Zapata et al. (2022) explored the role of genetics in shaping fear, anxiety, aggression, and social behaviors in dogs. Building on prior genome scans of breed averages, the researchers tested markers at 13 loci in a community sample of 397 pedigree and mixed-breed dogs. Their analysis confirmed that several genetic markers were predictive of behavioral tendencies.
Notably, eight loci were associated with veterinary behavioral diagnoses, and logistic regression models revealed subsets of these loci could reliably predict problem behaviors. The study also confirmed previous findings that small body size was linked with higher risk of undesirable behaviors, while large body size correlated with greater trainability. Environmental factors such as the presence of children, illness, or other animals also influenced outcomes like anxiety and coprophagia.
Breed-related findings challenged stereotypes: Pit Bull-type dogs were not more aggressive compared to other breeds but were strongly associated with leash-pulling. Severity-threshold models further suggested Pit Bulls showed reduced risk of owner-directed aggression but increased risk of dog-directed fear. These results highlight the complexity of canine behavior, reflecting both genetic predisposition and environmental context.
The study underscores the potential clinical and breeding utility of genetic testing in predicting and managing canine behavioral risks, while cautioning against misuse or misinterpretation of results outside scientific and veterinary contexts.
Source: Zapata, I., Lilly, M. L., Herron, M., Serpell, J., & Alvarez, C. E. (2022). Genetic testing of dogs predicts problem behaviors in clinical and nonclinical samples. BMC Genomics, 23. Authors: I. Zapata, M. L. Lilly, M. Herron, J. Serpell, C. E. Alvarez. Journal: BMC Genomics.
