Getting a dog means a commitment that lasts for just over 10 years.

Therefore, it is important to choose the right dog breed based on your own personality and life situation.

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-To find out more about the relationship between dogs and their owners, we have measured the stress levels in both dogs and humans for a short time, says ethologist and dog researcher Lina Roth at Linköping University.  

Stress in the hair

The researchers took hair samples from both the dogs and their owners.

Stress can be measured back in time by analyzing the hormone cortisol, which is stored in hairs for several months.

The dog owners in the study also had to fill in questionnaires about themselves and their dogs. 

The researchers compared three different groups of dog breeds.

One consisted of herding dogs, such as border collies, the other of independent hunting dogs, and the third group were dogs of the original type as a Siberian husky.

Shepherd dogs most stress-resistant

-What we then saw was that a group of dogs - the herding dogs - stood out.

These dogs were much more affected by their owner's stress and personality than the others.

The dogs that were least affected by the owner were the original breeds.

In the middle, the independent hunting dogs ended up, says ethologist Lina Roth. 

Greyhounds in particular have been bred to work very closely with their owners.

Therefore, it is not unexpected that precisely these breeds also feel their owner's feelings and mood more than others. 

Moose dogs and other independent hunting dogs, on the other hand, must drive animals in the forest to the hunter on their own, and dog breeds such as the Siberian husky are considered closer to wolves genetically.

Dog farm is doing well

-But what we also saw and which is perhaps a little surprising, was that circumstances such as living environment and family constellation did NOT affect the dog's stress level.

It does not seem to be more stressful for a dog to spend time in a dog farm or in an apartment in the city than in a country house.

However, what was clearly linked to all the dogs' stress levels is the relationship between dog and owner.

And this applies to all the dog breeds we investigated, says researcher Lina Roth.