Have you ever noticed how some SHIH TZU dogs and their owners look alike? Of course, in their behavior, it’s the human who trains the dog, but sometimes they resemble each other physically, which is not only funny but also intriguing.
A study conducted by the Japanese university Kwansei Gakuin in Japan explains the reason behind this. The study’s lead, Sadahiko Nakajima, conducted tests with pairs of photos of dogs and humans, asking volunteers to determine if the animals belonged to their owners.
One of the research stages involved showing altered pairs of photos to the participants, covering certain parts of both the dogs and their owners.
For those who saw the complete faces, the accuracy rate was 80%; whereas those who saw the mouths covered by black bars achieved a 73% success rate.
Now, those who saw the photos with the eyes hidden hardly had any correct answers, suggesting that’s where the answer lies.
In other words, what catches the attention and makes us see a resemblance between owners and SHIH TZU dogs is the gaze.
Interestingly, since the test was conducted in Japan, many participants have eyes of the same color, which would make it even more difficult. However, according to current scientific understanding, we have a keen perception in our subconscious.
So, when someone says that you and your dog are “two peas in a pod,” they might be right.