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Degtyaryov Andrey Leonidovich / Shutterstock via Live Science
Rottweiler owners may be more likely to be aggressive than owners of Labrador retrievers, according to a new study.
Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience
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.
Related: 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 German 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.
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.
Like owner, like dog: Do you agree? Tell us about it on Facebook.
Related:
- 10 Things You Didn't Know About Dogs
- The 10 Most Popular Dog Breeds
- 7 Surprising Health Benefits of Dog Ownership
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Leave a Comment:
When I drive through a nearby neighborhood I see the street thugs out walking a "certain breed" we all know, never a poodle or golden retriever.
I suspect they don't own that breed because they’re sweet as pie…they want them because it makes them feel powerful and menacing, and scares the crap out of everyone on the sidewalk.
Bill,
Our two pitbulls are sweethearts. So are my wife and I. We saved them from being euthanized at the shelter and they seem to appreciate it. It has nothing to do with our "street cred" as we live in the country. If you want to stick with stating stereotypes and acting ignorant go right ahead. It seems like you need to move to a better neighborhood.
Bluesman, I hate to say this, but I know what Bill is talking about...I see the same thing here where I live, too. It seems that the most aggresive breeds are owned by folks in the roughest, meanist neighborhoods.
I hear you. Rough, mean neighborhoods, rough mean people , rough mean dogs. I'm just saying you can't pigeonhole a breed or a race. It's up to individuals to be who they are as people and as dog trainers.
A person who uses the particular breed of their dog as a status symbol is actually a weak individual who needs to work on themselves from the inside. It isn't the dog that terrorizes. It's the owner that trains the dog to terrorize that is the problem. Weak people get these dogs to fight in rings and to make them look cool, because inside, they are empty, unfulfilled souls. All dogs are supposed to be about companionship,loyalty and friendship nothing else.
We rescued a lab-pitX, and she is the sweetest, most loving dog I've met. All our dogs are rescues, and we've had to deal w. various issues inc. dog aggression...but not from the pitX.
In our neighborhood, we regularly encounter pitbulls while out on our daily walks/runs (on leash, with their owners, also enjoying walks and runs). They are almost w/out exception friendly and well behaved, but you would expect that from dogs who are obviously loved and regularly worked with. I've noticed that the pits w. good owners tend to be calm, confident, friendly. We've also encountered ill-behaved pits, w. owners who let them run offleash with no control over them (I can recognize menacing behavior in dogs). My favorite breed might well be labs, but we've also encountered aggressive, nasty labs. Our labby though is the most stable, goodnatured, even-tempered dog I've ever known.
I suppose surveys are generalizations. We've owned GSDs, we currently have a lab-pitX, *and* a GSD mix, and a Heinz-57, and a lab. They've all been mellow, socialized and people-loving. When we adopt a dog I look more at the personality of the dog, not the breed, and well, the imminent euthanasia on their schedules (our dogs are nicknamed Death Row Dogs).
I dont think there are bad dogs out there....
Just bad owners.
The "thugs" who own pitbulls or pitbull-like dog have social status issues. They want to be the biggest, baddest men on their block, so they can attain "street cred" or "respect". These dogs are trained to fight and are not spayed or neutered.
I had a pitbull mix (with boxer) and she was an absolute sweetheart. She was spayed, obedience-trained, and spoiled, just as much as the lab-hound mix and Cornish Rex cat that I had at the time. She got along with everyone and everything. She did have a killer snore, though.
It broke our hearts when we had her euthanized for arthritis. I still have the lab-hound mix and a mini-poodle, completely different breeds from the pitbull, but they don't have the sense of humor that our pitbull did.
I've also seen sweet German Shepherds and Rottweilers, so I wonder about the people chosen for this study. How would they know whether a person has trained their dog to be aggressive or not? Dogs also pick up on human traits. So, if you're laid back, maybe your German Shepherd, Rottweiler, etc., is ladi back because you are and vice versa. Dogs are intelligent creatures and certainly do reflect their owners' attitudes, more than you might think.
Teamdirt, Bless you! Rescues are the best! Folks like you are special!
Bluesman and Teamdirt-yall rock!We adopted our pitties too,they were also on death row.I will continue to do so as much as I can until the day I die.They are the best dogs ever,sweet,smart,and funny as hell.Its those little dogs that I worry about.They bite more and in my opinion are more agressive no matter what the breed.
If a thug has a pitty its usualy because hes a POS and will train his dog to be as effed up as he is-that makes the dog a victim of a POS,not an agressive dog by nature.
@bluesman
You sound like a well-meaning guy but very naiive. The majority of pitbull owners don't train their dogs to be hostile. The dogs themselves have a genetic predisposition for aggressive behavior. Sadly, the majority of people who seek out these breeds for pets do so because they know what the social stigma for pitbulls is------ and they don't care what good people think. These people want to be considered outcasts, unconventional, and not part of normative society, which last time I checked, still makes the rules and pays the taxes for the underclass and marginalized morons.
Let's not pretend why people get pits.
I tend to differentiate between people who adopt breeds that are percieved as aggressive and people who buy them and treat/train them in such a manner as to bring out their more hostile and aggressive tendencies.
Pits can be sweet dogs. Most of the pits I see in my neighborhood [not exactly stellar] are far from sweet because of the way in which they have been raised and trained.
I see a lot of people out walking their pit bull or rottweiler dogs every time I go into the city. The dogs don't appear to be that aggressive, but they may be good guard dogs. I would want a guard dog if I lived in that city, too.
Every other day you hear of some stupid pit killing a old person or a kid . I will give the Canadians credit for banning the breed. Now if Florida , would wise up.
I haven't read a story about a pit bull attack in a while now. The last one I saw was a kid that was attacked by a lab.
Well, Walt, Here's TODAY"S pitbull attack . . .
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48618606/ns/local_news-pittsburgh_pa/
Google "pitbull attacks" for a complete list of all the attacks in the US. Then maybe you could look at other countrys' attacks.
He has kids and a pit bull . Wow , maybe his kids would have been better off in a orphanage.
I have two German Shepherds, who are far more likely to lick you then show any form of aggression, unless maybe you're a cat. I hate it when breeds get "labeled" like that.
I with you on that. The problem dogs belong to weak, lazy individuals who don't have the brains to own these powerful breeds. And to the people who put the blame solely on the animals are just as ignorant.
Ditto DaleP! We've had pairs (male and female non breeders) for years. GSDs are the most loving and intelligent dogs. Their intelligence and absolute will to please is why they are chosen for duty dogs, but aggression is not an inborn trait (family protection is). My female has won several awards for obedience in trials, and my male joins her as a Canine Good Citizen. She knows no stranger after a quick sniff, and he is a weeny.
Agreed completely. Never buy a breed that you haven't studied before. Some, like Shiba Inu for example, are very demanding pets whose minds need to be actively engaged and trained, or else they can become destructive. Just because you know the temperament and training demands of one breed, doesn't automatically mean another can follow the same regiment. Not all dogs are alike.
An absolutely resounding YES from more2bits. Absolutely. Most owners of Pit Bulls are animals themselves.
I'll have to add that a lot of owners lack the responsibility to properly own these dogs as many people these days lack the responsibility to raise their own children properly. It's a sign of the times. People in general are getting lazier and more irresponsible all around.
Im an animal eh? I am a 39 yo mother of 2 kids that I raised on my own for ten years.My oldest is now in college.Im stepmom to 4 young kids.I am an office manager for a medical center.If small minded people like you profile me and mine for owning two well behaved and well loved pitt bulls,well thank you-I would rather be an animal than an ignorant fool.
And those who have CATS, I might add - you knew some cat person was going to stick their oar in here soon enough - are those with enough subtlety and patience to recognize and appreciate affection as given by an animal that's not slavishly jumping and slobbering all over you.
Or, masochists who are willing to have as a pet an animal who routinely bites and claws thier owners, poops in the house, transmits toxoplasmosis, and kills birds. Give me a dog any day.
Scientific studies have determine people look like their pets. Now further investigation says that people act like them too! Next we will find out if dogs had thumbs they would be the superior species! LOL
I agree. I met a German-language trained German Shepherd owner once a very very long time ago and he was the most pitiful dog owner I've ever known. Then again, he was surrounded by some of the most worthless people I've ever known, so I wonder which was the greatest contributing factor.
If you have a cat and don't take care of the smell, burn your house down. Don't sell it.
If you are buying a house, don't buy behind a cat person with a cat that craps indoors, that doesn't actively work to get the stench out. Otherwise you better be ready to gut the place.
Worthless animal owners doesn't matter...
Utter prejudice. My cat craps indoors, certainly - in her litter pan, without fail. 99% of the time, if a cat does not do that it means either that he has a physical illness or that he is highly stressed and upset for some reason. I don't expect people to be able to afford a lot of fancy vet care in order to have animals (or children) around the house, but people who do not at least notice that animals have feelings and make some attempt to identify and alleviate the problem when their pets are suffering should NOT keep pets. If you know a cat owner whose cats crap on the floor, those are neglected or abused cats, and the owner is to blame, not the species.
First of all, anyone who keeps repeating that "there are no bad dogs, just bad owners" is an idiot. Second, where I live in Pacific Beach, California, all the young men and women who own pit bulls or bull terrier mixes are anti-social thugs. All of them dress the same, have meaningless tattoos, use profanity wherever they go, and largely carry themselves like thugs with a chip on their collective shoulder.
So please, stop the inane chorus of "My dog would never do that", because the truth is that you don't know what your terrible pit bull would do at any given time. The carnage in San Diego County in the last three years has been terrible with the very young and elderley alike being mauled and killed. There is no way around the reality that bull terriers are a wild card . . . You've got to wonder at the mindset of the pit bull owners when they know upfront that their breed has been responsible for hundreds of maulings, yet they still say, "Yup, that's the dog for me!" Morons!
My dog and I were victims of a pit bull attack owned by 2 nitwits who had been warned of the dangers of the breed and yet bought him at a "flea market" any way -- sigh --
Unless you have been attacked, you have no idea how terrifying it is -- and my veterinarian and doctor both said the same thing: I along with my dog were lucky -- we survived -- my dog barely -- but we made it through -- my dog has permanent scars and so do I -- and the emotional trauma is still with me....
In the aftermath I learned from our local animal control people, in particular the person who is responsible for responding to dog attacks and picking up strays who told us that almost every day the city has calls on a vicious dog -- what breed? pit bulls.
The local police have encountered them in places where illegal activities are happening.
Who owns these breeds?
People who are thugs, wannabee thugs, people who want to appear tough, and horrible people who engage in dog fights....
They are P*ssies, they sought for someone or something to protect them.
The statistics are that in recent years Pit-bulls and Rottweilers cause 1/2 of all dog bite related fatalities in the US. In 2011, a whopping 71% of dog bite related fatalities were reported to be caused by Pit-bulls. There is a reason why there are so many Pit-bulls at local dog shelters. They are easy and widely breed for purposes other than to be a wonderful companion. The Pit-bulls which are adopted out to loving families are the exception to the rule.
The word for today is Anti freeze
I'm a dog owner and lover and nearly all of my friends are dog lovers as well, some with Pitt Bulls, others with Rotties and still more with german shepards...sprinkle in several of what people consider non-aggressive dogs as well. Every single large dog that I've met or known has been a true sweetheart, trained well by their owners who understand the breed and are capable of controlling it. My mini-schnauzer plays with a Pitt, the two are best of friends. The meanest dog I've seen was a stupid ankle biter chihuahua with little dog syndrome that make my heel bloody from his biting.
It's the owners that make the dog what they are. If you read up on the dog, if you understand the behavior of the dog, and you train the dog you will typically end up with a good dog. Dogs are NOT children, they have a pack mentality not a 'family' mentality so they need to be treated accordingly. If the owner isn't capable or willing to be responsible for training then they don't need to own the animal. It drives me crazy when I see lazy people who shouldn't have a dog get flummoxed and shocked when their large animal attacks someone because they think it could never happen. A dog is a dog, it's driven by instinct, not by logic. So I absolutely blame the owner when bad things happen.
Ranting aside, it is amusing to see certain people with certain dogs. I've seen a good portion of owners who live in the ghetto owning the larger animals like pitts, rotties and dobers, and I can't help but wonder if they think it's a status thing. Then I can't help but wonder if they've actually bothered to train the animal or if they just like it for the looks. If that's the case they do a great injustice to the animal.
The study is fundamentally flawed. A sample size of 147 is not enough to create any substantive conclusions. The authors get a fail on their statistical analysis. They found exactly what they wanted to find. And, they wished to define certain dogs as aggressive. They did and that tips their hand. The typical "aggressive" dog in the study has been a boon family companion. Seems more like a made up "study" to validate conclusions that are foregone and fall in lockstep with liberal loons. Throw it out and do it right.
So many people apparently didn't understand either the article or what was determined from it. They didn't say the dogs were aggressive. They said that they picked owners of certain breeds to fill out a questionnaire. That's pretty much it. They found that the owners of the dogs that were breeds that are perceived as aggressive (not that the dogs were aggressive) answered the questions in a manner that implied the owners were aggressive. Those that owned the dogs that are perceived as placid did not. What is so hard to understand? There were no judgements about the dogs at all.
............ i agree with the primise that jerks get pit bulls and rotts .... but, the most agressive dog i ever encountered was a Labrador .... it bit 4 or 5 people, one, a little girl .
Are journalist at MSN more stupid than others?
I have always said it's not the dog it's the owner, unfortunately we can ban dogs but not owners.
Not true , it is both. When was the last time a runaway pug attacked a jogger ?
My very "best friend" canine was a gigantic female Rottie named Emma. She was an extremely sweet and submissive dog. I am probably one of the LEAST aggressive or mean people you'll ever meet, and Emma was priceless as a companion for my kids, grandkids and myself. People who didn't know her were always cautious when first meeting her, but her wiggly butt and sweet demeanor almost always won them over. It was distressing to me when people would say "oh, they turn on people", and wouldn't give her a chance. Nope. Sorry, have to disagree with this article..
Google a few stories alcove it is not hard to find people who are amazed that there pit turned on them even after raising them as pups.
Not saying a small dog could not do the same and no small baby should be left alone with or without a pet.
I saw a young girl maybe 60lbs walking a rott once on a leash . Amazing like she could control the animal if it was to attack her or someone else.
You disagree with the article how? Because you wouldn't answer the questions on the questionnaire the same way the other Rottie owners did? Even though you don't know what the questions were or what their answers were? This article wasn't about the dogs. It was about the owners. What part of that is so hard to understand?