We all know that dog. The one who charges into every situation like it owes them money, or the one who needs three sessions just to decide you are safe. As practitioners, we develop an instinct for these differences quickly. But what does the science actually say about why dogs are the way they are, and how can a deeper understanding of canine personality make us better at our jobs?

Since the early 2000s, momentum has built across both academic and applied fields, driven by a shared interest in what a deeper understanding of canine personality can offer, including implications for training, working dog selection, management, and even what we understand about personality in other mammal species. This session unpacks that science in a way that is rigorous but relatable, giving you a framework you can use in your work.

We will start with the foundations: what personality means as a concept, how different research traditions approach it, and why the terminology matters. From there, we will map the landscape of canine personality models, from broad higher-order traits through to narrow trait constructs and look at how they fit together. We then take a closer look at several dimensions with real relevance to practice: impulsivity and behavioural regulation; predation and chase proneness; the shy-bold continuum; and coping styles, including what current research tells us about how dogs respond to threat. We close with a look at how different personality profiles map onto specific working contexts, with practical examples throughout.

Yes, it is a theory-heavy session. But personality science is also just genuinely interesting, and by the end, you will have a new lens for understanding the dogs you work with every day.

Key Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the key concepts and terminology used in canine personality research and explain how personality is currently understood as a structure
• Identify and compare major canine personality models and assessment tools, and understand how they relate to one another
• Apply an understanding of core personality dimensions, including impulsivity, predation, novelty tolerance, and coping style, to their own professional work with dogs

Knowing that a dog scores high on impulsivity or sits at the bold end of the shy-bold continuum is interesting. Knowing what to do with that information? That is where things get useful.

This session picks up where the first one leaves off, taking canine personality theory out of the research literature and into the practical realities of training, selection, and day-to-day work with dogs. Whether you are helping a client understand why their dog cannot seem to settle, assessing a dog for a working role, or trying to figure out why your usual approach just is not landing, personality science has something to offer.

We begin by looking at how traits cluster and interact. Some dimensions tend to travel together, and understanding those patterns, including how dogs at either end of the shy-bold continuum tend to present and which traits correlate with aggression, can sharpen your assessment and help you anticipate what you are working with. We also look at traits that operate independently, particularly predation, and why it deserves its own consideration. From there, we take a deeper look at coping behaviour: what emotionality, behavioural coping style, and vocalisation can tell us about how a dog is experiencing a situation, and how tuning into these signals can meaningfully change how we work with dogs in contexts where threat perception matters.

We examine how to use play, food, and the intensity of stimulus exposure as tools that can be tailored to the individual dog in front of you. The goal is to build safety, grow confidence, and create the conditions for that dog to succeed in their role. And sometimes, it is about recognising honestly and kindly that the role and the dog are not the right fit.

Key Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify key trait clusters and independent traits, and apply these patterns to build a more complete picture of the dogs they assess and work with
• Interpret coping behaviours, including emotionality, behavioural style, and vocalisation, to better understand a dog's threat response and adjust their approach accordingly
• Apply practical strategies using play, food, and stimulus exposure to support dogs of different personality profiles, and use personality understanding to inform decisions about role suitability