01/20/2026
Long read but worth every word
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Training vs Temperament: The Bit Everyone Gets Wrong (And Then Blames the Dog For)
There’s a sentence I hear weekly, sometimes daily and it usually arrives with the confidence of someone who’s watched three TikToks and once owned a Labrador.
“He’s just got a bad temperament.”
Or the cousin of that one:
“She’s stubborn.”
“He’s dominant.”
“She’s got attitude.”
“He’s mental.” (A personal favourite.)
And look… sometimes, yes,?a dog is wired a certain way.
But more often than not, the issue isn’t “bad temperament”.
It’s misunderstood temperament, paired with inconsistent training, soaked in human emotion, and served daily with a side of “he knows better”.
So let’s clear up the confusion properly, because understanding training vs temperament is one of the fastest ways to stop wasting time, stop blaming the dog, and start making real progress.
What Is Temperament, Really?
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)
Temperament is not a behaviour.
Temperament is the tendency behind behaviour.
If behaviour is the headline…
Temperament is the editor deciding what gets printed.
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.
Think of temperament like the engine and suspension in a car.
Training is the driver and the steering wheel.
A powerful engine doesn’t automatically crash the car…
but it does mean you’d better stop driving like you’re on a Sunday stroll to the garden centre.
What Training Is (And What It Isn’t)
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 owners (and frankly, some trainers) go wrong:
They treat temperament like a sentence, instead of a starting point.
So a dog who is naturally more suspicious becomes:
• “aggressive”
• “bad tempered”
• “unpredictable”
A dog who is naturally intense becomes:
• “naughty”
• “hyper”
• “out of control”
A dog who is naturally soft becomes:
• “anxious”
• “broken”
• “needs constant reassurance”
Then people either:
1. Over-correct the dog (crush confidence), or
2. Over-comfort the dog (reward the meltdown), or
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.
Why Temperament Matters (A Lot More Than People Think)
Temperament affects:
1) How quickly your dog learns
Not intelligence, learning speed under pressure.
A confident dog can shrug off a mistake and try again.
A sensitive dog can have one “bad moment” and decide the entire exercise is cursed.
2) How your dog handles stress
Some dogs recover quickly.
Others hold stress like a grudge and bring it up again three days later.
Stress recovery is massively temperament-related, and it changes everything: recall, lead walking, greetings, separation, reactivity, even bite risk.
3) How your dog responds to correction and feedback
Two dogs can receive the same feedback and interpret it completely differently.
• One goes: “Fair enough.”
• The other goes: “I have been emotionally wounded and will be writing about this in my diary.”
If you train every dog the same way, you will either over-pressure the soft dog or under-direct the hard dog.
4) What motivates your dog
Motivation isn’t “food or toy”.
It’s also:
• novelty
• movement
• conflict
• social interaction
• control
• avoidance
• hunting/foraging behaviours
Temperament influences whether a dog finds value in praise, play, food, or “doing their own thing”.
5) What the dog finds “rewarding” (even when you don’t)
Some dogs find barking rewarding.
Some find chasing rewarding.
Some find ignoring you rewarding.
Some find being a complete menace in the garden deeply fulfilling.
If you don’t understand temperament, you’ll accidentally pay the dog in the currency they love most: adrenaline, control, and chaos.
Training Can Change Behaviour, But It Doesn’t Rewrite Genetics
This is an important truth, especially for handlers and trainers:
Training can massively improve outcomes.
But training does not remove a dog’s factory settings.
A border collie isn’t going to stop noticing movement.
A malinois isn’t going to become “low energy” because you gave it a chew.
A spaniel isn’t going to stop scanning for scent because you asked politely.
A guardian breed isn’t going to become socially optimistic after three group classes and a pep talk.
That doesn’t mean they’re “bad dogs”.
It means they are honest dogs.
And honest dogs require honest handling.
The Three Layers That Shape a Dog
To understand training vs temperament properly, think in three layers:
Layer 1: Genetics (Temperament & Drives)
This is the dog’s wiring.
Layer 2: Early Experience (Socialisation & Development)
This shapes confidence, neutrality, and coping skills.
Layer 3: Training & Lifestyle (Rules, Structure, Rehearsal)
This decides whether the dog becomes stable or chaotic.
Most people obsess over Layer 3 and ignore Layers 1 and 2… then get confused when the dog doesn’t behave like the labradoodle from Instagram.
The Human Problem: We Train the Behaviour But Ignore the Emotion Behind It
Dogs don’t just do things.
They do things because they feel something.
The behaviour is often a coping strategy.
For example:
• lunging = “I can’t handle this proximity.”
• barking = “I need space / I want engagement / I’m overloaded.”
• stealing = “This is my hobby now.”
• jumping up = “I’ve learnt this is the fastest way to get a response.”
• ignoring recall = “Your offer isn’t competitive today.”
Temperament influences what emotional state the dog lives in most easily:
• some are naturally calm
• some are naturally busy
• some are naturally suspicious
• some are naturally social
• some are naturally intense
Training must work with that, not against it.
The Dog Doesn’t Need “More Socialising” It Needs Better Neutrality
Let’s address the word that ruins dogs faster than bad breeders:
Socialisation.
Most owners think socialisation means:
“My dog must meet everything.”
That’s how you create a dog who can’t cope with not meeting everything.
Neutrality is a temperament stabiliser.
Neutrality is the ability to exist in the world without needing to interact with it.
And neutrality is trained.
If you’ve got a naturally intense dog, neutrality training is not optional, it’s oxygen.
Temperament Types You’ll See (And How Training Should Change)
1) The “Big Feelings” Dog (Sensitive / Responsive)
These dogs don’t need harsher correction.
They need:
• clarity
• calm feedback
• predictable routines
• confidence-building reps
• exposure done properly
• downtime and decompression
The mistake people make is either tip-toeing around them or getting frustrated.
Both create instability.
Train them with quiet confidence.
2) The “I’ll Do What I Want” Dog (Independent / Hard)
These dogs don’t need you to beg or bargain.
They need:
• structure
• consequence
• firm boundaries
• meaningful reinforcement
• clear release cues
• purposeful work
The mistake people make is giving them too much freedom too soon.
That dog isn’t being “stubborn”.
It’s being unemployed.
And unemployed dogs invent hobbies.
3) The “Nuclear Reactor” Dog (High Drive / Intense)
These dogs often look like they need more exercise.
Sometimes they don’t.
Sometimes they need:
• impulse control
• enforced rest
• stimulation that ends cleanly
• engagement on the handler
• structured outlets (scent, retrieve, tug done properly)
If you just run them harder, you often create a fitter lunatic with better cardio.
4) The “Worrier” Dog (Cautious / Suspicious)
These dogs can become brilliant.
But they need:
• leadership
• controlled exposure
• calm handling
• space when needed
• training that builds confidence through success
The mistake people make is forcing them into the deep end or constantly soothing them.
If you comfort the panic, you train the panic.
If you overwhelm the dog, you confirm the fear.
Your job is to be the steady centre of the storm, not another tornado with a lead.
When Temperament Looks Like a Training Issue (And When It Isn’t)
Here’s a useful line for trainers:
Training problems improve with skill and repetition.
Temperament problems improve with skilful lifestyle changes and long-term consistency.
If the dog can do the behaviour perfectly at home but falls apart outside…
That often isn’t “disobedience”.
It’s temperament + arousal + environment.
The dog hasn’t failed training.
The environment has exceeded the dog’s coping range today.
And the answer isn’t to shout louder.
It’s to scale the work properly.
The Most Dangerous Combination: High Drive + Low Clarity
If you want a recipe for chaos, it’s this:
• dog with high drive/intensity
• owner with low structure
• lots of freedom
• inconsistent boundaries
• emotional reactions
• random reinforcement (accidental rewarding)
That dog ends up running the household like it’s been elected Prime Minister.
And unlike the real thing, it doesn’t step down.
What Owners Can Do to Improve Temperament Outcomes
You can’t swap your dog’s temperament for another one.
But you can massively improve how it shows up.
1) Build predictability
Dogs relax when the world makes sense.
Consistent rules reduce stress.
Routine reduces frantic scanning.
2) Stop letting the dog rehearse chaos
Rehearsal creates habit.
If your dog practises:
• exploding at the window
• lunging on lead
• ignoring recall
• stealing socks
• digging like it’s on a mission to China
…it will get better at those things.
Management isn’t giving in.
Management is preventing unwanted rehearsals while training catches up.
3) Teach a proper “off switch”
Temperament may come with intensity.
But intensity without an off switch becomes a lifestyle hazard.
This is where owners misunderstand calmness.
Calm isn’t a mood.
Calm is a skill.
And you can train it.
4) Reward the right state, not just the right behaviour
A dog can sit while mentally screaming.
Rewarding the sit doesn’t mean you’ve rewarded calmness.
Look for:
• slower breathing
• soft body
• disengagement from triggers
• neutral observation
• recovery speed after stimulation
Train the state.
5) Match the dog’s outlets to the dog’s wiring
A herding dog may need:
• structured movement games
• impulse control around motion
• toy play with rules
A hound may need:
• tracking
• scent games
• long-line freedom with guidance
A terrier may need:
• hunt games
• tug with control
• brain work that challenges persistence
Stop trying to turn working dogs into ornaments.
Ornamental dogs should be bought in a shop and dusted weekly.
The Trainer’s Job: Don’t Label the Dog, Read the Dog
This is where good trainers separate themselves from shouty “obedience only” merchants.
If you label a dog as:
• dominant
• stubborn
• aggressive
• naughty
• reactive
…without identifying the underlying temperament, motivation, and stress response…
you’ll train the wrong thing.
Instead, ask:
• What is the dog trying to achieve?
• What does the dog believe works?
• What does the dog find rewarding?
• What does the dog find stressful?
• Does the dog recover quickly?
• What happens if the handler adds pressure?
• What happens if the handler removes pressure?
• What does the dog do when unsure?
Temperament assessment should come before a training plan.
Otherwise you’re just guessing… with confidence… which is how most dog training advice is born.
The Dog Isn’t “Giving You a Hard Time” It’s Having a Hard Time (Sometimes)
Important distinction:
Some dogs are being cheeky.
Some dogs are overwhelmed.
Some dogs are confused.
Some dogs are simply undertrained.
Your job isn’t to assume one story.
Your job is to read what’s in front of you and respond like a professional, not a Facebook comment section.
Temperament Isn’t an Excuse, It’s the Blueprint
If you take nothing else from this article, take this:
Temperament tells you what the dog needs.
Training teaches the dog how to live with those needs in a human world.
Ignore temperament and you will:
• set unrealistic expectations
• use the wrong motivators
• apply the wrong pressure
• train too fast
• blame the dog for being a dog
Understand temperament and you can:
• build a fair plan
• progress at the right speed
• create stability
• reduce stress
• get reliable behaviour in the real world
And best of all…
You stop shouting “He knows better!”
at a dog who’s never actually been taught better.
(And even if he has… he might not be able to access it when his brain’s doing backflips.)
Final Thought: Train the Dog You’ve Got, Not the One You Imagined
Your dog isn’t here to match your fantasy.
It’s here to be guided.
Your job is leadership, structure, and skill.
Not vibes.
Not wishful thinking.
And definitely not “he’ll grow out of it.”
Because most dogs don’t “grow out of it”…
They grow into it and get very good at it.
If you want to improve behaviour long-term, stop training the dog like it’s neutral when it isn’t, stop excusing temperament like it’s a curse, and start building a plan that respects the dog’s wiring while shaping its choices.
That’s how you get a dog that’s not just obedient…
…but stable, confident, and actually enjoyable to live with.
