Ever Wondered Why Dogs Are So Friendly?
June 10, 2018
You have to love social dogs who just want to say hello to everybody they see. Golden retrievers and labradors are especially known for being super friendly; they always have to move in for a good sniff before walking on. But have you ever wondered why your dog is so friendly?
It’s not uncommon for your dog to fall in love with anybody who drops by your house, snuggling up to the new human in the room, begging for attention. It’s enough to make you feel neglected. But there’s good reason for your dog’s friendliness and thanks to a new scientific study, we now know why.
A Princeton evolutionary biologist by the name of Bridgett von Holdt and a team of researchers studied social behaviour in dogs versus wolves to find a genetic link or rather, the missing link. Dogs are way more friendly than wolves, but is there an evolutionary reason for that, one connected to survival?
The study is called Structural variants in genes associated with human Williams-Beuren syndrome underlie stereotypical hypersociability in domestic dogs. It shows that two genomes known as GTF2I and GTF2IRD1 provide the common link they were looking for. These genomes are responsible for certain behaviours, including hypersociability or being super friendly, and are found in people with Williams-Beuren syndrome.
At some point, the structural genetic variant made an evolutionary leap, creating a specific difference between wolves and dogs, and further sealing our bond with these fine creatures.
These genomes could be the missing link that separated dogs from wolves years ago and turned dogs into human-loving creatures. It also shows that selective breeding is likely responsible for this genetic variant. Von Holdt told National Geographic that the evidence suggests humans “may have bred a behavioral syndrome into a companion animal.”
Von Holdt believes that dogs haven’t stopped evolving, because our needs have changed. Dogs are very trendy and certain breeds fall out of favour. We no longer want hunting dogs or guard dogs, instead we’re opting for smaller breeds like the French Bulldog. This dog is quickly becoming the number one pet of choice for city dwellers over the golden and labrador retriever. They’re a perfect companion dog whose compact size matches any city apartment or condominium. Little couch potatoes who love to hang out all day, they’re exactly what city dwellers want right now.
The only thing I wish was these dogs didn’t have so many health problems. If we can selectively breed a genetic variant into a dog to make them more lovable, then why can’t we breed them to live longer?
Photo credit by: Thowra_uk - Puppy love