Does Your Pet Have a Personality?

By Leslie Brown

Owners love to gush about their pet’s intelligence. But how much of our language do they really understand? It turns out that the language comprehension of some dogs rivals that of apes and parrots. The amount of research on animal personality has been steadily growing since the 1990s when pet behavior became an popular subject.

Although it is difficult to define what a personality is, dogs have it. Of all pets, the dogs generally have the strongest emotions. Their emotions range from the ecstatic to the very depressed. They may even mimic your own emotions. Sometimes pets take on the personality or emotions of their owner. If you are depressed and forget to pay attention to your dog, he will most likely get depressed as well. Separation anxiety and depression are common in pets that are left alone during the day.

In 2007, the same people who make Prozac for human depression developed “Reconcile,” a beef-flavored antidepressant for dogs. The drug successfully treated a little more than 70 percent of depressed dogs.

You can see dog personalities manifest themselves at the dog park. For example, the miniature Pinscher marches confidently into the middle of a wrestling match among a pack of large dogs, while the mixed breed Labrador tentatively sticks to his owner's pant leg.

Some of dogs’ emotional reactions are so much like ours that we tend to humanize them. Dog emotions are visibly expressed in his eyes and face, his ear and tail movements, his posture, and general behavior. Sometimes they are vocally expressed as well. Your dog can feel and express the same emotions as we do: love, hate, joy, sorrow, grief, anxiety, jealousy, remorse, anger, fear, and even more subtle ones such as distrust and resignation.

A happy dog gurgles or squeals with pleasure. A gentle whine says “please”, and snarling is definitely hostile. Dogs yelp from pain or fear, whine from frustration or pain, and sigh for the same reasons we do. Puppy cries are easiest to interpret. They scream when they are too hot, whimper when cold, and protest loudly when hungry. Dogs exchange information among themselves less by voice than by a wide range of facial expressions, body postures, and gestures.

Pets have a tendency to imitate their owner’s emotional reactions. Dogs approach and seek contact with objects and beings that inspire friendly feelings, and avoid or shy away from those they fear. A crouching position and a watchful eye mean that he has not yet made up his mind to trust or distrust.

Some of the facial expressions of dogs are much like ours--worried frowns, angry glares, adoring gazes, suspicious squints, questioning looks, seductive glances, humor, and even genuine smiles. A smile, accompanied by half-closed eyes and ears held low signifies intense pleasure. A wagging tail and friendly grin are invitations to approach and perhaps make friends, while a snarl, a fixed stare, stiff, straight legs and tail are warnings to keep your distance.

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