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The Dogs You Should Avoid If You Want A Peaceful Life! Shar Pei, Basenji and Pekingese breeds are more likely to howl because they are ‘genetically close’ to wolves, study finds
- Experts looked at which dogs are most likely to howl due to ties to wolves
- They played wolf sounds to 68 dogs that differ in genetic “distance” from wolves.
When it comes to choosing a new puppy, you can look for one that is friendly, playful, and likes long walks.
But if you enjoy a quieter life, it might also be worth finding out if they are genetically similar to wolves.
That’s because certain breeds, some of which may surprise you, share more DNA with wolves and are more likely to howl as a result.
And while larger huskies and Alaskan malamutes may seem related, Pekingese puppies, Shar Peis, and Basenjis are also included.
The main reasons why wolves emit their long, sad cries is to communicate over long distances and to mark the boundaries of the territory.
Certain breeds of dogs share more DNA with wolves and are more likely to howl as a result, researchers have found. And while huskies (pictured) and Alaskan malamutes may seem obviously related, Pekingese puppies, Shar Peis, and Basenjis also fall into this category.
Researchers from Eötvös Loránd University investigated the reactions of dogs to howling wolves. The effects of the dogs’ breed, age and sex on their behavior were tested in the new study.
But while some dogs howl often, certain breeds never do.
Researchers at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary played the sounds of a wolf howling to 68 dogs that differed in their genetic “distance” from wolves.
They discovered ‘older’ breeds, which are genetically more similar to wolves, often responded to howls with their own, and were also more stressed.
These breeds included Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Shiba inu, Ikita inu, and Pekingese.
However, modern breeds such as the Great Dane, Labrador Retriever, Beagle, Boxer, and Miniature Poodle often responded with barking.
The researchers said that ancient breeds may be more understanding of wolves’ howls and may become stressed because they feel they are intruding on the territory of others.
While the Samoyed, Afghan Hound, Basenji, Chow Chow, and Shar Pei were not evaluated in the study, they also fall into the “old” breed category, indicating that they are likely to howl as well.
The team also found that dogs that howled were more likely to do so as they got older than when they were puppies.
They said their findings support the theory that “modern” dogs, which have been subjected to intense selective breeding, react differently to this ancient form of communication because their vocal repertoire has been altered.
The experts found that ‘older’ breeds, which are genetically more similar to wolves, often responded to howling with their own howls, and were also more stressed.
First author Fanni Lehoczki said: “Based on our results, breeds that are genetically most similar to wolves are more likely to respond with their own howls to wolf howl reproductions.”
“On the other hand, breeds more distantly related to wolves typically reacted with barks rather than howls.
“It seems that although the howl is present in the repertoire of most breeds, it lost its functionality due to the change in the social environment, so modern breeds do not use it in appropriate situations.”
The findings were published in the journal Communications Biology.