It’s no surprise that many dog owners call themselves a “pet-parent” due to how much they love their four-legged friend, but they may be surprised how many characteristics they actually share with their fur-baby. Not only do many dogs look and act like their owner, but they can actually sound like their owner too.
While dogs don’t physically change their appearance to match their owners (or vice versa), there’s science behind why our canine companions look similar to us. Research has shown that people tend to choose dogs that have similar “characteristics” to them. For example, women with long hair tend to slightly favor dogs with long floppy ears, such as a beagle, whereas women with shorter hair tend to slightly favor dogs with perky and visible ears, such as a husky. However, this is only true of purebred dogs. More research is needed to conclude whether the outcome is the same for mixed-breed dogs.
Scientists and psychologists believe that this phenomenon is based on humans favoring things that are familiar to us. Since we see our face every day in mirrors and reflections, we have become pretty familiar with it, and that may be why we subconsciously look for specific features. People with a narrower jaw may prefer a greyhound, while those with a wider jaw may prefer a bulldog. People with lighter hair might be drawn to golden retrievers while people with darker hair might like black labradors. This of course isn’t true for everyone, as many people love and adore pups who look nothing like them. However, there was enough scientific evidence to prove that there is a correlation between owner’s looks and their dog’s looks.
Not only do our precious pooches look like us, but they also tend to have personalities similar to ours. It was actually found in one study that personality profiles between owners and their dogs had more similarity than between the owner and their partners or friends. In this study, it didn’t matter how long the owner and dog were together, which suggests that the dog’s didn’t pick up on their owners personality, but rather the owner was initially drawn to their new friend because of their similar personality. It’s no wonder that dogs are considered to be man’s best friend!
The Canine Behavior Center in England actually found that our dogs can mimic our tone of voice when they communicate. Although all dogs communicate with the same language, their pitch can sound different based on who their owner is. The dogs most likely to mimic their owners tone were those with owners who had a heavy Southern drawl, so those dogs would have a slight twang to their barks. Dogs who lived a lavish lifestyle were also found to sound rather “posh” when they bark. It’s pretty funny to try and imagine a dog talking in a heavy accent like a Bostonian or New Yorker. If you go somewhere far, try to listen to dogs “talking” there and see if it sounds any different than the dogs “talking” at home.
Next time you’re out and about, look for someone walking their dog and try to see if the owner and dog look, act, and/or sound alike. You may be surprised to see how many of them do. If you have a dog of your own, you could take a selfie together to see if you look alike. I tried this with my pup and was surprised by how similar we looked! Our pooches are mini, furry versions of ourselves, which is no surprise why we love them so much and consider them family.
Caroline Warren is a Community Engagement and Marketing Intern at the Connecticut Science Center. She is a senior at the University of Connecticut working towards a Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a concentration in Digital Media and Analytics. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her dog and traveling!
