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Is aggression a breed trait?
Monte King
2025-05-31 22:48:40
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Among 101 dog breeds, scientists found that certain behavioral traits such as trainability or aggression were more likely to be shared by genetically similar breeds. For traits such as aggression toward strangers, trainability and chasing, the researchers found that genes contribute 60 to 70 percent of behavioral variation among breeds. Poodles and border collies, for example, had higher trainability scores, while Chihuahuas and dachshunds had higher aggression toward strangers. No single gene was overwhelmingly associated with any behavior, suggesting that breed behavioral diversity arises from the complex interplay of many genes in addition to environmental differences. Most of these variants were associated with genes considered important to neurological development and function, which is exactly what you would predict for genes you think might be involved in affecting behavior. Wynne agreed that the study marked an important development for understanding how dogs take on certain temperaments. But dog owners shouldn’t take it to mean that their dog’s personalities are totally innate and predetermined, he says. There’s still an enormous amount of variation among individual dogs. So an individual is better treated as an individual, rather than as a representative of its breed.
Willow Schoen
2025-05-31 20:12:41
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Dog aggression is frequently attributed to specific breeds, a myth that is perpetuated in the media and breed-specific legislation. But the cause of canine aggression has less to do with breed than it does the type of environment and human behavior the animal has been exposed to. Recent research demonstrates that, rather than generalizing based on breed, we should consider dog aggression on a case-by-case basis. No breed will ever be all good or all bad. But, because all breeds do have unique personality traits and innate characteristics, some breeds are more prone to behavioral issues if they are not properly socialized and trained. If aggression were breed-specific, these differences would not occur. In most cases, dogs develop aggression because of they way they have (or have not) been handled, socialized and trained by humans.
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Mireille Koss
2025-05-31 18:55:25
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From a sociological standpoint, things such as aggression and bashfulness are behaviors and behaviors are learned. My biologist roommate believes mental traits such as aggression can be bred. Mostly he relied on the argument that human genetics are passed down and we don't know what all they contain. I'm not a scientist or a geneticist but I'm pretty sure behaviors such as aggression or pacifism are learned traits, not genetic.