Learned Behaviour?

[Tiercel 6,986]

Simple question, with I suspect a complicated answer.

 

Can a dog pass on learned knowledge / behaviour in it's genes?

 

TC

Edited August 19, 2016 by Tiercel

[mushroom 13,205]

Good question

 

Trevor was literally a carbon copy of his much older, non related pack mate. To point out they were together for the first two years of his life.

 

Very curious about this one.

[socks 32,253]

A pup will always carry some of the traits from its parents that are passed down through the genes but learned behaviour is a thing that's common to all species ... Without it nothing would progress or survive ......

[neems 2,406]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics

 

'Epigenetic changes modify the activation of certain genes, but not the genetic code sequence of DNA. The microstructure (not code) of DNA itself or the associated chromatinproteins may be modified, causing activation or silencing. This mechanism enables differentiated cells in a multicellular organism to express only the genes that are necessary for their own activity.'

 

 

Dogs will have some dormant instincts that make them want to act like wolves,which if activated in the parents will pass on,which I'm sure would effect behaviour.

 

And then there's the nurture side of the equation, imo the two must be linked.

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

A pup will always carry some of the traits from its parents that are passed down through the genes but learned behaviour is a thing that's common to all species ... Without it nothing would progress or survive ......

Do you think there's an overlap between instinct and learned behaviour?

 

Is instinct a type of learned behaviour or something completely different?

 

I've no idea as to the answers just curious.

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

This is worth a watch for anyone interested in this topic...

 

https://youtu.be/Sdqg-jn_tBk

[terryd 8,581]

So when buying a pup if the parents are good retrievers, soft mouthed, non possessive, good around stock and basically do every thing you want of your pup. You are certainly swinging the odds in your favour even though they are down to training and handling ?

 

mmm my daughter informs me lol only if that behaviour was caused by genetics and the genes passed on

Edited August 20, 2016 by terryd

[Gaz_1989 9,539]

So when buying a pup if the parents are good retrievers, soft mouthed, non possessive, good around stock and basically do every thing you want of your pup. You are certainly swinging the odds in your favour even though they are down to training and handling ?

 

mmm my daughter informs me lol only if that behaviour was caused by genetics and the genes passed on

I don't think it's gonna work in the case of odd dogs here and there crossed together. But it does show that the pups genes are capable of learning that behaviour more easily?

 

For example if you took 2 dogs unwilling to retrieve and bred them it could be more difficult getting the pup to retrieve than it would a dog out of 2 natural retrievers?

 

There are lads on here with line bred dogs going back 30/40 years. There is a good chance some of these dogs have got inherited behavioural traits and take to the job that bit easier?

 

Definitely food for thought.

[Tiercel 6,986]

 

So when buying a pup if the parents are good retrievers, soft mouthed, non possessive, good around stock and basically do every thing you want of your pup. You are certainly swinging the odds in your favour even though they are down to training and handling ?

 

mmm my daughter informs me lol only if that behaviour was caused by genetics and the genes passed on

Dogs are really quite interesting because there are so many varieties / breeds of dogs that do different applications instinctively. One application that we could say for sure is instinct is hunting. Yet the hunting instinct manifests it's self in many different forms from breed to breed. If we agree that the wolf was the ancestor of dogs and all the different types of hunting that different breeds do had to be taught, as they vary from the way a wolf would hunt, would the fact that different breeds now hunt in different ways naturally be an indication that the taught hunting has now become embedded in that breeds genes?

 

TC

[Neal 1,873]

 

So when buying a pup if the parents are good retrievers, soft mouthed, non possessive, good around stock and basically do every thing you want of your pup. You are certainly swinging the odds in your favour even though they are down to training and handling ?

 

mmm my daughter informs me lol only if that behaviour was caused by genetics and the genes passed on

Dogs are really quite interesting because there are so many varieties / breeds of dogs that do different applications instinctively. One application that we could say for sure is instinct is hunting. Yet the hunting instinct manifests it's self in many different forms from breed to breed. If we agree that the wolf was the ancestor of dogs and all the different types of hunting that different breeds do had to be taught, as they vary from the way a wolf would hunt, would the fact that different breeds now hunt in different ways naturally be an indication that the taught hunting has now become embedded in that breeds genes?

 

TC

Could it be because some have been bred from the wolves which tended to "cut 'em off at the pass" whereas some were more "let me at it" and a few may even have been "I'll get me coat!"?

Edited August 20, 2016 by Neal

[terryd 8,581]

it is interesting and yet very little can be read about how it started. Found this regarding pointers http://americanpointerclub.org/incs/assessingtheshowpointer.pdf

[skycat 6,173]

Good question, and one I've often pondered. I believe that stuff can be passed down from one generation to the next in the genes, which may have been altered by the experiences undergone in the parent. It has been proved that transgenerational trauma exists in humans, and whilst much of this may be attributed to the behaviour of the adults, there also seems to be proof that chemical imbalances exist in the DNA of those who have been traumatised.

 

http://upliftconnect.com/intergenerational-trauma/

 

On the dog level, I remember, when I bred from my Deerhound/Greyhound, her daughter 'knowing' how to do certain things from a very early age; spookily so. I had to teach her mother almost everything, but her daughter did it seemingly instinctively. Daft things, such as picking up dead fish from the bottom of the lake in a couple of feet of water; picking out birds' nests from hedges to snaffle the eggs. I've never had any other dogs do this bar those two, and the daughter couldn't have copied her dam as she died before the pups were 6 months old in a tragic accident.

 

To me, it makes sense that learning can be inherited, or passed down in the genes, in the DNA. How else could a species continue to evolve at a rapid rate? And, as a kind of sideways leap in my head ... does it account for the spectacularly quick evolution of humans when compared to other species? Did the birth of the conscious mind somehow spark other changes within us?

[Moja 111]

Intresting...

[billhardy 2,342]

Simple question, with I suspect a complicated answer.

 

Can a dog pass on learned knowledge / behaviour in it's genes?

 

TC

. Simple answer really yes.proven time and again traits and there behaviour his and can be passed on to Welps and therefore we are where we are with working animals lap dogs etc ,I believe when one sees a welp acting in the same manner has grandma etc it must be passed through genes .but of course I also believe the chance of say a collie or a sal boxing a rabbit or long ear well that learned behaviour passed through genes I think it's a great question tiercel but that be my take on it.atb bunnys.

[beast 1,884]

traits, behaviour, general stuff can be passed on of course. obviously you can select and breed for certain qualities (eg breed good NATURAL ie genetically retrievers and you end up with labradors) but you could also train say a saluki to retrieve well which wouldnt mean its pups would do the same

but just consider the question for a minute, "learned behaviour".

if i take a litter off the dancing dog off x factor they are not all going to start dancing as soon as they open their eyes are they?

 

by selecting two parents which learn a certain task easily, you can increase the chances that the pups can be trained to do the same stuff easily too. and thats all.