SIMILAR — BUT DIFFERENT
Dogs of the same breed may look alike, but they can be very different in other ways, as Julie Hill discovers.
Just like people, every dog is an individual, with their own personality and preferences. And although we may make generalisations about breeds, dogs of the same breed often differ widely.
“They will often share certain personality traits, which you would expect,” explained trainer and behaviourist Jodie Forbes of Dorset-based dog training club Crazelpup. “Herding breeds tend to herd, pointers often point, retrievers often retrieve. These qualities have been selectively bred for, and so they show up to some degree without any specific training. However, owning multiple dogs of the same breed doesn’t guarantee similarity. Factors that influence personality include genetics, epigenetics, experiences and their timing, training, health, fulfilment, and nutrition.
“Genetics play a huge role in how our dogs behave,” continued Jodie. “And although dogs of the same breed share a significant amount of genetic material, even pups from the same litter are not genetic clones. Some dogs may be predisposed to being more fearful or friendly, dependent on the traits their relatives had and the percentage at which they inherit those traits. Epigenetics is an interesting new contender, and new research has suggested we can inherit genetic memories from our ancestors. That means that if a dog’s parent experienced trauma for example, the offspring could display higher levels of anxiety.
Furthermore, in-utero climate can have a lasting impact on a dog’s personality.
This is all determined before your pup is even born!
“Imagine you had a litter of cloned puppies who were genetically identical, their experiences throughout life could still ultimately result in very different individuals. Imagine one pup was exposed to a scary event during a fear period; even if his littermate was exposed to that very same event a few weeks later, the lasting effects may not be the same.
“If one pup was put on a biologically appropriate and healthy diet and another was overfed on poor food, you would likely see huge differences in joint, dental, and coat health in the clones. Similarly, two identical dogs may both be predisposed to being more anxious; however with different levels of training, enrichment, and management, they may display totally different behaviours.
“Every dog is unique and is an amalgamation of things they are born with and things that they pick up along the way. Dogs of the same breed may be similar, but no two dogs are going to be identical — even if they share the exact same DNA.”
“Genetics play a huge role in how our dogs behave...”