Hello Breedia Community, I am a researcher from Leiden University, The Netherlands. The last months I have been working on a study about human-dog communication. We have been researching selective breeding processes and how various features of modern and ancient dog breeds affect a dog's social interaction with humans. We are now conducting a short online survey to help us gain new findings in this latest field of research. For this I have even received help in gathering material for the study from this community. If you are interested in participating in this research by completing the survey, please click the link below. https://nlpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6fYfl2SjCpRRyNE The survey takes only 10-15min and you will mainly be asked to rate various dogs on a few factors. More information is provided at the beginning of the survey. Thank you very much for your contribution in this exciting new field of research! Regards, Simon.
I am sorry but when the first question asked for my gender I withdrew. I do not see any reason why the gender of a person answering a survey regarding a study about human-dog communication has any possible connection to the study, or why it should be known. Others may feel differently, so good luck with your research.
The gender question didn't matter to me, but I found it impossible to answer the questions. Rating aggressiveness etc in any breed is impossible because within those breeds, every individual dog is different
I understand the idea of the study. It's about people's perceptions to the look of a dog. As such, I think it is better suited to be taken by casual dog owners rather than dog afficionados/professionals. I suspect that with the first couple questions about dog experience will show that this is true - that people with less experience will be more varied in their answers for aggressiveness. For me, cuteness is not a description I describe for most adult dogs - only 2 of my dogs would I describe as "cute", most puppies would earn the descriptor. I also find "beautiful" to be very limiting. I would have given more range to my answers if I had been asked to rate the dog's "attractiveness". Can I voice my displeasure that you didn't show a German Shepherd in the mix? I found that very disheartening. @Malka - the male/female/other question is actually understandable here. The survey is about our perceptions and gender may very well play a factor in that. They may find that women tend to perceive one thing, while men perceive another. @Chris - as this is about our perceptions, I answered the aggressiveness question as 3 across the board. Because I do not perceive any difference in aggressiveness based on a dog's appearance. I used 3 because while I don't think any given breed is more aggressive than another, I do perceive that a dog of any breed may have some aggressive tendencies. Again, I think this will be different for someone with less dog experience.
@Toedtoes - the fact that the gender of the person might alter their perception of a dogs behaviour/communication etc is understandable, but it was the wording that I did not agree with. Had it asked 'Male'- 'Female' - 'Rather not say' it would have been acceptable to me.
Adding "other" is the new standard. It's a change in the way society sees gender and we just need to learn to accept it. There have been times I have been asked my gender on surveys, etc, when I didn't want to answer. If there was no "I prefer not to answer" option, I just simply chose the opposite choice.
I am afraid that I am too much of an old fogey to change my views now. Choosing the opposite gender would negate any conclusions drawn from the answers in any case, if they were gender-related.
My logic is that I don't have to change my views, I just have to accept that the world is changing and new views are becoming prevalent. Unless it directly affects me, I just ignore it.
