You’re likely not reading too much into your dog’s mood: according to researchers at the University of Cambridge, certain genes influencing golden retriever behavior are also traceable to human emotions including intelligence, depression, and anxiety.
“The findings are really striking,” Eleanor Raffan, a neuroscience researcher and coauthor of a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, said in a statement. “They provide strong evidence that humans and golden retrievers have shared genetic roots for their behavior.”
Raffan and colleagues recently analyzed the genetic codes of 1,300 golden retrievers, and compared them to their behavioral traits as assessed by an owner questionnaire. From there, the team matched the specific genes to traits such as energy levels, shyness, aggression, and trainability.
Using a similar genetic analysis for humans, Raffan’s team then corroborated 12 genes in golden retrievers that also influence human behavior. For example, the gene PTPN1 that is linked with a golden retriever’s aggression to other dogs is related to depression and intelligence in humans. Another variant tied to fear in golden retrievers is linked to the anxieties that follow embarrassment for humans.
“These results show that genetics govern behavior, making some dogs predisposed to finding the world stressful,” added study coauthor and neuroscientist Enoch Alex. “If their life experiences compound this, they might act in ways we interpret as bad behavior when really they’re distressed.”
Potential solutions to some of these training issues likely reside in the very same overlapping genetics, too. Raffan and Alex showed that the ROMO1 gene linked to trainability in golden retrievers is associated with human emotional sensitivity and intelligence. With this in mind, the study’s authors suggest training golden retrievers may be more effective when tied to emotional elements in lieu of only rewarding good behavior.
Still, the team stressed that genetics doesn’t offer a 1:1 connection between specific traits and moods. Instead, they influence broader emotional states and behaviors.
“Dogs in our home share not only our physical environment, but may also share some of the psychological challenges associated with modern living,” said University of Lincoln animal behaviorist and study coauthor Daniel Mills. “Our pets may be excellent models of some human psychiatric conditions associated with emotional disturbance.”