A study on people's dog preferences has disproved some of the assumptions we make about people who own dogs perceived as aggressive breeds, but also suggest that their findings confirm the conventional wisdom that dogs match the personality of their owners.
If that is true then what does that indicate about you, if you've an anxious dog?
In the study carried out at the University of Leicester's School of Psychology, partakers indicated their preference for different types of dogs, and filled in personality tests. The study concluded that disagreeable young people are much more likely to prefer aggressive dog breeds.
The study went on to claim that researchers found that low agreeableness, (defined as being less concerned with the needs of others, quicker to become hostile, suspicious, unfriendly and competitive) was the best predictor of a leaning towards those breeds perceived as more aggressive.
Intriguingly the study didn't find a linkage between liking an aggressive dog and delinquent behaviour; neither did it show that choosing an aggressive dog was an act of status display.
Assumptions About Aggressive Dog Owners Are Not Always Right
Doctor Vincent Egan, lead researcher on the study, said:
"This kind of study is significant, as it shows assumptions aren't the complete picture. It is presumed owners of aggressive dogs (or dogs understood as assertive) are delinquent show-offs. But we did not find persons who voiced an inclination towards aggressive dogs had committed more delinquent acts, or reported showing off more."
Great news, but...
While this research is good news as it breaks thru unhelpful beliefs and makes us back up and rethink our views on certain dog breeds or their owners, it reinforces another presumption which isn't so useful, that dogs match the personality of their owners.
In my personal experience of having an anxious dog, I'm certain that he came into a really positive household, but that didn't in itself help him get over his anxiousness, it was the way in which we behaved towards him that made the difference.
So if you're an anxious person naturally it does not always follow that your dog will also become anxious. The key here is to understand how you must behave towards your dog and do it consistently.
Dog's do need us to give them positive messages about their place in the pack so they do not start to get anxious. They also need to clearly understand that their position is not as pack leader, that's yours, but we can learn to do that whatever our personality type.
Typecasting either dogs or owners will never be useful, infact it'll only keep us stuck. We can all be both positive and negative at various times in our lives, but that shouldn't ever dictate whether we are really capable of helping our dogs get over their anxiety or not.
If that is true then what does that indicate about you, if you've an anxious dog?
In the study carried out at the University of Leicester's School of Psychology, partakers indicated their preference for different types of dogs, and filled in personality tests. The study concluded that disagreeable young people are much more likely to prefer aggressive dog breeds.
The study went on to claim that researchers found that low agreeableness, (defined as being less concerned with the needs of others, quicker to become hostile, suspicious, unfriendly and competitive) was the best predictor of a leaning towards those breeds perceived as more aggressive.
Intriguingly the study didn't find a linkage between liking an aggressive dog and delinquent behaviour; neither did it show that choosing an aggressive dog was an act of status display.
Assumptions About Aggressive Dog Owners Are Not Always Right
Doctor Vincent Egan, lead researcher on the study, said:
"This kind of study is significant, as it shows assumptions aren't the complete picture. It is presumed owners of aggressive dogs (or dogs understood as assertive) are delinquent show-offs. But we did not find persons who voiced an inclination towards aggressive dogs had committed more delinquent acts, or reported showing off more."
Great news, but...
While this research is good news as it breaks thru unhelpful beliefs and makes us back up and rethink our views on certain dog breeds or their owners, it reinforces another presumption which isn't so useful, that dogs match the personality of their owners.
In my personal experience of having an anxious dog, I'm certain that he came into a really positive household, but that didn't in itself help him get over his anxiousness, it was the way in which we behaved towards him that made the difference.
So if you're an anxious person naturally it does not always follow that your dog will also become anxious. The key here is to understand how you must behave towards your dog and do it consistently.
Dog's do need us to give them positive messages about their place in the pack so they do not start to get anxious. They also need to clearly understand that their position is not as pack leader, that's yours, but we can learn to do that whatever our personality type.
Typecasting either dogs or owners will never be useful, infact it'll only keep us stuck. We can all be both positive and negative at various times in our lives, but that shouldn't ever dictate whether we are really capable of helping our dogs get over their anxiety or not.
About the Author:
The Author learnt about dog anxiety the hard way with her rescue dog Sherlock and has been researching the effects of anxiety and the best way to reduce it for the last 2 years. You'll get lots more useful information about anxious dogs if you click on the link, plus free video training from a world renowned dog training expert, only available here.
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