Behaviour has long been regarded an important influencer in the adoptability of dogs, especially in shelter environments. Less emphasis, however, has been given to the human element and our tendency to attribute different personality and behavioural traits to dogs based on their appearance, and the influence this might have on how adoptable we perceive a dog to be. 

Life as a practising veterinarian can be a demanding one, with high workloads, client complaints[1] and other client-related factors, including economic limitations, unrealistic expectations and lack of compliance at the top of the list when it comes to workplace stressors[2,3]. On top of which, by virtue of their profession, veterinarians often interact with distressed clients or those experiencing caregiver burden (strain from caring for an ill loved one[4]), which can result in a transfer of burden from client to veterinarian[5].