Oxytocin and Opioid Receptor Gene Polymorphisms Associated with Greeting Behavior in Dogs.

ABSTRACT: Meeting humans is an everyday experience for most companion dogs, and their behavior in these situations and its genetic background is of major interest. Previous research in our laboratory reported that in German shepherd dogs the lack of G allele, and in Border collies the lack of A allele, of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) 19208A/G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was linked to increased friendliness, which suggests that although broad traits are affected by genetic variability, the specific links between alleles and behavioral variables might be breed-specific. In the current study, we found that Siberian huskies with the A allele approached a friendly unfamiliar woman less frequently in a greeting test, which indicates that certain polymorphisms are related to human directed be

SUBMITTER: Kubinyi E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5594098 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature