Tag: OXTR Gene and Dog Bonding
Why Are German Shepherds So Loyal? The Neuroscience, Genetics, and Evolutionary Psychology Behind Human-Directed Attachment
Ask most handlers why German Shepherds are loyal, and you’ll hear “they’re bred that way” or “pack mentality”—explanations that are incomplete at best. German Shepherd loyalty is a multi-system phenomenon emerging from 15,000 years of canine-human co-evolution, 130+ years of breed-specific selection for human partnership, and sophisticated neurochemical pathways involving oxytocin, vasopressin, and dopamine. Research…
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