Genetics of Domesticated Behavior in Dogs and Foxes - Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals - page 367

Problem-solving behavior was studied in different tests including a maze
test. Fox terriers and shelties made more errors and required a longer time in
moving through the maze. Basenjis had the best time in the first day of
learning but beagles appeared superior on overall scores through multiple
trials. The authors suggested that the beagles' success was attributable to
their avoidance of stereotyped habits and their demonstrated random explora-
tion of their surroundings.
Differences in trainability were observed among both breeds and indivi-
duals from an early age. Some individuals showed response to training at
5 weeks of age (forced training to be quiet on the weight platform); by the
age of 16 weeks nearly 70% of the cocker spaniels were remaining quiet in
the test while only 10% of the fox terriers were. All dogs learned to walk
appropriately on a leash within a 10-day training period, but different breeds
differed in the course of their learning: basenjis were outstanding in their
vigorous resistance to restraint, shelties interfered excessively with the
handler by leaping on him and winding between his legs; and beagles dem-
onstrated excessive vocalization during the initial stages of training. These
experiments show that the basic trainability characteristics of the different
breeds tend to be specific to particular test situations and that they are based
on a large variety of capabilities. The authors concluded,
In short, the effect of heredity upon trainability is highly complex, both because of the
number of specific basic abilities involved and because of the complicated interaction
between them made possible by behavioral adaptation.
Scott and Fuller (1965)
Genetic inheritance of several behavioral characteristics was demon-
strated by experimental crossbreeding among breeds with distinctive behav-
ioral repertoires. Fearful behavior was analyzed in crosses between basenjis
(all tested individuals exhibited some fearful behavior) and cocker spaniels
(62% of tested individuals exhibited fearful behavior). F1 dogs exhibited
behavior broadly similar to that of the basenji parents, although the inheri-
tance of different specific behavioral characteristics in this cross varied
significantly. In several training and spatial-orientation tests the F1 offspring
were superior relative to both parents suggesting a complex interplay in
inheritance of different behavioral characteristics.
Furthermore, this study clearly demonstrated the influence of genotype-by-
environment interaction on dog behavior. As summarized in a recent review:
The most intriguing result was the interaction of genotype and experience
(Freedman, 1958). Puppies were raised in isolation and exposed to either tolerant
humans or disciplinary humans who made the puppies sit and wouldn't play with
them. Later the puppies were presented one by one with a bowl of food. If they
approached, the handler would clap his hands to frighten them away. The handler
then left the room so the puppies were free to eat the food. The basenjis did, no