According To Research Your Dog's Personality Can Change Depending On 3 Factors

Just like people’s personalities can change in time, or because of certain lived experiences, that same thing can happen with your dog. Research even suggests that dogs’ personalities are influenced by the personalities of their parents.

One of the largest studies that examined personalities in dogs looked at over 1600 dogs and their parents. The researchers rounded up over 50 breeds, and the age ranged from a few weeks all the way to 15 years. The study found that three main aspects influence dogs’ personalities: age, changes in their parents’ personalities, and their relationship with their parents.

For example, age determines changes in their body and brain, which explains why the optimal training age is somewhere around six years old. Or it explains why outgoing people tend to raise outgoing dogs. Or why a neglectful and abusive human will rase a scared dog who is more prone to biting and being aggressive. But some personality traits seem to stay the same no matter what, like fear and anxiety tendencies.

It also seems like breed plays a role in shaping your dog’s personality. Genetic influences can shape a dog’s behavior, and it seems like as a dog parent you never have full control over shaping their personalities. But that doesn’t seem you should always count on breed to tell you how your dog is going to turn out. Even though breed will show you how energetic they are, or things like that, the parent is still responsible for making sure their dog is raised well.