Dog Breeding - Genetic Defects

Genetic Defects

Some dogs have certain inheritable characteristics that can develop into a disability or disease. Excessive wear of hip joint or bone, known as hip dysplasia is one such condition. As well, some eye abnormalities, heart conditions, deafness, are proven to be inherited. There have been extensive studies of these conditions, commonly sponsored by breed clubs and dog registries, while breed clubs provide information of common genetic defects for according breed. As well, special organizations, such as Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, collect data and provide it to breeders, as well as to the general public.

Some registries, such as American Kennel Club include records of absence of certain genetic defects, known as certification, into dog’s individual records. For example, the German Shepherd National Breed Club in Germany is a registry that recognizes that hip dysplasia is a genetic defect for the dogs of this breed. Accordingly, it requires all dogs to pass evaluation for absence of Hip Dysplasia to register their progeny, and records the results in individual dog‘s pedigrees.

Read more about this topic:  Dog Breeding

Famous quotes containing the words genetic and/or defects:

    We cannot think of a legitimate argument why ... whites and blacks need be affected by the knowledge that an aggregate difference in measured intelligence is genetic instead of environmental.... Given a chance, each clan ... will encounter the world with confidence in its own worth and, most importantly, will be unconcerned about comparing its accomplishments line-by-line with those of any other clan. This is wise ethnocentricism.
    Richard Herrnstein (1930–1994)

    The machine is impersonal, it takes the pride away from a piece of work, the individual merits and defects that go along with all work that is not done by a machine—which is to say, its little bit of humanity.
    Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)