Genetics

At Joy’s Dood Ranch, we prioritize health and genetics because we believe it is our responsibility to produce happy, healthy dogs for loving families. All our adult dogs are genetically tested for all breed related illnesses as well as over 200 other common genetic mutations. We use the highest rated dog DNA brand, Embark, and results are available upon request. With these results, we can help prevent your puppy from inheriting harmful and potentially fatal mutations.

Do genetics really matter?

The short answer is, YES! Genetics matter a great deal. All responsible breeders will have tested their dogs for common mutations as these can be passed down and significantly affect the dog’s health.

If the parents are healthy, doesn’t that mean my puppy should be too?

Not always. Dogs can carry one copy of an illness that will not affect their own personal health, but when bred to another dog with that same copy, their puppies will suffer the consequences and will likely inherit this mutation.

How often do dogs ACTUALLY inherit genetic health problems? Is it really worth the time and money?

Yes, more often than you would think. Poodles and Bernese Mountain Dogs commonly inherit mutations that can cause significant health problems. Some of these mutations affect the spine and eventually cause them to be immobile, while others affect the eyes and can result in blindness. Without proper testing ALL dogs are at a high risk of inheriting one or more of these mutations.

This is a problem many purebred dogs face. As you may already know, the Bernese Mountain Dog often suffers from significant health problems that cause pain and result in a shorter lifespan. This is mainly due to what happens genetically when a breed is “overbred.” Many breeds have specific standards so breeders will choose certain features to replicate to achieve a desired look. This creates a homozygous gene or an identical gene. But over time, this encourages mutations and dulls the health of a dog. Another way to think about this is genes CRAVE diversity (heterozygous) not uniformity (homozygous). This is one primary benefit to having a mixed breed or a hybrid. By recombining two very different genotypes, breeders can achieve something known as Hybrid Vigor.

What Is Hybrid Vigor?

Simply put, hybrid vigor is when two very different sets of genes come together to create something new and fresh. As I unpacked in the last paragraph, genes CRAVE diversity. After being bred back to the same genetic code repeatedly, they start telling you something’s wrong by showing up in the health of your dog.

Now, I am NOT a geneticist, but what I do know from the research I’ve done over the past 4 years is that genetics MATTER.