Best friends they may be, but are man and dog so entwined that they tend to take after one another in appearance?

In 2004, researchers in San Diego found that subjects in a study were able to correctly match pictures of dog owners with their pets more often than not, but only when the dogs were purebreds. Simple traits like hair and size played a smaller role than things like facial expressions.

A psychologist at the University of South Carolina challenged the findings, pointing out flaws in the study design. The researchers countered with a reanalysis that confirmed their findings.

A scientist in England joined the fray this year, asking 70 subjects to match pictures of 41 dog owners to one of several breeds. They were able to match successfully more than half the time, far better than chance.

The subjects said they looked for personality traits they believed the dogs and their owners shared. Scientists suspect some people look for certain predispositions when choosing a dog that reflect their own personalities.


ANAHAD O’CONNOR