In a study published in Animals on June 1, 2021, researchers **Sara Corsetti**, **Licia Pimpolari**, and **Emanuela Natoli** explored how **personality traits of shelter dogs** influence behavioral changes after adoption. The research followed 34 healthy dogs adopted from an Italian shelter, assessing their behavior both **before and several years after adoption**.
Using **Principal Component Analysis (PCA)** and **cluster analysis**, the researchers identified three distinct groups of dogs based on behavior change patterns:
- Bold dogs became more active, playful, excitable, and even showed increased aggression toward humans, while anxiety and submission decreased.
- Shy dogs displayed behavioral changes in the opposite direction, becoming more aggressive post-adoption.
- A third group showed **no consistent personality-based prediction** for post-adoption changes.
Importantly, all adoptions were successful, meaning the dogs remained in their homes. These findings suggest that **shelter staff can use personality assessments** to provide more tailored advice to adopters, increasing the chances of positive outcomes. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding **individual differences** in dogs to support smoother transitions and stronger human–animal bonds.
Source: Corsetti, S., Pimpolari, L., & Natoli, E. (2021). How Different Personalities Affect the Reaction to Adoption of Dogs Adopted from a Shelter. Animals, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061671
