Whether through conscious training or day to day interactions, humans shape dog behavior—and they change as we change. “Our lifestyle changes trickle down,” says William J. Chopik, a social psychologist at Michigan State University. He led a recent study that found that dogs resemble their owners in an entirely different way: their personalities tend to be similar.
Source: National Geographic, March 1, 2019. Link. Behaviorist Zazie Todd says it’s important to note that the five main traits widely used for evaluating people’s personalities (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, negative emotionality, and open-mindedness) are not the same as the five personality factors used for dogs (fearfulness, aggression toward people, aggression toward animals, activity/excitability, and responsiveness to training). “But there are some really interesting links” between human and dog traits, she says, and qualities tend to match up.
It could be that people are shaping their dog’s personalities, and this is the most interesting possibility for me,” says Todd.
Also see: The best dog breeds to adopt if you work all day, Inside Pets World, February 27, 2019. Link. 7 dog breeds that don’t mind staying home alone while you earn your living.
INSIGHTS: Animal health pros who conduct puppy classes or help with training will recognize some of the elements in this article. It and the second article are worthy of social media posts or including in e-newsletters.