We all know that some dog breeds are more energetic than others -- when's the last time you saw a dalmation that didn't want to run and jump and play? But, according to AOL Health, your pooch might actually give some insights into your personality.

As I clicked through the AOL Health gallery, I found quite a few assessments to be pretty accurate. I've never known anyone who owned an English bull dog who wasn't a bit of a clown, and most of the people I know who own chihuahuas are good at getting themselves into a bit of trouble.

Of course, this doesn't go across the board, but it did make me wonder what this means regarding fitness. I'm sure you've heard this famous phrase before: "If your dog is fat, you need more exercise." Aside from fat dogs, though, does your dog reflect your level of fitness? Check out the gallery to see what category your dog falls into, and let us all know in the comments whether that's accurate.

Does your kid have an internal locus of control? If so, it's a good thing because kids who have one by age 10 are less likely to be overweight at age 30. They also grow up to be healthier adults and are less likely to describe their health as poor or show high levels of psychological stress. Despite childhood IQ, education, and family income, these tendencies remain.

A locus of control is the extent to which people think they can influence events through their own actions. Each of us has one. It's a natural component of a person's personality and is shaped by childhood experiences and interaction with parents. Those who are shaped to believe they are in charge of their lives have an "internal" locus of control. Those who are not have an "external" locus.

"I think it is quite probable that a major explanation why children with a more internal locus of control behave more healthily as adults is that they have greater confidence in their ability to influence outcomes through their own actions," says Dr. Catharine R. Gale, of the University of Southampton in the UK. They may also have higher self-esteem, which can encourage healthy habits.

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Want to learn a little more about your inner self? Try paying attention to how you sleep. According to eDiets, your sleep position can say a lot about who you are.

For instance, if you prefer the fetal position, you might tend to be shy and reserved on the surface, but soft and sensitive on the inside. On the other hand, if you sleep in the "freefall" position (on your stomach with your hands up around your head), you might tend to be loud and assertive, though you balk at criticism.

I really don't know how much of this is true, but it's kind of fun to see if your sleep position matches your personality. Mine came pretty close ... how about yours?

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I've always slept in the same position, from the time I was a kid to the present: On my side, slightly curled, not moving until I wake up. I think everybody has a sleeping style that they're accustomed to. And according to this article from AOL Body, your sleeping style is more than what you're used to--it's indicative of your personality. Interesting, no? Here's what they have to say about the different positions:

• Those who sleep in the fetal position are thought to be tough on the outside but sensitive and even shy on the inside. 41% of people (mostly women) sleep in this position.
  
• Those who lie on the their side with their arms down tend to be sociable and trusting.
  
• Those who lie on their sides with their arms in front are often open but somewhat cynical.
  
• Those who lie on their backs with their arms at their sides tend to be quiet and reserved.
  
• Those who who lie on their stomachs with their arms up by their heads tend to be brash
• Those who lie on their backs with their arms by their heads make the best friends.
  

Want to know more? Read the full descriptions on AOL.

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My mother used to give me a sage piece of advice "you can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it." It's something I try to live by (though I often remind myself of that after I've already reacted a little less than gracefully). Maybe my mom was really on to something. Researchers have found that our genes play a large role in our happiness.

A Australian team composed of University of Edinburgh psychologists and researchers from Queensland Institute for Medical Research conducted a personality study using the Five-Factor Model. They found certain personality traits such as worry, gregariousness, and conscientiousness to be hereditary. People who are naturally friendlier, easy-going, and sociable tend to be happier overall. The cocktail of positive personality traits can act as a protective shield when bad things happen.

The study followed more than 900 pairs of twins, identifying common genes which result in certain characteristics. Environmental factors such as stress, relationships, jobs, and home life obviously have a big role in a person's mood. But certain hereditary personality traits can make some people able to fly through stressors a bit more easily.

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If you work in an office you've no doubt noticed the variety of work spaces people set up for themselves when it comes to desks and cubicles. There are people with pictures everywhere, some have candy bowls everywhere, some have piles of paper everywhere, and some have nothing anywhere (gotta love those uber-organized types!). Have you ever looked around and wondered what all those different work spaces really mean about the people who created them? Or better yet, have you ever wondered what your workspace says about you?

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If you're a workaholic or someone who likes a routine or schedule, taking a vacation may actually make you sick. An expert cited in this article calls it "leisure sickness" -- a phenomenon characterized by taking a break from a busy schedule only to acquire aches, pains, and cold and flu-like symptoms.

One possible explanation for such sickness goes like this: When you are busy, your body is activated. When you are not busy and have nothing to do, your body is relaxed. For some people, this can be pathogenic. Some say "gimme a break" to this perspective; others say it's serious stuff, perhaps tied to stress and the challenge of transitioning from work to non-work.

While the science of leisure sickness remains unproven, the topic is not a new one. An inability to relax on vacations and holidays has long been a characteristic of Type A behavior. When Type As are not in control, headaches, nausea, and fatigue often result. It may be a hormonal thing. Or it could have nothing to do with personality at all. It could be that vacations involve greater exposure to germs that make us sick. Or holidays may simply allow us to acknowledge the symptoms of sickness we may ignore when we're busy with work.

Regardless of the reason behind leisure sickness, it seems regular exercise may be the cure.

"If you're under such chronic stress that you're impairing your immune system, you need to pace yourself," says Esther Sternberg, researcher of neuroendocrine immunology at the National Institutes of Health. "You can't expect to push your body to the breaking point and not have it break."

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The age-old idea of beauty being on the inside seems to be based, at least partially, in scientific truth. Researchers have found that personality really does make people more or less physically attractive to the opposite sex.

A group of college students was asked to rate photographs of men and women on a scale of 1-10 for attractiveness. Then at a later time they were asked to rate the same photos again, but this time personality traits came with each picture (either good or bad) and their ratings changed dramatically. Positive traits like being funny, honest, and helpful gave people a huge boost, while negative traits dropped them down significantly on the sex appeal scale.

So although being healthy and fit certainly plays a big part, it seems if you really want to be sexy paying some attention to your personality may be in order also!

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There aren't many foods I crave but when I get a craving for chocolate, watch out -- I'll tear the whole house apart looking for a single M&M. Chocolate seems to be the #1 food craving among the women I know so I don't feel too alone in this one.

But here's an interesting bit of news: Apparently, people who crave chocolate, particularly when they're depressed, are more likely to be described as Neurotic. Yikes! But that's not all -- those who crave chocolate are more likely to score high on the following on personality tests: irritability, rejection sensitivity, anxious worrying, self-criticism. Good lord!

Do these personality traits describe you?

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There are all sorts of definitions of what's sexy (and when I say sexy, I mean sexy -- not sleazy). Whether you're down-to-earth, funny and easy to talk to, nice but with a naughty side or super confident and flirty, your personality will likely appeal to a range or guys.

Ever wonder if you're the 'Girl Next Door', the 'Seductress' or the "Vixen on the Prowl"? I found this fun quiz from Elle that lets you know where you fit on the sexy scale. Answers to questions about an idea first date, your favored bra and undie combo, your typical bedtime wear, the TV character who is most like you and favorite celeb style, help determine which of the aforementioned categories you fit into.

I ended up with the 'Girl Next Door' label, which I think is pretty accurate considering it's a fun and simple quiz. Why not give it a try and let us know what kind of sexy you are?

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Irritable bowel syndrome may have something to do with your personality, a study shows. The condition, which is characterized by inflammation of the gut and embodies moderate to severe symptoms like diarrhea and constipation, may be linked to anxiety and stress.

I believe it -- mostly. I have IBS and I'm also an anxious person, despite my best attempts to be laid-back. I saw a naturopathic doctor who went as far as to tell me that it was really just all in my head and if I learned to calm down I could be rid of IBS. And while I think what he says has some sort of merit, I think that's over-simplifying the problem. 'Calming down' (read: changing my entire personality) isn't very easy, and I have severe symptoms whether I am in super-stressed-out mode or on relaxed-vacation mode.

What do you think about all this?

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Do you need an attitude adjustment? Not to say that you have a particularly bad attitude, but maybe you're missing some particular habits and qualities that are keeping you from being as successful as you could be. Are you letting negative feelings or fear of change hold you back? Read through this list of the qualities that turn losers into winners and see if you can't find some inspiration:

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Sometimes I get personality quizzes sent to me by a friend through a website, urging me to try it as I'm guaranteed to learn so much about myself. I usually delete them, but recently a friend sent me this quiz. It's a visual quiz, one that tests for what the creators call your Visual DNA -- in other words, how you react to images and what your image choices say about you.

Try out the Visual DNA test and see what you think. As a photographer, I thought it was inspiring and helped me understand my personality better. It helped me realize the many faces to art, love and everything in between. It also conjured images of things I love: laughter, music, indulgences, holidays and landscapes.

Am I way off base here, or did it inspire you as well?

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Not too long ago we found out that happy couples already exhibit a kind of therapeutic measure on each other when researchers discovered that holding hands can reduce stress. Now it looks like they've discovered new information which reveals how a spouse's personality can affect how their partner recovers from major health challenges.

In the case of their study, researchers watched over a hundred coronary artery bypass patients and their significant others. Once again, it looks like marital satisfaction plays a larger role in the effectiveness of the study. Those who were married to to an anxious or even neurotic spouse reported symptoms of depression 18 months after their surgery.

Those couples in more optimistic circumstances reported fewer symptoms of depression and appeared to have less of a burden in recovery. It all points to a universal truth: even though they may be independent, personalities among couples can manifest themselves in physical and psychological ways.

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