What's your opinion on DM carriers - Page 2

Jenni, if dog breeders and owners don't understand the basics of the simple recessive mode of inheritance, you are wasting your time trying to teach them anything more sophisticated. I commend you for trying though

Blitzen, speaking of ignorance in breeding.....if you remember Eris, Aria's daughter from Filius, she was injured as a 4wk old when Aria hit her in the face with a heavy bone. She had a fracture that healed but not perfectly and she had to have a couple teeth pulled but no major surgery. I gave her away for free to a wonderful home. I had some genius calling me a scammer for trying to pass that off as an injury when it was "clearly" what happens when you breed a "wider muzzled working line dog" with a "pointy nosed show dog." Yeah, "obviously" the muzzle isn't going to line up. He called her a "genetic mess" and said I should never breed the parents again. 

I kid you not. He truly believes that's why you cannot breed a working line to a show line. Dawulf cleverly posted on one of her pics "Oh no! It looks like one side of her neck is shorter, too!" because she had her head cocked. A few asked what happens when a short person has a child with a tall person...is one leg short and one long? 

The depth of stupidity and ignorance in dog breeding never ceases to amaze me. 

I understand a German study (among others) found the test to basically be worthless. However, people here in the states are still harping on the DM test results and freaking out when they hear of one being a carrier. By those standards, even those of us who do not put a lot of stock in the actual test itself will still be hard pressed when promoting a good stud dog who is a carrier. 

I don't know of any breeders in the US who are freaking out over dogs tested as DM carriers or at risks. In fact I don't even know many who are testing their dogs prior to breeding them. I suspect this test and the results have very little effect on who breeds what in the show world unless they use those results as a marketing tool to promote clears or to say - this litter is guaranteed to be free of DM, etc.. As far as working line breeders, those I know have convinced themselves those dogs can't produce DM, so......Those who are testing their dogs via the lab not associated with OFA should be expected to provide copies of those results since the dogs won't appear on the OFA database last I  heard. So anyone can say their dogs are clear and you know how that goes.

 Learn about the simple recessive mode of inheritance and the intent of any DNA test that identifies carriers. None are meant to be tests of elimination. With the DM test, the intent is to try to not produce anymore at risks which can't happen if the gene isn't doubled on. Get educated!!!

Jenni, it never fails to amaze me when I hear of things like that. Shoot first, ask questions later .

While debating this question is good, just remember those who have had a dog that was euthanized because of DM. This is Loki, an active K9

This is Loki the day we euthanized him, it was the day before his 10th birthday.  When there is a valid, reliable test, if your dog is "just a carrier", would you take the chance and breed that on?

I'm very sorry for your loss of Loki.

However, I think the very issue is the validity and reliability of the test. I'm not certain that the test is looking at the DM specific to GSDs. Can anyone verify this?

Yes, I would breed a carrier. To eliminate excellent dogs from breeding because of a questionable DNA test is insanity. I'm sorry your dog developed DM. Dogs who are carriers will not ( supposedly ) develop the disease anymore than clear supposedly won't.

Well even if the available tests so far were inarguably accurate, and even if there were

no cases of dogs developing DM - or what looks like DM - even when thought clear /

from clear stock / not proven to be carriers, would we still use a carrier THEN ?

 

The Testing probably WILL get there, eventually.  If I had a bitch I knew had carrier

status, would I breed from her at all ?  Would I put her to a carrier male ?  If she was

clear, would I use a carrier male ?

 

It is one thing to say that carrier status does not interfere with that DOG'S health -

but if there's a chance it could eventually destroy the health of some of that dog's

OFFSPRING  ...

No,it won't destroy the health of the offspring, if the test is reliable, and carrier is bred to clear, one would expect fifty, fifty clear/carrier in the litter, none of which are at risk for the disease. Didn't anyone bother to read what blitzen posted from the experts, OFA?