Do dogs resemble their owners?

Loko:

hey folk, have you ever noticed that dogs and their owners look similar to some extent? in any case, do you think that such a statement is true? i've seen many dogs and their owners and i must confess that i generally agree with the statement because sometimes it's just amazing what similar appearance some dogs and their owners have! ^^

Participant81

helen31:

They defo look similar. I've met many pug and bulldog owners that were just incredibly alike. I don't know why it happens but it happens. I wonder whether dog owners realize that fact?

Junior Participant30

Raphael:

In fact, there's even a study about that (by New Scientist):

The old adage that people resemble their pet dogs may really be true, suggests a new study by US scientists.

Pure-bred dogs can be matched to their owners by strangers most of the time. But the same does not hold true for mixed breed dogs, say Nicholas Christenfeld and Michael Roy, psychologists at the University of California San Diego.

When judges were shown digital photos of dog owners and given a choice of one of two dogs - they matched the correct pair 64 per cent of the time when the dog was a pure breed, showed Christenfeld and Roy.

However, their study did not pin down what factors were responsible for this resemblance. "We can't tell whether it's a physical resemblance or a stylistic resemblance," Christenfeld told New Scientist. "One gets a sense that it is a mix of these different things."

But some pairs were more obvious than others. "There was a goofy guy, smiling with slightly shaggy hair and a golden retriever with a goofy smile, the same hair - everyone said 'these two go together'."

Animal Lover664

Ruslana:

Hehe a nice topic, Loko! I agree with the statement because I've noticed that myself many times. In real life as well as in some internet pictures. For example, this one: