Research
Not afraid of ghosts: Curiosity and fearlessness apparent in German shepherd genes
Phys.org ·
The Brief
- A study from Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences found German shepherds bred for working are more curious and less neurotic than those bred for show.
- The differences appear both in the dogs' behavior and in their genes, according to the study as reported by Biology News.
Why it matters
The study links behavioral traits in working and show lines of German shepherds to underlying genetic differences, offering a concrete example of how breeding goals shape behavior at the genetic level.
Who’s affected
- dog breeders and owners
- behavioral geneticists and canine researchers
- #dog genetics
- #behavior
- #breeding
- #german shepherd
- #canine research
German shepherd dogs bred for working are more curious and less neurotic than German shepherds bred for show. A new study from Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences has shown that the differences are not only apparent in the dogs' behavior, but…
Timeline
Biology News reports the Uppsala and SLU study on curiosity and fearlessness in German shepherd genes
Biology News - Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Not afraid of ghosts: Curiosity and fearlessness apparent in German shepherd genes