Published in Genetics on April 6, 2017, this study by **J. Ilska** and colleagues represents one of the largest genetic investigations into dog personality to date. Using owner-completed questionnaires on a large population of **Labrador Retrievers**, researchers quantified behavioral traits while controlling for environmental variables.
The team found **significant genetic variance** in traits such as fetching behavior and fear of loud noises. While some traits had **low heritability**, others showed a stronger genetic component. The results demonstrate that **dog personality traits are often polygenic**—influenced by multiple genes, each with small effects.
Key findings include:
- Several behavioral traits, like **fearfulness** and **play behavior**, exhibited measurable heritability.
- Some traits had weak or negligible genetic variance, suggesting stronger environmental influence.
- Genomic analysis suggested **chromosomal associations** for six traits, though further work is needed to confirm specific gene effects.
The polygenic model aligns with behavioral genetics in other species, such as mice and humans. This work reinforces the need for **large datasets** to properly study complex traits like behavior and emotion in dogs. The findings have implications not only for **breeding practices**, but also for **canine welfare**, **training**, and **companion animal research**.
Source: Ilska, J., Haskell, M., Blott, S., Sánchez-Molano, E., Polgár, Z., Lofgren, S. E., Clements, D., & Wiener, P. (2017). Genetic Characterization of Dog Personality Traits. Genetics, 206, 1101–1111. https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.116.192674
