It all started with Tasha, the beautiful female boxer, pictured left.

On Wednesday 7th December 2005 an international team of scientists and researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard announced that they had successfully mapped out the genome sequence of the dog.  It was Tasha’s DNA that was used in this process.

Since then we have come on in leaps and bounds, scientists are developing genetic tools to enable mapping of disease genes in the dog all the time.  They have even started surveying the poodle genome.

Individuals, vets and dog clubs from around the world are involved in collecting blood samples from dogs with all sorts of diseases.  The DNA from these samples are then used to help identify the genes responsible for those diseases. Tests are then developed to help us breeders health test our breeding dogs to eradicate those diseases from our lines.

Unfortunately not everyone breeding dogs is doing this, and this is not helped by big organisations like countries canine governing bodies not insisting its done.  At present its all voluntary and only the main diseases being recommended to be tested.

This is where we are different, we are doing as many tests as we can, as tests become developed we get them done on our Stud Dog Stanley.  Any puppy produced from him cannot develop any of the diseases he’s been tested for. Not even if the mother herself has the disease.

To develop the associated diseases two copies of the faulty gene needs to be passed to the puppies. Both the mother and father passes one gene each to the puppy.  As the father does not have the faulty gene, the puppies from him cannot have two copies of faulty genes. Remember two copies of the faulty gene are needed to actually develop the disease.

If everybody breeding dogs did this, then one day we would eradicate these diseases from the dog.

Testing is expensive, but I do intend to increase this testing to the mothers as well, I’ve already started this.  My goal is to ensure that any puppy I produce never has even one copy of a faulty gene.

I sell all my puppies as family pets, but I’m not naive, I do know that some people are breeding from them, despite assuring me that they wouldn’t.  I have no problem with anyone wanting to breed, I just wish they would talk to me first so I can help them understand what I have done and what they need to do with regard to further testing and therefore carry on the work I’m doing in trying to do my bit in eradicating diseases.

I believe my Cockapoo puppies are the most health tested with the UK, I have never seen anywhere another breeder that does this testing to the extent we have here.  One day I hope that what I do becomes the norm.  We all love our dogs so I live in hope.

To view explanation of all the tests we have completed, please use the menu above.