Genetics of Domesticated Behavior in Dogs and Foxes - Genetics and the Behavior of Domestic Animals - page 368

matter how they had been handled. The Shetland sheepdog never did, no matter how
they had been handled. The disciplined beagles ate the food, but not the tolerantly
treated ones. The conclusion is that identical handling will have different effects on
different genotypes of dogs.

Houpt (2007)

The Bar Harbor experiment clearly shows the complexity of dog social
behavior in terms of its development and inheritance. A strong maternal effect
was shown for several behavioral characteristics. In particular, Scott and Fuller
demonstrate how easily behavior can be misjudged in terms of its genetic origin
or gene

environment interaction nature. Underestimation of critical parameters
underlying the formation of dog behavioral traits can lead to serious pitfalls in
an attempt to identify genes implicated in these behaviors.

GENETIC ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIORAL TRAITS IN DOGS
In contrast to the genetic analysis of morphological traits ( Boyko et al., 2010;
Cadieu et al., 2009; Chase et al., 2002; Hoopes et al., 2012; Sutter et al., 2007 )
and inherited diseases ( Miyadera et al., 2012; Ostrander and Beale, 2012;
Parker et al., 2010; Rimbault and Ostrander, 2012 ) success in the identification
of loci and genes influencing dog behavior has been noticeably more modest.
Breed stereotypes, characteristics for which dog breeds were selected for
(i.e. size, skull shape, and ear type), were successfully used as phenotypes
for mapping morphological traits ( Boyko et al., 2010; Schoenebeck et al.,
2012; Sutter et al., 2007 ). One study used a similar approach for genetic
mapping of breed behavioral characteristics (i.e. herding, pointing, boldness,
and trainability) defined by a dog trainer as phenotypes ( Jones et al., 2008 ).
Several genomic regions that showed statistically significant association with
breed behavioral characteristics were identified. Several candidate genes
were suggested but no follow up analyses of involvement of these genes in
dog behavior were performed.
Recent studies of performance in Alaskan sled dogs identified genetic
loci associated with two main racing styles segregating in this breed: sprint-
ing versus long-distance racing ( Huson et al., 2012 ). The Alaskan sled dog is
a relatively recent breed originating from Alaskan Malamute, Siberian
Husky, German Shorthaired Pointer, and Borzoi-type dogs bred for perfor-
mance, rather than appearance. The racing style in this breed was shown to
correlate with the contribution of parental breeds: increase in Alaskan
Malamute and Siberian Husky ancestry correlated with increased endurance
while contribution from Pointer and Borzoi-type dogs was associated with
enhanced speed ( Huson et al., 2010 ). Genetic comparison between sprint-
type versus long-distance racing Alaskan sled dogs identified several geno-
mic regions associated with differences in racing style and pinpointed a
variant of MYH9 gene significantly associated with increased heat tolerance
in sprint-type dogs ( Huson et al., 2012 ).