Study: dog’s breed does not determine its behavior
(NewsNation) — A new study published in the Journal of Science Friday found that that a dog’s breed is not the best predictor of behavior.
After surveying owners of 18,385 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and genotyping 2,155 dogs, researchers concluded that breed explains only nine percent of behavioral traits among different dogs. Their ability to be easily led, taught or controlled are more likely byproducts of ancestral breeding, the study surmises, which focused on serving functions like hunting or herding which systematically took place over a much longer period of time.
Dr. Jerry Klein is the chief veterinary officer of the American Kennel Club and joined “On Balance with Leland” Friday to discuss the finding.
Klein says while he encourages all any and all research that helps him understand better, he says the study’s results are a bit troublesome.
“I think that the conclusions of the survey are more concerning because it tells people when you’re going to get a dog, that it doesn’t realty matter what kind of dog it is and that basically they’re all the same,” Klein said.
“I think that kind of sends a message that can be concerning for the happiness and contentment of a prospective dog owner but also the life of the dog. If it doesn’t work out, are they going to return the dog because it’s too much dog or too active?” he continued.
Check out the rest of the interview above.