7.0. Genetics
At http://www.animals24-7.org/2015/11/10/the-science-of-how-behavior-is-inherited-in-aggressive-dogs/, an article entitled “The science of how behavior is inherited in aggressive dogs” by Alexandra Semyonova (“Semyonova”) appears to be making statements of “fact”: however, the statements, for the most part, do not appear to be supported by any verifiable science and/or studies, and the author does not appear to be claiming that the statements are the results of studies that she has done nor does she provide credentials that establish her as a scientist or knowledgeable about the subjects she talks about.
The two (2) studies that are cited as the basis for Semonova’s article are by Linda van den Berg (“van den Berg”) and Kathelijne Peremans (“Peremans”). Their papers are 231 and 239 pages long, respectively. Consequently, it is not practical to address all comments made by Semyonova that allegedly are supported by the van den Berg and/or Peremans’ studies as I would have to write a book to do so. Therefore, the following comments are addressing some of the more significant claims made by Semyonova.
Note that all of the dogs in the studies referred to in Semyonova’s article were selected because they were known to have or not have aggression issues. They were selected for the studies based on their previously exhibited behavior and to satisfy the requirements of the authors of the studies.
