Honestly, it depends on the animal and the person they're with. In fact, I would argue that an animal's personality and behavior is largely influenced by the owner, especially if they are naturally sensitive. My horse was a jackass, but when the bullet (or my head) hit the road, he came through where it counted, and his quirkiness charmed me. In the hands of an inexperienced person, he would run amok and be a nightmare.
My family has always been a dachshund family and I've had several. One of them acted more like a terrier, nose to the ground, and tried to fend off a full grown German Shepherd. They are tenacious little dogs. Generally, they also aren't that bright though. I had the cutest little man, and he was as sweet as sugar, but you could just look at him and tell there wasn't a brain cell in his head. Another one was quite smart and learned things on her own.
I've also had several cats, all subtly different. A house without a cat feels empty to me. My first cat wanted nothing to do with anyone, but one cat we had was truly a blessing from God. Anyone who has/had such an animal will know what I mean by that. They are irreplaceable. He was loving, delightfully quirky at times, and was everything good in a cat. I'll miss him all of my days. The cat I have now loves me above all others, but she's a prima donna and sulks whenever I go out of town. But she is the most...cat-like cat I've ever had and she is so darn spastic that I feel good just being around her. She plays fetch. I earned her affection and loyalty with many months of pain and suffering.
Bottom line, it depends on the animal. No one should write off a species because of bad experiences, misunderstandings about their character, or bad owners who don't keep boundaries of behavior. Nothing should be judged by its abuse.
I voted "cat" because I find them so entertaining I can't get over it. I even find their indignant sulking hilarious.
