How many times have you seen a dog who looked exactly like its owner? A lot, right? Some people think it’s silly to jump to conclusions about somebody’s character based on their dog breed, but zoo psychologists have proven something surprising. Keep reading to find out.
Do we look like our dogs?
Regardless of your opinion on this, research shows that owners and dogs do look alike. But to understand this, you have to know how the research was conducted. Japanese psychologist Sadahiko Nakajima asked people to guess who owns which dog based only on their photos. It turned out that strangers were able to connect owners and dogs with astonishing precision.
Nakajima did his test in 2009, but an even more detailed test was done in 2013. 500 people were shown photos of dogs and their owners. Some fake, some real. They had to guess who the real owners were just based on photos. But this experiment had a twist — they were shown full photos and photos with:
- covered owner’s mouth
- covered owner’s eyes
- covered dog’s eyes
- photo with only owner’s and dog’s eyes
Staggering 80% of people guessed correctly while looking at the full uncensored photo. With covered eyes that fell to 50%, it raised to 74% when they got to the photo featuring only the eyes of a dog and a human. That proved Nakajima’s point — everything is in the eyes. And yes, we do look like our dogs.
Zoo psychologists prove the character of a human and his dog breed are related
What’s even more interesting, zoo psychologists proved that dogs share more than looks with their owners. William J. Chopik gave 1,681 dog owners a questionnaire to determine theirs and dogs’ personalities. Results were as Chopik expected. Owners shared a lot of characteristics with their dogs. For example, Jack Russell owners are active people who like being outside. Bulldog owners are on the opposite side of the spectrum. They tend to have less energy and slower ways of life.
We’ll get back to dog breeds and their personalities soon. For now, we want to point out that you can use this knowledge to make your love life better. Discuss your partner’s dog breed in dating chat rooms, you’ll learn a lot about his character. If he owns an active dog, ask him to go on a full-day outside trip with you. He’ll love it.
Dog breed based on personality type
We mentioned Jack Russells as active dogs and Bulldogs as dogs for lazy people. Now we reveal four more dog breeds with distinguished personal characteristics. If you meet somebody who owns any of those dog breeds, you can be almost certain they’ll share the same personality.
Akita Inu — Faithful
Japanese dog breed Akita is famous for its loyalty. Every dog is man’s best friend, and then we have Akita Inu. Those furry wonders are so loyal you’ll be amazing day after day. They listen to their owners and have a very high IQ. We can’t be sure about Akita owners’ intelligence, but they have great taste when it comes to dog breeds. And you can be sure the Akita owner will be faithful.
American Staffordshire Terrier— Big family guy
Some people see American Staffords as aggressive dogs and their owners as well. That’s true in some cases, but then — the owner is responsible for the aggression. Staffords are among the friendliest dog breeds. They’re especially good for kids because they’re very protective. So if you meet a Stafford owner, he’d most likely make a good husband and great father.
Samoyed — Stubborn, but friendly
Samoyeds are beautiful dogs famous for their fluffy fur and stubbornness. Their beauty attracts many, but some people can’t get over stubbornness. Those people usually melt when they see how friendly and playful Samoyeds are. Meeting a samoyed owner might be your lucky day because they care about their looks and they’re friendly. We’re sure you’ll find a way around their stubbornness too.
Bernese Mountain Dog — Perfect balance
These big and beautiful dogs are among the best-balanced dog breeds. They aren’t nervous or aggressive. They are friendly and don’t mind meeting new people and dogs. Bernese mountain dogs are made for outdoors, but they can live in the apartment too (they still need to go out regularly to stay healthy). All those characteristics make them well balanced, so when you meet a single who owns this dog breed — your search might be over.
Your partner’s dog holds the key to his character
Science proved that dog owners share a lot with their dogs. You can learn some things about your (potential) partner’s character based on the dog breed they have. Keep that in mind.
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