Color & Genetic Testing

Why do we care about body structure compatibility and DNA testing?

Well, there are two types of testing for inheritable disorders: phenotype testing (based on a dog’s actual anatomy/physiology) and genotype testing (chemical analysis of the dog’s DNA that can detect a recessive gene even in a “carrier” whose phenotype is normal). What makes a French Bulldog desirable is the very same factor that also makes a French Bulldog have problems! These are the unwanted side effects of the breed’s conformational structure:

Spinal conditions (vertebral malformations, disc disease), Brachycephalic Syndrome (breathing problems associated with short-faced structure), allergies, and orthopedic conditions (hip dysplasia, luxating patellas)… are all most likely either constitutional or polygenic (caused by the interactions of several different gene loci instead of by a single gene).

In order to reduce the incidence of undesirable conditions, we must assess the phenotype of each potential breeding animal by whatever tests are available so as to make informed decisions as to whether (and with whom) to breed.

We must also consider conformation and temperament. Health issues are just one element in the decision-making process, albeit important ones.

Allergy Test

Dogs usually develop hereditary chronic environmental allergies between the ages of three and six. These environmental allergies manifest themselves as hay fever, asthma, irritated scabbed skin, and rashes.

Environmental allergies are permanent and have no cure. When Frenchies suffer from an environmental allergy, they scratch, rub, and lick the affected areas excessively.

Food allergies manifest as (but are not limited to) diarrhea, vomiting, flatulence, and irritable skin conditions that cause itchy, painful hives, rashes, bumps, sores, and more. Open skin sores are prone to developing bacterial and fungal infections.

Some research has shown that “dilute” colored dogs are likely to acquire skin allergies. By testing ALL of our dogs and puppies, we make sure we are a step ahead. While we aren’t able to prevent all possible allergies, we can offer advice regarding what environmental agents to avoid in bedding, shampoo, collars, etc. Moreover, by studying the food allergy panel, we are able to customize the puppy’s diet to the best of our ability, thus preventing most food allergies.

Color DNA Test

When dogs breed, each parent passes on just one allele form each of its loci. This allele is picked at random, so each of the two alleles has a 50 percent chance of being passed to all the puppies. 

When a sperm cell fertilizes an egg, an embryo starts to develop. The sperm cell is just one of thousands that have been produced by the male dog. Each sperm cell carries half the information that is needed to create a new puppy, and that information consists of random two alleles. Egg cells are exactly the same in that they also carry one set of alleles, however, fewer of them are produced.

In simple terms, when the egg and the sperm join together, they create a nucleus that carries all the necessary genetic information to develop into an embryo. So you can see that genetics involves a lot of random chances. By performing a full DNA color panel, we can increase the probability of the puppies being a certain color. Even more importantly, the color DNA panel can help us prevent some color combinations that can be detrimental to a dog’s health.

For example: Merle is a fascinating, beautiful, varied color pattern that is dominant and denoted by the capital letter M. Non-merle is recessive, and denoted by lowercase m. A “normal” Merle is Mm (heterozygous). The Merle gene dilutes random sections of the coat to a lighter color leaving patches of the original color remaining. Issues arise when you get a dog that is a cryptic Merle, meaning that they are merle (Mm) but the variety is not externally visible on their coat.

If you do not DNA test your dog and breed two Merle dogs together you have a 25 percent chance of producing MM puppies or so called double Merle dogs. Because Merle affects the eumelanin (striping the color off), double Merle puppies can be blind, deaf, and be sun-sensitive. This is due to the fact that heterozygous Merle (Mm) have plenty of pigment but double-merles (MM) have large white areas where there is no pigment produced in vital areas like the eyes and inner ears.

Another example is the color cream, denoted by the letter e. A homozygous dog with an ee genotype will not have the ability to produce any eumelanin and so will be completely cream but still carries color that can be passed to the offspring, thus leaving us to guess what colors the puppies might be.