Splash looks up adoringly with liquid brown eyes, eager for a treat. Her ears are pointed straight up, and she looks intent and pretty. She's also well-behaved and friendly-perfect qualities for a dog, but she's a doberman pinscher. That means she's not popular like her neighbour Khyber, a huge, shambling, flop-eared pooch wearing the same happy face she is.
In a recent survey of 295 Edmontonians, Splash finished with only a nine per cent approval rating as a companion animal, well behind Khyber, a bernese mountain dog, who grabbed 55 per cent of the vote. The survey also revealed a low nine per cent approval rating for Splash's smaller companion, a miniature doberman pinscher, but a 27 per cent rating for a spaniel that was a smaller, but similar, physical match for Khyber.
It's numbers like these that concern University of Alberta professor Gaylene Fasenko, who, with fellow NAIT researcher Linda Glasier and U of A student Alicia Glaser, conducted the study to measure the reactions people had to different breeds, and consequently, the level of social trust created among strangers, depending on what kind of dog they had with them.
"There's an apparent level of discomfort towards certain breeds of dogs - in this case, the doberman and miniature pinschers - and that can lead to stereotyping that decreases not only acceptance of these dogs in public places, but also of all breeds in general," said Fasenko, an associate professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences.
That is troubling when proportionately, the global population of dogs and cats is growing at a higher rate than the human population, she added. "At the same time that companion animals are playing greater roles in our individual lives, we're not sure society is embracing their presence in public places. For instance, companion animal owners, including those with service dogs, face barriers with housing, transportation and with access in public places."
However, the study did reveal some good news, even for less-popular breeds like Splash; those who were spotted with dogs were generally deemed to be more trustworthy.
The presence of a dog, regardless of the type of breed, appears to give people a comfort level with strangers. Eighty-two per cent of participants said they were more likely to talk to a stranger with a dog than without a dog, and 66 per cent said they would trust strangers with a dog more than if the strangers were alone.
As well, 88 per cent of people who have a dog in their own households said they would talk to strangers who were accompanied by a dog. This verbal interaction between strangers dropped by 10 per cent in non-dog owners; still 78 per cent of non-dog owners said they were more likely to interact with a stranger accompanied by a dog.
And participants' knowledge of different breeds helped build trust. People who were able to name all four dog breeds used in the study had more positive feelings towards all of the dogs, compared to those who didn't know any of the breeds.
"The findings show that we may be able to build social trust if we educate people about different breeds," said Glasier, associate chair of the Veterinary Administrative Assistant program in the School of Health Sciences at NAIT. "That's important, not only in building public acceptance for making animals more a part of society, but also for educating people about choosing a pet that is appropriate for them. The companion animal choices that don't work out, unfortunately, often end up in shelters that are already overcrowded."
Fasenko and Glasier plan to team up to conduct further studies into why breeds such as the doberman were rated lower in their survey.
"We feel there is tremendous potential in this area of research to demonstrate the benefits companion animals have to society," said Fasenko.
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Thank you so much for sharing this video!
gabberttia 2 months ago
awwww i like the doberman
bedupolkerpenguin 1 year ago
thats a friendly doberman.
SucksWiener 1 year ago
its hutch at :14
matshadwhite 1 year ago
As a baby I was once in my stroller, and I had a dobermann that was like a big brother, he wouldn't let anyone get near me, this one lady came up and was telling my mom how cute I was and she put her hand out and he literally almost bit her hand off for getting too close to me.
TheTrentle 1 year ago
They should also take into account of the history of the dog German Shepards and Doberman Pinschers, Pugs, and bulldogs have a history to be trained violent. While say the Golden Retriever or Bernese have that "family dog" kind of feel to them. These statistics aren't always correct but they are accurate in some measures. I personally enjoy Boxers and Bernese. But I'm moreso of a cat fan. :)
IFM2002 1 year ago
Oh thats sad. They both look so adorable!
AsukuraPunk 1 year ago
True that dogs are subject to stereotyping; however, mostly unfairly. I am a big advocate for "aggressive" or "powerful" breeds as they've become known. In my lifetime I've been bitten by a lab, a golden, and a shar pei. Pits have proven to be the most friendly dogs by far. It is more important to socialize ALL breeds to ensure they do well in public. I'd much rather have a Doberman in the family than a Bernese.
gerggo11 1 year ago