Brachycephaly in Dogs: Health Evidence, Measurement and the Demand Problem
Flat-faced dogs are less healthy - the epidemiology is clear. What is contested is which measurement predicts risk, and why demand keeps rising anyway.
September 5, 2026
unterHUNDs Research
Development and genetics
Much of what shows up in adult behaviour was laid down earlier: in early weeks, in breeding decisions, in experience that changed how genes are expressed. These reviews cover what is inherited, what is learned, and where breeding creates welfare problems.
These articles are written in English and aimed at trainers, behaviour consultants and veterinary professionals. Deutschsprachige Beiträge findest du im Hunderatgeber.
The Domestication Syndrome: What the Evidence Supports in Dogs
Floppy ears, white patches, a curled tail, a shortened muzzle, reduced aggression, extended juvenile behavior. The claim that domesticated animals converge on this package regardle…
August 4, 2026
Temperament, Personality, and Coping Styles in Dogs: Individual Differences in Behavior and Stress Response
One dog walks straight up to the new object in the garden. Another stops at four metres, looks, circles, looks again, and approaches thirty seconds later. Both eventually investiga…
July 17, 2026
Operationalizing Dog Behavior: Defining and Measuring What Dogs Do
What does it mean to call a dog aggressive? Does a single growl qualify? A stiff posture without sound? Is a dog fearful when it tucks its tail, or only when it flees? These questi…
May 7, 2026
Attachment in Dogs: How Early Experiences Shape the Human–Dog Bond
Attachment theory offers a robust framework for understanding the emotional bond between dogs and their people. Domestic dogs display all four hallmarks of a true attachment bond t…
April 2, 2026
The Neurobiology of Play in Dogs: Development, Evidence and Limits
A litter of eight-week-old puppies wrestles for four minutes, breaks off, and falls asleep in a heap. Almost everything written about that scene is an inference. That play built th…
March 30, 2026
Breed and Behavior: Genetic Predisposition versus Individual Variation in Dogs
Breed labels are the shorthand of dog culture. Border collies are "trainable," terriers "feisty," certain molossers "protective" or "aggressive," and these expectations shape how p…
March 29, 2026
The Sensitive Period in Puppies: Neurobiological Foundations for Lifelong Learning
For decades, trainers, breeders, and veterinarians have known that the first weeks of a puppy's life carry outsized weight. The sensitive period – often loosely called the "sociali…
March 26, 2026
The Merle Gene in Dogs: Genetics, Health Risk and Welfare
A breeder pairs two dogs, neither of which shows any merle pattern, and produces a litter containing a mostly white puppy that is deaf in both ears. Nothing about the parents' appe…
February 28, 2026
Epigenetics in Dogs: How Experiences Affect Their Genetic Makeup
Epigenetics describes how environmental factors and individual experiences can influence gene activity without changing the DNA sequence itself. Where classical genetics asks what…
December 15, 2025