I was reading about why we love cats and dogs over at the PBS Nature site, and behaviorist Sarah Wilson has a nice list of "traits" for dogs and their owners. I thought it would be interesting to share some of the list...and encourage folks to visit the PBS Engage Blog for more information.

Hey, with Businessweek posting that we spend upwards of $41 billion a year on our pets, we need all the help we can get in understanding what our pets like or don't like. (for instance, Carmie never liked rawhide bones; we tried every year to find one she would chew, and she ignored them all!). I wonder how much of that $41 billion is on pet health insurance? I hope a good bit. It's ever more important to make sure we don't fail our pets when they're sick or injured.  

My Smart Puppy, Sarah's site has some great content on taking care of your dog. Meanwhile, here are a couple of descriptions of her "behavior patterns" we dog lovers portray with our dogs: (see if any fit you)-

The Angel: all about "saving dogs with love." These are folks who always adopt or rescue, Sarah says. They often have dogs with special needs. Unfortunately, Angels have trouble with discipline. Oh well.

The Free Spirit: Folks who want "a stress-free, laid-back relationship." They give their dogs complete freedom. Hmmm... that sounds dangerous. But, Sarah says these folks are often "high-powered, executive" kinds of folks...so, they just want to let someone else (their dogs, I guess) run things when the day is done.

The Master: "Masters see themselves as more than dog 'owners' - they are coaches, teachers, and leaders." The bond between them and their dog is strong as steel. That's my interpretation, not hers. These are probably the folks who do the agility trials or dog shows. Always in charge.

There are nine behaviors in all. I only shared three, here. Go on over and check out the others. I think I'm a Soul-mate, both with my dog and my cat. What are you?