Association of DNA methylation with energy and fear-related behaviors in canines.

Introduction: Behavioral traits are influenced by gene by environment interactions. To study the genetic and epigenetic components of behavior, we analyzed whether dog behavioral traits could be predicted by their DNA methylation and genotypes.

Methods: We conducted an analysis on dog behaviors such as sociability, trainability and energy as measured by Canine Behavioral and Research Assessment Questionnaire (C-BARQ) behavioral surveys paired with buccal swabs from 46 dogs.