Is the bond between dog and owner linked to genes? – Oxytocin receptor gene and dog–owner attachment

Source (original paper)
Kovács K, et al. (2018). Dog-Owner Attachment Is Associated With Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphisms in Both Parties. A Comparative Study on Austrian and Hungarian Border Collies. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00435
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. You may share, reuse, and distribute it if you give appropriate credit.

1. Why did they do this research?

"Oxytocin" is a substance involved in closeness, bonding, and stress relief in both humans and animals. The genes that influence how oxytocin works vary a bit from person to person and dog to dog. The researchers wondered whether that variation might be linked to attachment between dog and owner. Because dogs and owners are not related, they are a good pair to study how experience, environment, and each one's genes interact. So they looked at Border Collies and their owners in Austria and Hungary, and at oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene variation, how much the dog showed attachment behavior to the owner, and the owner's personality and attachment style.

2. How was the study done?

One hundred thirty-five Border Collies and their owners in Austria and Hungary took part. The team (1) took saliva or blood from both dog and owner to analyze OXTR gene variants, (2) observed how the dog reacted when briefly separated from the owner and then reunited (to see how much the dog treated the owner as a "secure base"), and (3) gave the owner personality and attachment-style questionnaires (e.g. anxious vs avoidant). They then tested whether the dog's and owner's OXTR types, the dog's attachment behavior, and the owner's personality and attachment were statistically linked.

3. What did they find?

The dog's attachment behavior was linked to both the dog's and the owner's OXTR gene type. There was also evidence that dog and owner genes together (interaction) affected the dog's attachment behavior—so the combination of both may shape the relationship. The dog's attachment behavior also differed by country (Austria vs Hungary) and was linked to owner personality and owner attachment style. So genes alone do not make the relationship; experience and how the owner relates also matter.

4. What we can take away

The study does not say "this dog and this owner match or don't match because of genes." It shows that oxytocin-related genes in both dog and owner can be linked to how much the dog shows attachment behavior, and that dog and owner genes can work together. We cannot predict "this dog and owner will match" from genes alone. But the biology of closeness may differ on both sides and that can influence the relationship. Genes may set some possibilities; what relationship actually forms still depends on how we treat each other and what experiences we build. The study used one breed in two countries, so results may differ elsewhere.

In a nutshell

The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene type in both dog and owner was linked to the dog's attachment behavior, and dog and owner genes could work together. Country, owner personality, and owner attachment style were also linked to the relationship, so experience and relationship style still matter, not only genes.

Source (CC BY 4.0)
Kovács K, et al. (2018). Dog-Owner Attachment Is Associated With Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphisms in Both Parties. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00435
© 2018 The Authors. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).