Pet parenting style influences dog behaviour, study finds

Dogs with owners who have high expectations and are highly responsive to their dog’s behaviour and needs are more social, more secure when away from their owners and more persistent problem solvers, new research reveals.

Researchers from Oregon State University recruited 48 dog owners and gave them a pet parenting style survey. Using the data, dog owners were divided into three categories: authoritative (high expectations, high responsiveness), authoritarian (high expectations, low responsiveness), and permissive (low expectations, low responsiveness.

Monique Udell, an associate professor at Oregon State and an expert on dog behaviour, said: “We found that pet parenting style does predict patterns of dog behaviour and cognition. This an important finding because it suggests that dog owners who take the time to understand and meet their dog’s needs are more likely to end up with secure, resilient dogs.”