I was recently contacted by a friend who is looking to buy a new puppy and wanted to make sure that the parents had been tested, and if not, that the prospective puppy had been tested for all of the genetic disease that are found in that breed. When she asked the breeder if testing had been done, the answer was “no”. When she asked if she could have a sample sent to Paw Print Genetics prior to buying the puppy, the breeder promptly returned her deposit and said that the puppy was no longer available. Although feeling devastated, my friend knew that she was asking the right questions. After all, she is looking for a new family member!
Was the breeder hiding something or just simply afraid of what she might find if she were to do genetic testing? We won’t know the answer, but I think a lot of what keeps some breeders from testing is fear of the unknown. What if they find something in their lines? Will they be stuck with dogs that they can’t sell? Will others think that they have “bad” dogs? Actually, doing genetic testing will increase ...