Factors influencing the expression of behavior in the domestic dog

Wells, Deborah L.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-323-85752-9.00011-1

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Many social and behavioral deficits observed in adult dogs may be affected by separating puppies too early from the dam and littermates (6 weeks vs. 12 weeks) ( 35 ). Thus, studying dog maternal behavior and identifying various factors that could shape the behavioral development of the young can also help raise more human-friendly dogs for adoption ( 36 ). Altogether, dog maternal behavior is situated at a niche position, allowing us to address some of the fundamental scientific, clinical, and practical questions.…”

Section: Significance Of Dog Maternal Behavior Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roadmap for maternal behavior research in domestic dogs: lessons from decades of laboratory rodent work

2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Maternal behavior research in laboratory rats has revealed important behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms governing the onset, maintenance and decline of maternal behavior. However, the extent to which these mechanisms are evolutionarily conserved across species is less clear. This manuscript proposes that examining these mechanisms in dogs may be a viable approach to test their generality and help bridge the gap between rodent and human research, as domestic dogs show greater individual differences and exhibit more human-like maternal characteristics than rodents. These aspects represent advantages over rodent models, which in turn allow systems biological approaches not available in rodents. Additionally, domestic dogs share similar social environments with humans, suffer from the same mental disorders as humans, and can be treated with the same medications. This paper begins with a summary of key findings and theoretical developments from decades of rat maternal behavior research, followed by a literature review of the extant maternal behavior research on dogs and related methodology, highlighting the unique behavioral characteristics of dog maternal behavior and similarities and differences from rat maternal behavior. Finally, several knowledge gaps in dog maternal behavior research, as well as the future research in this area is discussed. It concludes that research on dog maternal behavior will not only advance our understanding of the universality of the neurobiological and behavioral mechanisms in maternal behavior, but also improve our understanding of risk factors associated with postpartum mental disorders.

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Section: Significance Of Dog Maternal Behavior Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Roadmap for maternal behavior research in domestic dogs: lessons from decades of laboratory rodent work

2024

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Variations in Canine Behavioural Characteristics across Conventional Breed Clusters and Most Common Breed-Based Public Stereotypes

Peťková,

Skurková,

Florian

et al. 2024

Animals

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Dog breeds are grouped based on scientific agreement, whether for traditional reasons or specific tasks during their domestication. Discrepancies may occur between public views of breed behaviour and actual evidence. This research aims to investigate differences in five behavioural traits (aggression towards people, aggression towards animals, fearfulness, responsiveness to training, and activity/excitability) by using the Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) across six conventional groups/clusters of dog breeds (herding, hunting, guarding, companion dogs, potentially aggressive breeds, and mixed-breed dogs) and to assess hypotheses derived from common public presumptions. A cohort of 1309 dog owners sourced through diverse online platforms took part in the study. Contrary to stereotypes, the findings indicate that breeds labelled as “potentially aggressive” display lower levels of aggression compared to guarding breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.657, p = 0.041) and mixed-breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.870, p = 0.002). Additionally, mixed-breed dogs exhibited the highest levels of fearfulness among the six conventional clusters. In terms of aggression and gender, males demonstrated higher aggression levels towards both humans and animals compared to females (p = 0.001). These results challenge established assumptions and emphasise the necessity of evidence-based methodologies in the assessment of canine behaviour.

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Heritability and Genome-Wide Association Study of Dog Behavioral Phenotypes in a Commercial Breeding Cohort

Bhowmik,

Cook,

Croney

et al. 2024

Genes

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Background: Canine behavior plays an important role in the success of the human–dog relationship and the dog’s overall welfare, making selection for behavior a vital part of any breeding program. While behaviors are complex traits determined by gene × environment interactions, genetic selection for desirable behavioral phenotypes remains possible. Methods: No genomic association studies of dog behavior to date have been reported on a commercial breeding (CB) cohort; therefore, we utilized dogs from these facilities (n = 615 dogs). Behavioral testing followed previously validated protocols, resulting in three phenotypes/variables [social fear (SF), non-social fear (NSF), and startle response (SR)]. Dogs were genotyped on the 710 K Affymetrix Axiom CanineHD SNP array. Results: Inbreeding coefficients indicated that dogs from CB facilities are statistically less inbred than dogs originating from other breeding sources. Heritability estimates for behavioral phenotypes ranged from 0.042 ± 0.045 to 0.354 ± 0.111. A genome-wide association analysis identified genetic loci associated with SF, NSF, and SR; genes near many of these loci have been previously associated with behavioral phenotypes in other populations of dogs. Finally, genetic risk scores demonstrated differences between dogs that were more or less fearful in response to test stimuli, suggesting that these behaviors could be subjected to genetic improvement. Conclusions: This study confirms several canine genetic behavioral loci identified in previous studies. It also demonstrates that inbreeding coefficients of dogs in CB facilities are typically lower than those in dogs originating from other breeding sources. SF and NSF were more heritable than SR. Risk allele and weighted risk scores suggest that fearful behaviors could be subjected to genetic improvement.

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Factors influencing the expression of behavior in the domestic dog

Cited by 3 publications

References 128 publications

Roadmap for maternal behavior research in domestic dogs: lessons from decades of laboratory rodent work

Roadmap for maternal behavior research in domestic dogs: lessons from decades of laboratory rodent work

Variations in Canine Behavioural Characteristics across Conventional Breed Clusters and Most Common Breed-Based Public Stereotypes

Heritability and Genome-Wide Association Study of Dog Behavioral Phenotypes in a Commercial Breeding Cohort

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