Dogs are not better or worse than one another, and neither are the sixteen types. What matches is the way information is handled — the habits of movement. One breed for each of the sixteen, as a metaphor and nothing more.
Borzoi
WhyDoes not bark without a reason. Runs at a frightening speed only when there is a reason to run.
Living with oneComes when called — once the reason for the call makes sense.
Greyhound
WhySleeps through most of the day and spends everything on the one moment that matters. No wasted movement.
Living with oneA master of conserving energy. Being hurried is the hardest thing.
Doberman
WhyOnce the destination is set, takes the shortest line. Unsettled without work.
Living with oneGive it a role and it works. Leave it idle and it invents work of its own.
Jack Russell Terrier
WhyMoves the instant it gets an idea. Boredom is the real enemy.
Living with oneWalk the same route every day and it will invent a new game indoors.
Bernese Mountain Dog
WhyLarge, quiet, and next to you. Finds out first who is tired.
Living with oneNever asks for anything, so you have to notice for it.
Whippet
WhyDelicate, sleeps a lot, hates loud noise. Beautiful the moment it starts to run.
Living with oneScold it hard and it shrinks. Waiting works faster than pushing.
Standard Poodle
WhyReads where people are looking. Goes out and makes the mood of the room itself.
Living with oneLoses its spark when nobody watches. Give it a part and it shines.
Labrador Retriever
WhyFriends within three minutes of meeting you. Interest moves on and on.
Living with oneWags its tail at everyone, which makes the family slightly jealous.
German Shepherd
WhyKeeps to the procedure it was given. Learns the boundary and stays inside it.
Living with oneConfused when the rules change. If they change, give it the reason.
Great Pyrenees
WhySits quietly at the door, dividing inside from outside. Moves only to protect.
Living with oneMostly does not move. It stands up the first time a hand reaches for the family.
Australian Cattle Dog
WhyKeeps the operation running. Still trying to run it after the day is over.
Living with oneGetting it to rest takes skill.
Golden Retriever
WhyGoes around checking that everyone is having a good time. Cannot leave anyone alone.
Living with oneGuests in the house are the greatest feast of all.
Shiba Inu
WhyHas its own sense of distance. Called while its hands are busy, it does not come.
Living with oneNot clingy. Still always in the same room as you.
French Bulldog
WhyA specialist in comfort. Always finds the single most pleasant spot in the house.
Living with oneAsk nothing unreasonable and its mood hardly ever breaks.
Boxer
WhyThe body goes before the thinking. Takes the space by momentum and learns the measure afterwards.
Living with oneShort on exercise, and the furniture pays.
Dalmatian
WhyVisible wherever it is. Assumes, quite naturally, that it is the centre of the room.
Living with oneWeak against boredom and solitude. Take it along and it usually works out.
The image of a breed changes with country and era, and no two dogs of one breed are alike. Here it is used only as a metaphor for movement. If you are actually bringing a dog home, choose by that one dog and your life together, never by the image of a breed. Other metaphors: instruments, birds, football, vehicles, rooms.
The breeds are only the entrance. Pick your type and theirs, and you find which of the sixteen relations the two of you are in.
Pick the two types