Owners pick dogs based on their own personality, finds Kennel Club

Dog owners often choose dogs with similar personality traits to them, new research suggests.

A study carried out by The Kennel Club ranked more than 1,500 current and past dog owners of 16 popular dog breeds against a number of key personality traits including extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and emotional stability.

It revealed that people are likely to pick dogs that they think have similar personalities to them.

The research reveals that people who enjoy new experiences, have lots of hobbies, and enjoy taking risks are more likely to own whippets, while those who said they were positive and happy often had golden retrievers.

Owners who showed organisational skills and who preferred to stick to the rules had miniature schnauzers and people that ranked the most highly on agreeableness and extroversion owned Pomeranians.

In addition, those who ranked themselves as being most affectionate tended to choose Staffordshire bull terriers. Meanwhile, Jack Russell terriers had owners who also saw themselves in a similar light.

Bill Lambert, a spokesperson for The Kennel Club, said: “Each breed has distinct characteristics, traits and care needs, which helps would-be owners understand more about whether they might be a good fit for them.

“It is quite striking to see how many people unconsciously select dog breeds with personalities that match their own character, showing that birds of a feather really do flock together.”