Investigating Genetic Sociability between Long-Term Owned Dogs and Shelter Dogs

Abstract

Behavioral mismatches are one of the leading causes of euthanasia and relinquishment of dogs. Understanding the demographic and biological factors that support successful human-dog relationships is critical to improving adoption outcomes. Unlike behavior which may change with age and environment, a dog’s genotype is stable over their life. Genetic analyses can thus provide insight into a dog’s social needs and compatibility with different home environments. Previous research has determined four retrotransposon insertions within three genes (WBSCR17, GTF2I, and POM121) that are associated with a dog’s propensity for prolonged social contact with humans (“hypersociability”). A higher copy number of the derived allele correlates with increased hypersocial behavior. In this study, I examine whether there are differences in genetic sociability and behavior between long-term owned dogs and dogs that are currently in shelters. DNA samples were collected from 317 owned dogs and 171 shelter dogs, along with demographic and behavioral information. A greater proportion of shelter dogs had 3 or fewer alleles, whereas owned dogs had 4 or more (p = 0.039). I found no significant difference in per-locus derived allele frequencies between groups (Bonferroni-corrected p > 0.05). This study also investigated the associations between genotype and other factors, including weight and behavior. Information on WBSCR17 and GTF2I showed strong associations with behavioral variation among all dogs. Overall, the results of this study serve as an important thought experiment for future work on shelter dogs and long-term owned dogs as well as the use of genetic surveys to improve adoption success and shelter resource allocation.