What is the Animal Personality Type?
Gary Smalley was an American family counselor and author of many books on family relationships. He characterized the Four Core Personality Temperaments as Animals, where each Animal Type describes how a person responds naturally toward others in daily life and work situations.
The Animal Personality Type does not reveal anything right or wrong about an individual. Instead, it explains how naturally you will act in ways that are specific to that type of Temperament.
He characterized the Choleric Temperament as Lions, the Sanguine Temperament as Otters, the Phlegmatic Temperament as Golden Retrievers, and the Melancholic Temperament as Beavers.
Personality Temperaments, Traits, and Types
Personality Temperaments, Personality Traits, and Personality Types are used in Psychology to discuss a person’s Personality, a collection of Emotions, Perceptions, and Actions that interact with each other, regulate themselves, and shape a dynamic system that forms a person’s Behavioral Patterns.
Your inherited Traits (your Personality Temperament), along with your acquired Traits (such as education, socialization, and other various pressures and aspects in your life), form your Personality.
A Personality Type identifies a specific collection of Traits, both learned and natural, that comprise a broad, general Personality Classification—a way of labeling a collection of traits and behaviors.
A Personality Trait remains consistent and stable over time, which means you exhibit the same pattern across different situations and throughout your life.
Three criteria characterize Personality Traits: (1) consistency, (2) stability, and (3) individual differences. For example, if you are talkative at home, you also tend to be talkative at work. And if you were talkative at age 20, you would still be chatty at age 40.
Personality Temperament is your “Naturally Intuitive” biological Trait. These Traits are partly inherited from your genes and partially determined by your brainstem, which doesn’t change throughout your life. These are Natural Traits regarded as innate or inborn and not learned.
Your Personality Temperament is formed as an infant and is hard to modify, manipulate, or change because it is genetic. In some way or another, your inherited behavioral tendency will always be there.
Personality Traits are the quantitative differences between people, and Personality Types are qualitative differences between people. The most crucial difference between the Trait Theory and Type Theory is that Type Theory views people’s characteristics as discrete categories. In contrast, Trait Theory views these characteristics as a continuum.
For example, while a Type Theorist would claim that introverts and extraverts are two types of people, a Trait Theorist claims that extraversion is a gradient, and individuals can fall somewhere in the middle.
Your Temperaments, along with acquired Traits, form your Personality.
The Lion Personality Type
The Lion Personality Type is the natural leader. They usually are the bosses at work, or some consider themselves to be.
You recognize the Lion through how they walk in and take charge of everything. That’s because the Lions are decisive and are great problem-solvers.
Lions are extraverted and believe in setting and achieving goals. They are multi-taskers, hard-working, and self-sufficient.
Lions are continuously searching for new opportunities and adventures.
Conversely, Lions can be very demanding, impatient, impulsive, and poor listeners. They can have a quick temper and be irritable.
Lion Personality Type cross-reference
- Keirsey Type – Rationals
- Temperament Type – Choleric
- DISC Type – Dominant
- Socio-Communicative Type – Driver
- True Colors – Green
- Color Code – Red
- Personality Compass – North
- Occupational Type – Enterprising
- Learning Type – Activist
- Leadership Type – Dominator
MBTI Personality Types (xNTx) – Intuition and Thinking
Enneagram Types
- Type 1 – The Reformer (ENTJ, INTJ)
- Type 3 – The Achiever (ENTP)
- Type 5 – The Investigator (INTJ, INTP)
- Type 7 – The Enthusiast (ENTP)
- Type 8 – The Challenger (ENTJ)
Lion Personality Type Careers
Learn more about the Lion Personality Type.
The Otter Personality Type
The Otter Personality Type is fun-seeking, excitable, and cheerleader-type. Otters are fond of talking and excellent at motivating others. However, They will suffer in an environment where they are restricted from talking.
Otters are extraverts and love to be at the center of attention. They have a lot of enthusiasm and energy but can also easily and quickly get distracted.
An Otter’s personality traits can make them irresponsible and selfish; however, their friendly nature can quickly help others to forget their weaker tendencies.
Otter Personality Type cross-reference
- Keirsey Type – Idealists
- Temperament Type – Phlegmatic
- DISC Type – Influential
- Socio-Communicative Type – Expressive
- True Colors – Blue
- Color Code – Blue
- Personality Compass – West
- Occupational Type – Artistic
- Learning Type – Theorist
- Leadership Type – Collaborator
MBTI Personality Types (xNFx) – Intuition and Feeling
Enneagram Types
- Type 1 – The Reformer (ENFJ, INFJ)
- Type 4 – The Individualist (INFJ, INFP)
- Type 7 – The Enthusiast (ENFP)
- Type 9 – The Peacemaker (INFP)
Otter Personality Type Careers
Learn more about the Otter Personality Type.
The Golden Retriever Personality Type
The one word that can best describe the Golden Retriever Personality Type is ‘Loyal.’
The Golden Retriever’s level of loyalty is so intense that they will take enormous punishment or pain when in a relationship and remain committed to it.
Golden retrievers tend to be introverted, always looking for peace and harmony. They have a dry sense of humor that makes your companions laugh.
Golden retrievers avoid getting too involved and prefer to sit back and watch; however, they are strong and loyal and will come to your defense when aroused.
The Golden Retriever is sensitive, loves everyone, and can blend into any situation.
Golden Retriever Personality Type cross-reference
- Keirsey Type – Artisans
- Temperament Type – Sanguine
- DISC Type – Steadiness
- Socio-Communicative Type – Amiable
- True Colors – Orange
- Color Code – Yellow
- Personality Compass – South
- Occupational Type – Conventional
- Learning Type – Reflector
- Leadership Type – Accommodator
MBTI Personality Types (xSxP) – Sensing and Perceiving
Enneagram Types
- Type 2 – The Helper (ESFP, ISFP)
- Type 6 – The Loyalist (All Sensing)
- Type 7 – The Enthusiast (ESTP, ESFP)
- Type 9 – The Peacemaker (ISFP)
Golden Retriever Personality Type Careers
Learn more about the Golden Retriever Personality Type.
The Beaver Personality Type
The Beaver has personality traits because they want to do everything correctly and in order.
Beavers tend to be highly introverted and will shine in environments where standards, rules, and consistency are essential.
The perfectionist nature of a Beaver often makes them prone to legalism and procrastination and can cause them to lack the ability to express warmth within a relationship.
Beaver Personality Type cross-reference
- Keirsey Type – Guardians
- Temperament Type – Melancholy
- DISC Type – Compliant
- Socio-Communicative Type – Analytical
- True Colors – Gold
- Color Code – White
- Personality Compass – East
- Occupational Type – Realistic
- Learning Type – Pragmatist
- Leadership Type – Avoider
MBTI Personality Types (xSxJ) – Sensing and Judging
Enneagram Types
- Type 1 – The Reformer (All Judging)
- Type 2 – The Helper (ESFJ, ISFJ)
- Type 6 – The Loyalist (All Sensing)
- Type 8 – The Challenger (ESTJ)
Beaver Personality Type Careers
Learn more about the Beaver Personality Type.
Animal Personality Type Pairing
The Lion and the Golden Retriever
The Lion is a task-oriented leader who enjoys being in control. They love challenges and arguments and show no fear. They often come across as arrogant and uncaring.
The Golden Retriever is people-oriented and craves security. They like to have a small group of close friends, and they make people feel welcomed and loved. They’re good listeners, very loyal, and will avoid conflict at any cost.
These two sound like opposites, don’t they?
I guess it just shows that opposites attract. The Lion and the Golden Retriever are the most common pairing regarding marriage! They work together like peanut butter and jelly.
The Lion loves the golden retriever because they’re good listeners, compliant, kind, and easy to get along with. The golden retriever loves lions because they’re solid and focused and make them feel safe.
Because they’re so different, they can bring each other to become a more balanced person.
The biggest issue in this relationship is that the golden retriever will sometimes view the Lion as “too harsh,” while the Lion will often consider the golden retriever “too wimpy.”
Fortunately, they will always work through their differences and accept each other for who they are.
The Beaver and the Golden Retriever
Another great pairing in the “animal kingdom” is the Beaver and the Golden Retriever.
These two personalities are very similar. The Beaver likes to have lengthy, intelligent conversations with someone who understands them, and the Golden Retriever is the perfect person for the job.
They are both quiet introverts who prefer to sit back and watch the act rather than be in the midst of it.
The Beaver is prone to depression and will spend much time comparing themselves to others, leading to a lack of self-confidence.
Luckily, their Golden Retriever pal is there to listen and offer support. When you think of best friends, your mind should immediately jump to these two!
The Golden Retriever and the Otter
These two might not be as close as the Beaver and Golden Retriever pairing, but they’re still BFFs!
The Otter is cheerful and enthusiastic, has many friends, and will talk your ear right off.
The Golden Retriever is calm and collected, has a few close friends, and is a great listener.
The Otter desires to please people and be accepted. There, they are easily offended and can be insecure at times.
Because Golden Retrievers are so thoughtful and understanding, they can make the Otter feel better about themselves.
Likewise, the Otter brings the golden retriever out of their shell and can make them more adventurous and lively.
The Otter and the Lion
The Otter and the Lion go together like mustard and strawberry jam.
A Lion is a no-nonsense person who likes to focus on a task and get it done right. The Otter, on the other hand, is laid back and fun-loving but not so responsible.
When the Lion and Otter are working on a group project, the Lion may snap at the Otter, calling them “selfish,” “lazy,” and “a waste of space.”
The Otter would retaliate by calling the Lion “uptight” and “a jerk” and wondering why they couldn’t just go with the flow.
If you try to combine these two, whether in a work setting, a marriage, or a friendship, one thing’s for sure: heads will roll.
