Influence of early life adversity and breed on aggression and fear in dogs.

ABSTRACT: Among the animals on this planet, dogs are uniquely adapted for life with humans, a status that exposes them to risks of human-mediated traumatic experiences. At the same time, some lineages of dogs have undergone artificial selection for behavioral phenotypes that might increase risk or resilience to stress exposure, providing an opportunity to examine interactions between heritable and acquired traits. In a large-scale study (N = 4,497), English-speaking dog guardians reported on their dogs' life histories, current living environments, and provided observer ratings of dog behavior using the Canine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). Our analysis revealed that adverse experiences in the first six months of life, such as abuse and relinquishment, were significantly ass

SUBMITTER: Espinosa J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12491534 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature