As stated previously the Utonagan is intended to have a superb temperament and show 'no sign of aggression whatsoever, even when challenged'. A tall order for a breed with it's origins in GSD (a guarding breed often used in the military), Malamute (strong-willed, powerful sledding breed) and Husky (smaller sledding dog, but very energetic and hardy) dogs. However the Ute has been bred from individual to individual, i.e. only using the dogs who do not strongly display the more challenging traits of their fore-fathers. Therefore they do comply to this standard and are known for their soft nature. It's a difficult balance to make sure this does not develop into nervousness, but upbringing (i.e. a confident handler) has a lot to do with that.

The lines with known GSD content (even though it's several generations back) do seem particularly trainable, if the owner is willing to try. Utes are generally very intelligent, so no matter how soft they are, they do need knowledgeable owners or they will end up 'ruling the roost'. As more and more people are becoming aware, partly due to popular trainers like Jan Fennel and Cesar Milan, the dog(s) in a human household should never be in charge. It isn't fair on them - it's very stressful being the boss - and it makes for an uncontrollable, large canine. Never a good combination!

Utonagan, being bred as much like a wolf as it is possible with no wolf content, are very easy to 'read' i.e. they have erect ears, expressive faces, full tails and a thick coat that gives them clear hackles (usually only seen when trying to appear tough in front of another dog!). So if you know how to assess basic dog behaviour, they are like an open book. There are no inbred deviances in their basic character. For example; GSD's tend to be unreceptive to strangers, particularly on their own territory; Huskies are known for running away; any sight hound is likely to forget about you while engrossed in hunting, as are spaniels; Collies will automatically chase/herd most things ... and so the list could go on. These of course are tendencies of each breed and do not apply exclusively to ALL members of each group, particularly the further away they are from working stock.

Utes do tend to have a reasonable prey drive, but no more so than your average dog. They certainly will not wholly desert you in their pursuit of rabbits, for instance! They may bark to let you know someone is at the door, but would much rather you took over from thereon in. To put it bluntly, any severely aberrant nature is almost always attributable to the training a Ute has received growing up.

What you have to remember is that, while the Utonagan is a fantastic dog; without appropriate training (no different to that required with any dog) it will become unruly, in one way or another. Even bounding playfully up to other dogs, or people, can be misconstrued by either as an aggressive act. This can get you, the custodian, in trouble even though your dog hasn't touched /harmed anyone and is not a good advertisement for the breed as a whole. Over exuberance is not a crime, but unfortunately it must be controlled. If you establish yourself as the boss, however, you will find that the Utonagan is an extremely compliant companion, devoted to you and your family and will enjoy doing whatever you want him to do.