Two studies published in the journal Science in 1998 and 2003 both found correlations between personality traits and certain genes. The 1998 study looked at behavioral genes, while the 2003 study looked at gene variants associated with neuroticism (a personality trait characterized by anxiety, stress and mood swings).
The findings from both studies suggest that personality traits do indeed have a genetic basis. While this information doesn’t tell us anything about which personality traits are “born that way”, it does suggest that temperament can be partially determined by your dog’s DNA.
All of these factors – genetics, diet, training and experience – contribute to how well your dog learns, interacts with people and behaves overall. But whether or not your dog has a “good” or “bad” personality is largely up to you!