Instructions
Look for a happy, energetic and alert dog that isn't shy or aggressive. Observe whether the dog willingly accepts his order in the pack or family without hesitation or aggression.
Observe your dog's responsiveness to commands. Look for a dog that is willing and quick to learn new concepts and commands. For example, a dog that is eager to please you might jump into a sudsy bath because you have given the command to do so and not because he likes water.
Evaluate your dog's response to happy, high-pitched praise and attention as a reward for training. A dog that is eager to please will need little more than praise to thrive in training sessions.
Observe the dog's attention span and sensitivity during training sessions. Watch to see if the dog gets bored easily. Terriers, for example, often don't do well in training or obedience because they have been bred to be instinctively independent; they typically do not care whether or not they please their owners, according to Dr. Stanley Coren, Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia.
Watch for your dog to lift a paw toward you when he is unsure what you are trying to ask him to do. A lifted paw indicates a desire to please, or even uncertainty about his ability to please you, according to Jennifer Arnold, founder and executive director of Canine Assistants.
Place your puppy in the middle of a room. Have a stranger coax the puppy toward him; watch to see if the dog comes quickly and willingly. Ask the stranger to stand up and walk away from the pup, and watch for the dog to follow readily. Toss a ball or toy in front of the pup; look for willingness to fetch the toy and work with a human. A pup that is outgoing and friendly is easily controlled and trained, and looks to his master for leadership and approval, according to the Monks of New Skete.
How to Identify a Dog That Is Eager to Please
Dogs are intelligent creatures with personalities that run the gamut from shy and sweet to gregarious, compulsive and aggressive. While purebred dogs have common inbred character traits that enable organizations such as the American Kennel Club to predict the behavior of many breeds, all dogs are different. One of the most desirable temperament traits to look for when getting a new dog is his desire to please you. You can usually identify eager-to-please characteristics through a general set of behaviors.