Dogs exhibit a wide range of behaviors, some of which we find problematic.
New research is unraveling the genetic underpinnings of canine personality and behavior, offering insights into psychiatric disorders while opening doors for better behavioral care in our furry friends.
Key facts:
- Genetic testing of dogs predicted problem behaviors like fear, anxiety and aggression with up to 76% accuracy.
- Researchers identified genetic markers associated with clinical behavioral diagnoses in dogs. Combinations of 5 markers could predict whether a dog had a diagnosis.
- Dogs acquired from shelters or breeders had lower risk for problem behaviors compared to pet stores.
- Pit Bulls were not more aggressive than other dogs. They showed reduced risk of owner-directed aggression and only mildly increased dog-directed fear in a small subset.
- Smaller dog size was tied to problematic behaviors, while larger size associated with trainability.
Source: BMC Genomics 2022
The Genetic Basis of Personality in Dogs
A dog’s personality and tendencies like fear, anxiety, and aggression have parallels to human conditions.
Scientists have found that the core biology underlying many traits is evolutionarily conserved.
Powered by intense selection during domestication, the genetics of complex traits in dogs is far simpler than humans. This gives dogs an advantage as models to study the roots of behavior.
In a recent two-part study, researchers mapped genetic markers tied to an array of canine behaviors.
They first scanned breeds for markers linked to averaged behavioral scores.
Next, they tested those markers in a diverse sample of individual dogs.
The findings supported associations for all markers examined, demonstrating their ability to predict problematic canine behaviors.
Predicting Behavioral Problems in Canines: Anxiety, Aggression, Compulsive Disorders
The researchers tested whether genetic markers could predict if a dog had a clinical behavioral diagnosis. Their sample included 397 pet dogs, both pure and mixed breeds.
A portion had diagnosed conditions like anxiety, aggression, and compulsive disorders.
Analysis found specific markers associated with being diagnosed.
Just 5 markers could reliably predict whether or not dogs had a behavioral diagnosis.
The implicated genes are involved in hormone signaling, brain development, and regulation of emotions like fear and anxiety.
This suggests their canine tests may have clinical relevance for behavioral care.
Fewer Problems from Shelters and Breeders
Beyond genetics, environmental factors also influence behavior.
The source a dog came from affected behavior risk.
Dogs from shelters or breeders showed fewer problems than those from pet stores.
This likely owes to pet store pups trending smaller, which correlates genetically with more problematic behaviors.
The presence of children also associated with some anxious and fear behaviors.
Interestingly, non-behavioral illnesses correlated with reduced problem behaviors – except dog-directed aggression and stool-eating.
The reasons behind this are still unclear.
Pit Bulls: Bad Rap or Bad Rep?
Pit Bulls are controversial dogs stigmatized as aggressive, with breed-specific legislation restricting their ownership.
Contrary to their reputation, this study found no markers uniquely defined Pit Bulls.
Within the general population, Pit Bulls showed no increased aggression or likelihood of behavioral diagnoses versus other dogs.
They did have higher risk for leash-pulling, but reduced owner-directed aggression.
Only a minor subset showed mildly elevated dog-directed fear.
The findings fail to support banning Pit Bulls as an effective bite prevention strategy.
Further studies are needed on rarer genetic risks for aggression in particular lines.
Small Dog, Big Behaviors
The researchers confirmed previous links between small size and problem behaviors like fear, anxiety and aggression.
Markers near genes regulating growth and development were consistently associated.
In contrast, a variant tied to large size increased trainability, a more positive trait.
This aligns with biological links between size, brain development and function.
While it’s tempting to ascribe this to small dogs being anxious and yappy, changes during domestication likely tie these genes to behavior.
Untangling the biological and psychological factors behind size-behavior links is an area warranting further research.
Implications for Dog and Human Health
This research demonstrates genetics can provide behavioral insights in dogs.
But it also has broader implications for both canine and human health.
For dogs, the findings could enable better behavioral diagnoses and inform breeding, shelter, and veterinary care.
But experts caution against direct-to-consumer tests until behavioral risks are better defined.
The simple genetics behind complex canine traits also makes them powerful models for human conditions.
Many neurobiology pathways are shared between species.
As we demystify the biological roots of behavior in dogs, opportunities arise to advance understanding and treatment of psychiatric disorders in humans as well.
Human-canine relationships go back millennia, but we’re still discovering new depths to the bond we share.
Dogs have long been man’s best friend.
Now, as we unravel the genetics behind their behavior, they could become the perfect furry partners in unraveling mysteries of the mind.
References
- Study: Genetic testing of dogs predicts problem behaviors in clinical and nonclinical samples
- Authors: Isain Zapata et al. (2022)
