Are you a dog person? Scientists claim it could be in your genetic makeup.
Many believe being either a cat or dog person is due to whichever you were surrounded by during childhood, but a recent study suggests otherwise.
It might be a case of nature over nurture, which surprised us too!
A team of British and Swedish scientists carried out an investigation to assess the ‘heritability of dog ownership’.
Basically, they compared the genetic makeup of 35,035 pairs of twins by using data from the Swedish Twin Registry, as published in Scientific Reports.
They found out that if one half of identical twins owns a dog, both are more likely to be dog owners. This is what scientists attribute to their shared genome.
Meanwhile, non-identical twins are much less likely to both own dogs. Interesting right?
Tove Fall, lead author of the study, said they were 'surprised to see that a person's genetic makeup appears to be a significant influence in whether they own a dog'.
He added: 'As such, these findings have major implications in several different fields related to understanding dog-human interaction throughout history and modern times'.
The most important thing about this study is that it 'at least demonstrates for the first time that genetics and environment play about equal roles in determining dog ownership', according to Patrick Magnusson, senior author of the study.
So there we go. Whatever pet allegiance you may have, it could be a result of your DNA so it’s simply in your nature. Whether you prefer cats, dogs or another pet, the decision might be completely out of your control.
Did you know that dogs are also more likely to listen to women? That’s good news for any woman who considers herself a dog person!
Are you more of a dog or cat person? Let us know!
