According to an article in  Live Science, a study presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the British Psychological Society found that dog breeds reflect certain facets of their owners’ personalities.

Toy dog owners (like moi) are said to have open personalities, are intelligent, open to new experiences and are appreciative of art. Well, that goes without saying, of course. I’m told they also like dark beer.

Agreeable dog, agreeable owner

People who share life with a Rhodesian ridgeback are emotionally stable. Your Shar-Pei or Chow Chow owner is quite conscientious.

Labrador retriever owners, like their pooches, are known to be agreeable while Corgi and Collie folk are extroverts.

Pit Bull owners are psychotic. No, I’m just kidding with that one so don’t get all medieval on me. Joke, joke. OK?

Although…research, detailed in the journal Anthrozoos, finds that people with argumentative personalities are more likely to choose bull terriers and other aggressive dogs than their agreeable counterparts. In other words,disagreeable people prefer aggressive dogs. Yikes.

In any case I thought the study was pretty much full of baloney or bologna if you prefer the Italian version. There just wasn’t any substance to it and there was no significant differentiation among pet personality characteristics. So whilst I like the traits associated with owning a Maltese I have to cry bunk, although I admit we are both spoiled, lazy, eternally hungry and rather indiscriminate about our conduct in public.

Besides, I much prefer the comparisons between a dog’s appearance and that of its owners. Max and I don’t look alike except that my “fur” is getting whiter. But some folks do look their pets and vice versa. A quick Google produces so many examples it’s impossible to pick a weiner, er, winner.