Scientists find golden retrievers and owners share same behavior

By Stephen Beech

Golden retriever owners may have more in common with their dogs than they realize.

The behavior of the popular breed and humans is driven by the same genes, according to a new study.

The University of Cambridge research provides a window into canine emotions, revealing why some golden retrievers are more fearful, energetic or aggressive than others.

The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), is the first to show that specific genes linked to canine behavior are also associated with traits such as anxiety, depression, and intelligence in people.

The researchers say their "striking" findings could help owners understand their pets’ emotional worlds, and tailor training or care to suit their needs.

The Cambridge team analyzed the genetic code of 1,300 golden retrievers and compared it with each dog’s behavioral traits – assessed through a detailed owner questionnaire.

The study 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 researchers discovered that 12 of the golden retriever genes they identified also underlie human behavioral traits and emotions.

Study leader Dr. Eleanor Raffan said: “The findings are really striking - they provide strong evidence that humans and golden retrievers have shared genetic roots for their behavior.

"The genes we identified frequently influence emotional states and behavior in both species.”

She said 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.

Study first author Enoch Alex, a doctoral researcher, said: “These results show that genetics govern behavior, making some dogs predisposed to finding the world stressful.

"If their life experiences compound this, they might act in ways we interpret as bad behavior, when really they’re distressed.”

The study also showed that "trainability" in golden retrievers is associated with a gene, ROMO1, that in humans is linked to intelligence and emotional sensitivity.

The researchers say that means owners should appreciate that there’s an emotional component to training their dogs, in addition to rewarding desired behaviors.

The team said the insights could also have implications for veterinary care. For example, understanding that behavior such as fearfulness in a golden retriever is driven by a gene linked with human anxiety means that a medicine to reduce anxiety could help.

The dog genes identified by the researchers don't lead directly to any specific behavior or emotion – rather, they influence behavioral 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."

Dr. Anna Morros-Nuevo, who was also involved in the study, said: “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."

Dr. Daniel Mills, who was also involved in the study, said: “Dogs in our home share not only our physical environment, but may also share some of the psychological challenges associated with modern living."

Dr. Mills, a specialist in problem animal behavior at the University of Lincoln, added: "Our pets may be excellent models of some human psychiatric conditions associated with emotional disturbance."

The team used data on the behavior 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 answered questionnaires about 73 different behaviors of their pet, which are then grouped to give scores in 14 categories that reliably predict various behavioral traits.

The team used blood samples to search the entire genome of each golden retriever for genetic markers that were more frequent in dogs with each of the 14 behavioral traits, compared to those without it.