Will my dog always be the same? Some owners frequently ask themselves this question, wondering if their dogs will always have the same personality.
Personality is the set of traits and qualities that make each person different. Some people believe that only humans have personality, but animals, regardless of their species, also have certain qualities that make them different within each species.
To clear up any doubts, a group of psychologists from Michigan State University have conducted a study on dog personality, in which they have affirmed that dogs have personality and that it changes over time.
Your dog's personality can change
This study was published in the scientific journal "Journal of Research in Personality", and included a sample of dogs of all ages, from puppies to 15-year-old dogs.
"When humans face major changes in their lives, their personality traits can change. We have discovered that this can also happen with dogs, and to a much greater extent than previously thought," says William Chopic, head of the research and professor of psychology at Michigan State University.
Chopic indicates that when they started this study, they expected to find that dogs would have a stable personality throughout their lives. However, they were surprised to discover the opposite. "In the end, we found that there were similarities between dogs and their owners, such as the preferred time for exercise or even life situations that could cause them to be more aggressive with other animals," he confirms.
Ultimately, this study supports and confirms that dogs, like people, have different moods and personality traits that can be affected by their mood or specific situations.
The quality of life of the dog and owner influences the dog's personality
To reach these conclusions, researchers interviewed 1,600 dog owners from more than 50 different breeds. All of them were asked a series of questions, including questions about the behavior, age, and breed of the dogs. "We found correlations in three main areas: age and personality, similarities between human and dog personality, and the influence that the quality of the relationship between owner and dog has on the pet's personality," explains the project leader.
The study reflects that the theory of whether dogs resemble their owners is true and is corroborated in this research. Chopic explains that more extroverted people own more nervous dogs and the most emotional people own fearful or less obedient dogs.
On the other hand, the psychologist states that older dogs are much more difficult to train. "We saw that the right time to teach them to obey is around six years old."
And finally, it should be noted that a dog's personality is not fixed from birth, but rather is shaped by the owner's lifestyle and quality of life.
Have you noticed any personality changes in your dog? Tell us about it on social media.