The owners of different types of dogs are very different, since individuals with different personality qualities are drawn to different types of dogs which reflect their own characteristics.

To illustrate, here are the findings from a project comparing Pomeranians and Siberian Husky owners at a dog show for each breed, based on interviewing several owners of each type of dog.

• • In buying their dogs, the Pom owners emphasized the sociability and companionship attractions of the Pom, while the Siberian owners liked the Siberian’s willfulness and independence, its high energy, and its love of running.

• • The Pomeranian owners tended to live in more urban environments and participate with their dogs in more social and companionship activities, such as when they went visiting.  They also engaged in informal play with them or spent time grooming them each day.

• • By contrast, the Siberian owners tended to live in more suburban or rural areas, where they had more space to exercise their dogs, even if they kept them inside as house dogs.  Also, they participated with their dogs in more physically active activities, such as hiking and camping and taking their dogs out to run.  They additionally spent more time training their dogs in obedience, because of their dog’s independent willful nature.

• • The Pom owners participated in more social activities with their dogs, like taking them along as they did everyday activities, while the Sibe owners participated in more outdoors and sporting activities, like sledding, carting, and running their dogs.

• • The Pom owners tended to engage in more social networking with other owners, whereas the Sibe owners tended to engage in more one-on-one visiting with other Sibe owners or in individual activities they did on their own, such as taking their dog to a hospital to be a therapy dog.

• • In general, the Pom owners saw both themselves and their dogs as very social and friendly, interested in companionship and interaction with others.  By contrast, the Sibe owners saw their dogs as especially independent and aware of their status in a hierarchy, since they had been bred as pack dogs, and the Sibe owners themselves seemed to be especially independent as a group.

• • While the Pom owners found the sociability and companionship of the Pom most appealing, the Sibe owners liked the independence and energy of the breed.

• • The Pom owners, who emphasized the sociable, friendly, companionship qualities of their dogs, tended to be very social, friendly people themselves.  By contrast, the Sibe owners, who emphasized the independence and pack nature of their dogs, tended to be fairly independent.

• • The Pom owners commonly took their dogs with them on everyday activities, from visiting to driving around to shopping, whereas the Sibe owners often participated with their dogs in outdoors activities, such as hiking, camping, or sledding. Many Pom owners avoided such active outdoors activities, out of concern the activity would hurt the Pom’s coat or might be dangerous, due to attacks by wild animals.

• • The Pom owners described themselves as warm, friendly people with warm, friendly, happy dogs, who made great companions and were eager to please.  By contrast, the Sibe informants described Sibe owners as typically independent, individualistic people, with similarly independent dogs, with a will of their own.