Zoology There are differences in character between dog breeds, but the dog is still above all an individual, extensive studies confirm

Dog breeds the characteristics are described in many words.

Labrador retrievers are “happy and loyal”, Shetland sheepdogs are “learning and pleasant” and dwarf schnauzers are “vigilant and observing their surroundings,” say the websites of Finnish breed organizations.

Is there anything behind the descriptions?

According to a new U.S. study, a dog breed is not a predictor of weaning behavior, but it is anything but simple.

University of Massachusetts Elinor Karlsson led by a group led by Darwin’s Ark site through an extensive civics project.

Owners of more than 18,000 American pet dogs completed a series of short surveys about the nature, appearance, and behavior of their dogs.

In addition, the researchers examined the genetics of more than 2,000 dogs in order to access the genetic or genetic background of the differences in behavior. The results were published Science-tredelehti in April.

Researchers bundled the behavior into eight traits.

They are human sociality, male sociality, energy, playfulness, obedience, aggression, interest in the environment, and the need for intimacy.

Most canine traits are hereditary, meaning that heredity explains at least 25 percent of the variation between dog individuals. There are hereditary differences both within and between races.

The rest of the variation is produced by the environment. For example, a dog’s sociality is affected by the dog’s experiences of its companions.

In a U.S. study, the breed explained only nine percent of the differences in behavior between dogs.

In other words, individual variation was much greater than racial differences. Genes related to the appearance of dogs are highly differentiated between breeds, but the nature of the genome is little affected.

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“It’s not realistic to assume that any single factor would affect behavior a lot.”

Even racial differences however, was found. The clearest were in biddability. This trait measures a dog’s ability to learn and enthusiasm to obey requests.

At the top were the Belgian Shepherd, the Hungarian Vizla and the Border Collie. Bassettes, Alaskan Malamutes, Shiba Inuts and Dwarf Pinschers were identified as the least obedient by the researchers.

The personality of dogs is also studied in Finland. University of Helsinki dogs genetic research team at first glance, the results seem to contradict the results of the Karlsson group.

The group has reported large inter-racial differences in many behavioral traits.

In reality, the results are very similar, given the differences in research methods, says the head of the research group, Professor Hannes Lohi.

“It’s mainly a matter of differences of interpretation and opinion.”

Also in Finnish results, the breed explains only a small part of the variation between dogs. Its share is still higher than any other factor that researchers have been able to measure.

“For us, the behavior is so complex that it is unrealistic to assume that any single factor would affect the behavior terribly much. This has also been observed in previous human and animal studies, ”says Lohi.

Dogs are therefore, above all, individuals, and a race can never be guaranteed a certain character.

However, the distributions of traits clearly differ between races. In some cases, the differences are large.

For example, you can find a dog in any breed that is afraid of strangers. However, the fear of guests is as much as 18 times more common in Spanish Water Dogs than in Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

In breed descriptions however, there seems to be a bad stern.

“The results fit really well with the character descriptions of the breeds and the general perception of the breed,” says the postdoctoral researcher working in the dog genetics research team. Milla Salonen.

He refers to a large-scale study of dog behavior conducted by the group, the results of which have only been published as scientific articles.

Like the American study, it was carried out as a civic science, in which thousands of Finnish dog owners participated. Preliminary results have been published by a team of researchers, for example On his Facebook page.

In particular, the positive features of race descriptions, such as race activity and sociality, fit in. Instead, the negative features can be embellished.

“For example, many races are described as reserved or reserved. We have found that these breeds are on average fearful and insecure, ”says Salonen.

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“Most of the most uncertain breeds are those that are bred primarily for appearance purposes.”

Purebred the idea of ​​the dog was born in the Victorian era.

In its current form, the breeds have only been around for 160 years, or more than fifty generations of dogs. It’s just a blink of an eye in a dog’s at least 15,000-year history.

Thus, breeds have not had time to differentiate very far from each other in their behavioral genes.

However, there have already been differences in character in the strain populations from which breeds have been created.

People have favored energetic shepherds, vigilant watch dogs and sociable lap dogs long before they were split into breeds.

In addition to the differences in character, the dogs had time to develop motor differences according to their uses, which utilize different parts of the wolf’s predatory behavior.

Shepherd dogs chase and lurk but do not attack, while small rat dogs make a predation series until the end.

Appearance Breeding can also change character, such as increasing unwanted behavior when character is not considered important in breeding choices, Salonen says. The research team has found signs of this in Finnish dogs.

“In our as yet unpublished study, most of the most uncertain breeds are those that are bred mainly for appearance purposes,” says Salonen.

Undesirable behavior in a dog can manifest as hyperactivity, impaired concentration, sensitivity to voice, differential anxiety, and various fears, for example. The tendency to do so is also hereditary.

About a third of Finnish dogs are afraid of loud noises, says Hannes Lohen’s group survey. Other fears occur in almost as many dogs when talking about individuals.

The most feared breeds are the Spanish Water Dog, the Lagotto Romagnolo, the Wheaten Terrier and the Scottish Shepherd.

German shepherds are most obsessed. Border Collies, on the other hand, have compulsive staring and predation of shadows that are rare in other breeds.

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“In addition to health, the nature of the individual should be paramount in breeding decisions.”

When knowledge is accumulating and the genetic roots of dogs ’behavioral problems are being overcome, and hopefully dogs will also get a new kind of help.

Meanwhile, researchers hope breeders will do their best to ensure that dogs do not have to suffer from their traits.

“The nature of the individual should be the most important thing in addition to health in breeding decisions,” Lohi says.

Because only part of the variation in character is due to genes, the treatment of the dog and especially the experiences of the puppy’s age are essential.

“Socializing and handling your puppy is important. The puppy needs to be introduced to different places and situations and species. The puppies’ new homes should be chosen carefully based on their nature, ”Salonen lists.