A study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) offers a window into canine emotions and reveals why some golden retriever dogs They are more fearful, energetic or aggressive than others.
The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to show that specific genes linked to canine behavior are also associated with traits such as anxiety, depression and intelligence in people.
The team analyzed the genetic code of 1,300 golden retrievers and compared it to each dog’s behavioral traits, assessed through a detailed questionnaire for their owners. This revealed genes underlying traits such as trainability, energy level, fear of strangers, and aggression toward other dogs.
Comparing their findings to a similar analysis in humans, the team discovered that twelve of the golden retriever genes they identified also underlie human behavioral traits and emotions.
“The findings are truly striking: they provide strong evidence that humans and golden retrievers share genetic roots for their behavior. The genes we identified frequently influence the emotional states and behavior of both species,” says Dr. Eleanor Raffan, a researcher at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, who led the study.
One gene, PTPN1, was linked to aggression toward other dogs in golden retrievers, and is also associated with intelligence and depression in humans. Another genetic variation, detected in golden retrievers that fear other dogs, also influences whether humans tend to worry too long after an embarrassing situation or whether they have high educational achievement.
The team says the findings could help owners understand their pets’ emotional world and tailor training or care to their needs. “These results show that genetics govern behavior, predisposing some dogs to find the world stressful. If their life experiences aggravate this, they could act in ways that we interpret as bad behavior, when in fact they are distressed,” underlines Enoch Alex, researcher at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge and first author of the report.
The study showed that the trainability of golden retrievers is associated with a gene, ROMO1, which in humans is linked to intelligence and emotional sensitivity. This means that owners should understand that there is an emotional component to training their dogs, according to the researchers, in addition to rewarding desired behaviors.
The findings could also have implications for veterinary care: Understanding that a behavior like fear in a golden retriever, for example, is driven by a gene linked to human anxiety means that an anxiety-reducing medication could help.
The team used behavioral data from 1,300 dogs, ages three to seven, participating in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, conducted by the Morris Animal Foundation since 2012. Enrolled dog owners answer questionnaires about 73 different behaviors of their pet, which are then grouped to obtain scores in 14 categories that reliably predict various behavioral traits.
Using blood samples, the team analyzed the entire genome of each golden retriever for genetic markers more prevalent in dogs with each of these 14 behavioral traits, compared to those without them. This allowed them to link specific regions of the genome to specific behavioral traits.