Archives for April 2014

No bones about it, being a great dog breeder is tough work! Picking dams and sires, health testing, monitoring heat cycles, caring for pregnant dams, vaccinating and deworming, and promoting and selling your puppies are just a few of the many tasks one must accomplish to be a top notch breeder.

One task that has historically been overly complex and time consuming for some breeders is getting genetic testing performed on their dogs. In the past, this often meant sending samples off to multiple laboratories to get testing performed because it was unusual for canine genetics laboratories to offer all of the tests needed under one roof. In addition, this situation meant filling out multiple submission forms, obtaining proper samples for each lab, and in some cases, waiting for several weeks for results. When Paw Print Genetics opened the doors for testing in 2013, it marked the beginning of the end for what I have termed the “multi-laboratory genetic testing dilemma” that most dog breeders were used to. Now, with over 140 genetic tests in well over 200 breeds, Paw Print Genetics has made a commitment to make canine genetic testing more convenient, user-friendly, and more affordable.

One important genetic ...

Descended from the extinct old English bulldog and Manchester terrier, the bull terrier was originally bred to help control vermin and to fight in the blood sports of bull and bear baiting. Today’s iteration looks as different as it behaves. With its distinctive egg-shaped head due to the lack of stop, the area between the eyes and across the bridge of the nose that typically leads to frontal facial features of the dog, the bull terrier is very recognizable.

The original cross was brought about to increase fighting prowess – the lighter, more agile terrier build combined with the tenacity of the bulldog made it a formidable foe. Various combinations of bulldogs and terriers also created other pit-fighting dogs such as the pit bull and Staffordshire terrier. However, the bull terrier eventually was crossed with Dalmatian, greyhound, Spanish pointer, foxhound, whippet, borzoi and collie. The first modern version of the bull terrier, one that lacked any stop at all, is credited as Lord Gladiator and is dated 1917.

While their history resides in the blood sports, the originator of the breed, James Hinks, sought a more refined companion. To this day, the bull terrier carries a cavalier attitude – not ...

It is hard to believe that it has been a year since Paw Print Genetics opened its doors and started offering its testing service.  A lot has happened since then.  Prior to offering our testing services for inherited diseases of canines, we had a lot of work to do. We spent many weeks combing the medical literature with the goal of identifying all of the disease mutations associated with medical problems in dogs. After the mutations were identified in the public literature, we developed the tests that showed whether a dog had the normal or mutated DNA sequence. 

For each mutation, two different tests were developed, so that each DNA sequence is examined two times in two different ways. This is how we achieved 100% accuracy and 100% reliability with our testing.  Once the two tests were developed, we then validated the tests. To do this, we enlisted the help from many of our current customers to provide samples on dogs that were known normal, carriers or affected with the diseases for which we developed tests. The results from these samples were submitted to the laboratory directors, PhD geneticists and licensed veterinarians, for review of the data without ...

With the largest network of veterinary clinics in the country (more than 850), Banfield Pet Hospitals is uniquely positioned to collect data on dogs and the ailments affecting them. Their yearly “State of Pet Health Report” has detailed infectious diseases, common conditions and chronic conditions in canine and felines for at least the last four years.

In the 2014 report, the diseases and conditions are broken down individually, with descriptions, symptoms, common treatments and preventative measures given in an overview. The top-five states for each issue are listed as well.

Individual states can be selected from an interactive map, which details the canine population, most common diagnoses, most common names and breeds (likely differing from AKC’s popularity list, which is comprised strictly of registration statistics). For instance, in Paw Print Genetics’ home state of Washington, the average lifespan of a dog is 11.2 years (compared to 11.0 nationwide); the most common diagnoses are dental tartar, overweightness, ear infections, skin infections and skin tumors; most common names are Bella, Max, Buddy, Lucy and Daisy. The common dog breeds in the state: Labrador retriever, Chihuahua, shih tzu, Yorkshire terrier and dachshund.

The full report breaks down health trends in 2013 ...

In the world of human genetics, stories related to hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes have recently made quite a splash in the media.  For example, actress Angelina Jolie made a very public decision to have a double mastectomy in order to reduce her breast cancer risk.  There are other popular stories as well.  Although hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes are not as common in the canine population as they are in the human population, knowing a little information about these genetic conditions and how they work may impact breeding practices. 

What exactly is a hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome?  Those are a lot of complicated words.  Let’s dissect that phrase: 

                  Hereditary – inherited, genetic, passed from parent to offspring. 

                  Cancer – uncontrolled invasive abnormal cell growth. 

                  Predisposition – tendency towards or gravitation to. 

                  Syndrome – a group of symptoms with a single cause.

A hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome gives the affected individual a tendency to develop cancer.  Cancer, for the most part, is multifactorial.  That means there are genetic and environmental influences.  However, hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes have a much greater genetic influence than environmental influence ...

One of the most intimidating dogs, the Doberman is also one of the most intelligent. Created in the 1890s as a guard dog, the Doberman has a storied history as protector but is now considered a great family and companion dog in addition to being one of the best guard dogs.

Developed by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann in Germany, Dobermans were created to protect their owner. Dobermann himself was a tax collector who also ran the town’s dog pound. His access to dogs allowed him to mix and match various breeds to create a dog that was intimidating and aggressive enough to fight off bandits and others that would seek to harm the money-carrying tax man. It’s believed that he used German shepherd, Weimaraner, German shorthaired pointer, Manchester terrier, Great Dane, German pinscher and greyhound, among others. 

The result was an intelligent dog with enough trainability to keep it under control, yet a dog that would aggressively protect its owner on command. It maintained these traits, as well as being athletic, strong, fast, loyal and ferocious, and has been employed as a war dog, police dog and personal protection dog. 

Like many breeds, the war and post-war eras ...

Genetic testing may seem simple on the surface.  Order a test.  If it’s positive, the dog will have symptoms.  If it’s negative, there is no risk for the disease.  Open and shut.  However, there are many molecular details that can make genetic testing extremely complicated.  Today’s topic is reviewing these facts and how they impact the diagnosis of a genetic condition and the chance it may happen again.  My goal isn’t to bestow upon you an honorary degree in genetics, but to help you understand how these diseases are diagnosed and how genetic testing for those diseases is designed and interpreted.

Although genetic testing is expanding at an extremely fast pace, it is not perfect.  Genetic testing can allow you eliminate certain conditions but, unfortunately, nobody has a crystal ball and can therefore, not exclude all possible diseases in any dog. Genetic tests are designed after a mutation causing a disease has been described in the medical literature. It may be a mutation common in a particular breed or it may be very rare. In addition, it may not be the only mutation in that gene, or there may be other genes ...

In my last blog, I defined words that described when symptoms may present themselves in a dog affected with a genetic condition.  Today’s topic of discussion is how those symptoms show up (or not show up).  These terms are easily confused with each other.  I’ve even heard some geneticists can get these definitions mixed up.  Let me introduce two terms: Incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity.

Incomplete penetrance is a term that describes symptoms, which may or may not be present in a dog with an at-risk or affected genotype.  The dog has the mutated gene in the right number of copies to cause the disease, but the dog may not show physical symptoms of the disease.  As you can imagine, this can cause some confusion when examining the pedigrees of your dogs and this is when genetic testing becomes an important tool.  If genetic testing is positive, we know the dog has the mutation that causes the disease. Regardless if there are symptoms, this dog can pass this mutation on to its offspring.  Knowing this information may impact breeding practices, as discussed in previous blogs.  The concept of incomplete penetrance is an ...

A medium-sized hunting dog that originated in Hungary, the vizsla has a devoted following of both hunters and conformation enthusiasts. While they are essentially pointers – locking up on game and indicating its location by pointing with their nose – they do have an inherent desire to retrieve as well. If introduced to water and encouraged to work in it, they can make passably retrieve waterfowl in many settings.

Perhaps the most recognizable feature of the vizsla is its coloring; shading of solid rust gives it a very distinctive look. The coat is short, flat and dense without an undercoat. They are medium in size, standing a strict 21 to 24 inches in height at the shoulder and run 40 to 65 pounds, with females being slightly smaller. While they are lightly built to withstand the rigors of the hunt, vizslas are robust and well muscled – even sinewy. Agile and energetic, they were bred to hunt the fields, forests and waters of Hungary with power, drive and endurance. That being said, they are “people” dogs and make one of the best family companions of all the pointing breeds.

According to the AKC, the vizsla's ancestors were hunters and ...