According to Dr. Stanley Coren, these breeds fit the personality type to a T. But note, there are exceptions due to canine individuality, genetics, lifestyle and age.
Type A's Airedale
Belgian sheepdog
Border collie
Brittany
Cairn terrier
Collie
Dalmatian
Fox terrier
Irish terrier
Parson Russell terrier
Siberian husky
Springer spaniel
West Highland white terrier
Whippet
Yorkshire terrier
Type B's
Basset hound
Bloodhound
Boston terrier
Bulldog
Cavalier King Charles spaniel
Clumber spaniel
French bulldog
Great Dane
Great Pyrenees
Irish wolfhound
Newfoundland
Saint Bernard
Pekingnese
Pomeranian
Pug
Canine Partners That Work Best for Your Work
According to Drs. Mark Goulston and Stanley Coren, these breeds are your best bets:
1. Journalist/Type A: A busy journalist should have a low-maintenance Type B dog that is perfectly willing to be at home, says Dr. Coren. And calm doesn't hurt either.
2. Executive Secretary/Type A: A low-key Type B is best if she brings her work home or is staying at work a lot.
3.Cocktail Waitress/Type B: A Type A/Type B [see "Middle-of-the-Road Dogs"] is best because she's going to need quiet time; and sometimes want to go out for a run and get away from it all.
4. Fast Order Cook/Type A: Type B is ideal because when you come home you're dog-tired. "You do not want a dog bouncing around saying 'I need a walk' or 'I need to play.'"
5. Hair Stylist/Type B: Type B dogs are your best bet for these good conversationalists because they're apt to hang around and appear to be paying attention when you're using your pup as a soundboard.
6.Teacher/Type B: A/B dogs are good if you bring your work home because you're going to need low interference -- but you'll also get lots of social interaction.
7. Accountant/Type B: Type A is perfect for you because your sedentary predictable lives really can benefit from the sparkle which you can get from a go-getter Type A dog.
8. Real Estate Broker/Type A: Type B is best because you're away from home so much that you'll need your classic low-maintenance dog.
9. Hostess/Type A: Type A/B is a hostess' best bet because a restaurant is apt to require social contact sometimes and also othertimes be in a flurry of activity.
10.Doctor/Type A: A harried doctor that responds to emergency calls requires a Type B dog, whereas, Type A is good for the 9 to 5 physician because watching the dog's activity takes your mind off things.
Middle-of-The-Road Dogs
According to Dr. Stanley Coren, some dogs are neither Type A or Type B. The in-betweeners or can have both qualities such as the retrievers. "The golden retriever and the Labrador retriever are dogs that are relatively adjustable. They're perfectly happy just being around you. But if you take them outside, they'll play vigorously."
Adds Dr. Nicholas Dodman, "What people are looking for is a dog that is calm when they want to be calm, and one that likes to go out and chase a ball when they want to go out and chase a ball. It's sort of like finding the ideal spouse." In other words, you can get the best of both worlds with a dog which has both Type A and Type B traits.
This article was first published in Puppies USA Annual.
