In the world of animal rescue, getting dogs adopted isn’t just about finding them a home—it’s about finding the right home. A recent Adopt-a-Pet webinar featuring dog behavior consultant and trainer, Laurie Lawless, offered a wealth of insight into how we can better understand the dogs in our care and communicate who they truly are to potential adopters.
The big takeaway? Matching pets with people isn’t just about behavior, and it definitely isn’t just about breed. It’s about understanding each dog as a unique individual—and understanding the difference between a dog’s behavior and a dog’s personality.
Let’s dig into how breed history, personality traits, and a little intentional note-taking can make all the difference in creating lasting matches that boost adoption success.
Understanding Dog Behavior vs Personality
Where behavior tells us how a dog responds to the world, personality tells us what they enjoy about it. It’s the difference between reaction and preference—and for adopters trying to picture life with a new pet, that difference matters.
Personality includes traits like:
- Whether a dog loves rowdy play or prefers gentle sniff walks
- If they enjoy being around people or need more personal space
- How much stimulation they can handle—noise, crowds, kids, and new environments
Behavior, on the other hand, is about reactions. A dog pulling away from stairs out of fear is showing a behavior. A dog who just doesn’t like stairs? That’s personality. One may need support and training, while the other may simply need a different home setup.
When we observe both and describe them clearly, we can help adopters better understand not just what a dog does, but who they are—and how they might fit into a particular lifestyle or environment. This kind of insight is key to helping animal rescues increase dog adoptions in meaningful, lasting ways.
Why Dog Breeds Matter to Adopters
Yes, adopters care about breed. Out of nearly 7 million pet searches, Adopt-a-Pet found that almost 40% of people included a specific breed right from the start. That’s not surprising—breed is one of the easiest ways for adopters to picture what a dog might be like, especially when so many are relying on visual cues to guide their search.
But that same familiarity with certain breeds can also influence assumptions—not just about appearance, but about behavior and personality. A Labrador might signal “family dog,” while a Husky might suggest “high energy” even if the actual dog doesn’t fit the stereotype.
That’s why it’s so helpful to reframe breed as more than just a look. When we think about what a breed was originally created to do—herd, guard, sprint, or pull—we start to understand what kind of lifestyle that dog might enjoy.
For example:
- Sighthounds can burn their energy in quick sprints and then be ready to lounge.
- Huskies were bred to pull sleds for miles—they often need constant stimulation.
- German Shepherds or bully breeds may thrive when they have structure or a job, even if they don’t need to be “on” all the time.
And yet, every dog is an individual.
Laurie shared the story of her Pit Bull, Marley, who was typically great with cats—calm, respectful, and unbothered by their presence. But if a cat got startled and darted, Marley’s prey drive kicked in, and suddenly, the chase was on. It’s a perfect illustration of how breed tendencies and individual personality can overlap in unexpected ways and how you can use behavior to help identify breed type.
Of course, looks can be deceiving. A dog that appears to be a Shepherd mix might behave nothing like one. That’s why Pawlytics’ partnership with Embark is so valuable! With access to affordable DNA testing that reveals a dog’s actual breed composition, we can make more informed decisions about both how we market adoptable pets and how we match them to their future families.
Turning Observations into Adoptions
Fosters and volunteers often get to know a dog best—how they play, what they like, what pushes their buttons. Encourage them to jot down those observations, whether it’s in a shared message thread, on a kennel whiteboard, or directly into the pet’s profile in Pawlytics, where everything stays centralized and easy to access.
From there, it’s easier than ever to make that information work harder for your pets. Adopt-a-Pet now offers a personality traits feature that makes listings more searchable and more specific. Volunteers and fosters can help you keep those listings up to date by adding what they’ve learned, and you can grant them permission to update profiles right from Adopt-a-Pet, without worrying about those updates being overwritten by your Pawlytics export 😉.
Let Pawlytics handle the hefty work of listing the dog’s profile, and then allow your trusted team members to access just their pets in Adopt-a-Pet to add the finishing touches. It’s a simple way to make sure every dog’s personality shines through—right where adopters are most likely to see it. These kinds of clear, well-informed profiles can dramatically increase adoption rates for even the most overlooked pets.
Putting it All Together
When we understand dogs not just by what they look like, but by who they are and how they move through the world, we set them up for lasting success. By combining personality insights, breed context, and good note-taking habits, we can create adoption matches that truly fit—not just for today, but for the long haul. With tools like Pawlytics, Embark, and Adopt-a-Pet working together, your animal rescue team is already equipped. Now it’s just about paying attention, recording what matters, and helping every dog tell their story in ways that boost adoptions and increase dog adoption rates across the board.