Does anybody believe that chilled owners equal chilled dogs.  I am convinced there is a definate conection as my dogs are like me and yet their litter brothers and sisters are in the main calm well behaved members of society.

I'm very laid back, but I don't think that you can say that some of my dogs are :d  Anton is a nutter, wonderful, but mad !  Though he does have his calm half hours now and again.

Oh yes definite! :D

I have two breeds that have a reputation for being hyper (BC and ESS) and they are both very chilled - my friends say I'm so laid back I'm almost horizontal :D

If you are easily excitable then the chances are the kind of dog that you will go for is a sterotypical excitable dog, now you will bring up your dog in that waym, roughing his head and ears up, saying your mad you are, your mad in an excited voice and therefore exciting your dog - your whole attitude towards life and how you expect your dog (or like your dog) to act is down to your attitude.

So, if you are a pretty laid back kind off person the chances are that there is no room for chaos in your life so you will always act calmly and rationally around your pet.

Now if part of training a dog and getting them to respond and respect you is down to your actions, emotions and attitude then it stands to reason that a calm person will normally have a calm dog, an active, sporty person will have an active dog and a mad, chaotic hasn't got a clue waht day it is and doesn't really care because life is fun sort of person will have an excitable dog.

Me, my OH and three kids are all pretty easy going, bit of a temper if we are pushed too far but it has to be something *really* out of order for that to happen but we also know how to enjoy ourselves and 'let ourselves go' - so both our dogs are easy going, laid back and funny, very quirky personalities but can just as easily just chill and relax on a sunday with no worries.

Obviously.

Anyone meeting Chance would say he is so laid back he's almost asleep most of the time ;) Seska, on the other hand, well, what can you say about a dog that goes round the ring as if she wants to go into orbit? :D They are the same breed, similarly bred, but poles apart mentally :) Me? I tend to be calm about most things. I'd rather be a couch potato than an eager beaver :D

On the whole I do agree, if you know what you are doing with dogs. However, I do know of a lot of people that are not the best dog handlers, are very laid back and the dogs take advantage of this and play up no end.

I do agree that dogs reflect their owners' mood though. Mine certainly know when to chill and when to play - for example mine never get hyper or excited in the morning until about 10:00 a.m. when I suddely become human and stop walking around like a zombie :-D

i definatly think a calm temperment on our part can rub off on our animlas. and not just dogs.

i am very laid back, and i have found over the years that when rehoming or taking on an animal weather it be a dog cat or a horse . no matter how anxious or excitable they are in there nature i seem to have a calming effect on them.

my pup benji was very scared when i got him. but now his behaviour is very identical to my daughters. my daughter is 2 years old. they both respond to my commands pretty much the same way. in fact when i take them to the park together when i tell my daughter to sit down, benji sits down at the same time with her. and for example if i tell my daughter to get something benji will go and get it the same time.

obviously there is a limit. but i have seem plenty of nurotic owners with pets that mirror them. in fact working at the vets we saw a few dogs with very hughly strung owners that when admitted looked releaved to get some rest lol.

Agree with Benjismum.  I tend to be quiet and reserved with strange people and have been told several times that the person's child or dog or cat who has just come to me is usually also reserved (shy) with strange people.  And when I was a kid, taking riding lessons, the high strung, excitable horses were apt to fall asleep under me.  Not always a good thing, 'cause it also meant I wasn't likely to get much performance out of them.

Their human Grandma like to roughhouse with our Lab and her cousing Laddie and get both dogs all worked up, running around like crazy and even play biting, which I discourage.  I can see how, under her constant influence, Jet would probably be a different dog.  Maybe she'd be having more fun than with stick-in-the-mud me though, LOL.