Breeding aggression: Review of recent literature concerning the influence of genes on aggressive behaviour

Abstract

In this literature review I have looked at what the situation is concerning knowledge on the genetic factor on aggressive behaviour. I have seen that there are in many cases breed differences in temperament, there have also been described behavioural differences regarding the dog’s size, especially it seems that breeds of smaller size are more likely to show aggressive behaviour than larger sized dogs. Also, the focus of the breeding can help us predict the temperament in dog, mainly if the focus is on breeding dogs for conformation shows or working dogs. There has also been the question of coat colour and its effect on behaviour, and it showed us that there may be some association between coat colour and aggressive behaviour, but it’s unsure if this is due to the breeding or owner bias (expecting the dog to be more aggressive, thus treating it differently).