Why does a dog start to resemble to its owner? The longer you have been together, the stronger the process becomes

Research has shown that people really do choose a dog that resembles them in many cases. In fact, after a longer period of time, this similarity only increases, as the dog takes on some of its owner's characteristics.

The idea that a dog looks like its owner actually has some basis in reality. Research has shown that people tend to choose dogs who have similar physical characteristics to themselves. An excellent example of this is that, in most cases, overweight people have chubbier dogs. They have even encountered cases where people with small eyes chose dogs with small eyes. While people with huge eyes chose dogs with larger eyes. It’s surprising how much can go into choosing your pet. So the research allowed us to conclude that we are most attracted to pets that remind us of ourselves.

A dog resemble to its owner more than we thought

New research has proven that the dog takes on the personality traits, behavioral mechanisms, and facial expressions of its owner. It is also able to identify with its mood. However, according to a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE and highlighted by the BBC, this sensitivity means that certain elements of our personality are often taken over by our pets.

The researchers examined 132 dogs and their owners, monitoring the stress level and mood of both members of the couple, as well as the evolution of the hormone responsible for happiness. Each of the volunteers also completed a questionnaire to assess the similarity of personality traits between dogs and humans. They examined qualities such as kindness, conscientiousness and openness. After that, the owners were asked to fill out a similar questionnaire, but now about the characteristics of their pets. And the results showed the following: the more anxious and neurotic the owner, the more likely the dog shares the same traits. At the same time, the more balanced a dog is, the more likely it is to belong to a calm owner.

Why do dogs look like their owners?

As mentioned above, one of the most common reasons for this is that people especially like to choose something similar to themselves. This can start very small, for example, tall people like to choose large dogs, while short people prefer small ones. Furthermore, long-haired people like pets with long ears, while overweight people like meatier dogs. However, the real similarity can be observed after years, when the dog’s personality is similar to that of the human.