This page is protected to prevent edits made from personal experience, and should only include consistent, proven observations on the behavioral patterns of pets.
Personalities (Japanese: 性格 Seikaku) are small blurbs of text describing a puppy or kitten in the Kennel. They appear in Nintendogs and Nintendogs + Cats as descriptions to help the player in selecting their pet.
Effects
Nintendogs
In Nintendogs, personalities play a very passive role; once a player picks their dog, its personality cannot be found along with its other information. It has been speculated to affect a pet's behavior, such as:
- which pets it is more likely to befriend on walks
- how it treats other pets
- how long it takes for the pet to learn tricks
- how long it can exercise for
- how much attention it needs to be given by the player
Not much research has been conducted proving the statistical significance of personalities in Nintendogs, however, so their descriptions may not be accurate reflections of the algorithms for puppy/kitten behavior.
Nintendogs + Cats
In Nintendogs + Cats, a pet's personality is displayed at all times in their Status menu.
According to the Japanese version of the Nintendogs + Cats Guide Book, personalities do have an in-game impact: they contain keywords that the game reflects in pets' behaviors.[1] Some personalities even make use of face recognition, so that the pet behaves differently towards its owner than another person.
A chart of this information has been recreated below with extra keywords added:
| Keywords | Behaviors |
|---|---|
| Carefree, Easygoing, Laid-Back, Relaxed | Sleeps or rests frequently. Often stops during walks. Increased interest in furniture. Slow to become hungry/thirsty. |
| Calm, Gentle, Mild-Mannered, Shy With Other Dogs, Troublesome | Quiet, barks less often. Easier to control during walks. Has trouble getting along with other pets in the household. |
| Boundless Energy, Loves Running/Jumping, Mischievous, Naive, Rambunctious, Rascal, Spoiled, Enjoys Plenty Of Exercise | More active during walks and does not frequently stop. Fidgety and walks around often. Quick to become hungry/thirsty. |
| Gets Along Better With People Than Dogs, Has Trouble Getting Along With Other Dogs, Likes Having Owner All to Their Self, Loves People Especially Owner | Quickly bonds with owner. Loves to be petted. Less likely to get along with other dogs during walks. Has trouble tolerating other pets in the household. |
| Curious, Interested in All Sorts of Things, Loves/Fascinated by Everything (Around Them) | Takes interest in most items (toys, furniture, etc) but bores quickly. Easily distracted on walks. |
| Fiery, Inquistive, Proud, Requires Persistent Training, Sharp Mind, Stubborn | Quick to learn tricks/sports. Less likely to get along with other dogs during walks. Tolerates less petting, short-tempered. Slow to bond with owner. |
| Friendly to Strangers, Friendly, Giddy, Loves New People, Silly, Will Approach Anyone | Slow to learn tricks/sports. Gets along well with other dogs during walks, and is more likely to find rare items. Friendly and outgoing towards guest players, but may be shy with owner.* |
| Bright, Cheerful, Happy, Lively, Loves Toys/Playing With Toys | Very playful with owner. Takes increased interest in toys and items. Tends to be vocal. Coat is more frequently dirtied. |
| Loves Playing With Everyone/Friends, Naughty, Tomboy | Easily gets along with other pets in the household. Tends to be vocal. |
[*] = Uses face recognition
All Personalities
Nintendogs
There are 26 different flavor texts for puppies viewed in the Kennel. These flavor texts have no correlation with breed and are randomly generated with the same probability for every type of dog.
| Descriptions (Alphabetized) |
|---|
| "This daring male/female puppy can be stubborn, which makes training him/her challenging." |
| "This fiery young male/female is a bit naughty, so he/she requires constant attention and supervision." |
| "This is a very kind and gentle male/female dog. He/she loves people of all sorts and is very friendly." |
| "This laid-back young male/female has a very calm personality and is easy to love." |
| "This laid-back young male/female has a very serene personality. It's easy to become attached to him/her." |
| "This male/female boasts an excellent temperament. He's/She's patient and will grow very attached to his/her trainer." |
| "This male/female knows no fear and is always very active. A good owner will work hard to keep his/her attention." |
| "This male/female pup has a bright personality. He's/She's recommended highly for first-time dog owners." |
| "This male/female has a bright, warm personality, but can be selfish. Approach him/her with an open heart." |
| "This male/female puppy has a cheerful personality, but also a selfish side. He/She needs a loving, giving trainer." |
| "This male/female puppy is full of love. He/She can get lonely at times but is the perfect pup for family life." |
| "This mischievous male/female is quite active and curious. He's/She's a very healthy and active pup." |
| "This naive young male/female can't seem to settle down. It'll take patience to get him/her to focus on you." |
| "This naughty little boy/girl just can't stay still, and loves getting into things and causing trouble." |
| "This quiet male/female puppy is very considerate, and rarely gets into fights." |
| "This reckless young pup can be very stubborn, so he'll/she'll require persistent training." |
| "This shy young pup will become like a member of the family to a trainer with a forgiving heart." |
| "This spoiled young puppy doesn't like strangers, but will absolutely love his/her trainer." |
| "This spoiled young puppy doesn't like strangers, but will love his/her trainer immensely." |
| "This tomboyish young female can't sit still and loves getting into things." |
| "This wild male/female is very active and has a strong will to go with his/her boundless energy." |
| "This young male/female is full of zeal and enthusiasm. He's/She's a bit devilish, so patience may be necessary." |
| "This young male/female has a very good disposition. He's/She's patient and will likely bond to his/her trainer quickly." |
| "This young male/female has a very kind personality, and is always friendly toward people." |
| "This young male/female has a very laid-back attitude. He/She won't bark much and loves to sleep." |
| "To a trainer with an open heart, this shy young male/female could become a member of the family." |
Nintendogs + Cats
In Nintendogs + Cats, it's worth noting that there is a correlation between the pet's breed and its likelihood of having a certain personality type. This was not present in the original Nintendogs.
More personality types become available in the kennel once the owner has adopted their first pet. Furthermore, it is possible for the RoboPup to have almost any personality type once it is unlocked. Cats, on the other hand, only have the personalities that are available from the beginning of the game.
| Descriptions (Alphabetized) | Available at the start |
|---|---|
| ♂"This bold little boy has a sharp mind." ♀ "This spirited little girl has a very sharp mind." |
|
| "This boy/girl is a bit stubborn, so he'll / she'll require persistent training." | |
| "This boy/girl is curious but likes to take things at his/her own pace." | ▣ |
| "This boy/girl is shy with other dogs but loves people and toys." | |
| "This boy/girl loves the company of people-- his/her owner most of all!" | |
| "This bright and cheerful boy/girl is beloved by everyone." | ▣ |
| "This cheerful male/female is friendly with anyone, even new people." | |
| ♂ "<>" ♀ "This carefree female is friendly with everyone, even strangers." |
|
| "This fiery male/female can be a little possessive with his/her owner." | |
| ♂ "This friendly boy loves to play around with his friends." ♀ "This friendly female loves playing around with friends." |
|
| ♂ "This giddy little guy/girl simply adores everything around him/her." | |
| ♂ "This happy boy/girl is fascinated by the world around him/her." | ▣ |
| ♂ "This inquisitive little guy is sharp as a tack." ♀ "This inquisitive little female is sharp as a tack." |
|
| ♂ "<>" ♀ "This inquisitive little girl loves attention from her owner." |
|
| ♂ "This laid-back male is happiest when playing with his toys." ♀ "This gentle female is happiest when playing with her toys." |
▣ |
| ♂ "This little rascal does what he wants and in his own time." ♀ "This little tomboy does what she likes and in her own time." |
▣ |
| ♂ "This little rascal is as clever as he is naughty." ♀ "This mischievous female is as clever as she is naughty." |
|
| "This lively male/female has boundless energy to play." | ▣ |
| ♂ "This male is quite calm but enjoys plenty of exercise." ♀ "This female is quite calm, but she enjoys plenty of exercise." |
▣ |
| ♂ "This male is very fond of people and will approach anyone." ♀ "This female is fond of people and will approach anyone." |
|
| "This male/female is very curious and loves to play with everyone." | ▣ |
| "This mild-mannered male/female is interested in all sorts of things." | ▣ |
| "This mischievous male/female is curious about everything." | ▣ |
| "This naughty little male/female can be a bit jealous around his/her owner." | |
| "This proud little male/female leads a mellow, relaxed life." | |
| ♂ "This proud little male loves to play with his toys." ♀ "This proud little lady likes to play with her toys most of all." |
|
| ♂ "This proud male loves it when he has his owner all to himself." ♀ "This proud young female loves having her owner all to herself." |
|
| ♂ "This rambunctious little male loves playing with everyone." ♀ "This naive young female loves playing with everyone." |
▣ |
| ♂ "This silly male loves running and jumping around." ♀ "This bounding female just loves running and jumping around." |
|
| ♂ "This spoiled little prince loves to play around with his toys." ♀ "This little tomboy loves to play with her toys." |
▣ |
| "This well-behaved male/female wags for both friends and strangers." | |
| "This young male/female is easygoing and adored by everyone." | ▣ |