Dog's Personalities Evolve with Age
When we bring puppies home, we can’t wait to see theirlittle personalities take shape. As they grow, we come to understand them asunique and special, whether they’re fearless, friendly, cuddly, sensitive,smart, loyal, or shy. When I brought Juniper home, I couldn’t have predictedall the qualities that make her who she is. As she grew, I took note of herquirks, big and small -- how she prefers gentle music like Norah Jones, enjoysan ear scratch more than a belly rub, is sensitive to people crying, and couldsleep through her morning walk if I let her. Through the years, I’ve noticedchanges, too; as a six year old, she prefers a good squirrel chase over the dogpark, doesn’t like to eat her dinner unless I’m eating mine, and has finallycome around to enjoying a dip in the ocean.
Apparently, I’m not alone in seeing my dog’s personalityevolve with age. In a study by psychologists in the Journal of Research in Personality, dog owners were instructed toclosely observe their four-legged friend’s personalities and behavioralhistories throughout their lifespan. The research indicated that people seemedto notice their dog’s specific character traits take shape over time. Andcharacteristics such as aggression,timidness, and anxiety were often contingent on the owner’s personality traits. This is not so surprising as we’veseen, time and time again, just how attuned our furry canines are to ouremotional state. But the study pointed out an interesting find: “When humans gothrough big changes in life, their personality traits can change. We found thatthis also happens with dogs—and to a surprisingly large degree,” stated WilliamChopik, lead psychologist and author of the study. While it’s been previouslyassumed that dogs personalities are somewhat fixed, Chopik proved that our furry friends actually grow into theirpersonalities and may exhibit shifts in characteristics and quirks throughouttheir lives. Fascinating!
Whatdo you think? Have you noticed your furry pal’s personalities change with age?We’d love to hear in the comments!