Epigenetics and Herding Instinct: How Environment Shapes Gene Expression
Beyond nature versus nurture—how epigenetic mechanisms modify herding instinct expression in ways that DNA sequence alone cannot predict.
Nature vs. Nurture in Herding Dogs: What Cross-Fostering and Breed Comparison Studies Reveal
Examining the relative contributions of genetics and environment to breed-specific herding behaviors through cross-fostering experiments, breed comparison studies, and longitudinal developmental data.
The Neurological Basis of the Herding Eye: What Happens Inside a Border Collie's Brain
New neuroimaging and electrophysiology research reveals the brain circuits that produce the Border Collie's intense herding stare, and why this behavioral phenotype cannot be trained into existence.
Prey Drive vs. Herding Instinct: They're Not the Same
Why confusing predatory motor patterns with true herding instinct leads to training disasters and misguided breeding decisions. A behavioral scientist's perspective.