Dogs Have Specific Genes That Drive Social and Affectionate Behavior

Dogs are more social than all other animals because the genes that influence human behavior also affects the social ability of dogs, finds a new study.

The dog is the oldest domesticated animal and during this period they have developed unique abilities to communicate and cooperate with humans.

Stray Dogs Rescued by Pet Lover
Dr. Shaleen Mathur helped a paralyzed street dog move with the help of a self-made trolley, thus demonstrating what a true dog lover should be.

‘The researchers examined the DNA of more than 200 beagles. They found that dogs with contact-seeking behaviour more often carried certain genetic variants. ’

Tweet it Now

The study found a relationship between five different genes and the ability of dogs to interact with humans. Out of these, four showed similarities to certain conditions in humans, researchers said.

"We found a clear association with DNA-regions containing five different interesting genes," said lead author Mia Persson, doctoral student at Linkoping University in Sweden.

The study found that since the time of the domestication of dogs began, extreme changes took place in their social behaviour. Facing a difficult task, most dogs seek contact with a human, apparently to solicit help.

Imitation May Be a Common Way of Showing Empathy By Dogs
Mimicking each other's facial expressions is a human habit, which helps people to get along. Dogs too do the same to bond with other dogs.

In the study, the researchers wanted to look at the behaviour of dogs by presenting them with an unsolvable problem and thus included 500 beagles.

The task was to open a tight lid to obtain a treat. The scientists used video recordings to quantify the willingness of the dogs to seek physical contact with a person in the room when the problem turned out to be too difficult.

Dogs Have Specialized Region In Brain To Recognize Human Faces
Dogs are born with an inbuilt quality where they can process faces in their brains, which explains why dogs are extremely sensitive to human social cues.

The DNA of more than 200 beagles were also studied.

By using a method called genome-wide association study (GWAS), the researchers examined a large number of genetic variants throughout the genome.

Moods Among Teens in Treatment Improved With The Help Of Dogs
A new, mood-boosting therapy is being prescribed for teenagers in drug and alcohol treatment by Lindsay Ellsworth: shelter dogs.

The findings showed the dogs with contact-seeking behaviour more often carried certain genetic variants.

"If the associations found can be confirmed in other dog breeds it is possible that dog behaviour also can help us to better understand social disorders in humans," added Per Jensen, Professor at Linkoping University.

The results were published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Source-IANS