Breed-by-Breed Puppy Personalities: What to Know BEFORE You Choose

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Because the wrong breed can turn your peaceful home into a full-time circus.

Choosing a puppy is 10%“aww”, 90% “why does this one look so innocent when I know it will eat my skirting boards.” The truth is, puppies behave wildly differently depending on their breed traits, instincts and energy levels.

Before you fall in love with a cute face and make a lifelong decision based on a single head tilt, take the Which Dog Breed Is Best for Me? Quiz. It has saved many carpets and even more relationships.

Pickles’ Aside: Some puppies nibble. Some puppies excavate. Know the difference.

Why Breed Matters (Even When People Say It Doesn’t)

All puppies are individuals, but breed tendencies matter. A working dog doesn’t magically become a chilled sofa loaf because you “don’t need it to work.” A guardian breed won’t suddenly love everyone because you’ve bought them a cute jumper.

Breed shapes:

  • energy levels
  • bitey behaviour
  • reactivity
  • trainability
  • independence
  • vocal habits
  • neediness
  • chaos potential

Let’s break it down, CrazyDogs style.

Herding Breeds (Collies, Aussies, Shelties, Corgis)

Puppy Personality: The gifted child who is also a tiny tornado.


They:

  • nip ankles
  • herd children
  • stare into your soul
  • learn everything in 0.3 seconds
  • Cry if bored
  • becomes chaos if understimulated

Great for active families.
Disastrous for couch potatoes.

Owner insight:
“My collie puppy herded my guests into one corner like she was running a seminar.”

Pros:

  • Exceptionally clever
  • Fun to train
  • Fast learners
  • Love having a job
  • Incredible companions for active homes
  • Loyal, sensitive and people-focused

Cons:

  • Nip ankles and herd anything that moves
  • Prone to overstimulation
  • Need LOTS of mental work, not just walks
  • High emotional intensity
  • Easily bored (which equals chaos)

Pickles’ Aside: If it moves, they’ll organise it.

Retrievers (Labradors, Goldens, Flat Coats)

Puppy Personality: Friendly chaos muffins.
They:

  • chew everything
  • carry everything
  • love everyone
  • melt at praise
  • think mud is a lifestyle
  • are easy to train once the silly phase eases off

These puppies are pure sunshine with teeth.

Owner insight:
“My Golden puppy greeted burglars and delivery drivers with the same enthusiasm.”

Pros:

  • Friendly and social
  • Amazing with kids
  • Easy to train
  • Food-motivated (a blessing for training)
  • Happy, optimistic personalities
  • Generally stable, reliable dogs

Cons:

  • Mouth everything (including your shoes)
  • Eat everything (including things they shouldn’t)
  • Clumsy as teens
  • Can become overweight easily
  • Need plenty of exercise
  • Mud magnets

Pickles’ Aside: They were born to retrieve your slippers. Or your wallet. Or a log the size of a small car.

Terriers (JRT, Westies, Scotties, Borders)

Puppy Personality: Small body, big opinions.
They:

  • dig
  • bark
  • chase
  • destroy toys
  • have the audacity of a lion
  • think every problem can be solved by yelling at it

Adorable. Mad. Not for the faint of heart.

Owner insight:
“My terrier puppy once argued with a leaf.”

Pros:

  • Huge personalities in tiny bodies
  • Brave, bold and fearless
  • Brilliant fun
  • Great for lively households
  • Tons of character
  • Surprisingly affectionate

Cons:

  • Barky when bored
  • High prey drive
  • Diggers by nature
  • Often stubborn
  • Toy destroyers
  • Not ideal for households with small pets

Pickles’ Aside: Terriers aren’t naughty. They’re just passionate.

Sighthounds (Whippets, Greyhounds, Salukis)

Puppy Personality: Gentle sleepers with sudden high-speed chaos.
They:

  • sleep 20 hours
  • sprint for 20 seconds
  • hate the cold
  • love your sofa
  • have quiet, sweet temperaments
  • turn inside-out with excitement

Great for calm homes.
Not great for people who want endless hikes.

Owner insight:
“Our whippet puppy cried because his own shadow startled him.”

Pros:

  • Gentle, soft, sweet-natured
  • Low maintenance indoors
  • Love relaxing with you
  • Easy to live with
  • Minimal barking
  • Surprisingly affectionate

Cons:

  • High chase instincts
  • Can bolt if spooked
  • Sensitive to cold and rain
  • Often can’t go off-lead safely
  • Can be timid without careful socialisation
  • Couch ownership becomes a battle

Pickles’ Aside: Built for speed. Powered by naps.

Toy Breeds (Cavaliers, Pomeranians, Maltese, Chihuahuas)

Puppy Personality: Tiny royalty. Emotional range of Shakespeare.
They:

  • bond tightly
  • love laps
  • bark at suspicious air molecules
  • need gentle socialisation
  • require careful handling

They may be small, but their drama is Olympic.

Owner insight:
“My Chihuahua puppy had the confidence of a wolf and the size of a baguette.”

Pros:

  • Perfect lap warmers
  • Adapt well to small homes
  • Bond deeply
  • Easy to handle physically
  • Portable companions
  • Often very affectionate

Cons:

  • Can be vocal
  • Fragile around kids
  • Need careful socialisation
  • Prone to separation struggles
  • Sensitive to rough play
  • Big feelings in a small body

Pickles’ Aside: Small dog, big agenda.

Guarding & Working Breeds (GSDs, Rotties, Dobermans, Cane Corsos)

Puppy Personality: Smart, strong, sensitive, and shockingly emotional.
They:

  • bond intensely
  • guard instinctively
  • need routines
  • get overwhelmed easily
  • learn fast but take things seriously
  • require confident handling

Not for first-time families unless they commit to training.

Owner insight:
“Our GSD pup watched everything. You could see the cogs whirring.”

Pros:

  • Loyal and devoted
  • Intelligent
  • Excellent at learning complex skills
  • Incredible companions for experienced owners
  • Protective and people-focused
  • Deeply bonded

Cons:

  • Can be wary of strangers
  • Need firm structure, confidence and consistency
  • Prone to overwhelm if mishandled
  • High training commitment
  • Big adolescence phase
  • Strong protective instincts that must be guided, not ignored

Pickles’ Aside: They’re not scary — they’re just better at risk assessment than humans.

Spitz Breeds (Huskies, Samoyeds, Akitas, Shibas)

Puppy Personality: Beautiful chaos with selective hearing.
They:

  • talk back
  • escape
  • ignore commands
  • love mischief
  • are VERY emotional
  • shed like it’s their full-time job

Wonderful if you enjoy adventure, humour and vacuuming.

Owner insight:
“My husky puppy argued with me about bedtime for 15 minutes.”

Pros:

  • Stunning looks
  • Funny, expressive and full of character
  • Great stamina
  • Strong, adventurous personalities
  • Usually very affectionate with their people
  • Entertaining (sometimes unintentionally)

Cons:

  • Escape artists
  • Selective hearing
  • Heavy shedding
  • Independent thinkers
  • High exercise needs
  • Can be dramatic when displeased

Pickles’ Aside: They don’t misbehave. They negotiate.

Companion CrossBreeds (Cavapoos, Cockapoos, Maltipoos)

Puppy Personality: Sensitive, people-focused, emotionally powerful fluff.
They:

  • love affection
  • need company
  • cry if isolated
  • are highly trainable
  • get overwhelmed if socialised poorly

Brilliant family dogs.
Need gentle confidence-building.

Owner insight:
“My cavapoo puppy thought being alone for one minute was the end of civilisation.”

Pros:

  • Friendly and people-oriented
  • Often easier to train
  • Low to moderate shedding
  • Great for families
  • Soft, affectionate personalities
  • Good all-rounder dogs

Cons:

  • Separation struggles are common
  • Energy levels vary wildly
  • Coats need a lot of grooming
  • Can be anxious if overprotected
  • Behaviour depends heavily on breeding quality

Pickles’ Aside: They are emotional support animals who also need emotional support.

Hounds (Beagles, Dachshunds, Bassets)

Puppy Personality: Nose-led chaos, with charm.
They:

  • wander off
  • follow scents
  • ignore commands
  • chew when bored
  • get the zoomies dramatically

Need secure areas and training with humour.

Owner insight:
“My beagle puppy followed a scent trail straight into my neighbour’s garden.”

Pros:

  • Hilarious personalities
  • Loyal and loving
  • Fantastic with scents and games
  • Friendly with people and dogs
  • Independent charm

Cons:

  • Follow their nose, not your commands
  • Easily distracted
  • Can be escape artists
  • Stubbornness is an art form
  • Training takes patience
  • Not great off-lead without serious work

Pickles’ Aside: Their nose writes the schedule.

Crossbreeds (Cockapoos, Labradoodles, Goldendoodles, and Every Other Adorable Hybrid)

Puppy Personality: A beautiful genetic lucky dip.

Crossbreeds are wonderful… but unpredictable.
You might get a bit of each parent.
You might get exactly one parent.
You might get the traits of an uncle nobody ever talks about.

You simply cannot guarantee:

  • coat type
  • energy level
  • trainability
  • neediness
  • independence
  • prey drive
  • size
  • temperament

Even within the same litter, you can get:

  • one calm shadow
  • one bitey chaos noodle
  • one sensitive soul
  • one athlete
  • one mastermind plotting household domination

And that’s the magic — and the challenge.

Owner insight:
“My cavapoo’s siblings were chilled. Mine arrived like a caffeinated marshmallow.”

What this means for you:

  • choose the breeder carefully
  • meet the parents
  • expect variation
  • train for the dog you have, not the dog you expected
  • embrace the surprise

Pickles’ Aside: With crossbreeds, you spin the wheel and hope for fluff.

Crossbreeds ( every adorable mix)

Pros:

  • Often healthy mixes
  • Personality variety
  • Unique combinations of traits
  • Often very affectionate
  • Brilliant sense of humour

Cons:

  • Personality is unpredictable
  • Coat type may not be what you expect
  • Size can vary
  • Behaviour may lean toward either parent
  • Needs can be mismatched to your lifestyle
  • You must train the dog you get, not the one you imagined

Pickles’ Aside: It’s like a lucky dip, but fluffier.

Rescue Puppies (And Why They Deserve Their Own Category)

Puppy Personality: Brave little survivors with enormous hearts.

Rescue puppies melt people for a reason.
They’re grateful, sensitive, soulful and unbelievably resilient.


But they may come with:

  • unknown genetics
  • a rocky start
  • extra fears
  • less predictable behaviour
  • a slower confidence curve
  • more need for reassurance

And all of that is completely normal.

Rescue puppies are not “broken” — they’re simply figuring out the world with fewer clues than a puppy who came from a perfect breeder setup.

Owner insight:
“My rescue pup took longer to trust, but once he did, the bond was unreal. He chose us every day.”

What they need:

  • gentle socialisation
  • consistency
  • predictability
  • choice and control
  • understanding
  • a soft landing

What they give:

  • loyalty deeper than you expect
  • gratitude you can feel
  • an indescribable bond

Pros:

  • Remarkably loving
  • Bond deeply
  • Often incredibly loyal
  • Rewarding to train
  • You give a dog a second chance
  • They often thrive with structure and care

Cons:

  • Background may be unknown
  • Socialisation might need more time
  • Can be shy, fearful or cautious at first
  • Confidence building is essential
  • May require additional training patience

Pickles’ Aside: Rescue puppies aren’t sad stories. They’re comeback stories.

Before You Choose a Breed, Consider This

Ask yourself:

  • How much energy can I handle daily?
  • Do I enjoy training?
  • Can I tolerate barking, shedding, stubbornness or intensity?
  • Do I want a chilled companion or an active partner?
  • Do I want a snuggler or a thinker?
  • Do I want a dog who does what I ask… or one who negotiates?

The wrong breed isn’t a bad dog — it’s just the wrong fit.

Pickles’ Aside: Choose wisely. Some of us come with more opinions than others.