Research confirms what dog lovers know — every pup is truly an individual.
Many of the popular stereotypes about the behaviour of golden retrievers, poodles or schnauzers, for example, aren’t supported by science, a study has shown.
“There is a huge amount of behavioural variation in every breed and at the end of the day, every dog really is an individual,” said study co-author and University of Massachusetts geneticist Elinor Karlsson.
She said pet owners love to talk about their dog’s personality, as illustrated by some owners at a New York dog park.
Elizabeth Kelly said her English springer spaniel was “friendly, but she’s also kind of the queen bee”.
Suly Ortiz described her yellow Lab as “really calm, lazy and shy".
And Rachel Kim’s mixed-breed dog is “a lot of different dogs, personality wise — super independent, really affectionate with me and my husband, but pretty, pretty suspicious of other people, other dogs".
That kind of enthusiasm from pet owners inspired Ms Karlsson’s latest scientific inquiry. She wanted to know to what extent are behavioural patterns inherited — and how much are dog breeds associated with distinctive and predictable behaviours?
The answer: while physical traits such as a greyhound’s long legs or a Dalmatian’s spots are clearly inherited, breed is not a strong predictor of any individual dog’s personality.
The researchers’ work, published on Thursday in the journal Science, marshals a large data set to reach these conclusions — the most ever compiled, said Adam Boyko, a geneticist at Cornell University, who was not involved in the study.
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Rosie the Chihuahua models a design inspired by Nicole Kidman during the Hollywood (A Day at the Oscars) themed Furbabies Dog Pageant at Collingham Memorial Hall in Leeds, England, on Sunday March 20, 2022. All photos: PA -
Dexter the Pomeranian models a design inspired by Sir Elton John. -
Chihuahua's Dolly, left, and Willow. -
A dog in a gown is judged on the red carpet. -
Mandy Corbett holds her Chihuahua, Lindy Lou, who is modelling a design inspired by Belle's gown from 'Beauty and the Beast'. -
Lindy Lou the Chihuahua dressed as Belle. -
Awards for various categories during the Hollywood (A Day at the Oscars) themed Furbabies Dog Pageant. -
Genevieve Catalaya Evangeline, the long-haired Chihuahua, models a design inspired by Marilyn Monroe. -
Chihuahuas Rosie and Minnie sit in a grand chair and model designs inspired by the Olsen twins. -
A dog is judged during the Hollywood (A Day at the Oscars) themed Furbabies Dog Pageant. -
Bailey the Pomeranian models a velvet and gold design. -
Dexter the Pomeranian dog models a design inspired by a golden Oscar. -
Chihuahuas Rosie, left, and Minnie model designs inspired by the Olsen twins. -
A dog is judged on the red carpet during the Hollywood (A Day at the Oscars) themed Furbabies Dog Pageant. -
A dog walks during the Hollywood (A day at the Oscars) themed Furbabies Dog Pageant. -
A suited-up dog is judged on the red carpet. -
A dog wearing a cap is judged on the red carpet.
Dogs became humanity’s best friend more than 14,000 years ago, as the only animal domesticated before the advent of agriculture.
But the concept of dog breeds is much more recent. About 160 years ago, people began to selectively breed dogs to have certain consistent physical traits, such as coat texture and colour and ear shape.
The researchers surveyed more than 18,000 dog owners and analysed the genomes of about 2,150 of their dogs to look for patterns.
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Muthu Kumar, 82, a former government employee from Sivaganga in southern Tamil Nadu state has built a statue of his beloved dog, a brown Labrador, named Tom. Photo: Rajesh -
Muthu Kumar, 82, a former government employee from Sivaganga in southern Tamil Nadu state has built a statue of his beloved dog, a brown Labrador, named Tom. Photo: Rajesh -
Muthu Kumar, 82, a former government employee from Sivaganga in southern Tamil Nadu state has built a statue of his beloved dog, a brown Labrador, named Tom. Photo: Manoj Kumar -
Muthu Kumar, 82, a former government employee from Sivaganga in southern Tamil Nadu state has built a statue of his beloved dog, a brown Labrador, named Tom. Photo: Manoj Kumar -
Muthu Kumar, 82, a former government employee from Sivaganga in southern Tamil Nadu state has built a statue of his beloved dog, a brown Labrador, named Tom. Photo: Manoj Kumar -
Muthu Kumar, 82, a former government employee from Sivaganga in southern Tamil Nadu state has built a statue of his beloved dog, a brown Labrador, named Tom. Photo: Manoj Kumar
They found that some behaviours — such as howling, pointing and showing friendliness to human strangers — do have at least some genetic basis. But that inheritance isn’t strictly passed down along breed lines.
For example, they found golden retrievers that don’t retrieve, said co-author Kathryn Lord, who studies animal behaviour with Ms Karlsson.
Some breeds, such as huskies and beagles, may show a greater tendency to howl. But many of these dogs don’t, as both the owner survey and genetic data showed.
The researchers could find no genetic basis for aggressive behaviours nor a link to specific breeds.
“The correlation between dog behaviour and dog breed is much lower than most expected,” said Jeff Kidd, a geneticist at the University of Michigan, who had no role in the research.
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A girl carries her dog as people wait in Medyka, Poland, after crossing the border from Ukraine. Reuters -
Stepan is carried by its owner to the train heading to Poland at the main train station in Lviv, Ukraine. Getty -
A Ukrainian refugee sits with her pets at a holiday village turned into a temporary shelter in Goren, northern Israel. AFP -
A woman carrying an animal in a pet basket arrives in Przemysl, Poland, on March 23, 2022, after a train journey from Ukraine. Getty -
Samir Khuder, Anna Ponomaryova and their dog, Fedya, enjoy the fresh air after a night spent in the basement they used as a bomb shelter after a rocket hit a shopping mall in Kyiv. Getty -
Anna Ponomaryova feeds her dog, Fedya, in the basement under the residential building used as a bomb shelter in Kyiv. Getty -
Cats from an evacuated shelter in Kyiv are housed temporarily in Lviv. The shelter, called House of the Rescued Animals, was dealing with wild animals before the war. Now it has become a stopover for hundreds of pets brought here from more dangerous areas before being sent to safety in the EU. Getty -
A volunteer plays with a cat inside a cage in Lviv. Getty -
A volunteer pets a cat at a shelter in Lviv. Getty -
A man pets a dog as Ukrainian refugees cross into Moldova, near the village of Palanca. EPA -
A girl kisses her pet rodent outside a five-storey residential building, part of which collapsed after a shelling. AFP -
In Nadarzyn, Poland, a vet examines the cat of a Ukrainian refugee. Vets working for a centre that receives refugees examine, vaccinate and issue health certificates for pets that the people fleeing Ukraine bring with them. AP -
A Ukrainian woman holds her dog as she waits along others at Dacia Camp, near Moldova’s capital, Chisinau, before heading to the airport to board a plane to Israel. AFP -
A woman who fled Mariupol pets a cat onboard a bus at the Veselo-Voznesenka border point in Rostov, Russia. EPA -
Ukrainians Oria Oscaria and her brother Ego with their pet dog after arriving in Cizur Menor, northern Spain. AP -
A veterinary clinic in eastern Poland has set up a rescue service for the pets left behind in Ukraine during the war. It has already helped to rescue more than 400 animals, including this baby goat. AP -
A dog collected in Ukraine is prepared for surgery for serious injuries to its hind legs at the Ada veterinary clinic in Przemysl, Poland. AP -
A woman carries a pet dog as people who fled Ukraine walks through the border checkpoint near the Moldovan town of Palanca. AFP -
An internally displaced woman pets a cat at a schoolyard in Lviv, western Ukraine. AP -
A sedated dog collected in Ukraine undergoes an X-ray before surgery for serious injuries to its hind legs at the Ada veterinary clinic in Przemysl, Poland. AP -
A man holds Sascha, a baby goat with deformed hooves rescued from Ukraine, at the Ada veterinary clinic in Przemysl, Poland. AP -
A child on a bus for refugees pets a cat in Lviv, Ukraine. Reuters -
Antonina, 84, sits in a wheelchair and holds her 12 dogs at a triage point in Kyiv after fleeing Irpin. AP -
Nina, who fled Ukraine for Moldova, holds a her cat inside a pet carrier at the border crossing in Palanca, Moldova. AP -
A Ukrainian refugee who fled the Russian invasion of her country sits with her pet at a holiday village turned into temporary refuge in Goren, northern Israel. AFP
