HEALTHGENE´S CANINE BULLETIN (05.30.2005)
IN BRIEF
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MATCHING DOG'S PERSONALITY TO ITS OWNER
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Psychologists at the University of Texas have developed
a series of tests to rate a dog's personality. Four factors
are reviewed: energy levels, affection – aggression,
anxiety – calmness, and intelligence – stupidity.
The rating system was adapted from a similar five-factor
model used to assess human personality. After conducting
a series of tests, Dr. Sam Gosling, a scientist who presented
the data, firmly believes that pets should be matched
with owners based on similarities in their personalities.
Source: Vetstream.com
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INCREASED HEARTWORM DANGER
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According to the American Heartworm Society (AHS), 27
million dogs in the United States are currently not on
a heartworm preventative, needlessly exposing them to
potential deadly infection from heartworm.
In 2001, the Gallup survey concluded that only 55 percent
of dogs were medicated with heartworm preventative. This
is down from 66 percent in 1998. Another study conducted
in 2001 on 18,000 veterinary clinics in the United States
identified 250,000 dogs and cats tested positive for heartworm
infection. Diagnostic tools and medication are available
to prevent, identify and treat the infection.
Source: The American Heartworm Society
NOTE: HealthGene Laboratory offers a DNA-based test for
heartworm detection that allows for identification with
high sensitivity male and female heartworms.
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IF DOGS COULD TALK: EXPLORING THE CANINE MIND
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A new book by a Hungarian ethologist Vilmos Csanyi, "If
Dogs Could Talk: Exploring The Canine Mind", uncovers
new points of "dogs' smartness". Through a series
of experiments with dogs, wolves and their owners over
a period of several years, the author demonstrates that
dogs "outsmart" not only their relative wolves
but also chimpanzees. The abilities to communicate with
their owners on different levels are the result of a long
history of human-canine co-evolving and something that
no other animal has been able to master.
Source: NewScientist.com
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HEALTHGENE'S HIGHLIGHTS
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MAKING SENSE OF COAT COLOR: A GENETIC APPROACH
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This article is intended to help you in understanding
the genetics of color. Even though not all aspects can
be covered in one article, we will focus on genes that
are now available for testing.
The pigment that is responsible for a dog's hair color
is called melanin. There are two types of melanin in dogs:
a pigment associated with black and brown coloration (called
eumelanin) and a pigment associated with lighter colors
such as yellow, red and orange (called phaeomelanin).
There are a number of genes that affect how and where
these pigments are produced. The genes can occur as variant
forms, called alleles. Some alleles play a dominant role
(usually identified by capital letters) over others and
their presence will overshadow the effect of recessive
alleles (identified by small letters).
The gene designated as "E" is responsible for
eumelanin production. If the dominant form of "E"
is not present ("ee" genotype), the black and
brown pigment is not produced and the dog's coat will
be reddish in color (yellow, orange or red). On the other
hand, if at least one E allele ("EE" or "Ee"
genotypes) occurs, black or brown pigment would be the
basis for a dog's coat color. A third allele, Em,
causes reddish dogs to have a black or brown facial mask.
The absence of the dominant form of "B" will
change the black color of eumelanin into brown but will
have no effect on the coat color of "ee" genotype
dogs. For example, dogs with EEBB, EeBB, EeBb genotypes
will have eumelanin normally produced ("E" is
present) and will have black coat color (the dominant
"B" is present). EEbb and Eebb genotypes will
have eumelanin produced but their coat will be brown in
color ("B" is not present). NOTE: any "bb"
genotype dog will have brown nose and pad leather. The
eeBB, eeBb, and eebb genotype dogs do not produce eumelanin
pigment and will have reddish coat color.
The "A" gene is a bit more complicated. This
gene controls where and how two pigments are produced
on the body or even on the individual hair. It is very
important to understand that the effects of this gene
depend on the ability to produce eumelanin, which does
not occur in "ee" genotype dogs. The most dominant
allele in this group is thought to be ay, which
causes sable and fawn coloration of the coat.
Sometimes the reddish hair has black tips. Some examples
of this type of dog are sable Collies and Shetland Sheepdogs
as well as fawn Great Danes and Pugs. The next allele
in dominance is aw, which is characterized
by alternately banded hair and sometimes is called "wild
type". This type causes hair to change its color
during growth from light to dark resulting in bands as
seen, for example, in some German Shepherds or wolves.
The black-and-tan allele, at, gives a black
dog its tan markings. This is typical of many hounds as
well as Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers. The same allele
is responsible for tri-color dogs (black-and-tan with
white), for example in Shetland Sheepdogs.
The last allele is a recessive black "a", which
is considered to be recessive to all other allele in the
"A" group. Such "aa" genotype dogs
are black. This can be seen in German Shepherds and Shetland
Sheepdogs (bi-color).
There are other groups of genes responsible for coat
coloration. They are C (albino), D (blue dilution), G
(graying), M (merle), R (roaming), S (white spotting),
T (ticking), and K (dominant black). The work of identifying
them is still in progress. HeathGene Laboratory would
like to thank Dr. Sheila Schmutz from the University of
Saskatchewan (Canada) for her dedication and support in
this research.
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ARCHIEVES
===========
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR PREVIOUS BULLETINS
--------------------------------------
- CANINE
BLASTOMYCOSIS
(01/19/2005)
- CHRONIC LEPTOSPIROSIS
IN DOGS (11/25/2004)
- COAT AND NOSE COLOR TEST
IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR NEWFOUNDLAND DOGS
(9/22/2004)
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