Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Owners of Aggressive Dog Breeds Are More Hostile

Hmmmm.....so what does this make me as we have a Great Dane, two German Shepherds, a chihuahua, and a chihuahua-rat terrier mix. I must have a conflicted personality!

This is from the AVMA Animal Health SmartBrief

Owners of Aggressive Dog Breeds Are More Hostile

Date: 09 August 2012 Time: 02:46 PM ET

 



Rottweiler dog outside
Owners of stereotypically aggressive dog breeds such as Rottweilers have more aggressive personalities themselves, a new study finds -- though this does not mean that they or their dogs are necessarily dangerous.

Your canine companion might be saying more about you than you realize, new research finds.

Owners of stereotypically aggressive dog breeds such as German shepherds and Rottweilers are more likely to be hostile and aggressive themselves compared with owners of typically laid-back pooches such as Labrador retrievers, according to a new study.

In this study, aggressive dog-breed owners scored higher in the personality trait of psychoticism, which is marked by anger, hostility and aggression. (Psychoticism is different than psychopathy, a personality disorder characterized by manipulativeness and lack of empathy.)

"This might imply (although has yet to be proven) that people choose pets that are an extension of themselves," study researcher Deborah Wells, a psychologist at Queen's University Belfast, told LiveScience in an email.

Dogs and personality
The research, published in the October 2012 issue of the journal Personality and Individual Differences, is not the first to find personality differences in dog owners based on breed. Toy-dog owners, for example, score high on the personality trait of openness, characterized by appreciation of new experiences, according to a study presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in London in April. The same study found that owners of pastoral and utility breeds such as collies and corgis were the most extroverted. [See What Your Dog's Breed Says About You]

Likewise, a study published in May in the journal Anthrozoos found that people with more argumentative personalities are more likely to choose bull terriers or other breeds with a reputation for aggression than more agreeable types.

Aggressive owners, aggressive breeds
Wells and her colleague Peter Hepper, also of Queen's University Belfast, recruited 147 dog owners from obedience classes in Northern Ireland and asked them to fill out a personality questionnaire. Only owners of German shepherds, Rottweilers, Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers were included in the questionnaire.

"We deliberately wanted to focus on breeds that are commonly owned, but at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of public perception of temperament — both Germans shepherds and Rottweilers are commonly perceived to be aggressive, while labs and retrievers (breeds frequently used to advertise organizations such as Guide Dogs for the Blind) are more likely to regarded in a nonaggressive light," Wells said.

Through centuries of breeding, humans have created dogs as tiny as the Chihuahua and as big and broad-chested as the English Mastiff. 
Of the personality traits studied, the only difference between breed types that emerged was in psychoticism, such that owners of stereotypically aggressive breeds were more aggressive themselves than owners of more relaxed dogs.

The study still leaves open the question of whether aggressive people choose aggressive dog breeds and then intentionally train them to be vicious, Wells said. Other factors beyond personality, such as allergies and size, can also influence dog-breed choice, she added.

"Just because someone with a higher psychotic tendency owns a breed that is widely perceived to be aggressive, does not necessarily mean that animal is a threat to society," Wells said.

37 comments:

  1. Their studies may show some truth to their observations, but then how do you explain all those millions of people who have opened their hearts to these breeds who have been rescued from abuse and abandonment? Do you label them as aggressive? Secondly, these breeds have been given that label due to breeding and training, but not all those dogs within that label are dangerous. Once again it is the humans who create the dangerous with our insane actions. My point, one label does not fit all, and to categorize as such misleads the public and fuels fear. It is irresponsible and causes actions such as banning certain breeds of dogs, often causing them to be forcibly removed from a loving home. It is time for mankind to recognize the rights of other species and their right to coexist on this planet with respect to their needs as well.

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  2. The study indicates that the hostile type people seek these particular breeds out. It is not an indictment of the breeds themselves.

    We have a number of clients with pit bulls/Staffordshire terriers and they are the most adorable dogs, as well as the owners being loving individuals. I adore German Shepherds and have had them my whole life...and I am one of the most easy-going people you would ever meet.

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  5. All I can say is, I am glad my dog is not a purebred dog. He is a walking marshmallow, who, over the last 6 years ( he was a full grown stray) has never even threatened anyone. He loves people and cats, and gets alonf with other dogs. He even puts up with my goofy Akita/Husky cross!Believe me that thakes patience!

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  7. I really do believe that there is a correlation. Because they live in the same environment and home, for me there’s a diffused association of them being both aggressive. I remember one of my neighbors being like this. I made a little research and found a good list of aggressive dogs in this really helpful article: http://dogsaholic.com/breeds/info/most-aggressive-dog-breeds.html

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