IT personnel have been referred to as many things: some see the role of IT staff as everything from heroes and essential partners, to %^&**!@#!! villains. But how about a Pit Bull or a Chichuahua? Is there a German Shepherd lurking inside that SOA developer?

If you take a look at some of the most dramatic canine personalities, you might find some interesting similarities between network engineers, software developers and man's best friend. If you're in technology, read on to determine which IT breed you might be.

Which Breed of IT Are You?

Pit Bull. Official name is the American Staffordshire Terrier. And as well all know, this dog is known for its powerful bite. Once he gets his teeth into something, you can't get him off. Is this your style? A tenacious IT technician? Do you hunt down the cause for an outage or security breach no matter how long it takes? If you have a commitment and loyalty to your task, never giving up, no matter how tiring it is or how frustrated you get, you might very well be the Pit Bull of IT.

Border Collie. Know for agility and speed. One of the canine kingdom's fastest and most skillful breeds; they're Frisbee-catching super athletes. Do you share the high energy of this agile canine? Do you respond to TAC calls in a split second? For premise assistance, do you get to the location ASAP, thinking about the end-user's dilemma and how every minute means customer frustration? When you're analyzing and solving issues, do you set goals to come in before the deadline? Grab your Frisbee and race down to the NOC!

German Shepherd. Generally, the shep is listed as one of the most intelligent breed. Their intellect makes them ideal intelligence work with law enforcement. This is a SUPER-intelligent dog. You have Shepherd-like tendencies if you are analytical and intellecutal. Do you take problem solving seriously and seek innovative solutions? When you eat out, are you scribbling flow charts and diagrams on your napkin...drawing little clouds? You might qualify as the smartest dog on the IT block.

Bloodhound. This breed has an uncanny sense of smell and will follow a scent for hours and hours. One of the best trackers in the canine world. Do you share his ability to sniff out the source of a problem? Are you able to see connections among challenges and track an IT issue to its root cause? Anytime you are tracking a problem or issue, you are bringing bloodhound traits to the IT table.

The Pointer. Unusually adept at seeking out and then identifying game. The Pointer's job is not to retrieve, it's just to pinpoint. Are you great at network diagnostics? Can you determine correct pathways and creative solutions? If you are an engineer or developer who is good at identifying causes or effects, then you're an IT pointer.

No matter what your role in IT, there are probably some traits that you share with our canine companions. But ultimately, no matter what breed of IT you are, without network and software engineers, developers, project managers and tech staff, technology comes to a screeching halt and so does our commerce and economy. So ultimately, what's the role of IT staff? Man's best friend!