Why do dogs often look like their owners?

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Why do dogs often look like their owners?

Thanks for asking.

Numerous archaeological findings have suggested that dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans over 20,000 years ago. So it's little surprise that in this day and age, 29% of UK adults own a dog. That's according to 2023 data from vet charity PDSA. If you have a dog, you may have been told that you share physical characteristics with it. A sort of family resemblance if you like. Well, as it turns out, this popular belief might be more than just a myth. Is there any scientific evidence behind that? Back in 2004, psychologists from the University of California noted astonishing results from an experiment they'd run. A panel of participants were shown separate photos of pure-bred dogs and their owners. It turned out that 64% of the time, they were able to correctly pair animal and owner based only on their physical appearance. Psychologist Nicholas Christenfeld was one of the study authors, and a new scientist article from the time quotes him as saying, We can't tell whether it's a physical resemblance or a stylistic resemblance. One gets a sense that it is a mix of these different things. Then in 2013, American psychologist Stanley Coren conducted another experiment on the subject. He asked female students to rate various dog photos, based on whether they liked the dog's appearance and whether it seemed friendly or loyal. The conclusions were even more surprising. The women gave high ratings to the dogs that resembled them the most. For example, short-haired women tended to prefer breeds like the Basenji, a short-haired dog with clearly visible ears, while long-haired women preferred the likes of Spaniels, small dogs with long wavy hair and large drooping ears. But how does all this add up? Both of the studies I just described suggested that any potential resemblance between dog and owner is due to the selection made by the owner when acquiring their pet.

Us humans are somewhat superficial beings, and we tend to gravitate towards things that remind us of ourselves. So the chances are, when choosing an animal to start with, we'll do just that. And that's especially true if opting for a purebred dog with well defined physical characteristics.

And guess what, the same is also true for behaviour. If your dog doesn't share your physical traits, there's still a good chance that you two have similar personalities. That's due to a phenomenon known as emotional contagion.

What about other types of pet animals? While dogs take the spotlight, it's not uncommon for people to pick pets based on perceived compatibility. Of course, there are some limits. I'm not saying you're going to find a goldfish that looks like its owner, for example. But cats, and especially city dwellers who share tight spaces with their owners, can pick up similar habits and characteristics from them, despite their reputation as independent or even solitary animals. The key in all of this really is to steer clear of anthropomorphism, which is the tendency to interpret animal behaviour through a human lens. Because even if your dog resembles you, or seems to share your thoughts and feelings, you need to remember that it has its own set of reactions and emotions which are specific to its species. There you have it.

Now you know why dogs often look like their owners. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.