Summary: Researchers analyzed the genomes and behavioral profiles of 1,300 golden retrievers and found that several behavioral traits—such as trainability, fear of strangers, and aggression toward other dogs—are shaped by specific genetic variants. Remarkably, a dozen of these same genes also influence emotional and cognitive traits in humans, revealing shared biological roots across species.
The study highlights that many dogs are genetically predisposed to emotional sensitivity or stress, meaning their behavior is often driven by innate traits rather than “bad manners.” These findings could help owners tailor training, improve veterinary care, and build greater empathy for canine emotional worlds.
Key Facts:
- Shared Genetic Roots: Twelve dog genes linked to behavior also influence human traits like anxiety, depression, and intelligence.
- Emotional Predispositions: Genes driving fear, sensitivity, and aggression in dogs reflect similar emotional states in humans.
- Training Insights: A dog’s “trainability” is tied to genes affecting emotional processing, emphasizing the need for emotionally informed training.
Source: University of Cambridge
A study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge provides a window into canine emotions, revealing why some golden retrievers are more fearful, energetic or aggressive than others.
The research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to show that specific genes linked to canine behaviour are also associated with traits like anxiety, depression, and intelligence in people.
The team analysed the genetic code of 1,300 golden retrievers and compared it with each dog’s behavioural traits – assessed through a detailed owner questionnaire. This revealed genes underlying traits including trainability, energy levels, fear of strangers, and aggression towards other dogs.
By comparing their findings with a similar analysis in humans, the team discovered that twelve of the golden retriever genes they identified also underlie human behavioural traits and emotions.
“The findings are really striking – they provide strong evidence that humans and golden retrievers have shared genetic roots for their behaviour. The genes we identified frequently influence emotional states and behaviour in both species,” said Dr Eleanor Raffan, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience who led the study.
One gene, PTPN1, was linked to aggression towards other dogs in golden retrievers – and is also associated with intelligence and depression in humans.
Another gene variation, flagged up in golden retrievers that are fearful of other dogs, also influences whether humans tend to worry too long after embarrassment or are high educational achievers.
The team says the findings could help owners understand their pets’ emotional worlds, and tailor training or care to suit their needs.
“These results show that genetics govern behaviour, making some dogs predisposed to finding the world stressful. If their life experiences compound this they might act in ways we interpret as bad behaviour, when really they’re distressed,” said Enoch Alex, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience and first author of the report.
Insights for better training and care
The study showed that ‘trainability’ in golden retrievers is associated with a gene, ROMO1, that in humans is linked to intelligence and emotional sensitivity. This means owners should appreciate that there’s an emotional component to training their dogs, say the researchers, in addition to rewarding desired behaviours.
The insights could also have implications for veterinary care: understanding that behaviour like fearfulness in a golden retriever, for example, is driven by a gene linked with human anxiety means that a medicine to reduce anxiety could help.
How genes drive behaviour and emotion
The dog genes identified by the team do not lead directly to any specific behaviour or emotion – rather, they influence behavioural regulation or broader emotional states. For example, dogs showing ‘non-social fear’ – that is, being scared of things like buses and hoovers – have a gene that in humans drives irritability, sensitivity, and ‘seeing the doctor for nerves or anxiety.’
“If your golden retriever cowers behind the sofa every time the doorbell rings, perhaps you might have a bit more empathy if you know they’re genetically driven to feel sensitive and anxious,” said Dr Anna Morros-Nuevo, a researcher in the University of Cambridge’s Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience who was also involved in the study.
“Dogs in our home share not only our physical environment, but may also share some of the psychological challenges associated with modern living. Our pets may be excellent models of some human psychiatric conditions associated with emotional disturbance,” said Professor Daniel Mills, a specialist in problem animal behaviour at the University of Lincoln, who was also involved in the study.
Linking behaviour to underlying genes
The team used data on the behaviour of 1,300 dogs – aged between three and seven – involved in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, which has been run by the Morris Animal Foundation since 2012. Enrolled dog owners answer questionnaires about 73 different behaviours of their pet, which are then grouped to give scores in 14 categories that reliably predict various behavioural traits.
Using blood samples, the team searched the entire genome of each golden retriever for genetic markers that were more frequent in dogs with each of these 14 behavioural traits, compared to those without it. This allowed them to link specific regions of the genome with specific behavioural traits.
Key Questions Answered:
A: Specific genes tied to traits like fear, aggression, and energy also map onto human emotional traits.
A: Twelve identified genes influence both canine behaviors and human traits such as anxiety, depression, and intelligence.
A: Understanding the genetic roots of behavior can guide training, care, and emotional support tailored to each dog’s needs.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this genetics and psychology research news
Author: Jacqueline Garget
Source: University of Cambridge
Contact: Jacqueline Garget – University of Cambridge
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Closed access.
“GWAS for behavioral traits in Golden Retrievers identifies genes implicated in human temperament, mental health, and cognition” by Eleanor Raffan et al. PNAS
Abstract
GWAS for behavioral traits in Golden Retrievers identifies genes implicated in human temperament, mental health, and cognition
Dogs display temperamental and behavioral variation between individuals, just as psychiatric, temperamental, and cognitive traits vary in humans. In both species, these traits are highly heritable, yet causal genes remain incompletely understood.
We performed 14 genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for behavioral traits quantified using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) in ~1,000 golden retrievers, identifying 12 genome-wide significant loci (P < 2.97 × 10−6) for 8 traits and 9 additional loci exceeding a suggestive threshold (P < 1 × 10−5).
A human phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) showed that most of the 18 canine positional candidate genes identified were associated with one or more of 190 psychiatric, temperamental, or cognitive traits in humans (7/12 genes at genome-wide loci and 5/9 at suggestive loci).
For example, a genome-wide significant locus near PTPN1 (dog-directed aggression) overlapped with human measures of Intelligence, Educational attainment, and major depressive disorder.
The gene ROMO1 was within a genome-wide significant locus for trainability in dogs and associated with intelligence, depression, irritability, and sensitivity/hurt feelings in humans.
Other genes located at genome-wide significant loci associated with behavioral, psychiatric, temperamental, or cognitive traits in both species included PRDX1(dog-directed fear), VWA8 (touch sensitivity), ITPR2, and ADGRL2/LPHN2 (trainability), and ADD2 (stranger-directed fear).
From suggestive loci we also found cross-species associations for HUNK, and ZC3H12C, (dog-directed fear), SLC35F6 and IGSF11 (separation-related problems).
These results suggest that shared genetic and molecular mechanisms underlie complex behavioral and temperamental states across species and may inform our understanding of emotional states driving undesirable behaviors in dogs.
