The dog breed personality myth is fake, study reveals – popular stereotypes about man’s best friend aren’t supported by science, experts say

Research confirms what dog lovers know – every pup is truly an individual.

Many of the popular stereotypes about the behaviour of golden retrievers, poodles or schnauzers, for example, aren’t supported by science, according to a new US study.

“There is a huge amount of behavioural variation in every breed, and at the end of the day, every dog really is an individual,” said study co-author and University of Massachusetts geneticist Elinor Karlsson.

She said pet owners love to talk about their dog’s personality, as illustrated by some owners at a New York dog park.

Elizabeth Kelly said her English springer spaniel was “friendly, but she’s also kind of the queen bee”. Suly Ortiz described her yellow Lab as “really calm, lazy and shy”.