This is Dog Day at TPR.

First, there is a fascinating item from Journal Watch on dogs’ genes—how single genes can dictate complicated traits, such as hair. Combinations of a few genes account for the seven common dog coat types listed in the summary—ranging from the short-haired Bassett hound all the way through the “curly with furnishing,” which is how a bichon frise is typed. The lively comment is provided by the editor-in-chief of Journal Watch, Lowell A. Goldsmith, M.D., M.P.H.

How do humans, dog-lovers or not, benefit from this study? It points researchers to the power of a few genes, which is no small contribution. As the comment says, “Combinations of a few genes can explain a great deal of variability.”

Humans are not bred to the American Kennel Club standards, thankfully for us. However our randomness in mating is not ideal for research purposes. Pure-bred dogs are the next best way for scientists to understand how genes influence the traits or results which result in dogs who meet their breed standards.

Second, our friend Jon Franklin has written a remarkable new book, , also about the connections of man and dog over centuries. Journal Watch puts it at 15,000 years. You will want to know from Jon what’s been going on between us over the centuries—yes, in illness and health. Since he is a friend, here are the quotes from reviews and the blurbs on the jacket so that I cannot be accused of outrageous favoritism in book reviewing. You will see when you read the blurbs. It is everybody’s favorite.

Amazon.com

“As concepts of the canine go, Franklin’s is notably audacious. And among a plethora of books on bredding, disciplining, loving, and lamenting the loss of man’s best friend, this thoughtful discourse is a best of breed.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The result of [the author’s] obsession with discovering the root of the human-dog relationship in this impossible-to-put-down book, a peregrination through the personal, the historical, the ethological, anthropological, and ecological as Franklin discovers how dogs and humans changed each other in the thousands of years they’ve been together. A true gem.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Smart and soulful and absolutely engaging, The Wolf in the Parlor is a sort of essay/inquiry that elegantly decodes the marvelous, mysterious connection between people and dogs.”—Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief

“The Wolf in the Parlor is the ultimate book about dogs. It is part science, part ?history, part personal journey — and all magically written. If you have ever wondered why a dog is important in your life, this brilliant book is for you.”—Gene Roberts, Pulitzer Prize-winning co-author of The Race Beat

“A welcome–and surprising–view into the canine soul from somebody who clearly understands and loves dogs.”—Jeffrey Masson, author of Dogs Never Lie About Love.

“Should delight dog-lovers and science buffs alike”—Kirkus Reviews

“Read this book and it will change the way you see dogs, and people .Jon Franklin, the dean of science writers, is doing more than reporting here, he is making an argument, a surprising and learned one, about the evolution of modern society. It is a story of deep co-dependence, a theory informed by science, by love, and by a ripening personal appreciation of mutual need. And, oh yes, it may make you want to get a standard poodle” —Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down

Journal Watch

“Man and dog have been closely associated for at least 15,000 years. Dogs provide protection, hunt, herd, retrieve, capture criminals, detect dangerous substances, rescue people, guide the impaired, and act as beasts of burden — the useful function of dogs are taught to every schoolchild. Specialized breeding for certain characteristics allows researchers to identify, in relatively few animals, the genes associated with phenotypes of interest in both dog and man. In an exemplary recent study, researchers show that three genes cause the majority of variations in canine hair length, curl, and growth pattern.” (Emphasis added)

…”The tour de force in this paper is the table showing how combinations of these genes produce the seven common dog phenotypes: short haired (like the Basset hound); wire haired (Australian terrier); wire haired and curly (Airedale terrier); long haired (golden retriever); long haired with furnishing (bearded collie); curly (Irish water spaniel); and curly with furnishing (bichon frisé). (Emphasis added)

Comment: Take-home lessons abound. Single genes can be the critical determinants of complicated traits within a complex structure like hair. Combinations of a few genes may explain a great deal of variability. Breeding for combinations of such traits has allowed rapid development of desired phenotypes. Although humans are not closely bred like dogs, neither are we completely randomly bred — geography, religion, and education are some variables that decrease random mating. Genomewide association studies can require inclusion of tens of thousands to associate genes with disease traits. Such studies may be complemented by carefully performed exploration of defined populations with more restricted mating patterns, such as in Iceland, where such studies are ongoing, or in smaller, more isolated groups…” (Emphasis added)

— Lowell A. Goldsmith, MD, MPH

Source: Journal Watch Dermatology, October 16, 2009
Citation: Science 2009 Oct 2; 326:150.