Archives for May 29, 2014

Basenjis are an ancient, charming and unique breed originating in Africa. According to the Basenji Club of America, dogs resembling basenjis have been found in African cave paintings and Egyptian art dating back to between 1000 and 6000 BC. In the late 1800’s, the German botanist and ethnologist, Georg Schweinfurth described a domesticated dog closely resembling the Basenji belonging to native people of central Africa that he had encountered on his trips to the region. Shortly after this description was published, dogs resembling Basenjis were exported from Africa and displayed in Great Britain and Berlin as “Lagos Bush Dogs” and “African Bush Dogs” respectively. Despite their unique and desirable characteristics (such as their yodel-like vocalization known as a baroo), basenjis are similar to other dog breeds in the sense that they are known to inherit a handful of genetic diseases that can cause significant issues in breeding programs. Luckily for the basenji, genetic tests are now available through Paw Print Genetics to help breeders prevent future generations of dogs from being born with some of these preventable illnesses. The two inherited disease tests recommended by the Basenji Club of America and of great importance for basenji breeders have been the ...

Paw Print Genetics is dedicated to bettering canine genetic health by providing the most accurate and reliable genetic screening for disease-causing mutations. We pride ourselves on the customer service given to each client, and even those just curious about genetics or healthy dogs in general. We want to be your definitive resource for canine genetic health. If you have questions about genetics, we’re here to help. If you need your dog screened for genetic mutations, we can do that with 100-percent accuracy.

But canine health isn't our only concern that we support. Several members of the Paw Print Genetics team donate time and money to help create awareness and fundraise for national organizations at the local level that engage in disease-fighting research for humans, too.

As an undergraduate, I was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Now that I’ve returned to my old stomping grounds, I’ve become involved with the local chapter again as the advisor. About two years ago, the chapter decided to take part in the national fraternity’s Iron Phi program, which raises funds for the ALS Association to raise awareness of and research for the disease commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The ALS Association ...