You’ve probably heard that dogs reflect their owners. But what does that mean exactly? How can your four-legged friend show who you are? And how can you use these insights to improve your relationship with your dog?
Dogs are very sensitive animals that react to their environment and pay attention to human emotions. This is one of the reasons why they are often seen as a reflection of their owners. If you are stressed, your dog will sense that and probably feel stressed as well. If you are calm and balanced, your dog will probably be calm and relaxed too.
In addition, studies show that the way we train our dog may also depend on our own personality. For example, if you are more authoritarian and dominant, you may tend to train your dog in a similar way. On the other hand, if you are more gentle and patient, you will probably train your dog in a different way.
Basically, there are some factors that show to what extent your dog can be your reflection.
Your energy
Dogs are very responsive to the energy of their owners. If you are stressed and hectic, your dog will sense that and be restless as well. On the other hand, if you are calm and relaxed, your dog usually will be too.
Your personality
If you have a calm and even-tempered personality, that will translate to your dog as well. A calm dog owner will likely have a calm dog, while a hectic and impatient owner will have a dog that acts that way as well.
Your interaction with your dog
How you treat your dog says a lot about your personality. If you treat your dog with love and respect, it shows that you are a caring and responsible person. On the other hand, if you neglect your dog or treat him badly, it may indicate that you have problems of your own.
Your relationship with other people
How you treat other people can also affect your relationship with your dog. For example, if you are friendly with other people, you will probably have a good relationship with your dog. If, on the other hand, you are unfriendly and dismissive, this can affect your relationship with your dog.
Your lifestyle
Your dog can also be an indicator of your lifestyle. If you spend a lot of time outdoors and enjoy walking or jogging, your dog will probably be very active as well. On the other hand, if you have a rather inactive lifestyle, that will translate to your dog as well.
Of course, all dog-human teams are highly individual and exceptions confirm the rule. However, it is amazing how often you can observe the mentioned factors in practice. Soon pay attention to how much your dog actually reflects you in everyday life.