Dogs & Cats
In-depth Analysis
By LisaFairhurst on 07-26-2008
Dogs and cats are the typical household pets. While both can be trained, dogs appear to have more desire to please people. Giving dogs praise in an upbeat tone of voice can often be the reward they work for. Dogs are also pack animals, very concerned with social hierarchy. Their desire to be helpful and their awareness of their place in the pack mark them in my mind as Guardians. Dogs do best when they have jobs since they seem to thrive when they believe they are being useful. Overall, I’d say dogs act the most like human Guardian Providers. They love to be around others and are able to tell when the people around them are in trouble. One thing about dogs that makes them very different from human Guardians is that they love disgusting rotten filthy things. I think any argument can be made for dogs being Artisan Performers too since they are so cheerful, always ready to play, get along with just about everybody, and live in the moment.
Cats are lazy independent creatures. They can be trained, but they have less natural desire to please people. They do what they want when they want. If a person tells a cat to do something, the cat will usually completely ignore them or they will do the opposite. Cats have an uncanny knack for finding people who hate cats or are allergic to them. Most cats want affection on their terms. Their desire for freedom suggests they are like Artisans. They are lazy with periodic bursts of energy and generally don’t talk much. Overall, I’d say cats act the most like Artisan Crafters. I’m not sure what I’d say about the really talkative cats, like Siamese and Abyssinian. Perhaps they’d be Promoters? They can certainly talk themselves into almost anything.
Obviously, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter is not meant for ‘typing’ animals
, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have fun trying. Tell me what you think. 
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Posted by LisaFairhurst on Jul 28, 2008
My mother-in-law and I are both INFJs and we much prefer cats although we've both had dogs. My INFP sister-in-law has a cat. My other INFP sister-in-law has had both dogs and cats, but the dogs have mainly been for the kids. The cats came first. I think you're onto something! |
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Posted by LisaFairhurst on Jul 28, 2008
My mother-in-law and I are both INFJs and we much prefer cats although we've both had dogs. My INFP sister-in-law has a cat. My other INFP sister-in-law has had both dogs and cats, but the dogs have mainly been for the kids. The cats came first for all four of us. I think you're onto something! |
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Posted by Keillan on Jul 28, 2008
I must protest: cats ALWAYS come before dogs! With that said, I have played around with typing the five (yes, five!) cats that my wife and I have in our house. They do seem to have different personalities. One of them can be rather reclusive, hiding out whenever someone apart from us comes to our house, while the others are more eager to see who might be there to pet them! Some cats seem more needy of human companionship than the others, while others are far more self-sufficient. I'm guessing that we have a Performer or two, or perhaps Promoters. Also, one of our cats looks like he actually meditates, suggesting an Idealist of some kind. Of course this could simply be our human biases at work as well. |
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Posted by LisaFairhurst on Jul 29, 2008
Anthropomorphism is tons of fun. You're right that some cats seem to want more interaction with their human pets than others. Meditating? I don't know. Probably just a cover for a nap. |
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Posted by rational on Jul 31, 2008
Interesting article. Personally, I can´t stand dogs, but I get along very well with cats. Your typing of dogs as guardians makes sense to me. When I am walking close to a house with the dog close to it, it usually begins barking angrily at me. I have learned to, when walking close to a house with its respective dog close, I begin trying to go to the opposite side of the street. When I do this, the dog stops barking. |
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Posted by LisaFairhurst on Aug 2, 2008
rational, I wish my dog would be so smart. She barks at anyone/anything she sees even if it's across the street. |
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Posted by mkb32 on Aug 7, 2008
There are 3 dogs and 1 cat that live at our house. The oldest dog is is about 15 lbs overweight and seems to be always AWARE of all activity. But, she's quiet. There can be a seriously competitive, loud ruckus of a basketball game on the other side of HER fence and she is content to sit and watch all the comings and goings without barking. But, she will be vigilant in watching until all have scattered. Our youngest dog can hardly refrain from making barking or "talking noises" continually. And then we acquired a 3rd who prefers to spend the majority of his time underneath my bed. The only time we've noticed him making a sound is when a siren wail is close by. Then he makes a pitiful sounding howl. (He has genetic issues tho, he truely IS his own grandpa) The cat stays inside. And in many ways she is extremely expressive. She purrs pretty loudly and hisses pretty savagely but she will bug me like crazy by following me around with this constant meow that doesn't change tone. meow,meow,meow,meow...walk across the keyboard...walk across the book I'm holding...bat at the dog's ears...walk between the dog's legs...suddenly pounce on unsuspecting feet as they amble past. But she totally creeps me out with that BIG eyed unblinking stare. She's the one that makes me want to yell "WHAT!?! What do you want!?! |
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Posted by bsaunders on Aug 8, 2008
Pavlov temperament-typed his dogs as phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine, and melancholic. Kiersey drew on those same categories in articulating the four Kiersey temperaments. (Pavlov lost interest this line of thinking because he concluded that individual differences among dogs made temperament differences unimportant!) |
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Posted by LisaFairhurst on Aug 9, 2008
It's nice to know that I am in good company with Pavlov. |
Hey Lisa, very fun blog! Have a theory to test here...I know 4 or 5 INFJs and INFPs that have cats (and they do not have additional pets) and am curious if that is a trend? When I teach KTS-II, I sometimes ask folks and the Idealists tend to be most in favor of cats! :)