Does Your Dog Act Like Its Breed Stereotype? New Study Breaks Down Real Breed Traits

Certain dog breeds tend to conjure up very specific images. Picture a Chihuahua, and you probably imagine a yapping ball of anxiety. On the other hand, you might visualize a Bulldog loafing around or a Golden Retriever happily retrieving a ball. In a new study of nearly 50,000 dogs, researchers attempted to get to the bottom of which behavioral stereotypes actually ring true.

The data was collected by the Dog Aging Project, a long-term study on canine aging. Analyzing a dataset of pet parents scoring their dogs on certain behavioral traits, the researchers mapped out which dog breeds were most commonly associated with certain traits.

“Dogs are entirely dependent on their owner,” veterinarian Dr. Audrey Ruple, a collaborator on the Dog Aging Project, told Scientific America. With that in mind, the study intends to illuminate patterns in behavior and therefore improve compatibility between prospective pet parents and their dogs.

Researchers found that, overall, smaller dogs tend to be more reactive and excitable than larger dogs. Chihuahuas, in particular, were viewed as the most fearful breed, scoring high on both “fear of strangers” and “fear of other dogs.” On the other hand, Newfoundlands are the least wary dogs, scoring low on “touch sensitivity,” “separation-related anxiety,” and “fear of other dogs.” Other chill dogs included Golden Retrievers, who are least associated with fear of strangers, and Rottweilers, who apparently have little fear of noises, objects, and situations.

This difference isn’t necessarily genetic, though. Ruple points out that this disconnect between small and large breeds might have more to do with how they are regarded by humans versus how they innately feel. Dog parents tend to be more forgiving of small breeds, while larger breeds are expected to be on their best behavior. “I suspect it has to do with the way small dogs are treated as compared with large dogs,” Ruple said. 

Shiba Inus scored lowest on attachment and attention seeking; they are also sensitive to touch and fearful of strange noises and objects. Pugs, however, were by far the breed most associated with attachment. 

Dogs’ energy levels were also considered, and it might surprise people who aren’t dog parents to learn that Greyhounds are seen as the lowest energy breed. Bulldogs scored particularly low in “chasing and escaping” and Shiba Inus were the least associated with “excitability.” The most energetic dogs were Belgian Malinois (the leader in the “high energy level” rating), German Shorthaired Pointers (highest overall “excitability”), and Brittanys (the most associated with “chasing and escaping”). 

Finally, purebred dogs are more associated with trainability than mixed breed dogs (Belgian Malinois scored the highest on this out of all purebreds, with Greyhounds scoring the lowest). Ripple says that this could be because of preconceived notions of mixed breeds’ early life experiences: many people associate shelter dogs with being rescued from trauma. 

It’s important to remember, though, that breed does not actually equal behavior. Dog behavior varies wildly from individual to individual. Studies on breed behavior help break down breed stereotypes so we can understand where they’re coming from and how we can be better parents to our dogs.