There is no doubt in my mind that each and every dog has a unique personality. It doesn’t matter the breed of the dog, the size of the dog, the household where he lives, or the personality of her running mates. All dogs are unique and have their own style, likes, dislikes, the way they carry themselves, and the amount of attention they require. You may have heard that a dog can sometimes look a lot like its owner, but can a dog also take on the personality of his human companions?

Our Schnauzer boy Woody was always the serious one in the family. He monitored everything going on in and around the house. He made sure his brother Buzz was in step with the daily routines, all the while making sure his brother was given plenty of love and attention. If something was amiss in the household, he would let you know, supervise while it was corrected, and give a big “thank you” hug to let you know that you did a good job. Woody was a very serious boy with a huge heart.

Our schnauzer boy Buzz was the exact opposite of his brother. You could call him Mr. Happy Go Lucky. He never took anything too seriously and was always up for a fun time, whether it was a run in the park, a ride to get his favorite treat, or just spending time with the family. If you asked Buzz to do something, he would gladly oblige. He would only get fussy when you took a little too long getting your act together so everyone could go have some fun. Buzz was full of love, fun, and pure joy.

I’m not sure if the boys’ personalities were born within them or if, over the years, they came to mirror the personalities of my wife, Kim, and me. I recognized that one of the dog’s personalities mirrored Kim’s personality and the other mirrored mine. Kim also recognized that their personalities matched ours. She said that Woody was a lot like her and that Buzz was a lot like me. I wholeheartedly agree.

It could be that Kim and I connected with Woody’s and Buzz’s personalities early on and knew that it was a good match. It could be that Woody and Buzz picked up on our personalities, quirks, and nuances and adopted them as part of their own. I’m not sure which is right — perhaps both. I do know that they completed our family unit and made everything whole. Woody and Buzz complemented each other as well as Kim and I complemented each other. A perfect balance, yin and yang, with enough love and fun for all!

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