June 11, 2025, 11:55 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Who Seeks, Finds–and Sometimes Finds Themselves Dogs are often considered man’s best friend, but could they share more similarities with us than we realize? A study explores whether owners and their dogs resemble each other, revealing some surprising insights.
Do you know the scene from the Disney animated classic “101 Dalmatians,” where the dog Pongo is looking for a girlfriend for his owner Roger? The Dalmatian looks out the window, not entirely selflessly, searching for a pair of a dream woman and a matching female dog. He observes many human-dog teams that are visually exaggerated and perfectly matched in color. The lanky artist with an Afghan hound, the prim society lady with her poodle fresh from the groomer. “Like owner, like dog,” as the saying goes, not just here. But could there be more than just a stereotype in the cartoon? Studies have explored whether dogs and humans are really so similar and have found some surprising results.
Are Dogs and Humans Really Alike?
Many dog owners feel that they resemble their pets not only in appearance but also in character—be it through calmness, sociability, or stubbornness. This observation has now reached the research community: Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena investigated whether there are real parallels between humans and dogs—and what influence these have on bonding. Yana Bender, Franziska Roth, Stefan Schweinberger, Simone Witte, and Juliane Brauer published their work in the journal “Personality and Individual Differences” in February 2025.
The researchers reviewed the results of 15 empirical studies that examined similarities between dogs and their owners—in both appearance and personality. They aimed to determine whether dogs really look like their owners and whether they exhibit similar personality traits—and if so, why.
The human-dog relationship dates back about 30,000 years and has evolved from a utilitarian partnership to a deep emotional bond. In this close relationship, dog and human live in the same social environment—which can lead to comparable learning and socialization processes.
Previous studies have already shown that dogs possess social skills similar to those of human children. This led to the hypothesis that dog-owner pairs might resemble each other both in appearance and personality. But do these similarities arise from conscious selection (similarity due to choice) or from shared time (similarity over time)—or a mix of both?
In What Ways Dogs and Humans Are Similar
The selection criteria excluded qualitative studies and those without a real dog-owner connection. They found 15 suitable studies that comprehensively explored the topic, seven on physical and eight on personality similarities. It became clear: Yes, dogs resemble their owners—both outwardly and inwardly. Especially with purebred dogs, the assignment to the owner was particularly easy.
An intriguing correlation was also found between hair and ear length in women and their dogs. Women with long hair tend to choose dogs with long ears, while women with short hair tend to prefer short-eared breeds. There are also parallels in body weight—such as between the body mass index of owners and the overweight of their dogs. A shared lifestyle could be responsible for this.
In one study, even the eye area was enough to correctly identify pairs. The results in the area of appearance strongly suggest the “similarity due to choice” hypothesis: People deliberately choose dogs that look like them—possibly due to the mere-exposure effect (effect of mere contact or trust effect) or the self-similarity principle.
In terms of personality traits, significant correlations were also found in neuroticism and extraversion. These similarities seem to intensify over time, according to the study, supporting the “similarity over time” hypothesis. Mechanisms such as emotional convergence, behavioral synchronization, and mutual reinforcement were cited as possible causes.
Why Similarity Matters
A possible reason for this closeness can be found in our evolutionary history. Humans are naturally drawn to others who resemble them or with whom they share similarities. Whether in partnerships or friendships, commonalities connect. This also favored cooperation and survival in earlier times—a principle that apparently can be applied to animal relationships as well.
Emotional interactions and mutual behavioral influence could also lead to similarities. People unconsciously reinforce certain behaviors in their dogs through their own routines or preferences. At the same time, the emotional connection influences the behavior of both in the long term.
These parallels not only promote emotional investment but also affect how owners deal with problematic behavior—often with more leniency if they recognize themselves in these traits. However, such projections can also create unrealistic expectations when people start attributing too many human traits to dogs.
Opposites Can Also Complement Each Other
Especially with purebred dogs, the assumed predictability of behaviors plays a role in selection. Some dogs are said to be protective, easy to care for, or playful. These standardized traits often lead to the choice of a particular breed and the associated hope of being able to predict the animal’s behavior.
However, reality often looks a bit different, because even if there is a certain tendency to guard in Spitz or high intelligence in Border Collies, each animal remains an individual with its own character and experiences. On the other hand, such projections can also create unrealistic expectations when people start anthropomorphizing their animals.
In fact, people and their dogs can also harmonize excellently when they don’t have much in common. A lively dog can motivate a reserved person to be more active and adopt healthier habits. Sharing moments of joy, frustration, or even sadness with a beloved dog can also provide a sense of companionship and emotional support.
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Inner Values Matter More Than Appearances
In addition to perceived similarities, emotional compatibility is particularly crucial. The personality and attachment style of the person influence how well the relationship works—even if dog and owner initially seem hardly similar in appearance or character. What matters is how well they engage with each other—despite all differences.
The results provide new insights into the deep bond between humans and dogs. While external similarities primarily arise from conscious selection, personality similarities likely develop over the course of the relationship. Particularly significant is the finding that the owner’s personality has a strong influence on the dog’s behavior—and vice versa.
The study thus reinforces the view that dogs are far more than just companions: They are emotional mirrors of their owners. The findings could help better understand animal behavior and more purposefully shape relationships between dogs and humans, such as in dog therapy or when selecting suitable dogs for families or assistance services.1