The progression you have is in the key of C Major, and since the progression's tonal center is C, the mode is C Ionian. A Minor (a.k.a. A Aeolian), D Dorian, and A Minor Pentatonic are all the same as C Ionian. The progression is what makes a mode sound the way it does. Playing D Dorian over a C Ionian progression sounds like you're playing C Ionian but focusing on the wrong root note ;)

You need to learn to analyze chord progression to tell what key a song is in. The most obvious one, that works with mose non-jazz songs is this: If you see two major chords a whole step apart, then they are the IV and V. What that means is when you see F Major and G Major together, F is the IV and G is the V. So far you know this about the notes in the scale: x, x, x, F, G, x, x, x
Now follow the major scale formula of 1, 1, 1/2, 1, 1, 1, 1/2 and fill in the rest of the scale to get: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. This is C Major. The focal point of the song seems to be the C chord (the chord that the song would sound good if it ended on that chord), so what C mode has no sharps or flats? C Ionian, and that's what you should play in.

An easier way to look at the progression is just to listen for the tonal center (C) and whether the song sounds like a major song or a minor song. If it sounds major, use C Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, or Dorian. If it sounds minor, use C Dorian, Aeolian, Phyrgian, or Locrian. Use your ear to determine which one sounds best.