While a dog may appear healthy and have no signs of a specific condition, they may carry a genetic marker that could be passed on to the puppies. When a parent dog has 1 copy of a gene most likely they will pass that same, single gene on to about 50% of the puppies. If the other parent has no known genetic carriers then there is no risk of the puppies having any more than the single copy. However, if the other parent has one copy of that same gene, each parent will likely pass on one copy to about 50% of the puppies. This means that there is a chance than any single puppy could get 1 copy from each of the parents, resulting in a puppy that will likely develop that condition.
In a nutshell, good breeders test their dogs to ensure they are not breeding dogs together that could risk the health of the puppies. What we have talked abouts so far are called recessive genes. Meaning 1 copy is not affected and 2 copies is affected. Most genes we know about are recessive. However, there are dominate genes as well.
Dominate genes are genes that only require 1 copy to be affected. Typically 1 copy is considered at risk of developing the disease, and 2 copies are more severe cases of the disease. Here at Tucker Acres of Iowa, we do not have dogs in our program that carry any copies of dominate genes.
As a Breeder, I feel testing my dogs is very important. Even my dogs coming from parents that are genetically clear, are tested before being bred. I want my puppy owners to know that I have done my best to ensure the puppy they get is not at risk for any known diseases.
You can learn more about the known genetic conditions for Australian Shepherds on my page.
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