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Antolian Shepherd

Like a Stone
[ first impression]
-Fiercely loyal guardian who demonstrates a possessive attitude toward family, friends, and property
-Can be extremely intimidating but are self-confident and discerning enough to know when, and how much, protection and intimidation is necessary in a given situation; therefore, you should be non-threatening so long as no threat exists
-Suspicious of strangers (even more so than as a child), reserved in public, and expect a formal introduction before tolerating any familiarities
-You do not want to be boldly approached and usually dislike physical contact when greeted by a stranger - this is not out of shyness, but because you want to be approached on your terms and dislike strangers who are too forward
-Can be very loving with family despite your general curiosity and aloofness with guests; you'll usually back off after meeting with guests and watch them from a polite distance
-Extremely intelligent, extremely loyal, and extremely independent
-Conservative in the sense of avoiding showiness; you have a lot of restraint and are able to hold yourself back
-A collected, resilient person who can take the extremes people throw at you
-Usually quiet, only speaking up when needed
-Alert and observant
-Dedicated individual with a calm, steady disposition
-Instinctively protective, you are courageous and highly adaptable
-Not a playful, hyperactive person, although you enjoy short play periods
-Loyal and responsive to the appeals of your loved ones, although responsiveness with animation is not characteristic
-Little if at all offensive to people; they might be somewhat intimidated by your disposition, but they're unlikely to dislike you
-Highly territorial
-Comely, without the slavishness of some dog souls
-Come across as rugged, powerful, and impressive
-Appear daring but mellow unless challenged, and are generally of even temperament
-Intelligent expression that comes across as serious but sweet
-Clearly have strength to wield, but it's not something you throw around or take lightly; people can tell just by your actions that you're serious business
-Steadfast and bold, but not aggressive
-Bothered by neither fatigue or bad times - you keep chugging along, and with minimum assistance will likely go a long way
-You're all about calm energy, and people needn't worry about you unexpectedly exploding into motion as you're not overstimulated easily
-Might talk in a detached manner, speaking in short bursts, especially when upset
-Can be a wonderful, valued companion, but you very definitely are not primarily someone's "bud", but a determined and proud protector
-Not in the least concerned with appearances, but in your actions
-Stand out as someone capable without being an overwhelming presence
-Really don't care for the hoopla of being in the spotlight, although you could suffer it
-With you there can be bursts of unbounded energy, but as you age you seem to slow down

Stubborn Mule
[ living with you ]
-Your independent and protective nature combined with your capacity to overpower means that you're not the easiest person in the world to control and can become quite frustrating. Ideally you would be submissive to your charges, so the "perfect" temperament is self-confident but deferential to whoever's leading. However, you'll eagerly assume the role of boss if someone else isn't in charge. You test almost everyone at some point early on to see if besting them is possible. If unsocialized as a child and around those who refuse to be leaders you can become overprotective, aggressive and even uncontrollable. Living with one such as yourself who has learned to intimidate people can be frightening indeed.
-Require a strong, positive leader who consistently requires civilized behavior (especially at a young age); without proper socialization as a child you're probably still dealing with the consequences
-Wouldn't naturally recognize someone younger as above you in the hierarchy and it would take time for anyone to convince you otherwise
-As a child you may have been a bit paranoid, often trying to decipher what was a threat and what was harmless, but still sounding the alarm at every opportunity
-Easy to teach, but are not one for the timid or unsure because it's hard to earn your respect and attention; need an instructor who naturally radiates leadership
-Demanding of yourself, and can be stubborn and dominant
-When teaching you, the best results are achieved by motivational methods with a determined, consistent, and loving approach; people can't expect you to pay attention when they're clearly bored
-May seem like a slow learner at first, but with time and praise you speed up
-It's important that you're exposed to an idea young, because when someone tries to convince you of a new way of thinking, you're likely too domineering to be changed, as you have your own ideas and will not cater to someone's every whim
-Are maturing quite slowly, and while you have a stable, consistent personality, people still see a childish spirit in you, even as a young adult; (it is possible that as someone who's still reaching their full potential you'd be hesitant to call yourself settled, but never fear)
-In a room you'll likely want a spot which offers you the most commanding view
-Often prefer passive means of activity due to your low energy level (you're relatively inactive indoors as well), but your mind's always working, and you still need a lot of time to release any pent up energy in order to keep you happy; sitting around all day is not enough for you
-Need to be able to decide upon your own activities and needs
-Do best having a specially assigned area you can retreat to where there are few distractions
-Only raise your voice when you have something noteworthy to say
-Have a routine you follow religiously
-Quickly learn the usual activities and people moving in and out of your area and will note any peculiarities
-As long as nothing unusual occurs or appears, you will lie around seemingly doing nothing
-When you want to call attention to something you start phrasing everything in definite terms, often speaking rapidly and louder
-When not in a playful mood you like to be somewhere where you can keep track of everything but not have to get involved with the activities around you
-Affection and shelter isn't enough for you - you need someone to look after
-Always want to be aware of what's going on in your "territory," but couldn't care less about happenings outside it
-Tolerant of extremes, and be circumstances tough or nigh unbearable, you'll get through it; you can adapt to just about anything
-Seem to get by on little, taking everything in moderation, and can get along perfectly well with a moderate amount of activity
-Stands to reason that the more you're exposed to, the more you'll find to be protective of
-Considering that you're a naturally tidy person and need little help in upkeep, you're easy to live with in that regard, but can still be a challenge with a finicky house cleaner
-Can become easily bored, especially by repetition
-Not the type to be expected to sit patiently and pay attention to something you don't care about, as you'll go off to investigate something in the blink of an eye
-Get rather loud when upset, so you come with a certain amount of noise
-Don't mind, and even expect, to be on the move, and you'll go where you're required
-Do well with consistent lessons, and what you learn will be remembered for the rest of your life
-May come across as lazy, but you're truly a hard worker
-Some of your habits annoy others, but it's not fair to judge you on those characteristics alone
-Prefer your own simple accommodations to those offered you
-During certain times of the day you seem almost comatose, but even then you're alert
-Will go and investigate any disturbance in your territory

Guardian
[ interactions ]
-Needed to develop enough self-control and confidence to handle yourself before you could be a reliable guardian to anyone
-Socialization was a must for you, because naturally (without the conditioning) you may have a tendency towards being too blunt or dominating in personality
-Affectionate with family and like well-behaved children
-For you, possessiveness is part of the process of bonding, thus you may not wish to "share" your people with someone you see as a rival
-Will show reserve outside familiar territory
-Need your space and don't like being 'over handled'
-Not likely to take someone's word for something - you want the proof
-Your wariness of strangers makes it so you won't entirely trust someone unless you've had frequent, amiable contact or your 'family' seems to accept them
-Sensitive to reprimands (if from a loved one) and eager to receive affection
-Patient and protective toward children you know well, and seem to adore them
-Caring, but sometimes your force of personality leads to hurt feelings; your friends get overwhelmed
-Naturally have strong protection instincts that have only grown as you've matured, and which suddenly came to the fore when you were still a child
-Generally get along with people you've known all your life, but nowadays are just slower to accept someone into your circle; you can be rather dominant towards others, especially if you see them as competition
-Only have one family unit, and you can't be expected to overlook them for another purpose; if you were asked to spend too much time away from your loved ones for the sake of a job, your performance would be sub-par
-While you are very protective of loved ones, you have no interest in controlling their actions - they're free to do as they will, but you won't hold back a warning or advice
-Always want to check up on friends to know they're doing well - in fact, every few hours you're likely to make contact
-Your warnings and insight are not always appreciated, even if you mean well
-Very careful about not upsetting people; you are gentle and thoughtful so that they will never have reason to be frightened of you
-Absolutely do not miss any new or strange things that happen to your "family" or in your "territory", even when you're focused on something else
-Feel like you're your friends' only protection and likely don't trust them to always take care of themselves
-For you, the protective barrier around your loved ones is very real, almost a tangible thing; there is a line someone can cross that will put you on edge, and then the line they absolutely cannot cross without having to answer to you
-If someone doesn't bother you or your loved ones, you won't go out of your way to antagonize them, even if you know under different circumstances they could cause you trouble; while you're possessive, you aren't unduly paranoid
-May seem a bit apart or detached at social gatherings, but you still appreciate being there
-You work with people, observe them, and understand their needs which gains you their trust, but you don't boss them around - they're free to go and do as they choose, and your only concern is in protecting them
-Go to great lengths to not disturb or upset anyone unnecessarily, because it matters greatly to you that your friends be able to trust you
-Even when wary of something you won't unduly alarm your companions, but simply make them aware of the situation and keep them updated; aren't one for over-dramatics
-Expect your friends to work cooperatively with you for the benefit of you both
-If any one of your companions were to behave in a way unusual for them, you'd give them your full attention and look for assistance if needed, but they could expect to have you at their side as long as necessary
-However, you don't always realize your friends need you, if they seem quiet and calm and in no way alert you that something's wrong - you don't know something's wrong
-Protection is instinctive for you, and you will only threaten or go after someone when you think your charges are in danger
-You won't harass someone unless you feel they need to be, not merely because someone wants you to
-You are very sensitive to voice and behavior changes in your family, or anyone you're suspicious of
-Calm and gentle toward young ones, and have a peaceful way about you that might draw timid spirits
-With your independent nature you're less eager to please than one might expect and will not always wait for instructions from a superior, nor will you obey at the drop of a hat
-Known to elect the typical reaction of "selective deafness"
-One should never go at you in anger, as you may respond with aggression of your own, or become so upset that you refuse to deal with them further
-If you think something is threatening your loved ones, you'll disobey people instantly and deliberately until the threat is eliminated
-Loyal, even if it means disobeying someone you respect when you know they're in trouble; you're someone people can feel completely safe with
-Play with those you see as equals, with authority figures set apart
-While you may be willing to socialize with new faces and accept being in their company, you still need to maintain a certain range of distance between you and may snap at anyone who violates this personal bubble
-Usually do not invite play with strangers; you are not an outgoing person who wants to make friends with everyone
-Those of the opposite sex are most readily accepted by you, for whatever reason
-Prefer to be the leader, and may push the issue until it is resolved
-Usually takes you a while to warm up to new people in your circle, but once that is accomplished, they become part of your family and will be protected
-Can be particularly pushy while you're trying to figure out your rank and status in a group (male shepherd)
-Tend to be more outgoing and more forgiving of mistakes, as well as adjusting better to setbacks (male shepherd)
-Tend to be less dominant and work well with children, however, may actually be more protective in nature (female shepherd)

This is Your Last Warning
[ aggression ]
-Intelligent enough to try to warn and chase away someone before resorting to the use of force
-May not go looking for trouble, but you won't necessarily back down if challenged
-Aggression is generally limited to the lowest level that provides the desired response from the rival
-People can "go for the throat" and still leave you unscathed - with them being the ones high tailing it outta there
-Valued for the victorious battles you can win even against formidable opponents
-Only as aggressively protective as needed to subdue or drive off a perceived threat to your loved ones, going to extremes in your attack only if necessary; if a stern remark will scare off the person, that's all you'll do
-As you mature you determine on your own whether aggression is warranted, using a graduated display of increasingly assertive behaviors to warn off anyone who's not a serious threat and control a given situation
-Very controlled in your anger, and will only put enough pressure on someone to shut them up and erase them as a threat; once they're submissive and indicate they'll back down, you step back and let them run - and they had better leave!
-Your fury wasn't always as "safe" as it is now and you might have been more prone to causing unnecessary damage to people
-When you observe a possible threat you might warn them to keep their distance, but most of the time you just silently watch; as long as the individual doesn't become threatening, you just keep them in your sights
-When working against someone you seem to know precisely what you're doing before you do it, and it'll give your opponent a spook when they think of a retort and you're one step ahead of them
-With your agility and precision, you do not require excessive force to fight off anyone
-When you show definite anger, people know you're about to take action and stop simply talking
-As you age it becomes less likely you'll "win" a fight, but you rarely ever have to fight: you scare everything off
-Command respect from strangers and supposed trouble-makers
-It requires considerable agitation to get you to react with real aggression - on the other hand, if you have become agitated, you may be too angry to be stopped
-You will only tear a person to metaphorical shreds if all other warnings have failed or if you've been agitated at length
-If simply annoyed by something you might get snappish, or scowl in an ominous silent threat
-Usually you'll just turn your head and ignore someone you don't wish to hurt, then get up and leave if the annoyance continues

My Life
[ work ethic ]
-You developed through a set of very demanding circumstances for a purely utilitarian purpose; a worker without equal, with a unique ability to protect what you consider yours
-The job you've assigned yourself isn't the easy life; there are risks to your personal well being involved, and it's possible it'll burn you out prematurely, but for you there's no other way to live
-Whatever the path holds ahead, you'll face it; you are not easily intimidated
-Despite appearances, you're very quick when needed and are capable of great speed and endurance
-Cover ground very quickly without appearing to do so; some things come so easily to you that advancing requires little effort
-Have a knack for working without disturbing anything around you
-Have a very agile mind, and considering this are able to adapt to new circumstances readily, turning square in mid-stride if you must
-Capable of working independently without constant supervision, because when something is your responsibility, you stick with it no matter what
-Have a real need to have a guardian job to do, and no matter how easy your life is, feel protective toward your "family" and take your job very seriously - this is not a game to you
-Even a relatively simple job is one you'll be happy with and do well, as you're fulfillment isn't decided by how long something takes or how extensive it is
-Will take charge on your own and can't be expected to be reliably obedient to commands
-No one can be found who would question your loyalty, or your ability to carry out a task
-If not set to a specific task, you'll assign yourself one
-Need to be able to think and act quickly and independently to be do your job well, but these same attributes make you unsuitable for anyone who wants a submissive, clingy companion
-As you steadily age you'll seem to lie about more and more, but this is not loafing: you're quietly working and always thinking
-Will move into action if need be, and at an alarming rate
-Just because you do something well doesn't mean you want to resort to it, and you'll avoid apparent "easy outs"
-You try to make learning fun
-Not a good competitor because you lose interest rather easily
-Do not need or like people interfering with your duties
-Do not have a strong drive to go out and achieve your own ends, but you do have a strong bonding or "family unit" drive, and your ideal line of work likely incorporates this
-Might occupy yourself in undesirable ways if left to boredom
-Have a strong inclination for independent judgment, which you will use to assess a situation then act accordingly
-Always concentrating on your main priority, because you couldn't effectively perform it if you let your mind wander