Massey University is leading a study into the behaviour traits of working dogs

New Zealand farm dogs such as the huntaway will be the focus of a new genetic study. Photo / Bevan Conley

Massey University’s AL Rae Centre for Genetics and Breeding is leading a government-backed project to breed top-notch working dogs.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced the $1.77 million three-year project, which is supported by the Government’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund. The Ministry for Primary Industries is also co-investing in the project.

Professor Matt Littlejohn, from the AL Rae Centre who is heading the project, says the study seeks to understand behaviour traits, such as a dog’s natural drive to work stock.

“The study will be the largest to try and link a dog’s DNA to its working performance and the first to make use of new DNA technologies such as whole genome sequencing.

“The project is unique because heading dogs and huntaways are uniquely Kiwi breeds. This means that New Zealand farm dogs haven’t benefited from the large research projects happening overseas, so the genetics of these dogs and recessive genes they carry are unknown.”

Professor Littlejohn says conversations with shepherds so far have indicated there is a range of behaviour and working-related traits people would like to see more of in their dogs.

“Our immediate focus is to continue these conversations so we can then narrow down traits we aim to survey on a larger number of dogs. Aside from working ability, health conditions such as twisted gut and joint issues have also come up a lot. Improvements in these traits will benefit a dog’s longevity and productive life, which is another area of concern raised by farmers.”

Understanding what disease-causing variants exist in New Zealand dogs is critical to this work.

“Knowing about these variants means that DNA diagnostics can be used by shepherds to select the best parents and help manage recessive disease. Understanding the genetics of working behaviour could also lead to diagnostics that allow farmers to make selection decisions that help predict future working performance.

“These approaches are commonly applied in breeding cattle and sheep and this project aims to lay the groundwork to allow similar tools to be used by breeders of farm dogs.”

The AL Rae Centre will work with industry partners Pamu, Focus Genetics, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, and the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association to engage farmers and their dogs across the country.

O’Connor says working dogs play key roles on thousands of New Zealand farms, helping move and muster livestock across sheep and beef country.

“A good dog also does wonders for farmer wellbeing.

“This project will be the most detailed genomic investigation of New Zealand working farm dog breeds to date, with exciting potential to improve dogs’ health, welfare and working performance,” he says.