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By Zee Krstic, Martha Stewart Living
Most dog owners will tell you that bringing a new pet into their home
was a big decision, and some may even say they planned for the new
addition for months or years. But if you've ever gone out on a limb and
adopted a new pup in a spur of the moment decision, you wouldn't be
alone—according to new research conducted by a team at Indiana
University, humans are just as unpredictable when it comes to falling in
love with a pet as they are at falling in loving with each other. The
study, published in the journal Behavior Research Methods,
says that people often have a dog in mind when they choose to adopt,
but data recorded at local animal shelters suggested that most changed
their minds when presented with a puppy that seemingly struck their
heart chords.
"What we show in this study is that what people say
they want in a dog isn't always in line with what they choose,"
Samantha Cohen, who pioneered the research as a Ph.D. candidate in the
IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences, said in a press release.
"By focusing on a subset of desired traits, rather than everything a
visitor says, I believe we can make animal adoption more efficient and
successful."
The research shows that the most important factors
for new pet owners are age and playfulness rather than heritage features
like purebred status. Physical appearance and "attractiveness" is also a
key for pets, researchers found, which has been similarly noted in
other research that focuses on human interactions. "As multiple
psychologists have shown in speed-dating experiments, physical
attractiveness is very important," Cohen said. "Most people think
they've got a handsome or good-looking dog."
Researchers came to
their findings after sorting different dogs based upon a list of
different traits: sex, age, size, color, purebred status, nervousness,
protectiveness, intelligence, previous training, energy levels, and
friendliness and playfulness, among others. Before showing them at
adoption events, Cohen's team assessed the adoption preferences of more
than 1,200 people who had visited dogs at animal shelters. In the end,
145 dogs were adopted, and the researchers examined why people made the
decisions they did.
These findings may help animal professionals
match owners with dogs in advance and make adoption easier in the
future, Cohen said. "It was my responsibility to match dogs to people
based on their preferences, but I often noticed that visitors would
ultimately adopt some other dog than my original suggestion."
