Category: dog research

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Scientists Discover Dog Owners Fit Into 3 Distinct Categories. Find Out Where You Belong!

In a new study, researchers in Hungary surveyed 800 dog owners and found that they all fit into three distinct categories.

The study, published on Scientific Reports on November 12, dives into the role dog owners play in their pet’s life and how it affects their daily life.

“Owned dogs are often regarded as family members, best friends, or even as substitutes for children,” the study’s abstract read.

“These new roles and their effects on human well-being have received scientific attention, but little is known about how attributing such social functions to dogs might influence the caring behaviour of the owner, which in turn can impact canine welfare.”

Adorable Beagle dog puppy sleeping on young female owner's shoulder.
Sorapop Udomsri / Shutterstock.com

In the study, the researchers created an online survey to answer their questions about the characteristics of the owner and the dog, management practices of the owner, the dog’s behavior, and many more.

The researchers got results that helped them put the 800 dog owners into three distinct categories. These results include:

What owners appreciated about their dogs:

  • Petting and physical contact with their dog (97.6%)
  • Unconditional love (93.7%)
  • The dog’s beauty (88.4%)
  • Walking with the dog (86.5%)

Most frequently mentioned problems:

  • Socialization issues (20.4%)
  • Lack of time (15.9%)

Most frequently mentioned canine behavior problems:

  • Jumping up (33.2%)
  • Chasing animals (28.5%)
  • Territoriality (26.7%)
  • Overexcitement (20.9%) 

Furthermore, the researchers found that almost a quarter of dog owners rated their dogs as “totally obedient” while 30.6% are rated as “totally safe off-leash”.

With these results, the researchers were able to come up with three dog owner profiles, based on the roles they attribute to their dogs. And these three categories are:

  1. Dog Parents (49.5%): These are the dog owners who rated their dogs higher on the following roles: domesticated animal, friend, family member, child, and more important than any human, compared to the roles of colleague and assistance/guard dog. This dog owner profile emphasizes that these dog owners think of their dogs as family members.
  2. Companion Dog Owners (19.4%): These dog owners are described as people who keep dogs for companionship but appear to maintain a greater emotional distance from their dogs.
  3. Dual Status Owners (31.1%): These dog owners are a mix of both profiles. They see their dog as their “colleague” and security guard to keep them company and safe, but also has strong emotional ties to their dogs.

“As we previously assumed, several dog and human factors were associated with these three profiles,” said Professor Eniko Kubiny, one of the study’s researchers and the head of the Department of Ethology at the Eötvös Loránd University.

Two dogs in forest looking up at person for treat or obedience training
sophiecat / Shutterstock.com

“For instance, dogs with dual functions were perceived as very obedient and were trained with positive reinforcement and professional training methods like clicker training.”

The researchers concluded that despite general trend observed in Western countries, not all dog owners are the same.

“Despite the general trend observable in Western countries, in which dogs are more and more perceived as family members providing unconditional love and support, this study highlights that not all dog owners are the same, even in a convenience sample interested in dog behavioural studies.”

And while they believe that their research may not be true for the entire pet dog population, they believe that the results “contribute to a better understanding of the modern dog-human relationship.”

What do you think? Which category do you belong to?

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9 In 10 Dog Owners In Serious Relationships Believe In Love At First Sight With Their Pets Than People

A new study by Talker Research finds 87% of dog owners in serious relationships are more likely to believe in “love at first sight” with animals than people.

The research, which was commissioned by The Honest Kitchen, also had some interesting insights about dog owners with partners and their love for their pets.

Talker Research conducted the survey with 2,000 dog owners in serious relationships. In the study, results found that 80% of the respondents had an “instant connection” with their dog, compared to 69% who said the same about their partner.

However, one in five (19%) said it still took time to build a bond with their dog. And of those dog owners, 20% questioned whether they made the right decision in adopting their pet because they didn’t have an instant connection.

But like any blooming and beautiful relationship, 74% of the respondents think that the bond between them and their dog is stronger because they had to build it over time – definitely something that they find worth the wait!

The survey also asked the respondents if there was anything they wish they knew before adopting their dog.

“A variety of these answers related to food — which may not be surprising, as 76% said food is their “love language” and they take great care in feeding their dog “only the best,”” Talker Research reveals.

Other respondents would have liked to know the “true investment of time” that comes with dog ownership, and how similar it is to raising human children.

Despite some hurdles, some dog owners are still surprised at how happy they’ve become after getting a dog. They wrote that if they knew “the amount of joy they bring, I would have gotten one sooner.”

Results found this to be true as 83% of the respondents said that pet ownership is better than what they expected.

And the same number of respondents agree that while pet ownership isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Miki Dosen, CMO at The Honest Kitchen said, “There’s so much to look forward to when you have a dog, but we wouldn’t be honest if we didn’t acknowledge how hard it can be, too.”

“At the end of the day it’s the full experience — both highs and lows — that make it one of the most meaningful relationships people have in their lives.”

You can find the full data of the survey here.

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Study Reveals Dogs Remember Toy Names Even After Years Of Not Seeing Them

Remember that worn-out stuffed toy you threw away a few years ago? No? Well, chances are, your dog may still remember them.

A new study found that our furry friends have great memory and can actually remember the names of their toys for longer than we might think.

In the study, published in journal Biology Letters, the team of researchers, Shany Dror, Ádám Miklósi and Claudia Fugazza, wanted to learn more about dogs and long-term memory since little is known about it.

The researchers wanted to know if dogs can retain their associations of objects due to repeated use, or if they’re like us, humans, and are able to store associations in long-term memory.

Dog looking at toy
OksanaArtyuhova / Shutterstock.com

Results from the study found that some of the smartest of dogs, referred to as gifted word learner (GWL) dogs in the study, can retain object names, even if they haven’t seen the same object for two years.

Five GWL dogs (two females, and three males) participated in the study. And the study’s experiment started in December 2020 where the dogs were taught the names of 12 toys in 1 week.

The researchers let the dogs, along with their owners, play with the toys for a few months before storing the toys away for two years.

Two years later, the researchers brought the dogs out individually, showed them the toys, along with other objects familiar with the dogs, in the room. They then asked the dogs to retrieve the test toys by calling out the toy’s name.

After the test, the researchers found that the dogs were accurate in retrieving the toy specified 44% of the time, while some even had a 60% accuracy rate.

Dog with a toy in its mouth
Tatyana Vyc / Shutterstock.com

Dr Claudia Fugazza tells Country Living Magazine, “We know that dogs can remember events for at least 24 hours and odors for up to one year but this is the first study showing that some talented dogs can remember words for at least two years.”

“The findings of our current study cannot be generalised to other dogs because we only tested gifted word learners (GWL) dogs, individuals that show a special talent for acquiring object words.”

And while the research was only done on smart dogs, it’s still shows that the ability to store associations in long-term memory is not uniquely human.

Furthermore, this discovery can further help scientists learn how other species that aren’t human retain their memories in the long term.

“GWL dogs provide a unique opportunity to examine whether such correlations may also exist in a species that does not possess language,” the researchers concluded.