Canine Science Is Biased Toward the Western World

July 22, 2026 - 16:43

A new study highlights a significant blind spot in the field of canine science: most research on domestic dogs focuses on a narrow, Westernized subset of the global population. The findings suggest that our understanding of dog behavior, cognition, and even evolution is heavily skewed by where studies are conducted.

Researchers analyzed thousands of papers on dog behavior and cognition. They found that the vast majority of studies were performed in North America and Europe. the dogs themselves were often pets living in urban or suburban homes, with access to regular veterinary care and commercial food. This leaves out a massive portion of the world's dogs, including free-ranging village dogs, strays, and working animals in other regions.

The problem, scientists argue, is that these Western dogs may not represent the species as a whole. Dogs evolved alongside humans across the globe, adapting to vastly different environments and lifestyles. A dog scavenging in a rural Indian village or guarding livestock in rural Africa faces different pressures and may display different behaviors than a Labrador retriever in a New York apartment.

The authors of the study call for a more geographically diverse approach to canine research. They argue that without including dogs from a wider range of cultures and environments, the science risks building a model of dog behavior that is incomplete. To truly understand what makes a dog a dog, researchers need to look beyond the Western world and study the animal in all its varied contexts.