The role of genetic testing in improving the health of purebred dogs.

In the last decade, the advent of DNA technology in the canine world has also caused a revolution in the way purebred dogs are bred. Between 2010 and 2015, few laboratories in the world began their work on canine DNA testing. Some national breeders have already started testing their dogs for one or two diseases, following the trend in developed countries.

Since then, the number of laboratories has been growing, and approximately in the years 2015-2017 the first Brazilian animal DNA analysis laboratories began to offer genetic testing for a few diseases. Currently, there are several possibilities in the country for carrying out different types of genetic tests, from the simplest to the most modern.

But what is the point of performing genetic tests on dogs? This type of analysis demonstrates whether or not the animal has an increased risk of developing the tested disease. This information alone would be very interesting for a large number of diseases, since many can be prevented or delayed if there is knowledge about the risk and early management. However, in the area of ​​breeding purebred dogs, the use of genetic testing is even more interesting, since it can allow the breeder to correctly select the pairs, with the aim of producing a litter completely free of the tested diseases.

An important detail to remember about genetic testing is that it should not be used to discriminate against dogs that are asymptomatic carriers of variants for one genetic disease or another. Since the vast majority of diseases are recessive, a puppy will only have an increased risk for that disease if the breeder mates two carriers. In this case, one in four puppies in the litter will inherit two variants for the disease, and this dog will indeed have an increased risk. Thus, the detection of asymptomatic carriers of a single variant should not be a reason for the breeder to stop breeding that dog, but rather to choose the correct pair, breeding the dog with another that is not a carrier like the first.

It is important to remember that all breeds carry one or more genetic diseases to a greater or lesser degree. Therefore, when someone interested in acquiring a dog of a particular breed seeks out a breeder who performs genetic testing for diseases, this owner is contributing doubly to the well-being of purebred dogs: firstly, they will be acquiring a puppy that will not manifest any of the tested diseases. Furthermore, this owner is boosting a quality market focused on genetic improvement geared towards health.