Genetics, Population & Hereditary Health
Core genetics, inheritance, DNA testing, health screening, and population genetics.
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Atopic dermatitis and breeding: what the evidence says about inheritance
Atopic dermatitis is one of the most common chronic skin diseases in dogs, and it runs in families. What heritability studies show, how a puppy’s early environment matters, why genetic tests are not ready to breed by, and practical steps…
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Genetics for breeders: the essentials
The essential vocabulary of canine genetics — genes, alleles, genotype and phenotype — explained the way a breeder actually needs it.
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Interpreting DNA results: carriers, clears and how to breed with them
How to read clear, carrier and affected DNA results, and the one pairing rule that keeps a recessive condition out of your puppies.
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Population genetics for breeders: managing a breed, not just a litter
Why effective population size, not headcount, is the real measure of a breed’s genetic health, and how individual mating choices add up.
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Coefficient of inbreeding: how to read and use it
What the coefficient of inbreeding actually measures, pedigree-based versus genetic COI, and how to use the number when comparing planned matings.
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DNA tests and genetic disease: what they can and can’t tell you
What a DNA health test actually measures, why a “clear” result isn’t a health guarantee, and how to choose which tests matter for your breed.
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Understanding Canine Genetics: A Beginner’s Guide for Breeders
A beginner’s guide to canine genetics: dominant and recessive, what a carrier actually is, why diversity matters, and how it applies to real pairings.
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Polygenic and complex traits: why most things aren’t simple
Why hip dysplasia, temperament and most health traits don’t have a single DNA test — and how heritability actually works.
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Health databases and how to interpret published results
How to search health databases like OFA’s CHIC and Kennel Club records, and why an untested dog’s blank record isn’t the same as a clean one.
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Estimated breeding values and risk assessment
What estimated breeding values are, why they’re often more reliable than a dog’s own screening score, and how to use them when comparing mates.
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Genetics and inherited health: the complete guide
The science behind pedigree analysis, breeding systems and DNA testing: genes, inheritance, polygenic traits and population genetics, explained for breeders.
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Inbreeding, relatedness and genetic diversity
Why genetic diversity matters at the population level, what the popular sire effect is, and how individual mating choices add up across a breed.
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Health screening and health schemes: hips, elbows, eyes and beyond
What hip, elbow, eye and cardiac screening schemes actually assess, and how to use scored results honestly in your breeding decisions.
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Modes of inheritance: dominant, recessive and sex-linked
How dominant, recessive and X-linked traits pass from parents to puppies, and why two healthy-looking carriers can still produce an affected puppy.
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Health Testing Basics: Where Every Responsible Breeding Program Starts
An introduction to health testing for breeders — why it matters, the three main types of screening, and where to start if you’re new to it.
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The evidence on inbreeding, diversity and longevity
What peer-reviewed research actually shows about inbreeding, lifespan and litter outcomes in dogs — and what the evidence does and doesn’t prove.
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