Archives for December 2015

Happy New Year from Paw Print Genetics

Happy New Year from Paw Print Genetics

2015 was a big year for Paw Print Genetics. We made improvements to our website for easier account management, launched new disease tests, coat colors and traits, and won our lawsuit over Labrador exercise-induced collapse (EIC), so that you have choice in testing laboratories.

Our account management system is the best in the industry, but we are always looking for new ideas. Some of the website improvements made in 2015 include the ability to hide dogs within your account, share dogs between accounts and move dogs to new accounts.  What would you like to be able to do in your account? We continue to make improvements to our testing, reporting and website, all based on your input.

In early January, we launched several new, important disease tests including hereditary cataracts for Australian shepherds and related breeds and hereditary cataracts for French bulldogs and related breeds.  We also launched two progressive retinal atrophies in the golden retriever and retinal dysplasia/oculoskeletal dysplasia in Labrador retrievers.  We have many additional tests on our list to develop in 2016. We look forward to bringing you those tests throughout the new year.

Paw Print Genetics now offers 10 coat color tests and ...

Prevention Is Smart Breeding- Urate Bladder Stones in the Spanish Water Dog

Prevention Is Smart Breeding- Urate Bladder Stones in the Spanish Water Dog

Though reliable accounts marking the early origins of the Spanish water dog (SWD) are lost to history, likely ancestors of the SWD (and probably the Portuguese water dog) were described in the Iberian Peninsula around the 12th century. Primarily used as a herding breed, the Spanish water dog has also been trained to perform tasks for fishermen and hunters including towing boats to shore, gathering fishing nets, and retrieving game from waterways. Though still used as working dogs in modern day Spain and other countries, the demand for Spanish water dogs dropped precipitously during the industrial revolution of the late 18th and early 19th centuries when machines took over many tasks historically performed by the SWD and other breeds. This decrease in demand led to a decline in the world Spanish water dog population which still remains relatively small today.

In general, dog breeds with smaller population sizes tend to also have a smaller amount of genetic diversity within the breed. This means that any two individual dogs from a small breed population are more likely to share the exact same genetic information at any given location in their genome, including disease associated genetic mutations. This is ...

Prevention Is Smart Breeding- Progressive Retinal Atrophy and the American Eskimo Dog

Prevention Is Smart Breeding- Progressive Retinal Atrophy and the American Eskimo Dog

Despite its name, the roots of the American Eskimo dog can be traced back to Germany where it was known as a white colored, miniature to medium sized variety of the German spitz. This well rounded farm dog came to the United States with German immigrants in the early 20th century and adopted the name American spitz in the World War I era when war related anti-German sentiment and American patriotism were widespread. The breed was first recognized as the American Eskimo dog (AED) by the United Kennel Club in 1919 and was accepted by the American Kennel Club for registration in 1995. Known for its alert demeanor, the AED makes an excellent watchdog that alarms its family of potential danger through warning barks. The AEDs intelligence, fast learning, and desire to please have made it a competitor in the agility ring and obedience trials. Though not universally recognized as three separate varieties, the modern AED is often split into three size groups (toy, miniature, and standard).

Despite its many talents, beautiful physical characteristics, and intelligence, like other pure breeds, the AED has developed some inherited disease concerns over the course of its development that have caused significant issues ...

Prevention is Smart Breeding- Ichthyosis and the Norfolk Terrier

Prevention is Smart Breeding- Ichthyosis and the Norfolk Terrier

There are few dog breeds that can match the spirit and spunk of the Norfolk terrier. Prior to the recognition of the Norfolk terrier as its own independent breed, this small, English bred working terrier fell under the Norwich terrier banner, in which either drop or prick ears were recognized as acceptable traits. With time, Norwich breeders began to differentiate dogs based upon ear carriage. The drop eared members of the breed eventually became known as the Norfolk terrier, thereby splitting the breed into two very similar, yet distinct lines. The Norfolk terrier was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1964 and by the American Kennel Club in 1979. Two independent breed standards were established for these breeds and despite their common roots, the breeds have diverged slightly in their physical appearance over the past few decades. The Norfolk terrier is well known for their energy, loyalty, bravery, and affectionate demeanor. Breeders of the Norfolk terrier take pride in producing dogs with great temperament while maintaining the breed’s ability to work. That being said, today’s Norfolk terrier is more commonly found in homes as a companion animal rather than fulfilling its original purpose of hunting rodents and other ...