Published in PLOS ONE, N. Dodman, D. Brown, and J. Serpell examined how owners’ personality profiles and psychological status relate to the prevalence and severity of behavior problems in their dogs. Using data from 1,564 current dog owners, the study explored links among owner personality, depression, training practices, and canine behavioral outcomes.
Regression analyses found modest associations between low scores in Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness and higher rates of owner-directed aggression, stranger-directed fear, separation problems, and inappropriate urination in dogs. These findings suggest that certain owner personality dimensions may influence how dogs behave and respond to environmental stressors.
Additionally, the study detected a more than five-fold increase in the use of aversive or confrontational training methods among men with moderate depression. However, researchers found only weak evidence that training style fully mediates the link between owner psychological traits and dog behavior.
While punitive training methods were linked with undesirable behaviors such as persistent barking, chasing, house-soiling, and aggression, the connection between owner psychological status and canine behavior appears to be more complex than purely method-driven.
The authors conclude that future research should explore causal pathways between owner psychological traits and canine behavioral disorders, including how emotional regulation, stress transmission, and relational dynamics may influence canine well-being.
Source: Dodman, N., Brown, D., & Serpell, J. (2018). Associations between owner personality and psychological status and the prevalence of canine behavior problems. PLOS ONE. Published February 14, 2018.
