Next time your dog ignores his food bowl or stays hidden in the kennel, do not be too quick to scold him or call the vet. He may just be in need of a shrink.

Researchers have used the techniques of human psychoanalysis to identify five key components which, they argue, can be used to explain many of the quirks of the canine ego.

The traits, which the researchers argue are a unique combination for any species, range from neuroticism to extroversion, amicability, self-assurance and an ability to focus on training.

They hope that, using a questionnaire, dog therapists will be able to rate pets under each heading and uncover the emotional roots of behaviour problems.

The psychoanalytical technique may mean that puppies can one day be scientifically matched with potential owners who have similar personalities. It may also be possible to breed out psychological weaknesses which affect pedigree dogs in particular as a result of their small gene pools.

“I can’t see them lying back on your couch telling you about their dreams but we are finding there are dogs out there with psychological problems who can be helped if we learn more about their personality,” said Pauleen Bennett, a lecturer in (human) psychology at Monash University in Victoria, Australia, and co-author of the paper.

“Two of the aspects we found were neuroticism and extroversion which are similar to well-established personality traits in humans, while a dog which is strong and confident could be said to be one which has an ego.”

Ben Fogle, the television presenter, who owns three labradors, said he had deliberately chosen that breed because it shows little sign of neurosis.

“I grew up with golden retrievers which were timid and tended to be scared of things,” said Fogle. “Labradors are a mixture of sociability and confidence which translates as curiosity and for me the combination makes a really good mix.”

The research by Bennett and two colleagues, to be published in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, began by asking a group of experts – including vets and dog-owning human psychologists – what adjectives they would use to describe their pets’ characters.

The words were whittled down to a list of 41 and were given to a group of more than 1,016 dog-owning members of the public. They were asked to rate their pets under each adjective on a scale of one to six.

The words were then grouped together to form five components. Some have close parallels in humans, but others are unique to dogs.

The first component represents the degree to which a dog is energetic and bouncy – it includes words ranging from “hyperactive” to “eager” to “quiet”. The authors of the study equate this to the human characteristic of extroversion. Another component containing words reflecting nervousness, sensitivity and caution, combined with curiosity, was labelled neuroticism. The researchers found this trait was similar but not identical to human neuroticism. Canine neurosis, unlike the human version which mainly consists of anxiety, may be related to that of hyenas.

“Perhaps a combination of fearfulness and curiosity represents a single factor in the dog but contributes to two separate factors in humans . . . further research will be required to determine the exact components of ‘neuroticism’ in dogs,” says the study.

The researchers found the remaining three components difficult to liken to human characteristics. They included amicability – how happy-go-lucky or gentle the animal is. The researchers conclude that this is different from friendliness in humans as it “lacked the altruism qualities commonly found in human studies.”

Training focus covers characteristics selectively bred by humans, such as the ability to follow a scent or retrieve a bird.

The final component – self-assurance – comprises a dog’s assertiveness, dominance and comfort in its surroundings.

Brian Sewell, the art critic, who has four dogs, cautioned against trying too hard to apply human characteristics to dogs.

“I think being able to treat a dog is pushing it rather and is a little anthropomorphic,” he said.

“But dogs do have egos and expectations of elevation. I have had dogs who have very powerful emotions but I am not sure how much you can apply aspects of human behaviour to the way they act.”

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