17 May Why Do Some People Get a Dog?

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Tove Fall PhD
Senior author of the study
Associate Professor in Epidemiology
Department of Medical Sciences and the Science for Life Laboratory
Uppsala University 

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings? 

Response: Dog ownership is common in the Western society but little is known about what actually makes people get a dog.

We conducted a twin study to understand whether the genetic make-up has an influence on this choice. We found that more than 50% of the differences in dog ownership is explained by genetic variants. 

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: That people are different in their willingness and/or ability to get a dog. 

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work? 

Response: We would really like to understand the underlying molecular genetics of this trait and we will conduct a genome-wide association study. 

Citation:

Tove Fall, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, Keith Dobney, Carri Westgarth, Patrik K. E. Magnusson. Evidence of large genetic influences on dog ownership in the Swedish Twin Registry has implications for understanding domestication and health associations. Scientific Reports, 2019; 9 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44083-9

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Last Updated on May 17, 2019 by Marie Benz MD FAAD