Quick Summary
Introduction
The Veterinary Genetics Laboratory (VGL), in collaboration with Dr. Niels C. Pedersen and staff, has developed a panel of short tandem repeat (STR) markers that will determine genetic diversity across the genome and in the Dog Leukocyte Antigen (DLA) class I and II regions. This test panel is useful to breeders who wish to track and increase genetic diversity of their breed as a long term goal.
In order to evaluate a potential mating, the VGL case numbers of two diversity tested dogs can be input to a mating tool that calculates the genetic relatedness of the potential parents and simulates the offspring to give the expected and min/max internal relatedness (IR) values.
- Access Mating Tool (Requires MyVGL login)
The Canine Genetic Diversity Test includes the ISAG Panel, and parentage verification can be requested at no additional charge after diversity results are completed.
Currently this test is available for:
- Akita
- Alaskan Klee Kai
- American Hairless Terrier
- Berger Picard
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Biewer
- Biewer Terrier
- Biewer Yorkshire Terrier
- Black Russian Terrier
- Borzoi
- Doberman Pinscher
- Flat-Coated Retriever
- Giant Schnauzer
- Golden Retriever
- Havanese
- Italian Greyhound
- Labrador Retriever
- Miniature Poodle
- Newfoundland
- Samoyed
- Scottish Collie
- Shiba Inu
- Shiloh Shepherd (ISSA)
- Standard Poodle
- Swedish Vallhund
- Toy Poodle
New Breed Enrollment / Research Phase
Genetic diversity testing using this same format can be directly applied to any breed. However, the most important tasks are to identify a cadre of breeders committed to diversity testing and to seek out all possible existing genetic diversity of the breed. (Read more about enrolling a breed in genetic diversity testing)
Breeds in Phase 2 - Preliminary Results/Research:
- American Eskimo Dog
- Barbet
- Border Collie
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi
- Chinook
- English Mastiff
- Great Dane
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
- Havana Silk
- Irish Setter
- Irish Red & White Setter
- Irish Wolfhound
- Lakeland Terrier
- Llewellin Setter
- Magyar Agár
- Polish Lowland Sheepdog
- Rat Terrier
- Saint Bernard
- Shikoku
- Whippet
Breeds in Phase 1 - Research:
- Afghan Hound
- Akbash Dog
- American Bully
- Australian Shepherd
- Beauceron
- Belgian Sheepdog (Groenendael, Laekenois, Malinois, Tervuren)
- Bouvier Des Flandres
- Boxer
- Chow Chow
- Chinook
- Collie
- English Shepherd
- English Springer Spaniel
- German Pinscher
- German Shepherd
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Kai Ken
- Kishu Ken
- Mi-Ki
- Parson Russell Terrier
- Russell Terrier
- Saluki
- Shiloh Shepherd (non-ISSA)
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Standard Schnauzer
- Weimaraner
Don't see your breed listed and want to enroll it? More information on how to enroll a breed is available here.
Species
Breed
Example Certificate
(click to view full size)
Certificate reports the internal relatedness, genomic STR genotypes, and DLA class I and II haplotypes for the dog(s) tested.
More information below:
Short tandem repeat (STR) loci: A total of 33 STR loci from across the genome were used to gauge genetic diversity within an individual and across the breed. The alleles inherited from each parent are displayed graphically to highlight heterozygosity, and breed-wide allele frequency is provided.
DLA haplotypes: STR loci linked to the DLA class I and II genes were used to identify genetic differences in regions regulating immune responses and self/non-self recognition. Problems with self/non-self recognition, along with non-genetic factors in the environment, are responsible for autoimmune disease.
Internal Relatedness: The IR value is a measure of genetic diversity within an individual that takes into consideration both heterozygosity of alleles at each STR loci and their relative frequency in the population. Therefore, IR values heterozygosity over homozygosity and uncommon alleles over common alleles. IR values are unique to each dog and cannot be compared between dogs. Two dogs may have identical IR values but with very different genetic makeups.
