Mary Allen
Have you ever secretly thought that many dogs and their owners have similar temperaments? In this case, your instinct is actually quite right: scientists have found that they are basically similar in five personality traits.
For a 2012 study, researchers examined the constellations of Holder’s dogs in Hungary and Austria. In doing so, they identified five main character traits that most duets share.
Dogs and humans are alike neurotic, extroverted, conscious, outgoing, and open-minded. In order to avoid falsification of the assessment, the similar traits of the dog and the owner, in addition to the owners of the dogs, were also assessed by third parties.
In addition, the researchers made some interesting discoveries: if a person had more than one dog, the characteristics of the dogs complemented each other. In addition, the similarities between the Hungarian owners and their four-legged friends were greater than that of the Austrians.
People are Looking for Dogs with the Right Temperament for Them
It is probably no coincidence that dogs and owners think the same way. On his Healthy Pets blog, US veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker, why this is so: Experts suggest that people subconsciously choose pets that suit their lifestyle.
“A calm person often chooses a calm dog, and a fearful person often chooses a fearful dog,” animal behavior expert Jenn Finish told PetMD.
In addition, dogs are very good at feeling the feelings and character traits of people. No wonder: after all, our four-legged friends have been our faithful companions for thousands of years. There are several studies that show that dogs react to the different moods of their owners and owners and often reflect them.
This is not always a good thing: for example, in 2019, scientists found that stress from humans can also be transmitted to their dogs. Both showed the same levels of the stress hormone cortisol. On the contrary, dogs help us relax and feel less nervous.
Findings like these show that you can directly affect your dog’s mood. This knowledge will help you better calm your four-legged friend, especially in situations such as visiting the vet that is already stressing your four-legged friend – just by staying calm.