The other day I was cruising around the ASPCA’s website looking for information about pet adoption when I stumbled across their Meet Your Match (MYM) Canine-ality, Puppy-ality, and Feline-ality assessment tool.
“What the heck is that?” you might be asking. (I did when I first read about it.)
It’s a great question. (And I’m not just saying that because I asked it too.)
The Meet Your Match Program
It might be the face, the eyes, or even the shiny coat that first attracts you to a certain dog or cat, but as any animal lover knows, pets have personalities too.
Aimee once wrote about how her beloved Miko was her “awesome one.” They bonded from the get go. Their personalities were simpatico.
That’s what the ASPCA’s MYM program tries to do. Match your personality with a puppy, dog, or cat’s personality so that you can be the perfect pair.
MYM is the only method in existence today that evaluates an animal’s behavior and interests and matches them to an adopter’s preferences so that you take home a pet you can really click with. ~-From the ASPCA’s site-~
What’s the Point?
At first I thought this was just a cute tool. Or perhaps another gimmick to get people in to adopt. To an extent it was, but there’s also a method to their madness.
A more successful match means pets stay in the homes instead of being returned to the shelters.
Assessing a Dog’s Personality (a.k.a. Canine-ality)
Dogs are evaluated on the following criteria:
1. How friendly and sociable they are.
2. How playful.
3. Their energy level and how well they focus.
4. What motivates them (food, toys, affection, etc.)
5. What their “people manners” are like.
Color Me…
Once the dogs have been evaluated, they get a color: green, orange, or purple.
But the adoptable dogs aren’t the only ones who get a color. Potential adopters take a test too and also receive a color-coded ranking.
In general the colors break down like this:
1. Greens like to be physically and mentally active with one another. Think life of the party types for both the dog and the person. Or free spirits with a go-getter mentality.
2. Oranges are “middle-of-the-road.” They’re not super high energy, but they do enjoy “regular activity and interaction.” (That’s to describe an orange person’s personality.) Orange dogs were described as “wallflowers, busy bees, or goofballs.”
3. Purples, both the dogs and the people, are laidback and easygoing. Basically a buddy who’s happy hanging with you on the couch.
A Bit Different for Puppies
Puppies also take a personality assessment test to determine their “puppy-ality” and their color, but their criteria’s a little different. They’re evaluated on:
1. How comfortable they are in a new environment.
2. What their social responses are.
3. How interested in playing they are.
4. How easy they are to handle.
5. If they have a tendency to guard food.
Same for Cats…Sort Of
Just like with the dogs and puppies, adoptable cats get a personality test that’ll color code them, too. To determine whether they’re green, orange, or purple they’re assessed on:
1. How much they like being petted and held.
2. How playful, talkative, and active they are.
3. How they respond to new people and things.
Finding a Shelter Near You
If you’re considering adopting a pet and are interested in using the MYM program, use the ASPCA’s Find a Shelter locator.
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