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Genetic Diseases in Dogs
By Rochelle Caviness
Why is Genetics Important to Dog Owners?
You do not need to understand all the intricacies of gene theory or care that scientists are scrambling to map the entire Dog Genome.
What you do need to know is that a dog's genetic makeup determines who and what he is. Genes are the building blocks of life. Each gene serves a function, and carries a blueprint that dictates a whole host of factors ranging from the color of a dog's fur, to how tall it will grow and what 'breed' it is. Genetics can also influence things like temperament. More important, genetics influence whether your dog will be born with certain defects or if they will be susceptible to various ailments, like an immune deficiency.
To complicate matters, should be aware how genes are passed down from one generation to the next.
- Each cell contains two sets of duplicate genes, one donated by the mother and one by the father. For example, take a cell that contains information on how a dog's tail will form. Inside this cell are two duplicate sets of genes that hold blueprints for making a tail. If both sets are the same, then there is no problem. If both genes say straight, than the tail will be straight. However, if the pairs are different, than whether that puppy's tail will be straight or curly will depend upon which set is dominate.
- Ignoring mutations, you can have several combinations of tail genes: curly-curly, straight-straight, or curly-straight. In some family lines, the curly gene may be dominate, such as in Keeshonds, in others it may be the straight gene that is dominate.
- Recessive genes may skip one or more generations. Therefore, you may have two dogs with curly tails that came from parents with curly tails. Yet, when you breed them, they produce a puppy with a straight tail. Why? Because somewhere, hidden deep within their genetic history, both of the puppy's parents had a relative with the gene for a straight tail.
Genetic Diseases
If genetics only dictated color and size, it may not be something to be overly concerned about. However, just as the trait for curly tails may be passed from on generation to the next, so can diseases. For example, 
