Dog behavior

Dog behavior is the internally coordinated responses (actions or inactions) of the domestic dog (individuals or groups) to internal and external stimuli.[88] As the oldest domesticated species, dogs’ minds inevitably have been shaped by millennia of

contact with humans. As a result of this physical and social evolution, dogs have acquired the ability to understand and communicate with humans more than any other species and they are uniquely attuned to human behaviors.[9] Behavioral scientists have uncovered a

surprising set of social-cognitive abilities in the domestic dog. These abilities are not possessed by the dog’s closest canine relatives or other highly intelligent mammals, such as great apes, but rather parallel to children’s social-cognitive skills.[89]

Unlike other domestic species selected for production-related traits, dogs were initially selected for their behaviors.[90][91] In 2016, a study

found that only 11 fixed genes showed variation between wolves and dogs. These gene variations were unlikely to have been the result of natural evolution and indicate selection on both morphology and behavior during dog domestication. These genes have been

shown to affect the catecholamine synthesis pathway, with the majority of the genes affecting the fight-or-flight response[91][92] (i.e., selection for tameness) and emotional processing.[91] Dogs generally show reduced fear and aggression compared

with wolves.[91][93] Some of these genes have been associated with aggression in some dog breeds, indicating their importance in both the initial domestication and later in breed formation.[91] Traits of high sociability and lack of fear in dogs may include genetic modifications related to Williams-Beuren syndrome in humans, which cause hypersociability at the expense of problem-solving ability.[9