Now, a new study says trying to guess the personality of dog breeds just breeds speculation.
According to a genetic analysis that surveyed over 2,000 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and answers of dog owners, the behavioral traits of dogs are not specific to their breeds. The study published on Thursday revealed that the predictive value in what determines individual dogs’ personality traits is particularly narrow. In short, the stereotypes attributed to dogs based on their breeding is more or less a myth.
More, the study found that while breed ancestry can somewhat inform a dog’s ability to respond to commands and direction, the prospect of predicting a breed’s odds of being frightened or provoked by stimuli is slim.
Run a dryer sheet over your dog's fur when there's a storm — chances are, they aren't freaked out about the storm but the static electricity built up in their fur. According to Martha, this should work at least 50% of the time.
INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Dachshunds were originally bred to fight badgers.
Overall, the study is a reminder that pet owners (particularly those looking to find a clone-like stand-in for old companions ) are better off choosing dogs based on their individuality and behaviors, not their breeding.
Of course, as the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and it’s uncertain whether this new study will be enough to convince people not to base how they treat, view, and choose potential companions.
Still, the authors behind the study hope their findings will help them to determine other human behaviors. Speaking to NBC News, Karlsson shared that she hopes to use the results to examine the relationship between compulsive disorders in dogs and such ailments in humans.“We’ll be applying everything we’ve learned in this study to the research we’re pursuing now on compulsive disorders,” Karlson explained. “We treat dogs with compulsive disorders with the same drugs people use — and they work just as badly. We hope to find a way to develop treatments that work better than what we have right now.”INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR PET: Labradors have been the most popular breed in the United States for the last 26 years.