Greater Swiss Mountain Dog

PERSONAL LIFE—Having a relationship with a guardian dog can be a little bit like dating any badass (even if he does have a soft, big-baby side to him). He might act like he is too cool for school sometimes. He might not gaze into your eyes obsessively and adoringly for hours. It’s highly likely that he will ignore you when you are trying to talk to him about something you feel is very important . . . so resolutely, in fact, that you’ll wonder if he has a hearing problem. But when it comes to protecting his partner, no one will ever have your back the way he does.

It’s a good idea to think about your own personality, as well as life conditions, when it comes to sharing life with a guardian dog. If he observes that you are compromised, unwell, emotional, stressed, or needy, he may feel that he needs to step up to the plate. He may misunderstand the relationship as one in which he needs to be taking care of you. You may find yourself needing to take steps to relieve him of such responsibility—whether it’s taking a confidence-building seminar or breaking off that unhealthy friendship that’s been stressing you out. Just remember that he is the naturally protective type, and will be hard pressed to just sit back if he feels that you are in need.

He needs you to be laid-back, independent, and unambiguous about decision making if he is to perceive you as a partner rather than a lamb to keep under his watch. He needs you to be one step ahead of him, confidently on top of the scene at all times. If you aren’t, he will not take direction from you well in the heat of the moment, and he won’t respond well to a challenge or argument. If you are well matched to his disposition and can wear the pants in the relationship, however, you will enjoy a harmonious and intuitive kind of loyalty that has been the stuff of legend for centuries.

KEY CONCEPT: Dominance and Resource Guarding