Going to the Dogs: Man’s Best Friend
Jan 31, 2019 17:50:53 #
Going to the Dogs: Man’s Best Friend
JAMES THOMPSON • JANUARY 18, 2019 •
I do not have a dog in the fight about dogs. My dad said that there was a dog in every boy’s life, and so we had some dogs when I was young, and then in my own life, no dogs. I was living a town life, and working, and had neither need nor wish for them. I have nothing against dogs, other than that they should live in the country, not the town, and preferably do something useful. In towns they are captive and, when badly trained, frequently a nuisance. In the country, so long as they are not worrying sheep, they are more agreeable company.
I can see that dogs have very probably evolved with us, in a symbiotic relationship. They know how to flatter us, in return for food and companionship. Parasitism it may be, but it works for many people, and virtually all dogs. Dogs and their owners are reciprocally besotted.
Frankly, I doubted owner’s stories about the intelligence of their pooches. We are creatures of habit, and dogs learn from observation how we are to be handled. So, it was with some initial hesitation that I looked at the research on canine intelligence, and then came to see that, after due allowance for restrictions on which tests which could be used, there was a case for comparing the intelligence of dogs and of dog breeds. The fact that the clever breed were sheep dogs pleased me. We all have to earn our keep.
Here is Rosalind Arden on the intelligence of dogs:
http://www.unz.com/jthompson/dognitive-ability-in-university-level/
The other thing about dogs, is that they live shorter lives, so their generation pass more quickly, and can be observed as they evolve. Even more important, they can be bred through a selective process into different sorts, for different purposes. Assisted evolution in action. Hence, we can look at these close companions and make judgments about how characteristics and behaviours alter through evolution. We can even tamper so as to breed up dogs for our uses. Guide dogs, for example. Practically, dogs that can detect when we are about to have a fit. Perhaps even dogs that can detect our diseases before any other detection device can do so.
What can we find out from genetic analyses of dog behaviour and dog breeds?
Highly Heritable and Functionally Relevant Breed Differences in Dog Behavior
Authors: Evan L MacLean, Noah Snyder-Mackler, Bridgett M. von Holdt & James A.
Serpell
* Correspondence to: evanmaclean@email.arizona.edu & nsmack@uw.edu
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/509315
Below I show the abstract verbatim, and have selected and abbridged the main points of the paper.
Abstract: Variation across dog breeds presents a unique opportunity for investigating the evolution and biological basis of complex behavioral traits. We integrated behavioral data from more than 17,000 dogs from 101 breeds with breed-averaged genotypic data (N = 5,697 dogs) from over 100,000 loci in the dog genome. Across 14 traits, we found that breed differences in behavior are highly heritable, and that clustering of breeds based on behavior accurately recapitulates genetic relationships. We identify 131 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with breed differences in behavior, which are found in genes that are highly expressed in the brain and enriched for neurobiological functions and developmental processes. Our results provide insight into the heritability and genetic architecture of complex behavioral traits, and suggest that dogs provide a powerful model for these questions.
Studying aggression, fear, trainability, attachment, and predatory chasing behaviors on 14,020 individual dogs with breed-level genetic identity-by-state estimates from two independent studies we found that a large proportion of variance in dog behavior is attributable to genetic factors. The mean heritability was 0.51 ± 0.12 (SD) across all 14 traits (range: h 2 0.27-0.77), and significantly higher than the null expectation in all cases (permutation tests, p < 0.001).
Interestingly, the traits with the highest heritability were trainability (h 2= 0.73), stranger-directed aggression (h 2 = 0.68), chasing (h 2 = 0.62) and attachment and attention seeking (h 2 = 0.56), which is consistent with the hypothesis that these behaviors have been important targets of se******n during the cultivation of modern breeds.
Overall, we identified 131 unique SNPs that were significantly associated with at least one of the 14 behavioral traits (Bonferroni p ≤ 0.05, Fig 2). Forty percent of these SNPs (n= 52) were located within a gene – none of which encoded for changes in the amino acid sequence of the protein. On average, the top SNP explained 15% of variance in the behavioral trait. Thus, while we identify multiple variants with moderately large effects, the variance explained by individual SNPs is far less than that explained by additive variation across the genome (heritability), suggesting that as in humans, behavioral traits in dogs are highly polygenic. However, the variance explained by the top SNPs in our analysis across breeds was, on average, more than 5 times higher than that from within-breed association studies.
Many of the gene-level associations with dog behavioral traits include (i) candidate domestication genes, (ii) genes mapped to phenotypes implicated in domestication, (iii) genes implicated in behavioral differences between foxes bred for tameness or aggression, and (iv) genes that underwent positive se******n in both human evolution and dog domestication. For example, PDE7B, which is differentially expressed in the brains of tame and aggressive foxes has been identified as a target of se******n during domestication, and is highly expressed in the brain where it functions in dopaminergic pathways. In our analyses, SNPs in this gene were associated with breed differences in aggression, which is consistent with data from experimentally bred foxes, as well as hypotheses that se******n against aggression was the primary evolutionary pressure during initial domestication events.
The gene-trait associations identified in our study also align closely with similar associations in human populations. For example, breed differences in aggression are associated with multiple genes that have been linked to aggressive behavior in humans. Molecular associations with breed differences in energy include genes previously linked to resting heart rate, daytime rest, and sleep duration in humans. Lastly, breed differences in fear were associated with genes linked with temperament and startle response in humans, and several of the genes implicated in breed differences in trainability have been previously associated with intelligence and information processing speed in humans.
If the variants in genes identified in our analyses make major contributions to behaviour and cognition, then the associated genes should be (i) involved in biological processes related to nervous system development and function, and (ii) primarily expressed in the brain. Indeed, we found that behavior-associated genes (as identified through meta-analysis) were enriched for numerous nervous system processes. These processes include neurogenesis, neuron migration and differentiation, axon and dendrite development, and regulation of neurot***smitter t***sport and release.
Breed differences in behavior covary strongly with relatedness between breeds, and for several traits, genotype accounts for more than 50% of behavioral variation across breeds – up to 25x higher than heritability estimates from genetic studies within breeds. Individual SNPs that are associated with behaviors tend to fall in genes that are disproportionately expressed in the brain, and are involved in pathways related to the development and expression of behavior and cognition. In addition, the variants associated with breed differences in behavior are found in genes with sequence or brain-expression differences in foxes artificially bred for tameness or aggression, and are implicated in human behavioral genetics, suggesting that these genes may play important roles in modulating behaviour across species.
You might like to compare these assessments with numbers of humans k**led by dogs in the US. As you can see, the rates differ considerably. There are a longer list of breeds at the bottom of the table I have not included for brevity because they all k**led one person, but the top k**lers are shown here.
We are different from dogs, but it appears that some genes in dogs and some genes in humans have the same functions, and affect the brain in the same way. We are closer to our hounds than we imagined. One could say that there is a Great Chain of Being, though this one brings us closer to animals than angels.
Of course, dogs are dogs and not humans. There have been population bottlenecks which simplify their genetic architecture. Dogs do not have a culture in the normal sense of that word, so cannot t***sfer libraries of knowledge nor be influenced by editorials in the New York Times. However, it is thought-provoking that dog breeds differ in their behaviours in ways that can be traced to their genetics, and as in the case of homo sapiens, those genes express themselves in brain. Some dogs breeds bite us more than others for non-cultural reasons.
The implications are clear: in a species which we can to some extent control, and which partly controls some of us, we see a similar genetic pattern, and a genes based difference in behaviour between breeds.
JAMES THOMPSON • JANUARY 18, 2019 •
I do not have a dog in the fight about dogs. My dad said that there was a dog in every boy’s life, and so we had some dogs when I was young, and then in my own life, no dogs. I was living a town life, and working, and had neither need nor wish for them. I have nothing against dogs, other than that they should live in the country, not the town, and preferably do something useful. In towns they are captive and, when badly trained, frequently a nuisance. In the country, so long as they are not worrying sheep, they are more agreeable company.
I can see that dogs have very probably evolved with us, in a symbiotic relationship. They know how to flatter us, in return for food and companionship. Parasitism it may be, but it works for many people, and virtually all dogs. Dogs and their owners are reciprocally besotted.
Frankly, I doubted owner’s stories about the intelligence of their pooches. We are creatures of habit, and dogs learn from observation how we are to be handled. So, it was with some initial hesitation that I looked at the research on canine intelligence, and then came to see that, after due allowance for restrictions on which tests which could be used, there was a case for comparing the intelligence of dogs and of dog breeds. The fact that the clever breed were sheep dogs pleased me. We all have to earn our keep.
Here is Rosalind Arden on the intelligence of dogs:
http://www.unz.com/jthompson/dognitive-ability-in-university-level/
The other thing about dogs, is that they live shorter lives, so their generation pass more quickly, and can be observed as they evolve. Even more important, they can be bred through a selective process into different sorts, for different purposes. Assisted evolution in action. Hence, we can look at these close companions and make judgments about how characteristics and behaviours alter through evolution. We can even tamper so as to breed up dogs for our uses. Guide dogs, for example. Practically, dogs that can detect when we are about to have a fit. Perhaps even dogs that can detect our diseases before any other detection device can do so.
What can we find out from genetic analyses of dog behaviour and dog breeds?
Highly Heritable and Functionally Relevant Breed Differences in Dog Behavior
Authors: Evan L MacLean, Noah Snyder-Mackler, Bridgett M. von Holdt & James A.
Serpell
* Correspondence to: evanmaclean@email.arizona.edu & nsmack@uw.edu
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/509315
Below I show the abstract verbatim, and have selected and abbridged the main points of the paper.
Abstract: Variation across dog breeds presents a unique opportunity for investigating the evolution and biological basis of complex behavioral traits. We integrated behavioral data from more than 17,000 dogs from 101 breeds with breed-averaged genotypic data (N = 5,697 dogs) from over 100,000 loci in the dog genome. Across 14 traits, we found that breed differences in behavior are highly heritable, and that clustering of breeds based on behavior accurately recapitulates genetic relationships. We identify 131 single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with breed differences in behavior, which are found in genes that are highly expressed in the brain and enriched for neurobiological functions and developmental processes. Our results provide insight into the heritability and genetic architecture of complex behavioral traits, and suggest that dogs provide a powerful model for these questions.
Studying aggression, fear, trainability, attachment, and predatory chasing behaviors on 14,020 individual dogs with breed-level genetic identity-by-state estimates from two independent studies we found that a large proportion of variance in dog behavior is attributable to genetic factors. The mean heritability was 0.51 ± 0.12 (SD) across all 14 traits (range: h 2 0.27-0.77), and significantly higher than the null expectation in all cases (permutation tests, p < 0.001).
Interestingly, the traits with the highest heritability were trainability (h 2= 0.73), stranger-directed aggression (h 2 = 0.68), chasing (h 2 = 0.62) and attachment and attention seeking (h 2 = 0.56), which is consistent with the hypothesis that these behaviors have been important targets of se******n during the cultivation of modern breeds.
Overall, we identified 131 unique SNPs that were significantly associated with at least one of the 14 behavioral traits (Bonferroni p ≤ 0.05, Fig 2). Forty percent of these SNPs (n= 52) were located within a gene – none of which encoded for changes in the amino acid sequence of the protein. On average, the top SNP explained 15% of variance in the behavioral trait. Thus, while we identify multiple variants with moderately large effects, the variance explained by individual SNPs is far less than that explained by additive variation across the genome (heritability), suggesting that as in humans, behavioral traits in dogs are highly polygenic. However, the variance explained by the top SNPs in our analysis across breeds was, on average, more than 5 times higher than that from within-breed association studies.
Many of the gene-level associations with dog behavioral traits include (i) candidate domestication genes, (ii) genes mapped to phenotypes implicated in domestication, (iii) genes implicated in behavioral differences between foxes bred for tameness or aggression, and (iv) genes that underwent positive se******n in both human evolution and dog domestication. For example, PDE7B, which is differentially expressed in the brains of tame and aggressive foxes has been identified as a target of se******n during domestication, and is highly expressed in the brain where it functions in dopaminergic pathways. In our analyses, SNPs in this gene were associated with breed differences in aggression, which is consistent with data from experimentally bred foxes, as well as hypotheses that se******n against aggression was the primary evolutionary pressure during initial domestication events.
The gene-trait associations identified in our study also align closely with similar associations in human populations. For example, breed differences in aggression are associated with multiple genes that have been linked to aggressive behavior in humans. Molecular associations with breed differences in energy include genes previously linked to resting heart rate, daytime rest, and sleep duration in humans. Lastly, breed differences in fear were associated with genes linked with temperament and startle response in humans, and several of the genes implicated in breed differences in trainability have been previously associated with intelligence and information processing speed in humans.
If the variants in genes identified in our analyses make major contributions to behaviour and cognition, then the associated genes should be (i) involved in biological processes related to nervous system development and function, and (ii) primarily expressed in the brain. Indeed, we found that behavior-associated genes (as identified through meta-analysis) were enriched for numerous nervous system processes. These processes include neurogenesis, neuron migration and differentiation, axon and dendrite development, and regulation of neurot***smitter t***sport and release.
Breed differences in behavior covary strongly with relatedness between breeds, and for several traits, genotype accounts for more than 50% of behavioral variation across breeds – up to 25x higher than heritability estimates from genetic studies within breeds. Individual SNPs that are associated with behaviors tend to fall in genes that are disproportionately expressed in the brain, and are involved in pathways related to the development and expression of behavior and cognition. In addition, the variants associated with breed differences in behavior are found in genes with sequence or brain-expression differences in foxes artificially bred for tameness or aggression, and are implicated in human behavioral genetics, suggesting that these genes may play important roles in modulating behaviour across species.
You might like to compare these assessments with numbers of humans k**led by dogs in the US. As you can see, the rates differ considerably. There are a longer list of breeds at the bottom of the table I have not included for brevity because they all k**led one person, but the top k**lers are shown here.
We are different from dogs, but it appears that some genes in dogs and some genes in humans have the same functions, and affect the brain in the same way. We are closer to our hounds than we imagined. One could say that there is a Great Chain of Being, though this one brings us closer to animals than angels.
Of course, dogs are dogs and not humans. There have been population bottlenecks which simplify their genetic architecture. Dogs do not have a culture in the normal sense of that word, so cannot t***sfer libraries of knowledge nor be influenced by editorials in the New York Times. However, it is thought-provoking that dog breeds differ in their behaviours in ways that can be traced to their genetics, and as in the case of homo sapiens, those genes express themselves in brain. Some dogs breeds bite us more than others for non-cultural reasons.
The implications are clear: in a species which we can to some extent control, and which partly controls some of us, we see a similar genetic pattern, and a genes based difference in behaviour between breeds.
Jan 31, 2019 19:06:17 #
You know what's pretty amazing is science doesn't know as much about dogs as many people do. They have to do studies to validate what many of us already know.
A problem with scientists is they really don't understand dogs and approach them like any other animal. But they are not like any other animal in that they have a unique bond with humans. I do see major flaws in this study - such as using how fast they find treats to measure intelligence and cognitive ability.
A problem with scientists is they really don't understand dogs and approach them like any other animal. But they are not like any other animal in that they have a unique bond with humans. I do see major flaws in this study - such as using how fast they find treats to measure intelligence and cognitive ability.
Jan 31, 2019 21:30:17 #
Rose42 wrote:
You know what's pretty amazing is science doesn't know as much about dogs as many people do. They have to do studies to validate what many of us already know.
A problem with scientists is they really don't understand dogs and approach them like any other animal. But they are not like any other animal in that they have a unique bond with humans. I do see major flaws in this study - such as using how fast they find treats to measure intelligence and cognitive ability.
A problem with scientists is they really don't understand dogs and approach them like any other animal. But they are not like any other animal in that they have a unique bond with humans. I do see major flaws in this study - such as using how fast they find treats to measure intelligence and cognitive ability.
We have several dog experts on this forum, maybe one of them will weigh in as well. I know next to nothing about them.
Feb 1, 2019 08:09:21 #
I live in a very rural area and I love dogs. I have provided homes for several homeless dogs. I know nothing about dogs except they can be very loving and loyal.
Feb 1, 2019 09:00:48 #
padremike
Loc: Phenix City, Al
Rose42 wrote:
You know what's pretty amazing is science doesn't know as much about dogs as many people do. They have to do studies to validate what many of us already know.
A problem with scientists is they really don't understand dogs and approach them like any other animal. But they are not like any other animal in that they have a unique bond with humans. I do see major flaws in this study - such as using how fast they find treats to measure intelligence and cognitive ability.
A problem with scientists is they really don't understand dogs and approach them like any other animal. But they are not like any other animal in that they have a unique bond with humans. I do see major flaws in this study - such as using how fast they find treats to measure intelligence and cognitive ability.
Good points. I can't remember when we've been without a dog except for the short times between when one died and we brought another into our home. One thing of which I am confident is that the love that is allowed to exist between man and dog can only have one source, the source of all love.
Feb 1, 2019 12:30:55 #
Peewee
Loc: San Antonio, TX
I have two short stories that may shed some light.
1. My dad was going to swat my sister on her bottom (still in diapers) for doing something he told her not to. As he drew back his hand our dog grabbed his hand without breaking the skin and held it until he turned my sister loose.
2. Going through military dog school I had a green dog with no training (some dogs cycle through the school until they can be shipped out). My dog did everything great except bite. My instructors tried several things and nothing worked. One instructor told me not to get upset but he wanted to try something. He knocked me to the ground and my dog almost got his throat. No problems after that.
I agree that country life is best for a dog and most dogs should have jobs, except for cute toy lap dogs. Nothing like having a well-trained dog for help, protection, or just to spoil.
1. My dad was going to swat my sister on her bottom (still in diapers) for doing something he told her not to. As he drew back his hand our dog grabbed his hand without breaking the skin and held it until he turned my sister loose.
2. Going through military dog school I had a green dog with no training (some dogs cycle through the school until they can be shipped out). My dog did everything great except bite. My instructors tried several things and nothing worked. One instructor told me not to get upset but he wanted to try something. He knocked me to the ground and my dog almost got his throat. No problems after that.
I agree that country life is best for a dog and most dogs should have jobs, except for cute toy lap dogs. Nothing like having a well-trained dog for help, protection, or just to spoil.
Feb 1, 2019 13:09:44 #
padremike wrote:
Good points. I can't remember when we've been without a dog except for the short times between when one died and we brought another into our home. One thing of which I am confident is that the love that is allowed to exist between man and dog can only have one source, the source of all love.
Absolutely. The dog is a unique gift from God. I don't ever want to be without one.
Feb 1, 2019 13:13:00 #
bggamers
Loc: georgia
pafret wrote:
We have several dog experts on this forum, maybe one of them will weigh in as well. I know next to nothing about them.
Best dogs I ever had were someone else's throw away they provided protection for me and my sons were always willing to listen to me when I needed a friend or just someone to hug and needed to cry and were always there for my kids as friends and protectors. The best were a big 100lb dog looked like large collie black and white lived to be 16 and the other nickademous an undersized rock that someone tried to train to fight and then threw away he died at 19 he was 2 yrs old when I got him both loved and truly missed best of friends
Feb 1, 2019 13:15:07 #
Peewee wrote:
I have two short stories that may shed some light.
1. My dad was going to swat my sister on her bottom (still in diapers) for doing something he told her not to. As he drew back his hand our dog grabbed his hand without breaking the skin and held it until he turned my sister loose.
1. My dad was going to swat my sister on her bottom (still in diapers) for doing something he told her not to. As he drew back his hand our dog grabbed his hand without breaking the skin and held it until he turned my sister loose.
That is a good example of a thinking dog!
Quote:
2. Going through military dog school I had a green dog with no training (some dogs cycle through the school until they can be shipped out). My dog did everything great except bite. My instructors tried several things and nothing worked. One instructor told me not to get upset but he wanted to try something. He knocked me to the ground and my dog almost got his throat. No problems after that.
What's interesting about that is dogs know when things are serious or not. My bet is the one agitating your dog was not serious. Sounds like a good dog!
Quote:
I agree that country life is best for a dog and most dogs should have jobs, except for cute toy lap dogs. Nothing like having a well-trained dog for help, protection, or just to spoil.
IMO whats best for a dog is someone who gives them a good home. Not everyone can live in the country. If only more people would spend a few minutes every day training there would be less dogs in shelters.
Who knows why they put up with so much garbage from us. No other animal would do that. They are amazing.
Feb 1, 2019 13:23:40 #
For some reason I have always Been around 'dogs' my father raised show dogs and I kept them cleaned along with their kennels When I became an adult I was a car dealer. I bought and sold my share of them. and finally married a few, however The last one was a real pussy cat. in which I was cured of 'dogs'
Feb 1, 2019 16:17:50 #
padremike
Loc: Phenix City, Al
Peewee wrote:
I have two short stories that may shed some light.... (show quote)
I too walked the "i***t circle" in 1959. Heel, sit, down, stay, come with Max 6F49.
Feb 1, 2019 16:26:05 #
pafret wrote:
We have several dog experts on this forum, maybe one of them will weigh in as well. I know next to nothing about them.
I'm no expert paf
but one thing I know
every dog I have took as my own
I have come to love deeply
and the dogs have come to love me deeply
Feb 1, 2019 18:04:35 #
padremike
Loc: Phenix City, Al
badbobby wrote:
I'm no expert paf
but one thing I know
every dog I have took as my own
I have come to love deeply
and the dogs have come to love me deeply
but one thing I know
every dog I have took as my own
I have come to love deeply
and the dogs have come to love me deeply
Then you're a good man BB.
Feb 1, 2019 18:43:38 #
Peewee
Loc: San Antonio, TX
padremike wrote:
I too walked the "i***t circle" in 1959. Heel, sit, down, stay, come with Max 6F49.
Briggs, Sam, and Ty can't remember their numbers. Did you go to Lackland AFB, or did you have your own military branch dog school back then? Knew there was a reason we agree on so much.
Feb 1, 2019 19:19:48 #
padremike
Loc: Phenix City, Al
Peewee wrote:
Briggs, Sam, and Ty can't remember their numbers. Did you go to Lackland AFB, or did you have your own military branch dog school back then? Knew there was a reason we agree on so much.
K9 school at Lackland was joint service at that time. What a different bond between man and dog when you depended on him to protect you too. What a nose! What a nose! "My what big teeth you have."
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