#genetically predisposed to companionship with humans

[lordofthefeline]

I need someone to hear me out:

Domesticated Deathclaws

[trillscienceofficer]

I think I'm actually still mad at Michael Burnham saying that connection is not a skill akdjdhskf no, even besides the fact that it's bonkers of Discovery to have her saying that, that's total crap to me. Connecting to other people is a skill. Everything about social life is about practice even if it's not apparently obvious because the practice is in itself enjoyable for most people. But if you stop practicing, those skills atrophize as quickly as if you'd stopped doing your daily exercises in the language you're trying to learn or if you'd stopped going to the gym. You lose the hang of it sooner than you realize. Considering the ability to form connections to other people a "soft" skill or worse, a naturally occurring instinct is I think extremely misleading and ultimately doesn't give enough credit to people who have honed that ability and maintain it sharp. We may be, as humans, genetically predisposed to form a pack but our social structures are way more complicated than what genetics accounts for. An impulse to seek companionship is very different than being able to connect meaningfully with your fellow humans.

[critical-skeptic]

The Implications of Canine Brain Size Evolution in the Context of Human-Driven Selective Breeding

Canine companionship has been a hallmark of human civilization for thousands of years. Dogs have historically been bred for a myriad of purposes, from hunting and herding to companionship, and their diverse roles have led to a wide array of breeds each with unique traits. However, the evolution of dogs under human influence extends beyond their physical attributes and behaviors; it has even been found to affect their brain size. Recent research shows a fascinating trend: modern dog breeds, especially those genetically distant from wolves, possess relatively larger brain sizes compared to their ancient counterparts. This surprising revelation, coupled with the contemporary practices of selective breeding, leads us to ponder the implications of our influence on the evolutionary trajectory of our canine companions.

Historically, the domestication of animals has been associated with a decrease in brain size. This is attributed to the simpler lives domesticated animals lead compared to their wild counterparts. Without the need to hunt for food or evade predators, the energy requirements for maintaining large brains decrease, freeing up energy for other purposes like reproduction. However, in the case of dogs, this trend seems to be reversing. Despite domestication initially leading to a reduction in brain size, modern dog breeds are displaying an increase in brain size relative to ancient breeds. This is particularly pronounced in breeds that are genetically more distant from wolves.

The reasons behind this increase in brain size are not definitively known, but scientists speculate that the complex social environments and myriad tasks modern dogs engage in could be contributing factors. Different dog breeds live in varying levels of social complexity and perform complex tasks that likely require larger brain capacities. Another hypothesis points towards urbanization and the need for dogs to adapt to more rules and expectations in human societies, which might have influenced the change in brain size across all modern breeds.

While this evolution of brain size in dogs might seem an interesting and potentially beneficial adaptation, it occurs against the backdrop of a potential concern: the artificial selection practices that have shaped modern breeds. Dogs have been selectively bred for specific traits, often emphasizing physical appearance or behavioral characteristics over health. These practices can unfortunately lead to the propagation of harmful genetic mutations, creating breeds that are predisposed to certain health issues. In a future without human intervention, these breeds could face severe survival challenges due to the inherited health problems that come with these artificial selection practices.

This concern highlights the need for responsible breeding practices. As we further our understanding of canine evolution, it becomes increasingly clear that our influence on our four-legged friends is profound and far-reaching. Prioritizing health and wellbeing over aesthetic or behavioral traits in breeding practices can ensure the propagation of healthier and more resilient breeds. Genetic screening and health testing can be instrumental in this approach, helping avoid the breeding of individuals with known harmful mutations or health issues.

In conclusion, the evolution of canine brain size serves as a fascinating testament to the influence of human society on our closest animal companions. However, it also raises important questions about the unintended consequences of our breeding practices. As we continue to shape the evolution of our canine companions, it is incumbent upon us to do so responsibly, prioritizing their health and wellbeing over superficial traits. As we move forward, the lessons learned from the study of canine brain evolution can serve as important guideposts in our ongoing relationship with man's best friend.

[poop4u]

Early-life exposure to dogs may lessen risk of developing schizophrenia

#Poop4U

Ever since humans domesticated the dog, the faithful, obedient and protective animal has provided its owner with companionship and emotional well-being. Now, a study from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that being around "man's best friend" from an early age may have a health benefit as well -- lessening the chance of developing schizophrenia as an adult.

And while Fido may help prevent that condition, the jury is still out on whether or not there's any link, positive or negative, between being raised with Fluffy the cat and later developing either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

"Serious psychiatric disorders have been associated with alterations in the immune system linked to environmental exposures in early life, and since household pets are often among the first things with which children have close contact, it was logical for us to explore the possibilities of a connection between the two," says Robert Yolken, M.D., chair of the Stanley Division of Pediatric Neurovirology and professor of neurovirology in pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, and lead author of a research paper recently posted online in the journal PLOS One.

In the study, Yolken and colleagues at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore investigated the relationship between exposure to a household pet cat or dog during the first 12 years of life and a later diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. For schizophrenia, the researchers were surprised to see a statistically significant decrease in the risk of a person developing the disorder if exposed to a dog early in life. Across the entire age range studied, there was no significant link between dogs and bipolar disorder, or between cats and either psychiatric disorder.

The researchers caution that more studies are needed to confirm these findings, to search for the factors behind any strongly supported links, and to more precisely define the actual risks of developing psychiatric disorders from exposing infants and children under age 13 to pet cats and dogs.

According to the American Pet Products Association's most recent National Pet Owners Survey, there are 94 million pet cats and 90 million pet dogs in the United States. Previous studies have identified early life exposures to pet cats and dogs as environmental factors that may alter the immune system through various means, including allergic responses, contact with zoonotic (animal) bacteria and viruses, changes in a home's microbiome, and pet-induced stress reduction effects on human brain chemistry.

Some investigators, Yolken notes, suspect that this "immune modulation" may alter the risk of developing psychiatric disorders to which a person is genetically or otherwise predisposed.

In their current study, Yolken and colleagues looked at a population of 1,371 men and women between the ages of 18 and 65 that consisted of 396 people with schizophrenia, 381 with bipolar disorder and 594 controls. Information documented about each person included age, gender, race/ethnicity, place of birth and highest level of parental education (as a measure of socioeconomic status). Patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were recruited from inpatient, day hospital and rehabilitation programs of Sheppard Pratt Health System. Control group members were recruited from the Baltimore area and were screened to rule out any current or past psychiatric disorders.

All study participants were asked if they had a household pet cat or dog or both during their first 12 years of life. Those who reported that a pet cat or dog was in their house when they were born were considered to be exposed to that animal since birth.

The relationship between the age of first household pet exposure and psychiatric diagnosis was defined using a statistical model that produces a hazard ratio -- a measure over time of how often specific events (in this case, exposure to a household pet and development of a psychiatric disorder) happen in a study group compared to their frequency in a control group. A hazard ratio of 1 suggests no difference between groups, while a ratio greater than 1 indicates an increased likelihood of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Likewise, a ratio less than 1 shows a decreased chance.

Analyses were conducted for four age ranges: birth to 3, 4 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12.

Surprisingly, Yolken says, the findings suggests that people who are exposed to a pet dog before their 13th birthday are significantly less likely -- as much as 24% -- to be diagnosed later with schizophrenia.

"The largest apparent protective effect was found for children who had a household pet dog at birth or were first exposed after birth but before age 3," he says.

Yolken adds that if it is assumed that the hazard ratio is an accurate reflection of relative risk, then some 840,000 cases of schizophrenia (24% of the 3.5 million people diagnosed with the disorder in the United States) might be prevented by pet dog exposure or other factors associated with pet dog exposure.

"There are several plausible explanations for this possible 'protective' effect from contact with dogs -- perhaps something in the canine microbiome that gets passed to humans and bolsters the immune system against or subdues a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia," Yolken says.

For bipolar disorder, the study results suggest there is no risk association, either positive or negative, with being around dogs as an infant or young child.

Overall for all ages examined, early exposure to pet cats was neutral as the study could not link felines with either an increased or decreased risk of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

"However, we did find a slightly increased risk of developing both disorders for those who were first in contact with cats between the ages of 9 and 12," Yolken says. "This indicates that the time of exposure may be critical to whether or not it alters the risk."

One example of a suspected pet-borne trigger for schizophrenia is the disease toxoplasmosis, a condition in which cats are the primary hosts of a parasite transmitted to humans via the animals' feces. Pregnant women have been advised for years not to change cat litter boxes to eliminate the risk of the illness passing through the placenta to their fetuses and causing a miscarriage, stillbirth, or potentially, psychiatric disorders in a child born with the infection.

In a 2003 review paper, Yolken and colleague E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., associate director of research at the Stanley Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, provided evidence from multiple epidemiological studies conducted since 1953 that showed there also is a statistical connection between a person exposed to the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis and an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. The researchers found that a large number of people in those studies who were diagnosed with serious psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, also had high levels of antibodies to the toxoplasmosis parasite.

Because of this finding and others like it, most research has focused on investigating a potential link between early exposure to cats and psychiatric disorder development. Yolken says the most recent study is among the first to consider contact with dogs as well.

"A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the associations between pet exposure and psychiatric disorders would allow us to develop appropriate prevention and treatment strategies," Yolken says.

Working with Yolken on the research team are the following members from Sheppard Pratt Health System: Cassie Stallings, Andrea Origoni, Emily Katsafanas, Kevin Sweeney, Amalia Squire, and Faith Dickerson, Ph.D., M.P.H.

The study was largely supported by grants from the Stanley Medical Research Institute.

Poop4U Blog via www.Poop4U.com , Khareem Sudlow

[kathleenseiber]

Genes partially explain dog breed behaviors

Some of the behaviors that help characterize dog breeds—a drive to chase, for example, or aggression toward strangers—are associated with distinct genetic differences between them, research finds.

People have bred dogs for their looks, but the lion’s share of breeding efforts have taken aim at eliciting particular behaviors, says James A. Serpell, professor of animal welfare and ethics and director of the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

“If you look at the evolution of the dog, selection has been primarily for behaviors: hunting behaviors, guarding behaviors, or giving companionship to humans,” says Serpell.

Given the dazzling array of dog breeds, from dachshunds to mastiffs, from poodles to bloodhounds, it’s easy to forget that most of that diversity arose only in the last few centuries or so, thanks to human tinkering.

“Dogs present a good model for understanding what portion of the variation in their behavior is attributable to differences in genetics, and how much to their environment and experiences,” says Noah Snyder-Mackler, an assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of Washington, who earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at Penn.

Dog breeds, genes, and behavior

What seems obvious—that genes can influence an individual’s behaviors—has not always been easy to support with evidence, in large part because behaviors are complex traits. Many genes, not just one, govern tendencies like aggression, anxiety, or a compulsion to chase anything that moves.

But dog breeds, being highly inbred, have allowed researchers to make progress in this area. Serpell and his colleagues recognized that, if a dog breed is associated with a particular behavior that distinguishes it from other breeds, it might be easier to detect the genetic variants contributing to that behavior if you compared that breed’s genome to a host of others.

It helped that Serpell was in possession of a treasure-trove of behavior data from C-BARQ, short for Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire, a survey that more than 50,000 dog owners have filled out about their pets. C-BARQ returns a result on 14 behavioral “factors” about each dog surveyed, giving a measure of traits such as stranger-directed aggression, excitability, energy level, and predatory chasing drive.

“We’re not at a point yet where we can look at an individual’s genome and predict behavior. Environment and training still has a very, very strong effect.”

For this study, the researchers pulled 14,020 of those entries that included information about pure-bred dogs. To look for associations with genetics, they borrowed data from two earlier studies, together representing 5,697 dogs, for which 172,000 points in the genome had been sequenced.

They found that about half of the variation in the 14 measured behaviors across breeds could be attributed to genetics—a greater proportion that previous studies have found.

“This was based on breed-average behaviors,” says Evan L. MacLean, an assistant professor in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, “because we didn’t have behavioral and genetic information from the same animals.”

Selecting traits

What stood out to the researchers was that the traits with the highest rates of heritability—in other words, those that genetic factors (rather than environmental ones) seemed to most influence—were behaviors such as trainability, predatory chasing, stranger-directed aggression, and attention seeking. For these traits, genetics explained 60 to 70% of variation across breeds.

“These are exactly the types of traits that have been selected for in particular breeds of dogs,” says Serpell. “So for trainability, you’re thinking of breeds like border collies that have to respond to human signals to accomplish complicated tasks; for chasing behavior you can think of something like a greyhound, which is innately predisposed to chase anything that runs; and for stranger-directed aggression you might focus on some of the guard dog breeds that are highly protective and tend to respond in a hostile way to unfamiliar people.”

Taking advantage of their vast pool of genomic data, the researchers looked for genetic variants associated with breed differences in the 14 C-BARQ traits. They found 131 variants tightly linked to these behaviors. Some were located in genes that have been implicated in influencing behavior, including in humans. But many were unknown and provide fodder for future study.

“This gives us an encouraging start and places to look,” says MacLean. “We have ongoing projects where we’ve obtained genetic and behavioral data from the same individuals, so we’ll be able to dive deeper into some of these traits and variants to see if the patterns we found here hold up.”

If these genetic differences influence behavior, a good assumption would be that they somehow affect the brain. So, as a final step, the team looked to see where the genes in which key variants appeared were expressed in the body. Their analysis showed the genes were much more likely to be expressed in the brain than in other tissues in the body.

Of note, however, is that the researchers’ results also leave plenty of room for individual differences and an animal’s environment in influencing behavior.

“It’s important to keep in mind that we looked at breed averages for behavior,” says Snyder-Mackler. “We’re not at a point yet where we can look at an individual’s genome and predict behavior. Environment and training still has a very, very strong effect.”

The findings appear in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Bridgett M. vonHoldt, an associate professor in the ecology and evolutionary biology department at Princeton University, is also a coauthor of the study. The study authors received no outside funding for this investigation.

Source: Penn 

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[purrcraze]

Are Maine Coon Cats Lap Cats?

Maine Coons are considered as one of the most affectionate and friendly cat breeds. Often tagged as “the gentle giant” and “the dog of the cat world”, these friendly felines are fond of interactions especially with their human companions. But are they considered as lap cats?

Despite being regarded as one of the friendliest cat breeds, the majority of Maine Coons are not lap cats. These friendly felines like being close to humans, but not necessarily on top of humans’ laps.

While they cannot be generalized as lap cats, Maine Coons enjoy being around their human companions. Being the assertive cats that they are, they will express themselves loudly when they want some cuddle time.

You just have to let them come to you and not force interaction because they may react negatively.

What is a lap cat?

Although known for being ferocious and independent animals, some cats love being constantly held and petted. While there has been much ado about lap dogs, lap cats are just as desired by many pet lovers.

Lap cats aren’t just cats that love sitting on laps—they live for it and constantly crave for it.

Which Maine Coon gender is more likely to be a lap cat?

Maine Coons are amazing pets to be around with. They are playful, curious, and friendly creatures that love to interact and follow you around the house.

While both genders generally share almost the same characteristics, male Maine Coons are more likely to be lap cats than females.

Despite being larger in size and not fitting into the typical size of a lap cat, male Maine Coons tend to demand physical contact more than females. They are also more sociable and love being the center of attention.

Female Maine Coons, on the other hand, are slightly more reserved than males so they tend to be more cautious around people.

What are Maine Coons like as a pet?

As stated earlier, not all Maine Coons are lap cats. For starters, not many people even have a lap big enough to fit this humongous cat. Maine Coons that aren’t into lap cuddles prefer to sit quietly beside their human companions, or perhaps somewhere nearby.

Even though some of them are not fond of sitting on laps, they still prefer to be near you and keep you close in sight.

Here are 5 reasons why Maine Coons are awesome pets!

If they are not lap cats, how do Maine Coons show affection?

Maine Coons may not exactly be lap cats, but they sure know how to express their affection in different ways. These gregarious felines express their feelings through their facial expressions, voices, and body language.

How Maine Coons Show Affection

1. They slow-blink and shut their eyes tight. Slow blinking—or cat kiss—is a good sign that your cat trusts you and enjoys being around you.

2. They give you full eye contact while giving you a full view of their bellies. If your Maine Coon rolls onto its back and shows its belly, that’s your cat’s way of saying “I trust you hoo-man.”.

3. They rub their cheeks and bodies against your legs. If your cat rubs its body against your legs, it is giving you a friendly greeting. It’s like their way of saying hello.

4. They gently bop their heads against you if you lower your face towards them. Head bopping is a sign of deep affection. If your cat head bops you, he or she thinks of you as a member of the pack.

5. They purr…very loud. Cats purr whenever they are feeling relaxed or enjoying something.

6. They lick you. Your cat licks you to show affection by combining his or her scent to yours. Cats only lick humans and other pets that they are very comfortable with.

What are the best lap cat breeds?

While there are over 60 breeds of cat (and counting), some breeds are regarded as good lap cats than others.

Some cat breeds like Maine Coons and Persians are predisposed to hugs and cuddles, while some have a pretty low tolerance for such interactions. However, it still boils down to your cat’s individual personality.

Here are the best lap cat breeds, in no particular order:

1. Persian Persian cats are considered as the friendliest cat breed in the world. They love cuddles and have a very laid-back nature.

2. Maine Coon Maine Coons are sociable and active cats. They love keeping their human companions close and snuggles —as long as they are not forced to do so.

3. Exotic Shorthair Exotic Shorthairs are obedient and constantly craves for affection. They may not be very active, but they make it up with their affection.

4. Abyssinian Abyssinian cats love interactions. They have an outgoing personality and love to socialize—even with strangers.

5. Burmese Burmese cats love close contacts and thrive on the companionship of their family or other household pets.

6. Ragdoll Ragdolls are affectionate and friendly, but they tend to be more interested in humans than other pets.

7. Manx The Manx is an easy-going and sweet cat. They adore being around people and rarely seem to get upset about anything.

8. Birman Birmans may be fairly quiet, but they are deeply devoted to their humans and pet companions.

Ways on How to Turn Your Maine Coon into a Lap Cat

Not because your cat isn’t part of the best lap cat breeds list doesn’t necessarily mean that they have no chance of becoming one.

While genetics has a lot to say about a cat’s temperament and personality, it’s how cats are raised that dictates their behavior. Early human intervention also plays a major role in how a kitten’s personality develops.

Kittens that receive proper petting and lots of attention from people tend to be more friendly and social as they grow up.

If you have no idea about how your cat was raised, there are still ways to make your feline love cuddle times. Here are some tips on how to do so.

How to Encourage your Cat to Cuddle:

1. Stay calm

Just like any other animal, cats tend to feel threatened by sudden movements. Try to move slowly around while your cat gets used to your presence. Any sudden noise of movement will surely send your cat jumping off your lap.

2. Create a comfortable environment

Your cat won’t be able to relax and warm up to you if its living environment is stressful and chaotic. Make your cat feel comfortable enough to stay in the same area as you—even if it means placing a cat perch or a couple of hideouts all over the place.

3. Avoid long eye contact

While some cats don’t mind eye contact, there are other cats that hate it. Some cats consider long eye contact as a threat and an invasion of their personal space. (Tip: If you make eye contact with your cat, blink slowly.

Your cat might even blink back, which is like giving a kiss.)

4. Pet your cat the right way

Unlike dogs, cats are not big fans of rubbing. They are very purr-ticular as to where and how they like to be touched. Start by scratching them between their ears, under their chin, and the spot between their eyes.

You can also stroke them lightly along the spine—but avoid their belly and the base of their tail at all cost.

5. Groom your cat

Grooming is another good way of establishing a positive relationship with your cat. Cats love to groom themselves; it’s a social thing for them.

However, being the sensitive creatures that they are, be wary of your cat’s body language to make sure that he or she is enjoying your attention and not the other way around.

A lot of Maine Coon cats don´t like to be brushed which makes it even more important to get a good brush. Here are a few recommendations and tips on what to look out for when getting a brush!

6. Bribe your cat

Rewarding your cat whenever he or she’s being affectionate can help promote a positive reinforcement towards that action. Take a treat and toss it over. If your cat responds positively, toss another treat until your cat gets closer and closer.

7. Never associate a negative experience to lap time

The last thing that you want to do is to trick your cat into taking medicine or trimming its nails while it’s on your lap. You don’t want to associate a negative experience for them with lap time.

Again, never force your cat to snuggle. Not all cats like to be held and no cat likes to be forced into anything, especially physical contact.

Related Questions

Do Maine Coons get along well with dogs? Maine Coons usually get along well with dogs and even with other cats. However, leaving them unsupervised, especially around small pets such as birds, rabbits, and hamsters is not a good idea.

In fact, keeping Maine Coons and dogs is a great idea – read this to learn why!

Are Maine Coons active cats? Maine Coons are energetic cats. If you’re considering having a one as a pet, make sure you have enough space for them to run around or else they may become destructive to release their pent-up energy.

Click here to learn how active Maine Coons really are!

Do Maine Coons like to take a bath? Maine Coons are one of the very few cat breeds that are attracted to water, so don’t be surprised to see your cat following you at the shower or frolicking in puddles.

Want to know how to easily give your Maine Coon a bath and combine that with playtime? Read this!

[benightedraven]

Divorce & Depression

My ex-husband and I had a very difficult relationship. We were only together for only 3 years. His side of the story is that I was a leech. He said I didn't want to work. Neither housework or a job. And because of this reason alone; I was a lazy, freeloading piece of shit and not worthy of him so he left me.

My side? Well, it's a lot more in-depth than his. He had a lot of mental problems like suicide, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia. I knew this going in the gate but I was confusing love with genuine empathy and compassion. I wanted to save him. I was grieving my fathers suicide at the time. I was also young and had never been in love. I didn't know any better. He was obsessed with control and extremely jealous of any male I knew. He always thought I was cheating on him early on in our relationship when we were long distance. I wasn't...and it was obvious. I've never had a boyfriend or have even been sexually involved with anyone before him. I was 17 in high school when we started dating. I never considered myself intelligent, never had this hot porn star body, and truthfully didn't know many guys or people in general. My self esteem was shit because of that. So I dropped it all. I dropped out of high school because he said I needed an income if we were to be together and it would have been a long way away because I was still 17 my sophomore year. I disassociated myself with every guy I knew. Told all of them off for no reason, and sent him screenshots. Gave him every single password of mine. Dropped out of school, got a job in order to prove myself that I was willing to work to be there with him, and that I wasn't fucking other men. It wasn't enough and the accusations of me being a cheating slut continued...So I suggested we marry for even further proof of my devotion. He agreed so I quit my job of TWO WEEKS and moved across the damn country to live with a man I've only ever met once in person. It was fine at first.... but I'd catch him whacking it to porn instead offering to have sex with me which took a huge hit to my self-esteem. He still accused me of cheating when I didn't fucking know ANYONE. I was ALONE 24/7 and he made me HATE myself. He said I was a moron because I didn't have a diploma. He said I embarrassed him in public because I sound like a babbling idiot. He said I sat like a whore and didn't let me wear "revealing" clothing. Then he'd say I needed a job, a license, and if not- it was my job alone to take care of the house like a maid. I was doing good at first with keeping the house clean and cooking and such but the constant put-downs, and no actual REAL support or love was ever given back to me. I've always been there for him emotionally, and to calm him down during his episodes (mostly his work-related, and family issues) and that alone was emotionally draining having to hold him every night in my arms while he cried. I've been screamed at, shoved, and also hit by him a couple times. He would apologize and cry everytime, and I forgave him. If I made an attempt to insult him back during a fight, he'd lock himself in the bathroom with a knife and threaten to kill himself. And the cycle would repeat over and over and I thought it was NORMAL. Dealing with this while being isolated from my friends and loved ones turned the grief of losing my father into a pretty dark depression. I stopped speaking in public with him, started wearing baggy clothes, gained weight, I treated my family & friends like shit because he didn't like them, stopped showering, played video games obsessively, and overall just let myself go and allowed myself to be the puppet he wanted me to except I got lazier and thought I wasn't ever going to be smart enough to work. He knew the entire time that I didn't feel like I was ever going to make anything out of myself, but yet he never actually encouraged me and helped me in getting my GED, teaching me to drive, or helping me look for jobs. He was too busy putting me down instead of lifting me up, and putting in the effort needed to support MY emotional needs like A PARTNER SHOULD. Although this is not an excuse because he IS a grown man and he makes his own decisions, I will say his parents played a big influence in a lot of our problems. They always tried to convince him that I was a trashy low life leech and that he deserved better. There's two sides to that coin though, god only knows what lies he had told them about me because their hatred just seem unjustified. But, they won in the end. After he had left his job, we moved back home and my parents supported us for a few months while he was on unemployment. Every place he applied to for a job turned him down. We got in to a little debt, he got scared, gave me $100 cash, packed his shit, and left the state without warning. I asked him why, and he vaguely responded with something similar to "This isn't working. I'm going back to Ohio so my parents can help me financially" I asked, "Will you be back?" He said, "I don't know". I begged him so hard to stay. Left him so many sobbing voicemails. He never called me back. His own wife. Changed his number. Blocked me on all social media. When he left that morning, it's not like he told me off. There was no fighting or insulting. He packed, said goodbye and watched me cry. 1 year later, he reaches out via email and tells me he wants ME to file for divorce. In those emails, I once more asked him "Why? Was my love not enough?" and he still...again...gave the same response. "It wasn't working." No real apologies from him. He just demanded that I send him the divorce papers and change my last name, especially through social media. Stupid me, although I had told him off, basically calling him a piece of shit because he left his own wife because of finances instead of working it out together like a coward, I wanted to maintain a friendship. Not because I wanted to be with him again or because I needed his companionship, but because I needed REAL clarity. I needed to hear something like "I need to work on MYSELF before I can love anyone" or "You deserve better." Sadly, every other conversation we had during our "just friends" phase was an argument that I definitely instigated. I wasn't afraid of him anymore. I needed answers and he wasn't giving any. He would just change the subject with "You need to get your name changed," "Don't forget to send those papers in," "The lawyer says you need to send those papers in by "x" time," and so forth. So I started ignoring him, but he kept harassing me even further until I told him to go fuck himself...and that was the end.

Since our separation transpired in 2012... I got a job probably about 3-6 weeks later, and I still bust my ass there on a daily basis to this day in 2018, I was even promoted into management. Why did I wait until THEN to get a job? It wasn't because I HAD to. My mom supported me, and told me to take my time until I was ready to start moving forward with my life. She was there for me. She built me up, made me feel valued, encouraged me to do something with my life, and told me that I COULD be better. She said the best thing I could do to move on with my life and to heal, was to prove him wrong. And I did.

Fast forward to 2015. My past grief, depression, low self-esteem were never properly processed due to everything crashing down on me all within the span of 3 years. It left some trauma. I was better, but I still didn't feel like my emotions were stable enough to drive, study, and be a GOOD manager like any normal person would be, so I began taking anxiety medications- hoping it would help me focus. I thought my nerves were blocking me from being productive. Wrong. Well, half wrong. Through some trial and error, I finally discovered what it was. ADHD. Combined type. I got the diagnoses and began medication and treatment. ADHD isn't something you just develop at random as an adult. I'm predisposed, and it's due to genetics. I've shown symptoms of it since childhood. I'm NOT stupid, NOT lazy, NOT trash, NOT a leech. I too am a human being with a mental disorder/learning disability. I had no control over my symptoms because I didn't know WTF they were. Someone that REALLY loves you will help you out of hard times. When you are lost, they will help you discover yourself. When you are suffering, they SUPPORT you. When you speak, they LISTEN. When they watch you fall apart whether it's physically or emotionally; they take you to a fucking DOCTOR. Why? Because they CARE about you and want whats best for YOU, not themselves.

[poop4u]

Genes play a role in dog breed differences in behavior

#Poop4U

Given the dazzling array of dog breeds, from dachshunds to mastiffs, from poodles to bloodhounds, it's easy to forget that most of that diversity arose only in the last few centuries or so, thanks to human tinkering. People have bred dogs for their looks, but the lion's share of breeding efforts have taken aim at eliciting particular behaviors, according to the University of Pennsylvania's James A. Serpell.

"If you look at the evolution of the dog, selection has been primarily for behaviors: hunting behaviors, guarding behaviors, or giving companionship to humans," he says.

In a new study, Serpell and colleagues Evan L. MacLean of the University of Arizona, Noah Snyder-Mackler of the University of Washington, and Bridgett M. vonHoldt of Princeton University offer strong evidence to support what scientists have long suspected: that some of the behaviors that help characterize breeds -- a drive to chase, for example, or aggression toward strangers -- are associated with distinct genetic differences between them. Their findings were published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"Dogs present a good model for understanding what portion of the variation in their behavior is attributable to differences in genetics, and how much to their environment and experiences," says Snyder-Mackler, who earned his undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Penn.

What seems obvious -- that genes can influence an individual's behaviors -- has not always been easy to support with evidence, in large part because behaviors are complex traits. Tendencies such as aggression, anxiety, or a compulsion to chase anything that moves are governed by many genes, not just one.

But dog breeds, being highly inbred, have allowed researchers to make progress in this area. Serpell and his colleagues recognized that, if a dog breed is associated with a particular behavior that distinguishes it from other breeds, it might be easier to detect the genetic variants contributing to that behavior if you compared that breed's genome to a host of others.

It helped that Serpell was in possession of a treasure-trove of behavior data from C-BARQ, short for Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire, a survey that more than 50,000 dog owners have filled out about their pets. C-BARQ returns a result on 14 behavioral "factors" about each dog surveyed, giving a measure of traits such as stranger-directed aggression, excitability, energy level, and predatory chasing drive.

For this study, the researchers pulled 14,020 of those entries that included information about pure-bred dogs. To look for associations with genetics, they borrowed data from two earlier studies, together representing 5,697 dogs, for which 172,000 points in the genome had been sequenced.

They found that about half of the variation in the 14 measured behaviors across breeds could be attributed to genetics -- a greater proportion that previous studies have found.

"This was based on breed-average behaviors," notes MacLean, "because we didn't have behavioral and genetic information from the same animals."

What stood out to the researchers was that the traits with the highest rates of heritability -- in other words, those that seemed to be most influenced by genetic factors rather than environmental ones -- were behaviors such as trainability, predatory chasing, stranger-directed aggression, and attention seeking. For these traits, genetics explained 60 to 70 percent of variation across breeds.

"These are exactly the types of traits that have been selected for in particular breeds of dogs," says Serpell. "So for trainability, you're thinking of breeds like border collies that have to respond to human signals to accomplish complicated tasks; for chasing behavior you can think of something like a greyhound, which is innately predisposed to chase anything that runs; and for stranger-directed aggression you might focus on some of the guard dog breeds that are highly protective and tend to respond in a hostile way to unfamiliar people."

Taking advantage of their vast pool of genomic data, the researchers looked for genetic variants associated with breed differences in the 14 C-BARQ traits. They found 131 variants tightly linked to these behaviors. Some were located in genes that have been implicated in influencing behavior, including in humans. But many were unknown and provide fodder for future study.

"This gives us an encouraging start and places to look," says MacLean. "We have ongoing projects where we've obtained genetic and behavioral data from the same individuals, so we'll be able to dive deeper into some of these traits and variants to see if the patterns we found here hold up."

If these genetic differences influence behavior, a good assumption would be that they somehow affect the brain. So, as a final step, the team looked to see where the genes in which key variants appeared were expressed in the body. Their analysis showed the genes were much more likely to be expressed in the brain than in other tissues in the body.

Of note, however, is that the researchers' results also leave plenty of room for individual differences and an animal's environment in influencing behavior.

"It's important to keep in mind that we looked at breed averages for behavior," says Snyder-Mackler. "We're not at a point yet where we can look at an individual's genome and predict behavior. Environment and training still has a very, very strong effect."

Poop4U Blog via www.Poop4U.com , Khareem Sudlow