Researchers from the Republic of Korea have identified genes that make herding dogs sensitive, smart and focussed.
Herding dogs are not fluffballs. The predation drive inherited from their wolf ancestors may have been put on a leash since humans started breeding dogs about 2,000 years ago, but stalking, strategic chasing and focus are still very much in play.
Not all ‘herding’ dogs are the same. Border collies are herders, Australian cattle dogs are heelers, German shepherds are boundary dogs and Bouvier des Flandres are drovers, says lead author Dr Hankyeol Jeong from Gyeongsang National University.
There are also subcategories. The border collie, a particular focus of this study, has a “strong-eyed style of herding, basically stalking behaviour, which means its head and body are kept low and the dog’s eyes stay fixed on the herd, tracking its movements. Steps are quiet and controlled,” says Professor Claire Wade of the University of Sydney, who was not involved in the study. This is how a predator would approach a herd of prey animals if it was hunting, she adds.
Herding border collies will follow stalking with a chase and sometimes a bite, but not to kill, says Jeong.
The researchers sequenced the genomes of 12 herding breeds, 5 from Belgium, 1 each from France, Australia, Germany and the USA and 4 from the UK, including the border collie.
The border collie is known as the most intelligent dog breed and the best sheep-herder in the world, says Jeong.
Relationships between genes and behaviour were explored using human genome-wide association studies. The team specifically targeted genes influencing border collie selection.
Eighty-four percent of the human genome is shared with dogs, so the assumption was that genes associated with specific traits would be similar in humans, says Jeong.
“High-performance farm dogs show exceptional abilities that set them apart from the average pooch, and this study gives some insight into genetic factors that may contribute to that,” says Professor Matt Littlejon of Massey University in New Zealand. Littlejon was not involved in the study.
“The study used genome sequence data to ask the question ‘what DNA regions do working breeds tend to have in common?’ This analysis identified some commonalities across these breeds, and the genes highlighted were known to have roles in brain function.”
Jeong says herding dog breeding has selected for adaptations in 8 genes tied to memory retention, motor learning, social interaction, and spatial memory. Of these, the EPH81, tied to spatial memory, showed a lot of variation across the breeds, he adds.
All of which could be linked to greater sensitivity to communication with humans, especially the ability to work out what the human wants, while maintaining control of the herd.
“Since working ability is largely behavioural, this finding makes sense and suggests their approach is detecting real associations,” says Littlejon
“The study is significant because identifying genes underlying behavioural traits has been notoriously difficult – in both dog and human genetics.
“By the same measure, these results will need to be validated. Breakthroughs in behavioural genetics have been hard won because the traits are complex, so while the study highlights one gene in particular with a likely role in working behaviour, the next step will be to test the gene in bigger populations and confirm that role.”
Joeng agrees, saying that their “genomic evidence for selection is suggestive, not conclusive.” But the study does identify how breeding has impacted social and brain pathways, he says, setting the stage for further work on herding behaviour and the tools needed to do it.
The paper is published in Science Advances.
