Barbell plot summarizing the difference in average aggressive behaviour scores (X axis) for two groups of dogs within the same breed (Y axis). Group 1 (blue dots) are average scores for dogs without a history of early life adversity and Group 2 (red dots) are average scores for dogs of the same breed with a history of early life adversity in the first 6 months. Generally, breeds show a trend towards higher aggression scores for dogs with a history of adversity (i.e., the red dot is to the right of the blue dot), while a few breeds show the opposite trend. None of the instances where dogs with adversity scored lower than those without were significantly different. Dot size represents the number of dogs in the group, with Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers being among the most numerous, while English Shepherds were fewer. Significant differences in aggression scores between dogs with and without adversity are noted by carets next to breed names, including Siberian Husky, American Leopard Hound, and American Eskimo Dog.
That's not all! Obvi, nurture doesn't tell the whole story of why dogs develop certain behaviour. We also found that the impact of trauma varied across dog breeds, suggesting that there is a genetic factor for risk or resilience to stress.
#NatureAndNurture #Genes&Environment #IndividualDifferences
