Link to the paper in Science: Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes.

Environment and socialization remain the largest determining factor.

Unsurprisingly, most stereotypes about dog breeds are pseudoscience that come from the eugenics movement. In particular, “popular knowledge” around pitbulls and bulldogs is just thinly veiled racism.

interview on the study from the verge: https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/28/23043508/dog-breed-behavior-genetics-study-stereotypes

The research did find some genes associated with traits like human sociability and howling frequency. But overall, only around 9 percent of dog behavior was explained by breed.

“Dogs are individuals,” said Marjie Alonso, a study author and executive director of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. “What a dog looks like is not really going to tell you what the dog acts like.”

Edit: modern “purebred” breeding literally came from eugenicists, that’s why this old political cartoon even exists. Documentary on pedigree dogs and their many issues: https://vimeo.com/166015460

  • aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    2 years ago

    If all dogs can be aggressive than most people still shouldn’t own large dogs because most people can’t train a dog worth shit.

    That the approach quite a few cities and even countries take. Pretty much every large dog breed banned. Here's an example of all dog breeds banned in Beijing, including any mixed breeds of said breeds:

    Mastiff, German pinscher, St. Bernard, Great Dane, Great Pyrenees, Bernese mountain dog, Rottweiler, Weimaraner, Setters, Afghan hound, Foxhound, Bloodhound, Irish wolfhound, Saluki, Greyhound, Borzoi, Basenji, Australian shepherd, Belgian shepherd, Bouvier des Flandres, Bearded collie, Scottish shepherd, German shepherd, Old English sheepdog, British bulldog, Chow chow, Dalmatian, Keeshond, Japanese akita, Newfoundland Sled dog, Bedlington terrier, Bull terrier, Kerry blue terrier.