A new genome study published in the journal Science has found that no single breed is an accurate way to predict your pooch’s personality.
The researchers surveyed the owners of 18,385 dogs, asking them about their pups’ behavior, such as whether they continue to follow a command until they’re done, are friendly with strangers, and circle before going to the bathroom. They also sequenced* the DNA of 2,155 purebred and mixed-breed dogs and compared it to the survey results.
They found that breed only explained about 9 percent of the variation in individual dogs’ behavior.
“This is a major advance in dog behavior research,” says Elaine Ostrander, a dog geneticist at the National Human Genome Research Institute in the US (note: she was not involved in the study):
Breed does not affect dog personality, and no single breed has a clearly defined trait.
You’ve probably heard stereotypes about certain breeds — some, like Labradors, are more lovable, while others, like Chihuahuas, are more aggressive.
Mark Bekoff, a dog behavior expert at the University of Colorado at Boulder:
Any good dog trainer will tell you that these stereotypes are a disaster.
A dog’s breed does not determine personality. Although some people think that way.
However, breed can still tell researchers something. In general, scientists have found that certain behavioral traits are more common in certain breeds. Border Collies, for example, seem to be more responsive to human commands than other breeds.
