Breed-Specific Behavior: How Real Is It?
Can you predict with certainty the behavioral traits of dogs based on their breed? Have you ever heard someone say of a dog’s behavior problem, „It’s a breed problem – there’s nothing you can do about it“? Yet we know that behavioral traits are influenced by both genetics and environment. How do we measure „heritability,“ or the influence of genetics versus environment? What does it tell us about individuals and about breeds? What does breed tell us about the likelihood of an individual having specific behavioral traits?
Join Jessica Perry Hekman, DVM, PhD to talk about these questions and to learn about how to address solutions at the breed level.
120 Minuten inkl. 10 Minuten Pause | Live-Chat mit der Dozentin
Jessica Perry Hekman, DVM, PhD
Jessica Perry Hekman, DVM, PhD, is a behavioral geneticist. She is one of the founders of the Functional Dog Collaborative (functionalbreeding.org), a non-profit which seeks to change the conversation around dog breeding in the dog loving community. She also teaches behavioral biology at the Virginia Tech online Masters program for Applied Animal Behavior and Welfare, works with Hecht Lab at Harvard, and offers webinars online and consults with breeders about genetic testing and breeding choices. Perry lives in Raymond, NH with her husband and two dogs.
