Do Dogs imitate their owners? | 6 habits dogs pick up from their human

If you have ever noticed your dog try and copy you, then you aren’t alone. Dogs fairly happen to mimic their owners.

It is also possible that a dog copies the personality of the family they reside with. They are conditioned in ways to behave similar to humans, and these habits can look like yours.

Dogs are highly observant creatures, and they take in visual and auditory information. Due to the nature of dogs, through such observant behavior, they pick up habits from their humans. Hence, if you notice such an instance occurring, you need to ensure that you don’t have them habitual to any behavior that is negative. So, if you are going to share habits with your dog, you need to be careful.

The reason dogs do so is that they are trying to fit into your life. They want nothing more than to get along with their owner, so, it is their way of bonding with you.

Below are some habits dogs pick up from their owners

Sleeping

Naturally, dogs sleep more than their owners do. However, with time, they may get used to your sleep schedule. If you wake up early and go to bed on time too, then it is possible that your dog will mimic your schedule and wake up when you do.

Not all dogs can actually adjust to your sleep schedule, but they will indeed try.

Eating

If you feed your dog around the time when you start to eat, it is likely that they will get hungry at the same time as you.

When a dog is fed every day at a set time, and this time is changed, they will respond to that alteration. They are conditioned to ask for meals at specific times or triggers that are an indication of the fact that mealtime is near. If a change in this schedule occurs, it is common for your dog to feel irritated.

Talking

Some dogs are vocal by nature. So, if you are the type of owner who speaks to their dogs, then they will speak back. Some breeds may even howl when you are rowdy with them. If you reinforce this behavior by laughing or petting when they howl, they will get used to it.

If you have a conversation with your dog at some point and you show a positive reaction, then the moment will become a habit for your dog.

Mood

Obviously, dogs are sensitive creatures. They are great at determining the mood you are in, thanks to their heightened senses. Your dog may get excited when you are.

If you feel sick and are down, they may start behaving the same way too. Emotional contagion is the sharing of emotions between two social species when they are close to each other. If you are calm, so will your canine be. This can also extend into general emotional habits and not just moods.

How they show love

Some dog breeds love to cuddle, while the others like to lick. The way dogs show affection is developed by their owner.

We show love in many ways, and some people are more likely to show affection than others. Our dogs fall into the same pattern of habits. They may show love from distance by wagging their tails, or through cuddling.

It is possible that your dog loves to cuddle because you have a habit of picking them up and putting them in your lap.

Like the same people

Now, this one is a lot more interesting. You may have observed that when it comes to people you dislike; your dog seems to have a sixth sense.

Dogs can pick up our emotions, from excited, to scared, when someone comes over. If you are excited about having someone over, then it is possible that your dog will start to feel the same way.

Through this amazing characteristic, dogs are able to protect you from people you are not comfortable around.

Not all dogs will pick up their trait, and it varies from breed to breed.

Why do dogs imitate

Now that we know the kind of behaviors dogs can pick up from humans, the only question that is left is why they do this!

If you like to study dogs, you know that they are pack animals. You may have heard this multiple times, but them being pack animals is actually the reason behind a lot of their behaviors.

When you are part of a pack, you have to do whatever it takes to fit in. One of these things is behaving the way you behave.

The way dogs learn your habits is by observing you. They start to copy the behavior that seems useful to them. In fact, they have evolved so much in this regard that they know when a behavior might not benefit them and they stop doing it.

Experts are of the view that this behavior is a result of thousands of years of selective training. With time, it became a built-in reaction.

In a study conducted on this phenomenon, dogs watched their human open a sliding door. Half the people used their hands, while the other used their heads. Despite being offered a reward, for not imitating their owner, they were more likely to do what their owner did.

But you need to be careful as well. If you don’t want to reinforce negative behavior, do not encourage your dog when they do something you don’t want them to.

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