Personality test |
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Canine personality tests can be used to match a dog with an owner of similar personality, or to determine whether a dog has the personality to become good service or police dog. Dr. Sam Gosling, of the University of Texas, has developed a test based on four aspects of dog personality: anxiety, intelligence, affection, and energy level. In the anxiety test, dogs watch their owners walk other dogs; in the intelligence test, observers record how long it takes a dog to find a treat placed under a plastic cup; in the affection test, owners encourage dogs to display cuddly and affectionate behaviour; and in the energy test, owners encouraged dogs to display energy by running and playing. The test shows that dog personalities vary not just between but also within breeds.
(Gosling, S. D., Kwan, V. S. Y., & John, O. P. (2003). A dog’s got personality: A cross-species comparative approach to evaluating personality judgments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Volume 85, pp.1161-1169) |
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An 8 week old puppy is already showing signs of trying to take over the top dog position. This dog will be going into training, a puppy socialization class. Photo: Dog Breed Information Centre |
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