# Diversity Goes to the Dogs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diversity-goes-to-the-dogs/620019>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 26, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diversity-goes-to-the-dogs/620019 "2012-04-26T14:46:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![EdwardLost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diversity-goes-to-the-dogs/620019/41 "2012-04-27T20:17:48Z")

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> [@Mijin](#):
>
> Some species do seem to be much easier to selectively breed than others.  
> Obviously some factors are the genotype and phenotype variation and proportions in the population. As well as obviously things like litter size and reproductive age making some species more convenient for humans to breed.
> 
> But we don’t quite understand all the contributing factors, and exactly why dogs are one of the easiest species to breed novel characteristics.

It may be that “breedability” was bred into dogs by humans. If there is indeed a trait in the dog genome that makes mutations more likely, that trait itself might have been selected for in the process of breeding dogs for more observable traits.

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diversity-goes-to-the-dogs/620019/42 "2012-04-27T22:04:51Z")

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As for cats, they’re not really as domesticated as dogs to begin with. For the most part, the job humans want cats to do is to hunt down mice and other vermin, which is basically what a wild cat would be doing even without domestication.

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**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diversity-goes-to-the-dogs/620019/43 "2012-04-30T18:51:24Z")

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> [@Mijin](#):
>
> Some species do seem to be much easier to selectively breed than others.  
> Obviously some factors are the genotype and phenotype variation and proportions in the population. As well as obviously things like litter size and reproductive age making some species more convenient for humans to breed.
> 
> But we don’t quite understand all the contributing factors, and exactly why dogs are one of the easiest species to breed novel characteristics.

Err…did you read my post (#22)? New(ish) research indicates there are _specific_ genetic reasons for the variability in dogs. It’s no longer the mystery we once thought.

> [@EdwardLost](#):
>
> It may be that “breedability” was bred into dogs by humans. If there is indeed a trait in the dog genome that makes mutations more likely, that trait itself might have been selected for in the process of breeding dogs for more observable traits.

Err…did you read my post (#22)? Not only are these traits named and described, but it appears they predate domestication, so it’s not something “bred into dogs by humans.”

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**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diversity-goes-to-the-dogs/620019/44 "2012-04-30T21:25:30Z")

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Yeah, ok, calm down.

I did miss your link.  
It’s an interesting study. I don’t think it’s as case closed as you appear to believe though; this is not the first hypothesis on dog breedability with any support. As I implied in my post, the reason that new breeds of dog can be created relatively easy is probably due to a combination of factors.

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**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diversity-goes-to-the-dogs/620019/45 "2012-05-01T01:41:28Z")

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> [@D18](#):
>
> I’ve seen this referenced before on the boards, but as it’s germane to the discussion, here is a cite to the [domesticated silver fox](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated_silver_fox) experiments out of Siberia. […] Bottom line - the study has managed to create two cohorts of foxes - one thoroughly domesticated and one completely vicious toward humans.

That poor guy must have got bit a lot.

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