Dog Personalities Match Their Owners

One of my favorite parts of “101 Dalmatians” is the scene with dog owners walking their dogs – illustrating how common it is that pet owners choose pets who look like them. I’ve mused about that and have been known to snap photos when I see people with their “twin” dogs.

According to William Chopik, a social psychologist at Michigan State, dog owners and their pets actually share personalities, too. A highly agreeable person is twice as likely to have an agreeable dog – one that is more active and excitable — than an aggressive person. So conscientious people have well behaved dogs, neurotic owners have fearful dogs, and relaxed people have chill dogs?

This makes sense because first you choose and then train your dog. Naturally, your dog is going to pick up on your personality traits. So now I’m going to look at both physical and personality similarities when I see dogs and their owners. 

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