Work challenges popular idea that breeds have specific, reliable behaviors
28 Apr 20222:00 PM, By David Grimm
When Kathleen Morrill was 12, she decided she needed a puppy. Not just any puppy—a pint-size papillon with a black button nose and bushy, perky ears. When her parents resisted, “I turned on the waterworks,” laughs Morrill, now a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Worcester.
And so, the family ended up with its first dog—a 2-month-old pup she named Tod.
Tod was registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC), whose website describes his breed as “curious” and “friendly” with a “hardy constitution.” But the puppy was shy and scared of strangers, and he developed separation anxiety as he aged.
When Morrill’s family got another papillon, Rosie, a year later, she was entirely different: bold, outgoing, and adoring of all people. “Breed can be important,” Morrill says, “but it’s not the full picture of a dog’s behavior.”
From article…
Now, she has the science to back that up.
In a new study, Morrill and her colleagues show that almost none of the behaviors we associate with dog breeds—from lovable Labradors to pugnacious pit bulls—are hard-wired.
Aside from a few ancient traits, environment seems to play a much larger role than pedigree.
Source: Your dog’s breed doesn’t determine its personality, study suggests | Science | AAAS
Discover more from DrWeb's Domain
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
