Dogs and humans have lived together for many centuries. They have helped each other out in various situations, some of which are dangerous, and dogs have proved to be trustworthy and loyal companions. Dogs have accomplished many feats, which are unbelievable and heart-warming.
Since we’re masters and dogs look up to us as their role models, we’re more likely to pass on our personalities to them than we'd inherit some characteristics from them. Research indicates that dogs inherit our personality traits as a means to adapt to our environments – they want to be part of our family. Hence, dogs seek a sense of belonging and identity. They want to be associated with you and your family.
And nothing illustrates how dogs and humans share personalities better than this video. We see how the two dogs interact with each other. You can easily tell how close the two dogs are – there's lots of love and affection between them. This is akin to how we interact with those whom we love.
They also seem to enjoy each other's company. It's evident that they're having a good time and they're happy. The dogs also seem protective of each other – just as a mother would do anything in her capacity to protect her child from harm.
How did dogs come to possesses humanlike characteristics like emotions and behavior? Did they inherit these characteristics from humans? Could it be as a result of adaptations to the human environment? Could this mean that other animals can develop human traits if humans adopt them as their pets?
Let's dive deeper.
Dogs and humans with similar personalities
The fact that dogs possess human characteristics shouldn't surprise you. There's a scientific evidence to back the claim that people tend to select puppies whom they think fit their behavior and personality.
We tend to choose dogs, which remind us of who we are. And dogs aren’t just reminders, they are also mirrors of ourselves. For example, slim people tend to choose slim dogs while overweight people choose bigger dogs. It's quite evident that dogs and humans have overlapping characteristics.
And we don't just choose our canine companions because of their appearance; they tend to draw us toward them naturally. Dogs can discern human emotions accurately; they can tell that you're angry, sad, tense, anxious, happy, excited, and so on.
Dogs – just like toddlers – can react in accordance with how they perceive our emotions at a particular moment. Dogs are very skillful in watching and learning just as children. Hence, we shouldn’t underestimate the intelligence of dogs.
Some research has indicated that dogs tend to inherit the characteristics of the owner if they lived long enough to be their pets. The research examined the five key human characteristics – extraversion, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism and conscientiousness. Surprisingly, you can pass on these characteristics to your dog.
Final thoughts
Overall, don't expect the behavior of your neighbor's dog to be the same as yours. Every dog is different in its own respect. What you like and dislike, your dog would do same. Your dog is more likely to possess your personality, habit or behavioral tendencies. For example, if you're extroverted, you're more likely to adopt a noisy and active – agreeable – dog who jumps up to greet anyone.