Although some of us do not care when choosing a pet for ourselves, for some it is very important what the breed is when owning a dog. For example, if you want a smart and playful dog, the collie breed is recommended, and if you want an extroverted dog that appeals to all family members, the labrador breed is recommended.
Dog breeds may have long been defined by certain behaviors and temperaments; but that may not be quite true, according to a new genetic study. The new research suggests that making inferences about dog behavior and personality based on breed is an ‘insufficient’ indicator.
The variation in dog behavior by breed is due to thousands of years of evolution
Researchers investigating the genomes of 2,155 dogs, including 78 purebred breeds and mixed ancestry, revealed 18,000 samples taken from purebred dog owners. Based on more than 1,000 survey responses, they found that there were very few genetic variants that could explain common canine behaviors.
As a result of their research, experts have identified 11 spots in the dog genome that are strongly associated with behavioral traits, such as how well a dog follows instructions or how much he howls. But oddly enough, none of these were breed specific. In fact, the data showed that breed of dog was sufficient to explain only 9 percent of the behavioral variation identified between individual dogs, and no behavioral trait was unique to one dog breed.
At one point, researchers found that age and gender were actually stronger predictors of a dog’s behavior. “Many of the behaviors we think of as traits of certain modern dog breeds likely resulted from thousands of years of evolution, from wolves to wild dogs, domestic dogs, and finally modern breeds,” said Elinor Karlsson of the University of Massachusetts. It predates our concept by thousands of years.” uses expressions.
Years ago, dogs were selected for hunting, guarding, and herd leadership qualities
Most dog breeds in existence today have only followed aesthetic or physical ideals in the past one or two centuries. selected accordingly. Prior to that, however, offspring were chosen based on estimates of how well they would hunt, guard, or herd.
It is certainly possible to pass on complex traits from one dog generation to the next, such as behavior resulting from many small genes interacting with each other and with the environment; but modern pet owners may not have had enough time to truly make an impact on the breeds we know today. This may explain why Karlsson and colleagues found only very slight genetic variation from breed to breed in dog behavior. These differences only become milder and less obvious when you consider that more than half of all ‘purebred’ dogs in the United States have more than one type of ancestry.
In the current genomic study, there seemed to be a genetic influence between a dog’s having border collie ancestry and my dog’s reported promiscuity or ability to follow human direction. On the other hand, no significant influence was observed between Labrador retriever ancestors and human sociability. In other words, although purebred labrador owners report this as an important trait of the breed, just because a dog has labrador ancestry doesn’t mean it would be more social with humans.
If the results of this study are correct and our assumptions about breed behavior are mere exaggerations, it may mean that national policies banning certain ‘aggressive’ dog breeds lack a scientific basis. The same can be said for insurance policies that refuse to cover breeds like the pit bull.
Modern dog breeders may have little influence on dog behavior
Karlsson’s research may be one of the first to examine the genetics behind breed-based behavior in dogs; however, past research has concluded that differences in dog behavior within a breed are nearly equivalent to those between breeds. Of course, more work is needed to determine the genetics behind canine behavior; however, new findings show that modern breeders have little influence on dogs’ personalities.
In short, when your dog obeys a command or cuddles with you on the couch, this may be more related to our ancestors than the work done by modern dog breeders today.
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