What makes a good dog-owner match? Here’s what science says

What traits should you look for in a canine companion? That depends on your own attachment style and personality, researchers find

By Katie Chan and Alison Bert, DMA - March 2, 2023
© istock.com/miodrag ignjatovic
© istock.com/miodrag ignjatovic

Picking a long-term life partner is an important choice, and a dog is no exception. As with humans, however, appearance and “cuteness” — while common motivators — may not be the best predictors of a successful relationship. Scientists have come up with advice to help make sure your canine companion will be a good match.

A new study published by Elsevier in Applied Animal Behaviour Science investigated what canine traits owners should look for based on their own attachment style and personality.

Researchers in Germany reviewed 29 case studies with the aim of identifying the perfect dog-owner relationship matches and how to improve relationships with our furry friends. The results found that both dogs’ and owners’ personalities and attachment styles impact the relationship and behavioral outcomes of dogs. An owner who is open, agreeable, empathetic and conscientious paired with a dog who is energetic, affectionate, intelligent, open, agreeable and responds well to training are more likely to have a successful functioning relationship.

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To achieve the best relationship, researchers recommended that owners select dogs who express the same warmth, outlook on sharing possessions, and enjoyment of running outside, as well as higher expressions of openness, agreeableness and neuroticism, than themselves.

The researchers also highlighted that those who are highly attached to their dog are more likely to be divorced, widowed or living without children, which can resort in an overly high attachment, leading to a dysfunctional ownership.

As with human relationships, the emphasis should therefore be on healthy balance!

Read the article in Applied Animal Behaviour Science

Yana Bender et al: What makes a good dog-owner team? – A systematic review about compatibility in personality and attachment, Applied Animal Behaviour Science (March 2023)

Applied Animal Behaviour Science is an international journal reporting on the application of ethology to animals managed by humans. It's the official Journal of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE).

Contributors


Katie Chan
Written by

Katie Chan

Written by

Katie Chan

As a Publisher at Elsevier, Katie Chan manages and develops a portfolio of journals within the Health & Medical Sciences team, which is part of our larger Science, Technology & Medical Journals (STMJ) organization. She has a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of York and is based in London.

Alison Bert, DMA
Written by

Alison Bert, DMA

Written by

Alison Bert, DMA

As Executive Editor for Digital Communications, Content and Brand at Elsevier, Dr Alison Bert works with contributors around the world to publish stories for the global science and health communities. Previously, she was Editor-in-Chief of Elsevier Connect, which won the 2016 North American Excellence Award for Science & Education.

Alison joined Elsevier in 2007 from the world of journalism, where she was a business reporter and blogger for The Journal News, a Gannett daily newspaper in New York. In the previous century, she was a classical guitarist on the music faculty of Syracuse University. She received a doctorate in music from the University of Arizona, was Fulbright scholar in Spain, and studied in a master class with Andrés Segovia.

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