Canine Behaviour & Genetics

Per Arvelius - Canine Behaviour & Genetics

Per Arvelius - Canine Behaviour and Genetics Meeting
London
26-28 June 2015

Summary
1. Dog behaviour  shows genetic variation and can therefore be improved by breeding
2. Modern techniques for estimating breeding values have a huge potential to increase genetic improvement of dog behaviour
3. Behavioural measurements should (usually) be objective and neutral, and summarized into composite traits

• Per Arvelius presentation from the Canine Genetics and Behavior Meeting - London - June 26-28-2015

Genetic Evaluation of Behaviour in Dogs (external link - access) Doctoral Thesis

" A dog's behavioural characteristics are important for the dog, for the dog owner and for society as a whole. Behavioural traits can be changed by breeding, but to be effective when selecting breeding animals, good methods for measuring behaviour are essential. "

"The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the prospects for improving dog behaviour by breeding. Dog breeders would potentially benefit substantially in terms of faster genetic progress for important behavioural traits, if modern methods for genetic evaluation were applied. For this to function well, it is essential to have good methods for measuring the traits of interest. In this thesis, a number of dog behavioural measurement methods were evaluated for their potential to be used for genetic evaluation, and with the purpose of advancing our understanding of factors affecting the usefulness of behavioural measurements for breeding purposes."

•     Per Arvelius  -- Genetic Evaluation of Behaviour in Dogs