Genetic Testing
We do an essential panel of DNA tests on our sires and dams for genetic abnormalities to give our puppies a genetic advantage. As a result of this testing, our breeding stock being homozygous (meaning non-affected, non-carrier) or heterozygous (non-affected, carrier) for these genetic abnormalities, we guarantee that the dog you purchase from us will never be affected by these problems.
We challenge you to find another breeder doing all the genetic DNA testing we do. Breeders doing DNA testing should be able to provide you with the genetic laboratory's DNA Accession Number or DNA ID Number as proof of testing. We use Paw Print Genetics laboratories for our testing.
It is important to recognize that being clear or a carrier are both clinically normal conditions. If you want a puppy and have no intention of breeding then a puppy that is either clear or a carrier will be equally acceptable.
‘Carrier’ is the term given to an individual (of any species) that carries a single copy of a recessive mutation that is associated with a specific inherited condition, usually an inherited disorder. An individual will only suffer from a recessive disorder if it inherits two copies of the causal mutation, one from each parent. If it inherits a single copy of the mutation it will remain healthy but will pass the mutation on to about half of its offspring.
Knowing which dogs carry the mutation and which don’t (the so-called ‘clear’ dogs) enables breeders to make sensible and ethical choices about the dogs they mate together. All dogs can be safely bred provided at least one of the mating pair is clear of the mutation.
Breeding to eliminate all affected and carrier dogs might at first seem attractive, but this might lead to dogs with otherwise excellent characteristics being ruled out unnecessarily and narrowing of the gene pool. If carriers are prevented from the breeding the opportunity to pass the rest of their genetic material to the next generation is also lost and the genetic diversity of the remaining population is thus reduced. A breeder who intends to breed a dog who is a carrier, must breed to a clear (non-carrier, non-affected) mate. In addition, offspring of this mating must also be DNA tested for the carrier dogs if they are ever bred. This is another reason we sell all our pups with AKC Limited Registration.
Listed below are the DNA genetic tests we currently do on each of our breeding sire and bitches:
Centronuclear Myopathy
Chondrodystrophy (CDDY and IVDD Risk) with or without Chondrodysplasia (CDPA)
Cone Degeneration (Labrador Retriever Type)
Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (Labrador Retriever Type)
Copper Toxicosis (Labrador Retriever Type)
Cystinuria (Labrador Retriever Type)
Degenerative Myelopathy
Elliptocytosis
Exercise-Induced Collapse
Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis
Hyperuricosuria
Ichthyosis (Golden Retriever Type)
Macular Corneal Dystrophy (Labrador Retriever Type)
Myotubular Myopathy 1
Narcolepsy (Labrador Retriever Type)
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Cone-Rod Dystrophy 4
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Golden Retriever 2
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (Labrador Retriever Type)
Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1
Skeletal Dysplasia 2
Stargardt Disease
New genetic tests are added as they become available. Want to help the research of canine genetic abnormalities? Register your dog with The American Kennel Club who funds much of the research of canine genetic abnormalities. A portion of your registration fee goes directly toward funding canine genetic research. Also visit the AKC Canine Health Foundation and contribute and fund the research that helps dogs live longer, healthier lives!