Introverts as Pet Owners

A friend sent me this link regarding introverts. My friend is a bonafied introvert, not anti-social, just not chatty; she does not need, in fact, cannot be, with people constantly. According to the article, I'd classify myself as a border-line case. I do not need, nor do I desire, to be with people all the time. I can be chatty, but only with certain people. My truly close friends can be counted on two hands. In fact, I find if I am around crowds (even people I love) too often or for too long, the need for some "away time" to regroup is not only a powerful urge, but an absolute necessity.

My friend spends much of her time with her horse. I spend lots of time with my dog. It is quiet, satisfying and rarely depleting. I find I can diffuse, what for me would eventually become the sapping energy of crowds, by focusing on Bella, by making a virtual cocoon with just the two of us. Bella is fine in crowds and around other animals, but even for her it can sometimes prove too much and she becomes overly stimulated and a bit manic. With our previous dog, Lucy, and her anger management issues, time with her spent in crowds was emotionally exhausting for both of us.

This makes me wonder if many pet owners tend towards being introverts? I often hear dog owners say they like dogs better than people and prefer time spent with their dog(s), more than socializing with their own kind. My friend says this is true of horse people too. Neither my friend nor I exclusively prefer our pet over people...though sometimes their quiet personalities are wonderful!

I took a very quick, unscientific look on the Internet and found several references to a study done by Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas, who with a graduate student, conducted a web-based survey of over 4,500 people to discover if they were "dog" people or "cat" people and what that might mean. It certainly didn't bear me out. In the article I read by Stanley Coren, PhD, in Psychology Today, he states the results of Gosling's study this way:

The results showed that dog people were generally about 15 percent more extroverted and 13 percent more agreeable, both of which dimensions are associated with social orientation. In addition dog people were 11 percent more conscientious than cat people. Conscientiousness involves is a tendency to show self-discipline, to complete tasks and aim for achievement. The trait shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behavior.     

In comparison cat people were generally about 12 percent more neurotic, however they were also 11 percent more open than dog people. The openness trait involves a general appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, imagination, curiosity, and variety of experience. People high on openness are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs while people with low scores on openness (dog people) tend to have more conventional, traditional interests.

In the same linked article, the author's own study of over 6000 individuals, Coren found:

According to my data, cat owners were one third more likely to live alone than dog owners and twice as likely to live in an apartment or flat. Being married, living in a house, and having children living in the home, are all factors that are more likely for dog owners than cat owners.

Turning to the personality profile of the person who owns only cats, we find a reasonable overlap with Gosling's recent findings. To begin with we find we find that people who own only cats tend to be relatively introverted (low on extroversion) and also reasonably cool (low in warmth or agreeableness) which is the pattern confirmed by the more recent data.

Hm-m. Next, I came across a blog entry cataloging what your dog's breed says about you. This is pure fun. As a Labrador owner, they were pretty spot-on about our life style. (Yes, yes, I know she's crossed with an Australian Shepherd, but that's a much smaller part of her personality.)

If your favorite dog breed is a Retriever or Spaniel (Labradors, Goldens, Labradoodles, American Cocker Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, etc) then your personality traits are:

• Family-focused
• Fun-loving and social
• Easygoing
• Active lifestyle
• Positive perspective, with an “open door” policy at home

Now that I've blown any possibility of connecting the dots between pet owners and introverts asunder, I ask you. What's your take on this?