Abstract: 【Objective】 The objective of this study was to compare the gut microbiota composition between quiet and lively dogs,elucidating the link between neurotype and intestinal microbiota,thereby providing a scientific basis for early screening and behavioral training of working dogs.【Method】 A paired design was adopted in the experiment,with neurotype as the only variable.fourteen Malinois dogs (12-month-old,mean weight was 25.62 kg±2.23 kg,eight males,six females) were divided into quiet and lively groups,each with 7 replicates and one dog per replicate.The experimental period was 30 days,comprised a 7-day adaptation phase followed by a 23-day experimental phase.On the final day,fresh feces were collected for high-throughput sequencing to analyze microbial community differences and their associations with neurotypes.【Result】 ①The α-diversity analysis showed that Chao1 index of fecal microbiota of dogs in quiet group was lower than those of lively group (P＜0.05),with no significant difference in Shannon index (P＞0.05).β-diversity analysis revealed significant differences in overall fecal microbiota composition between two groups (R²＝0.59,P＜0.01).②At the phylum level,five bacterial phyla with relative abundance greater than 1% were identified in the fecal microbiota of all dogs.The relative abundances of Fusobacteria and Proteobacteria in the fecal microbiota of quiet dogs were extremely significantly higher than those in lively dogs (P＜0.01),and were significantly lower than those of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes (P＜0.05).At the genus level,eight bacterial genera with relative abundance greater than 5% were identified in fecal microbiota of all dogs.The relative abundances of Fusobacterium,Lactobacillus,and unclassified-Porphyromonadaceae in feces of quiet dogs were significantly higher than those in lively dogs (P＜0.05),while the relative abundances of Allobaculum,Blautia,Clostridium-ⅩⅣa,Clostridium-Ⅺ and Prevotella were lower than those in lively dogs (P＜0.05).③LEfSe analysis highlighted significant enrichment of Fusobacteria and its subclasses,along with Proteobacteria in fecal microbiota of quiet group,while Firmicutes and its subclasses in lively group (P＜0.05).【Conclusion】 Gut microbiota composition might be intimately related to dog neurotypes,potentially influencing behavior and mood via the gut-microbiota-brain axis.This study could offer novel insights into the relationship between neurotypes and gut microbiota in working dogs,informing early screening and behavioral training strategies.

Key words: working dog; neurological type; intestinal microbial structure