By Helen BriggsBBC News
20 July 2017
Being friendly is in dogs' nature
and could be key to how they came to share our lives, say US scientists.
Dogs evolved from wolves tens of
thousands of years ago.
During this time, certain genes
that make dogs particularly gregarious have been selected for, according to
research.
This may give dogs their
distinctive personalities, including a craving for human company.
"Our finding of genetic
variation in both dogs and wolves provides a possible insight into animal personality,
and may even suggest similar genes may have roles in other domestic species
(maybe cats even)," said Dr Bridgett vonHoldt of Princeton University.
The researchers studied the
behaviour of domestic dogs, and grey wolves living in captivity. They carried
out a number of tests of the animals' skills at problem-solving and
sociability.
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