Heritability of Cognitive Traits in Dogs

Markus Trienke, via Wikimedia Commons. Distributed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Thousands of years of selective breeding by humans has resulted in an extraordinary degree of diversity in domestic dogs. Currently, more than 400 dog breeds are recognized internationally, running the gamut from 150-pound guard dogs to 5-pound toy companions.

Recently, genomic sequencing studies have begun to elucidate the genes behind dogs’ varied sizes and shapes. But much less is known about genetic differences in the ways dogs think and behave. Now, in a pair of new studies, researchers combine citizen science and big genomic data to examine whether there are genetically based breed differences in cognitive and behavioral traits.

Read the rest at my Animal Minds blog: Do Dog Breeds Differ in Cognitive Traits?