A recent study on people's dog preferences has disproved some of the assumptions we make about owners of aggressive dogs, but also suggest that their discoveries confirm the accepted wisdom that dogs match the personality of their owners.
If that's true then what does that suggest about you, if you've got an anxious dog?
In the study carried out at the University of Leicester's School of Psychology, partakers indicated their preference for differing 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 say that analysts discovered that low agreeableness, (defined as being less concerned with the needs of others, faster to become hostile, suspicious, unfriendly and competitive) was the best predictor of an inclination towards those dogs perceived as more aggressive.
Interestingly the study didn't find a link between liking an aggressive dog and delinquent behavior; neither did it show that prefering 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 type of study is significant, as it shows assumptions are not the whole picture. It is thought owners of aggressive dogs (or dogs understood as assertive) are delinquent show-offs. But we didn't find persons who voiced a preference for aggressive dogs had committed more delinquent acts, or reported showing off more."
Great news, but...
While this research is great news as it breaks thru unhelpful assumptions and makes us stop 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 know that he came into a really positive household, but that didn't in itself help him get over his anxiousness, it was the way that we behaved towards him that made the difference.
So if you are an anxious person by nature it does not necessarily follow that your dog will also become worried. The key here is to realise how you must behave towards your dog and do it regularly.
Dog's do need us to provide them with positive messages about their status in the pack so they don't begin to get anxious. They also need to clearly understand that their position isn't as pack leader, that's yours, but we can learn to do that whatever our character type.
Typecasting either dogs or people will never be beneficial, infact it will only keep us stuck. We can all be both negative and positive at different times in our lives, but that should never dictate whether we are actually capable of helping our dogs get over their anxiety or not.
If that's true then what does that suggest about you, if you've got an anxious dog?
In the study carried out at the University of Leicester's School of Psychology, partakers indicated their preference for differing 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 say that analysts discovered that low agreeableness, (defined as being less concerned with the needs of others, faster to become hostile, suspicious, unfriendly and competitive) was the best predictor of an inclination towards those dogs perceived as more aggressive.
Interestingly the study didn't find a link between liking an aggressive dog and delinquent behavior; neither did it show that prefering 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 type of study is significant, as it shows assumptions are not the whole picture. It is thought owners of aggressive dogs (or dogs understood as assertive) are delinquent show-offs. But we didn't find persons who voiced a preference for aggressive dogs had committed more delinquent acts, or reported showing off more."
Great news, but...
While this research is great news as it breaks thru unhelpful assumptions and makes us stop 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 know that he came into a really positive household, but that didn't in itself help him get over his anxiousness, it was the way that we behaved towards him that made the difference.
So if you are an anxious person by nature it does not necessarily follow that your dog will also become worried. The key here is to realise how you must behave towards your dog and do it regularly.
Dog's do need us to provide them with positive messages about their status in the pack so they don't begin to get anxious. They also need to clearly understand that their position isn't as pack leader, that's yours, but we can learn to do that whatever our character type.
Typecasting either dogs or people will never be beneficial, infact it will only keep us stuck. We can all be both negative and positive at different times in our lives, but that should never dictate whether we are actually 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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