By Peter Kaufman:

I found this bit of information very interesting but not surprising:

People are more likely to trust strangers if they are accompanied by dogs, new research out of Edmonton, Canada shows. The joint study by the University of Alberta and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology surveyed 295 people in Edmonton about their views on canines, generally, and about breeds.

The researchers found 82% of those surveyed were most willing to talk to a stranger if the stranger was with a dog. Sixty-six per cent of people said they were more likely to trust someone with a dog than someone without.

Opinions, though, were not steady across breeds. The researchers showed the particpitants photos of four different dogs: a Doberman pinscher, a miniature pinsher, a Bernes mountain dog and a King Charles Cavalier spaniel. Only 9% of respondents picked each of the pinshers.

How do you interpret this ‘research’?  Is it good or bad?