Veterinary geneticist Jessica Hekman joins us for this episode of the Individual Animal to talk about breed traits and how they affect a dog’s personality. She answers the question of whether or not they dictate personality (spoiler: they don’t).

We cover a lot of things in the episode. We talk about the role things like a dog’s early environment play in who the dog becomes, the role of responsible breeders, how individual circumstances can change how a dog sees the world, and of course, we discuss how breed traits fit into all of this.

We also talk about the fox domestication project and what that says about the evolution of dogs and their behavior. (another spoiler: It’s not a clear cut answer.)

You can follow Jessica on Twitter and Facebook.