Huskies are independent, terriers are protective, retrievers are playful, greyhounds are aloof — every dog breed has its stereotype. But dog owners come to know that their own pup, be it a purebred poodle or a floppy-eared mutt, has its own unique personality. And with dozens of dog breeds and countless hybrids between them, the world of dog personalities and behavior is complex indeed.
Figuring out why certain dogs act the way they do has big ramifications, not just for our pets, but for working dogs and even for humans ourselves. To learn more, since 2005, a project at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine has been gathering information on dog behavior from tens of thousands of dog owners, building the most comprehensive database on canine behavioral traits in the world.
The Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) asks dog owners to spend about 15 minutes answering ...
