A late study direct by researchers in Hungary has done a deep dive into the personalities behind dog owner ( 1 ) . The team surveyed 800 dog owner and found three distinct profiles to classify them into . Laura Gillet , first author on the study and a psychologist with the section of Ethology at ELTE University in Budapest , walks us through the three unlike profiles of cad owner and other fun fact they unveil along the way .
3 Types of Dog Owners
Friendly Colleagues
compare to others , proprietor of “ friendly fellow ” dogs ( 31.1 per centum ) were more likely to belong to the unseasoned age chemical group ( 18 - 30 ) . Their dogs wager both a functional part as working or guarding dogs as well as a companionship role . Indeed , they were also like their children , their Quaker , and the most crucial individuals in their animation .
Logically , these proprietor chose breeds know for their workings acquisition ( e.g. , Border Collie , German Shepherd , Belgian Shepherd ) and valued the feeling of safety provided by the presence of their companions . The researcher also found that these possessor were more potential to employ certain positive reenforcement - base training methods , like using clicker training or crateful education . Altogether , this might explain why they also perceived their dogs as very obedient .
Dog Parents
These proprietor ( 49.5 percent ) were more probable to regard their Canis familiaris as their tiddler and even as the most crucial individual in their lives . The fact that they were also more likely to spend a mickle of time together with their dog and to keep the frump solely indoors may , at least part , explain why they develop such a hard and closemouthed bond . Purebred dogs the most represented in this category were Border Collies , Vizslas , Boxers , and Dachshunds .
Companions
Owners in this grouping represented the low share of the sampling ( 19.4 percent ) . Since human being - similar roles ( such as family member , friend , or child ) were less important to them than to the other dog owners , the researchers feign that these owners might be reasonably more emotionally remote from their click . They were more probable to be senesce 40 or above , and drop less metre in the bearing of their dog than others . Among those who owned purebred dogs , the Mudi , the English Cocker Spaniel , and theLabrador Retrieverwere the most represented .
The cool thing about these categories , Gillet says , is that they are not strict , and it is very potential that mass transition between them throughout their life , as dog take on different role depend on the life stage we are in . “ For case , a cad ’s station in the family may commute after the arrival of the first child , ” Gillet say . She and her fellow researchers find it to be an enjoyable and mentation - provoking exercise to take a moment and reflect on what our dogs think to us , and how they enrich our lives and human folk .
In addition to the three categories of dog owners , Gilet and her colleagues reveal a few other playfulness facts about dog owner :
“ One of the key messages behind our study is that , although dogs do play very important roles in our lives and share strong aroused bonds with us , similar to human friendship or to parent - baby relationships , they are a dissimilar species with dissimilar demand , ” Gillet says . She stresses that disregarding of how you see your dog , provide them with a lifestyle that is tailor-make to their breed and unique personality is essential for make an emotionally static , confident fellow traveller .
Be a part of the team’s future research
Next , the squad design to research how the perception of dogs change across cultures . “ We also want to learn more about why people prefer to have dogs and the challenges of dog ownership , so as to get a better picture of the dog ownership experience and therefore reduce the ‘ arithmetic mean versus reality ’ interruption , ” Gillet say .
Dog owner who want to contribute to their latest research canfill out this questionnaireto be included .
