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The dog has been suggested as a possible model for personality development over
the lifespan, however, we know little about how aging may shape their personality or
the magnitude of age-related changes. Previously we established that aging influences
multiple dog demographics, which could also affect how personality traits change
across different age periods. A demographic questionnaire and the Dog Personality
Questionnaire were completed for a cross-sectional sample of 1,207 adult dogs living
in Hungary (Mage = 7.71, SD = 4.12), split into six different age groups. Results revealed
three of the five factors showed significant age effects. Activity/Excitability decreased
with age, and whilst Responsiveness to training also decreased, only dogs older than
12 years differed significantly from the other groups. Aggressiveness toward animals
showed a quadratic trajectory peaking in dogs aged 6–10 years. The greatest magnitude
of age-related change was detected between late senior and geriatric ages, likely caused
by compensatory behavioral changes to biological aging and owner attitudes to aging.
When the models were re-run including the other explanatory variables, age group
was no longer significant for the Responsiveness to training trait. The amount of time
spent interacting/playing with the owner partially mediated the relationship between age
and this trait, implying that interventions to increase play and training motivation may
alleviate the negative effects of aging on dogs’ trainability. Fifteen out of 28 explanatory
variables were significantly associated with at least one of the five factors [weight, breed
(pure/mixed breed), sex, off-leash activity, diet, previous trauma, age of dog when arrived
in the household, play, dog training activities, number of known commands and dog
obedience tasks]. Similarly to humans, dogs that had previously experienced trauma
scored higher in fearfulness and aggression. A higher level of basic obedience was
linked to some desirable dog personality traits (lower Fearfulness and Aggression, and
higher Activity/Excitability and Responsiveness to training). Regardless of the direction
of this relationship, obedience is an important aspect contributing to dog personality
questionnaires and the dog-owner relationship. This study is unique in that it considered
a wide variety of demographic variables which are influenced by aging. |
