thursday, april 8,2004
news
the university daily kansan 5-7
Study asks why people resemble their canines
By Matt Rodriguez
mrdriguez@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The Lawrence Humane Society's annual Mutt and Strut contest gives awards to people who resemble their pets.
Last May's winners were a tall, thin woman with blonde hair and her skinny, beige-colored Whippitt—a type of short-haired breed that looks like a miniature greyhound.
"They both had an elegant face and thin build but the catch was that they both were outstanding runners," said Linda Watrak, coordinator for the society's stray-holding facility. "It was amazing to see how much they really did look alike"
Nicholas Christenfeld, a professor of psychology at the University of California in San Diego, said that resemblance is common and he is trying to find out why.
"It's fascinating to use science to answer these questions," said Christenfeld.
Christenfeld is no stranger to atypical research. He has studied, for example, the correlation between a person's initials and their life-span.
In a recent study, Christen-
feld and co-researcher Michael
"It doesn't just come down to one trait like looks or personality. It's a combination of reasons why dogs and owners can resemble each other."
Nicholas Christenfeld
University of Californiaiain San Diego professor
Roy had a group of undergraduate students take pictures of 45 pets and their owners at a San Diego dog park.
The two researchers showed the pictures to another group of students to see if they could match dogs with their owners.
The majority of the students were able to do it, Christenfeld said. The results showed that owners and their pets, especially purebreds, resemble each other.
"It doesn't just come down to one trait like looks or personality," Christenfeld said. "It's a combination of reasons why dogs and owners can resemble each other."
The researchers wrote in their study that when a person picks a
pet, they look for one that resembles themselves and usually get what they want when they get a purebred.
Kevin Essian said he and his four-year-old Siberian Husky, Nick, get the same shaved haircut during the summer, but look nothing alike.
"I've had people tell me that my dog's personality resembles my own, but as far as looks, they think we look nothing alike," Yessian said.
The two do resemble each other in the way they greet strangers.
Yessian said Nick will go up to someone he doesn't know and show some slight interest with a sniff or stare and then leave him or her alone. Yessian said he does the same, except for the sniffing.
Yessian's shared personality traits are not unique. The Lawrence Humane Society, 1805 E. 19th St., trains workers to match dogs with an owner based on personality.
"You can't always be breed specific," Watrak said. "We have to match the dog specifically to their owner's lifestyle, and not so much on their looks, in order for both the owners and the dogs needs to be met."
- Edited by Abby Mills
Sebelius visits grade schools
The Associated Press
MANHATTAN — Gov. Kathleen Sebelius showed her support for Kansas schools yesterday by reading poetry for third graders and answering questions about public service from sixth graders.
During a visit to Marlart Elementary School in Manhattan,
she told teacher Ken Garwick's sixth-graders that finding legislators willing to make tough decisions about schools was difficult.
"A lot of people say we need more money for schools but don't want to make anybody mad,"she said.
Sebelius said she understands concerns about raising taxes
— she wants to keep the money she earns — but Kansans have expectations for government services, including education.
The Democratic governor was making her second visit to a Kansas school this week, after stopping Tuesday in Emporia. Other visits are expected with the Legislature on break until April 28.
Caitlyn Dunning, Oklahoma City,freshman, worked on drawings yesterday near the Chi Omega fountain. The fountain was turned on for the first time yesterday because of the beautiful weather.
Brent Carter/Kansan
Water wonderland