JOIN USYounger people who are disagreeable are more likely to prefer aggressive canines, confirming the conventional wisdom that dogs match the personality of their owners, a new study has found.
Researchers at the University of Leicester’s School of Psychology found that low agreeableness was the best predictor of a preference for those dogs seen as more aggressive, such as bull terriers or boxers.
Individuals low in agreeableness are typically less concerned with others’ well-being and may be suspicious, unfriendly and competitive, a release from the university said.
However, the study found no link between liking an aggressive dog and delinquent behaviour, or the possibility that liking an aggressive dog is an act of ‘status display’ to show off or attract romantic partners.
Dr Vincent Egan, lead researcher on the study, said: “This type of study is important, as it shows assumptions are not the whole picture. It is assumed owners of aggressive dogs (or dogs perceived as aggressive) are anti-social show-offs.”
“But we did not find persons who expressed a preference for aggressive dogs had committed more delinquent acts, or reported showing off more,” he said.
“However, we did find a preference for a dog with an aggressive reputation was related to being younger and being lower in Agreeableness (that is being less concerned with the needs of others, and being quicker to become hostile),” Egan added.
The study looked at the reasons why some people prefer aggressive dog breeds, the University release said. Bull terriers were rated as most aggressive, followed by boxers; retrievers and cocker spaniels were seen as least aggressive.