Source (original paper)
Rehn T, McGowan RT, Keeling LJ. (2013). "Like owner, like dog": correlation between the owner's attachment profile and the owner-dog bond. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078455
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. You may share, reuse, and distribute it, including for commercial use, if you give appropriate credit.

1. What was the research asking?

People relate to others in different ways. Some feel comfortable being close; others feel burdened when things get too close. In psychology, these differences are called "attachment style."

This study looked at whether owners' attachment style was related to their bond with their dog. The researchers wanted to check this not only by feeling but with surveys and behavioral observation.

2. How are attachment styles described?

The study described human attachment in three main types:

  • Secure: Comfortable getting close and keeping a balanced relationship
  • Anxious: Worried about the other leaving, tends to seek reassurance
  • Avoidant: Uncomfortable with too much closeness, prefers independence

Owners rated their own attachment style in a survey. They also answered questions about their relationship with their dog—for example, how close they felt, how much they relied on the dog emotionally.

3. How was behavior observed?

Some owners and dogs were observed in an experimental setting. Researchers looked at how the dog reacted when briefly separated from the owner and then reunited.

  • Did the dog show anxiety when apart?
  • How much did the dog show joy when reunited?
  • How much did the dog act in ways that showed reliance on the owner?

These observations were analyzed together with the survey results.

4. What differences appeared?

Anxious attachment

Owners with an anxious style tended to report a very strong bond with their dog. They checked on the dog often, wanted to keep the dog close, and reported a deep emotional connection. But worry and over-reliance could also appear.

Avoidant attachment

Avoidant owners tended to report a weaker emotional bond with their dog. That does not mean they did not love the dog; it suggests a different way of expressing and maintaining the relationship.

Secure attachment

Secure owners showed a more balanced relationship: close to the dog but not overly anxious, and not keeping excessive distance.

5. Why might these results occur?

Dogs are sensitive to the owner's face, voice, and body. When the owner is tense, the dog can become tense too; when the owner is calm, the dog can feel more secure. How the owner relates to others can also affect how often and how they interact with the dog. So the relationship is not made by one side alone—it is built by both.

6. What this study does not tell us

This study does not prove cause and effect. We cannot say whether the owner's attachment style changed the dog's behavior or the dog's behavior strengthened the owner's attachment. More research is needed.

7. What we can take away

The bond with a dog is not built in a day. The owner's way of relating, expressing emotions, and daily interactions add up over time. Understanding the dog is also connected to understanding how we ourselves form relationships. Dogs are not simply "like their owners"—they can be seen as beings who form a bond by learning how the owner relates.

Bond shows in behavior, not only in feeling

An important point in this paper is that the researchers did not only ask "How close do you feel to your dog?" They also looked at how the dog actually behaved when separated and reunited. So they tried to capture in behavior what is hard to put into words. When we trust someone, we can wait for them relatively calmly; when we are very anxious, even a short separation can feel large. Similar patterns can appear in the relationship with a dog.

In a nutshell

Owner attachment style and the owner–dog bond were statistically linked. Reflecting on the relationship with your dog is also connected to reflecting on how you yourself form relationships.

Source (CC BY 4.0)
Rehn T, McGowan RT, Keeling LJ. (2013). "Like owner, like dog": correlation between the owner's attachment profile and the owner-dog bond. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078455
© 2013 The Authors. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).