06/11/2026
Training vs Temperament: The Most Common piece Everyone Gets Wrong (And Then Blames the Dog For)
There’s a sentence I hear frequently:
“He’s so stubborn!” Or:
“He’s dominant.”
“She’s got attitude.”
“He’s mental.”
And yes sometimes, a dog is wired a certain way.
But more often than not, the issue isn’t “stubbornness”.
It’s misunderstood temperament, with comments of “he knows better”.
So let’s clear up the confusion, understanding training vs temperament.
What Is Temperament?
Temperament is a dog’s default operating system.
It’s the dog’s baseline tendencies in areas like:
• confidence vs worry
• sociability vs neutrality
• sensitivity vs resilience
• intensity vs steadiness
• impulsivity vs self-control
• reactivity vs stability
• drive levels (food, prey, play, hunt, etc.)
• stress response (fight, flight, freeze, fidget)
Some of temperament is genetic, some is developmental, and some is shaped by early experience. But the key point is this:
Temperament sets the range… training sets the outcome.
What Is Training
Training is the process of teaching the dog:
• what matters
• what doesn’t
• how to respond
• when to respond
• how to regulate themselves
• how to handle pressure
• what the rules are
• what “good choices” look like
Training is not just commands.
Training is not “sit”, “down”, and “paw” for visitors.
Training is a dog learning:
“In this world, there are clear expectations, fair boundaries, and predictable outcomes.”
That’s what creates stability.
And stability is what most people are actually trying to get when they say:
“I just want him calmer.”
The Big Confusion: Temperament Doesn’t Excuse Lack of Training
Here’s where people go wrong:
They treat temperament like a sentence, instead of a starting point.
So a dog who is naturally more suspicious becomes ”aggressive”
A dog who is naturally intense becomes “out of control”
A dog who is naturally soft becomes “anxious or
broken”
Then people either:
1. Over-correct the dog (crush confidence)
2. Over-comfort the dog (reward the meltdown)
3. Avoid everything (teach the dog that the world is terrifying)
All three are excellent ways to turn a manageable temperament into a full-time lifestyle problem.
Temperament isn’t the enemy.
Ignoring it is.
