Breed memory exists. And it determines the character and personality of dogs. This has been demonstrated, with scientific evidence, by a very recent study conducted in Tucson, Arizona, and published in the journal Biorxiv. The analysis, which combined behavioural and genetic aspects, identified 131 distinctive features in the dog genome corresponding to 14 key traits of their personality. The DNA map of dogs had already been obtained in 2005, but researchers had not immediately been able to identify the genes that give each breed its own particular personality, owing to the numerous variants within each species.

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Now the group led by researcher Evan MacLean has collected behavioural data on 14,000 dogs from 101 breeds by means of questionnaires completed by more than 50,000 owners who answered questions on 14 different aspects of their four-legged companions' personalities. It was precisely thanks to this data that the behavioural traits could be linked to each breed, and these were then compared with the genetic data. The research thus identified the specific aspects of DNA that help to outline the key behavioural characteristics of each individual and, taken together, can account for approximately 15 per cent of a breed's personality. The research also highlighted some very important aspects of dogs' lives. It emerged, for example, that trainability, predatory behaviour and aggression towards strangers are among the most heritable characteristics.

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Breed memory and dog behaviour

The breed was created by humans through selective breeding in order to produce individuals that should represent the so-called "standard" — that is, the morphological and character type that defines the breed itself. There are undoubtedly substantial differences between the various dog breeds, and these are the reasons why one should opt for one over another when choosing a life companion.

"The choice of dog is of the utmost importance for a harmonious life together. Every breed has been selectively bred by humans to meet specific needs. An example? Sheepdogs were created for work, and are therefore very energetic individuals that need to be constantly kept occupied," explains Stefania Marchitelli, animal behaviour therapist. "If you don't have time to devote daily to a border collie or a Malinois — breeds born to work alongside humans — you will find yourself faced with a maladjusted, neurotic and sometimes even aggressive animal, both at home and outside."

The same can be said of a Cane Corso, sedentary and not very active, forced to walk for kilometres along steep mountain paths, or of a tiny Bolognese left alone in the garden for an entire day and deprived of contact with the beloved family that should have welcomed it. In short, breed memory does not only define the breed itself; it also identifies a large part of the behaviours and attitudes of our four-legged friends.

Choosing a dog, a decision to be carefully considered

Breed memory cannot help but influence the choice of the dog that will accompany us through life. And knowing the breeds becomes fundamental if one wishes to venture into the world of dog breeding and its secrets. It is worth remembering, in fact, that even a mixed-breed dog is simply the product of breeds that have crossed with one another, each of which will contribute particular traits and specific attitudes, ultimately making up the complete picture of the individual.

"When choosing a dog, one must bear in mind its breed memory — that is, precisely that combination of characteristics, abilities and special qualities that humans have accentuated in certain groups of individuals through selective breeding. And which became significant when the work of distinguishing dogs into groups began, based on the type of activities in which four-legged companions were expected to assist human beings," Marchitelli continues.

It is therefore obvious that, for this reason, a dog will always love to do what it was bred for; for example, a Maremma sheepdog will bond with the territory in which it lives and will have an instinctive tendency to defend it from strangers, a dachshund will always want to sniff, dig, discover new burrows and bark to alert everyone else to its findings, a Labrador will excel at retrieving activities, and so on, in a long list that distinguishes one breed from another, defining its approach and its specific traits.

"In practical terms, breed memory is, for breeders, a goal to be achieved in every good individual and, for owners, an aid to understanding which breed to gravitate towards and to imagining what a dog's behaviour might broadly be in a given situation," concludes Stefania Marchitelli. Always bearing in mind, however, what an individual's personal experiences and individual character may have been, because, beyond the breed that leaves its indelible mark, every dog is an individual in its own right. Just as every human being is different from the next, whatever their ethnicity, their race or the colour of their skin.