type (dominance, trust, etc.) it suggested certain breed groups, but in the summary chapter that listed all the types, some of the breed groups suggestions were different. E.G. in the chapter on trust, I (a woman) ranked high. It told me consistent and protective breeds were best, while in the summary chapter it said protective and independent. On the surface, this seems minor, but the whole point of the book is to match breeds to personalities. If there were too many of these discrepancies, how would a person know which Dr. Coren suggested?
As a cat owner, I found his chapter on cats a bit insulting. In fact, I've not met a cat-only owner who matched that description. That's not to say his stats are faulty, just that he admitted to including it a bit hastily and probably shouldn't have.
In the end, I still enjoyed the book, but I'd rather meet the individual dogs and choose then.
October 22, 2025
This book boils down your personality to 4 categories- Extroversion, Dominance, Trust, and Warmth and depending on your scores to each ( high, medium, low) corresponds to what breeds would be best suited to you. These groups include: Friendly, Protective, Independent, Self-Assured, Consistent, Steady, and Clever.
So apparently I've been interested in the wrong breeds all my life. I'm very fond of bully breeds, having two bull terriers myself and according to this book they aren't the right breed for me. Two groups showed up for me a couple of times in my personality test. That would be "Clever" ( GSD, Dobermans, border collie, ACD ect.) while the other group "Friendly" (Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, collies, visla etc.) Basically Stanley Coren called me a basic bitch.
The book is intriguing from the many examples the author shares (famous people...and mostly US presidents for some reason) I found the book to be fascinating and a quick, easy read. I'm not completely sold on if the book is completely accurate and I'd be interested to see if this is the case when I decide to get another dog. So if you're interested, read the book and take the quiz and see if it's accurate for you.
So apparently I've been interested in the wrong breeds all my life. I'm very fond of bully breeds, having two bull terriers myself and according to this book they aren't the right breed for me. Two groups showed up for me a couple of times in my personality test. That would be "Clever" ( GSD, Dobermans, border collie, ACD ect.) while the other group "Friendly" (Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, collies, visla etc.) Basically Stanley Coren called me a basic bitch.
The book is intriguing from the many examples the author shares (famous people...and mostly US presidents for some reason) I found the book to be fascinating and a quick, easy read. I'm not completely sold on if the book is completely accurate and I'd be interested to see if this is the case when I decide to get another dog. So if you're interested, read the book and take the quiz and see if it's accurate for you.
August 27, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book. I initially picked it up while my husband and I were deciding on what type of dog to get as it would be the first pet (that wasn't a rodent) for us. The book seems written by a fairly erudite psychologist who has a huge love for dogs. It is somewhat scientific in the sense that there's a personality questionnaire you can fill out to find out what groups of dogs would suit your personality. But the real gems in the book are the stories of famous people and the relationships they had with their dog including several different Queens of England, authors like John Steinbeck, the Brontes, and also American presidents. He has his own personal encounters with famous persons and his interviews of their love for dogs -- the description of Pablo Picasso was hilarious! I learned a lot about my own personality as a result also of reading the book whether one is dominant, introvert/extrovert, trust focused, warm and how that matches with the dog you choose was interesting.
Great read!
Great read!
November 17, 2009
I really enjoyed "How to Speak Dog" and "The Intelligence of Dogs" but I didn't really like this one that much. The idea of the book was actually quite interesting and I think the problem Mr. Coren is trying to solve is very legitimate. I'm just not sure he has succeeded.
I have owned a few dogs in my life and have been exposed to many many more. The test results for me were quite surprising. For my most beloved dog the test told me he was in the group that was the worst possible match for me. For my other dog, he didn’t fare much better; he was in the 2nd worst group.
I’m willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt that somehow my results are an aberration but I also felt the book had a lot of filler. I was more interested in the topic of the book than the side stories about historical figures and their dogs. It got tiring after awhile.
I have owned a few dogs in my life and have been exposed to many many more. The test results for me were quite surprising. For my most beloved dog the test told me he was in the group that was the worst possible match for me. For my other dog, he didn’t fare much better; he was in the 2nd worst group.
I’m willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt that somehow my results are an aberration but I also felt the book had a lot of filler. I was more interested in the topic of the book than the side stories about historical figures and their dogs. It got tiring after awhile.
January 31, 2020
This book is both fun and interesting, although at times I admit, I felt like I was reading filler, albeit interesting filler. The premise of the book is that certain personalities fit better with certain breeds of dogs, so Coren re-categorized the breeds accordingly. You take a personality quiz early in the book that helps to determine where you fall on a scaled degree system that Coren discusses in greater detail. He then gives examples of the rich and famous and their corresponding dog match. Taken together it's a fun read that could well help someone find a dog that they both love and adore and a breed they purchase again and again. I thought it was interesting that the best grouping for me agreed with the current breeds I have, and indeed, I have found my current pups to be absolutely perfect fits for me.
April 13, 2016
It's a really good and well thought out book. The personality test in the book really works and can help anyone who is unsure what breed/breeds is right for them to find their right matches. Although just taking the test is not a good substitute for researching breeds, it can give potential new dog owners a lead to go off of. When I got this book I already owned a dog and often there was much friction between this dog and myself, even though there were moments when we really got along. At the time it wasn't surprising that his breed didn't show up on the breeds I was matched with. Now that some things have changed in what I like in a dog and what I like to do since taking this test I have considered retaking it to see if my results would be any different now.
May 15, 2011
Hahaha! Yes, I read it cover to cover. And no, I have no intention of buying a dog. Here's something I've learned about myself: I cannot resist personality tests. Plus, it was only $1.00. Reading this book did lead me to ask some soul-searching questions. What's wrong with me that I don't want a dog? I don't buy the author's assumptions that non-dog owners are essentially cold-hearted :)
Anyway, if anyone is interested, this book is yours!
Anyway, if anyone is interested, this book is yours!
January 1, 2014
Bought this book several years ago and thought it was great. Considering the dogs I have had in the past, it was dead on in why I thought they were great or why I couldn't wait to get rid of them as fast as possible. Unless it's a rescue dog as I have now, which is a terrier mix, I will definitely go back to this book time and time again as a reminder for the breed that is appropriate for me.
November 5, 2012
Interesting and diverse history of dogs. I enjoyed the test to match the right dog with your personality. After that, however, it got boring and seemed as though the author was trying to fill pages. Could have been condensed by quite a bit.
February 15, 2008
this is a very interesting book about personality types and dog breeds.
May 10, 2010
so far so good. Interesting but I just started it.
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August 9, 2008To be read some other time. Lots of run-of-the-mill info thus far—nothing new or significant, but maybe I didn't read enough of the book to get there!
May 18, 2009
No part of this book aligned me with the dogs I love (more than just "all dogs") but it was easy to understand and enjoyable to read.
November 26, 2009
amusing
September 12, 2011
Pop psychology with little practical application; lots of breed stereotyping going on. My full review here: http://thedoggerel.wordpress.com/2011...
October 5, 2011
A very enjoyable read, for all dog lovers.
June 16, 2012
anyone who is even thinking of owning a dog needs to read this first! very good....
November 27, 2013
While I did not agree with all of the dog suggestions, I really liked the chapters talking about celebrities and dog types, and the new style of categorizing dogs by personality.
March 26, 2014
Started out fairly well but half way through I did start to get bored...
March 17, 2016
I love this book (plus after I took the test, it told me I had the right dog for me).
April 29, 2017
This book was interesting. I've owned many dogs over the course of my life. I am currently the proud fur-mama of 3 rescue dogs, 2 of which we did DNA tests on and the other who we have a pretty good idea what his mix is. The formula Stanley Coren uses holds pretty true. My SO's favorite dog is our rat terrier mix, and it fits with his personality type. I prefer our other two dogs, and again, his formula explains why.
However, something I wonder.... I read a lot of canine books by behaviorists, professors, and ethologists. These people presumably get into their respective fields because of a love for dogs. So I'm curious why the majority of these authors that I've read prefer to focus on purebreds & breeders, & they expand on how to find reputable breeders. It would seem to me that anyone who truly loves dogs would want to save a rescue instead of purchasing a dog & encourage others to do the same. Millions of dogs are euthanized each year. Wouldn't avid dog lovers want to do their part by promoting rescue?
However, something I wonder.... I read a lot of canine books by behaviorists, professors, and ethologists. These people presumably get into their respective fields because of a love for dogs. So I'm curious why the majority of these authors that I've read prefer to focus on purebreds & breeders, & they expand on how to find reputable breeders. It would seem to me that anyone who truly loves dogs would want to save a rescue instead of purchasing a dog & encourage others to do the same. Millions of dogs are euthanized each year. Wouldn't avid dog lovers want to do their part by promoting rescue?
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