Modern dog breeds have been shaped by centuries of selective breeding for specialized roles such as herding, hunting, and companionship. A 2021 study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to pinpoint genes linked to complex behavioral traits in 130 breeds.
Researchers analyzed 268 whole-genome sequences and behavioral phenotypes sourced from American Kennel Club breed standards. For herding behavior, 44 significant genetic sites were identified across five chromosomes, many near genes involved in neurological development and mental health in humans, including THOC1, ASIC2, MSRB3, LLPH, RFX8, and CHL1. Notably, MSRB3 and CHL1 have previously been linked to fear responses in dogs.
Predation analysis, comparing hounds to herding breeds, revealed three additional neuronal-related genes—JAK2, MEIS1, and LRRTM4—associated with hunting instincts. Temperament was linked to a variant within the ACSS3 gene, while trainability showed a top association on chromosome CFA22, though no variant exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold.
Even when body size was factored in, signals for genes such as THOC1, MSRB3, LLPH, RFX8, CHL1, LRRTM4, and ACSS3 persisted, strengthening the case for their role in shaping behavioral traits. The findings suggest that neurological and psychiatric gene pathways play a central role in the evolution of breed-specific behaviors.
Source: Shan, S., Xu, F., & Brenig, B. (2021). Genome-Wide Association Studies Reveal Neurological Genes for Dog Herding, Predation, Temperament, and Trainability Traits. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2021.665796
