© By Martine Lavallée BAA, TSA Have you ever heard someone say; “My dog has never seen a veterinarian in his life and lived to 15 years!” It is a common belief among dog enthusiasts that crossbred dogs are healthier. On the other hand, breeders boast that their dogs are healthier than crossbreeds because they come from a safe genetic lineage. But even if breeders do a lot of testing on their breeders, there is no guarantee that their offspring are free of genetic diseases. For dog lovers, it may be surprising to learn that our purebred or crossbred dog is developing a genetic disease.
Our dogs GMO (genetically modified organism)For thousands of years man has been meeting Canis lupus familiaris (CLF) according to his needs and the aesthetic characteristics he wants to put forward. To do this, humans simply take the specimens that interest them and cross them together to ultimately create a living organism far removed from the original CLF. It can take many generations, but that's what I call the GM dog.
Over time, these diseases have evolved, transforming both their genome (nucleotide sequence forming the deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] of a species or an individual) and generating the polygenic diseases that are at the base of the disease. Most genetic diseases. A so-called polygenic disease, defined by the mutation of several genes in the same individual, making the genes of the disease more difficult to recognize. By reproducing the dog according to its aspirations, the human has reproduced and created genetic diseases and GMO dogs.
Is it true that purebred dogs are less sick than crossbred dogs? Certified purebred dogs registered in an official canine club and recognized as the Canadian Kennel Club (CCC) are rarer than dogs of pure breeds non-certified or said racy. In general, it is difficult to find purebred spawners who are not related. Many lines have been created by crosses between dogs of the same family in order to maintain the physical characteristics of the breed or to try to obtain puppies with traits similar to those of the parents. Thus, its canids of identical or similar genotype carry in them the same genes. Then, those of the latter who have a genetic defect has thus transmitted this one to the other subsequent litters.
Certified Breeders
What happens to crossed dogs ? As we have seen, the choice of breeders of purebred dogs is limited, but it is quite different for crossbred dogs. These are frequently found in occasional breeders, who have a few litters per year just for fun. Since mating is not intended to create standardized puppies, male selection is often random. So, the genetic code of these dogs remained diverse because there was no intensive breeding with the same line. However, not all crossbred dogs are without genetic defects. There are simply fewer sick individuals in this dog population. Of course, here we exclude puppy mills. They pay no attention to the health of their parents and they do not hesitate to reproduce sick individuals. Many casual breeders make efforts not to produce sick puppies.
Conclusion Although purebred dog breeders are committed to taking the necessary precautions to breed healthy dogs, the situation does not always allow it. Since obtaining a purebred dog with both exemplary conformation and perfect health is very rare, some breeders take the chance to breed an animal that does not have the required certificates proving its fitness. These experiments are still risky since the result can be very disappointing in terms of the health of puppies. Sources : Journal de l’ATSAQ automne-hiver 2016; article d’Annik Marchant TSA page 18. |