Oct

3

Man’s Best Friend

Posted by maureen

October 3, 2007 |

I know that I’m not telling you anything new when I say that the bond between man and dog is very strong. Dogs enjoy a unique relationship with humans that are unlike any other domesticated species and there is no question as to the benefits we receive from these wet nosed, tail wagging companions.dog_looking_cheeky.jpg

No doubt you’ve also heard someone say that they prefer their dog to other humans It’s not surprising to know that relations between people and their pets can be so strong that in some cases they work better than partnerships between two people.

A new study conducted by Cavanaugh and her researchers at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University recruited dog owners from all over the US to complete detailed questionnaires about themselves , their dogs and their relationships with their dogs. Then they contacted friends of participants to get their views. This was one of the first studies to look at human /dog’s relationships in the same way as human relationships.
The study gave clues to what makes the best dog/person match. (Whatever next doggy/people match makers?)

One surprising find is that a dog’s personality helps shape the relationship more than the person’s does.

The two dog qualities that gave the best chance of a successful match were:

  • The dog’s openness to new experience
  • The dogs agreeableness

She and her team suspect that “dogs’ generally trusting, non-judgmental, empathetic and curious nature enables them to blend into their owners’ family and home, and bring comfort and enjoyment into their lives.”

There were two surprising results though. People were a lot more forgiving of neurotic behavior in their dogs than they were of their fellow human being. Perhaps it was a way for them to live out the bad behavior. It was also found that the bond between dog and human usually strengthened over time, whereas human relationships often faltered. Seemingly, some people really do prefer their dogs to their fellow human beings. But then we all know that dogs will love us and remain loyal no matter what.

There’s a reason they are called man’s best friend!


Comments

2 Comments so far

  1. Dating Blogfeeds » Man’s Best Friend on October 3, 2007 6:39 am

    […] You can read the rest of this blog post by going to the original source, here […]

  2. wedding supplies on October 7, 2007 4:07 pm

    always happy to see me and just wants a little food and a belly rub in return. dogs are wonderful

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