Dogs may be stereotyped as man's best friend, but our collective opinions of different breeds vary widely in terms of friendliness — as well as other personality traits. The American Kennel Club (AKC) describes Chihuahuas as "charming," "graceful," and "sassy." Toy dogs, like those that can fit in a purse, are stereotyped as docile. Pit bulls are often unfairly dismissed as dangerous. Representations in the media have only intensified a myriad of dog stereotypes ranging from hasty generalizations to downright discrimination, but is there any merit to these stigmas?
Perhaps not, a new study published in Science finds. The researchers' study of dog breeds and behavior challenges the assumptions that we have about different breeds' personalities — finding that behavior was "much more variable" among individual dogs, even of the same breed. That suggests that our stereotypes about ankle-biting Chihuahuas and vicious pit bulls may be untrue.
