Temperament
We have devised our own unique grouping of dogs that is very different from the manner in which the big breed clubs group dog breeds. We have grouped dogs not by historical purpose, size or country or origin, but instead by temperament and energy level.
- The Traffic Light
We have taken the liberty to create categories, Green Light, Red Light and Yellow Light, that describe which breed will do best in a particular lifestyle situation.
We call this the Traffic Light Temperament Test â„¢ and it is based upon a universally recognized symbol, the Traffic Light.
A traffic light has three colors green, yellow and red. These colors have the same meaning all over the world.
Green means go, Red means stop and Yellow means slow down. We have found that it is easy to categorize all dog breeds into these three divisions.
The Chicago Dane A Green Light Breed
In general, the dog breeds that fit best into the ‘Green Light’ category are breeds that are medium to giant in size, are low-medium energy and have a natural desire to please people.
These are dogs that usually do not act aggressively to dogs or to people unless provoked. The well known dog breeds that fit into this category are the Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever and the English Cocker Spaniel.
Some of the dog breeds that fit into this group are Great Danes, English Mastiffs, Bull Mastiffs, Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs and other giant breeds.
These are dogs that are not easily excited, are very forgiving of human mistakes, get along well with children, permissive adults, the elderly and do not need much obedience training. An example of one Green Light Breed, the Great Dane is included.
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Dogs that fit into the ‘Yellow Light’ category tend to be just a bit more demanding of their owners time either because of a higher energy level or because they are more independent, more dominant or more excitable than green light dogs. Many of these breeds are known to be unreliable off-leash.
These are dogs that may dislike children, may be intolerant of strangers, may have difficulty adopting to a chaotic environment and may have a tendency to be intolerant of strange dogs or other animals.
These dogs are best for adults or families with older, considerate children or families that have experience with these more challenging breeds. Breeds that fall into this catagory are sight hounds, scent hounds, some terriers, some of the bully breeds and some working dog breeds.
Chow in Chicago
Red Light dogs are suitable for experienced pet owner homes or for the dog professional. These are dogs that are extremely hyper or have a strong genetic need to do their historic job. Some of the breeds are in this category due to either extensive health problems or well-known temperament issues that make them challenging for the average dog owner.
These are dogs that may be aggressive to strangers or unknown dogs and these are dogs that may have an active predisposition to hunt game. Other types of personalities that would be included in this grouping are dogs that are very fearful, nervous or anxious.
In most cases, these dogs will require early and extensive obedience training combined with psychological domination exercises and environmental management in order to thrive into modern life.
This group of dogs will contain dog breeds that may be dominant, aggressive and extremely independent in nature. This group will also contain dogs that are exotic, rare, or are of unusual breed mixtures or crossed with wolves or coyotes.
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