Discovering My Dog’s Personality

Growing up, I always thought that dogs acted all the same; dogs were categorized as playful, loyal, and loving. Most dogs are but I was unaware that some had attitude (asides from Chihuahuas) or will find a way to be heard. I grew up in a Mexican household where dogs were not allowed inside the house. The family dogs we had were kept outside and I was unable to get to know them. Keeping your dog outside prevents an owner to grow a deep connection with their dog. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the owner does not love their pet but it’s very hard to create a deep connection since you ’re unable to see their reaction to things, their way of communicating, or their thought process.

It wasn’t until I moved away and got my first dog that I saw how dogs have their own personality. My first real relationship with a dog was when my boyfriend got me Kavick, a half Akita and half Labrador. Kavick’s name was inspired by a book my boyfriend read when he was a child. Which I thought was perfect!

At first, I treated him like a dog and not a friend. For those of you questioning what that means, I’ll explain. The reason I say that is because I was so used to creating distances between myself and animals by not allowing him too close to me or wanting him to live outside. When we first got him it was really tough because I had never owned a dog since they were a puppy, which is a lot different than owning adult dogs. He was always very energetic, fast, and happy. As a puppy, I took him everywhere in my purse. He was so observant and would watch everything and everyone we encountered. He was very friendly towards every human he met and would love to get pet.

Kavick grew to be very independent and would play with himself a lot. He would throw his rope up in the air and catch it. He had no problem playing with other dogs, but since he has a dominant personality, it was hard for him to get along with other dominant dogs since he always wants to be the leader.

As time passed, he grew to be very close to us and learned to communicate what he wanted. I was able to tell when he was asking for his toy, food, or water by him just looking at me. I slowly opened my heart to growing a friendship with Kavick. I was able to get to know him on a deeper level by living with him on a daily basis.

It has been six years now and he follows me around everywhere I go in the house. He wakes up at the same time I do every morning and sits by me while I get ready for work. He’s still very energetic and outspoken if there is something he dislikes, it’s obvious by the faces he makes. He’s a very healthy dog that loves fruits and veggies and is open to try any food that I’m eating (regardless of how healthy it is). He has a little big brother now (Bluenose Pitbull) who he loves dearly. Every day I get to see how smart and loving he is; something I was only able to do so by hanging out with him daily.