The Paw Print Genetics Blog

In October of last year, we told you the story of Rickie Roo, the amazing agility dog, service dog and a roving reporter for the United States Dog Agility Association. She is well known in the sport of agility and in the rat terrier community.

On October 12^th, 2013, Roo unfortunately had to have emergency surgery because of a luxated lens in her left eye. Primary Lens Luxation, or PLL, is a condition that can happen in many breeds including American Eskimo dog, American hairless terrier, Australian cattle dog, border collie, bull terrier, Chinese crested, Jack Russell terrier, jagdterrier, Lakeland terrier, Lancashire heeler, miniature bull terrier, Norwich terrier, Parson Russell terrier, Patterdale terrier, rat terrier, Russell terrier, Sealyham terrier, Teddy Roosevelt terrier, Tenterfield terrier, Tibetan terrier, toy fox terrier, Volpino Italiano, Welsh terrier, wire fox terrier and Yorkshire terrier.

Lens luxation can happen suddenly and when it occurs, needs to be surgically corrected as soon as possible to try to minimize any loss of sight. Luckily, Rickie Roo's luxated lens was caught very early by ...

Socialization of your dog is an important step in raising a healthy, psychologically balanced dog. The critical socialization phase however, lasts only until about 16 weeks of age. This has presented people with a bit of a quandary when it comes to successfully introducing puppies to the world but maintaining their health safety.

Popular wisdom says to wait until a puppy has received all of its vaccinations before introducing it to the world. However, the final round of shots for a dog doesn’t happen until around six months of age – well beyond the important socialization period when puppies are less fearful and more curious about things. Postponing socialization – introduction to various stimuli such as automobiles, various environments, different types of people and other dogs – until six months could cause your pup to be fearful of numerous things.

According to recommendations from the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior, if your dog has had its first vaccinations, get them out into the world to explore and meet new friends. Prior to their first round of shots, and even afterward, maternal antibodies help protect your new pup from diseases. When those maternal antibodies begin to wear off and the pup’s ...

Customer service is of the highest priority at Paw Print Genetics. From the numerous positive reviews we have received on our Facebook page referencing our personal attention to detail, to the many emails we receive from our clients thanking us for a job well done, we recognized early on that we were on to something. After all, we know that without our loyal clients, we could simply not exist as a laboratory. The customer service goal established by our company culture is to exceed the expectations of every client that we have the privilege with which to work. We want our clients to come back to us for genetic testing, not because we are the only option, but because they have never had a better experience with a genetics laboratory.

Though the pursuit of exceeding client expectations is an ideal that most businesses strive for, the exact way to perform this level of service often remains elusive. In addition, there has been a long standing debate about whether the skills needed to provide great customer experiences are ones that can be taught or learned. One veterinary nonprofit organization, the Veterinary Leadership Institute, has helped prove that not only can these ...

When we breed to better a line of purebred dogs, many intangible or subjective variables come into play – conformation, athleticism, intelligence, trainability and more. Mentoring and experience, even the gut instinct borne from these teachings, can make assessing those variables easier. As we learn more and develop an eye for evaluating and reading dogs, the standards for what constitutes a ‘better’ dog, one worthy of breeding, usually rise. The comparative knowledge experience brings allows us to differentiate a ‘great dog’ from a ‘good’ one; what might have been an acceptable to us a decade ago, might not make the cut today. And therein creates the economic correlation of supply and demand among top breeders.

As we eliminate potential breeding partners in favor of ‘better’ dogs, those that will truly improve a line and therefore breed, fewer and fewer potential partners exist. That makes the remaining pool of dogs more desirable and valuable.

When the qualities that elevated a dog to the top of the gene pool are combined with the objective results of canine genetic screening, a breeder is truly ‘bettering the breed’ by passing along the best physical and mental qualities the dog possesses while reducing or eliminating detrimental ...

Tracking Your Order

Keeping clients up to date on their order status is a very important part of Paw Print Genetics’ customer service. Once an order is placed, you’ll receive email notifications and can see status updates every step of the way until your order is complete.

Below, you will find an outline of the testing process and the updates you will receive:

• Email of Order Confirmation
• Email notification of Kit Shipped (if applicable) with USPS tracking number.
  • Yes, we include free cheek swab kits and return prepaid postage (in the US)
  • We also offer expedited shipping options through the USPS.
• Email notification of Samples Received by our laboratory. We will begin processing your sample on the day it is received or the next business day.
• Status update of Testing in Progress
  • If any issues arise during the testing phase you will receive a personal phone call from a Laboratory Director.
• Status update of Data in Review indicates that your laboratory tests are done and the report and Canine Genetic Health Certificate are being drafted and reviewed by one of our PhD geneticists and one of our veterinarians.
• Email notification of Final Report Completed
  • Your order ...

Nearly everyone espouses the belief that we should produce puppies that better a breed. However, ‘better’ is a subjective term; what it means to one person is completely different than what it means to another. ‘Better’ is something that’s often based in our ultimate goals, the end results of which are sometimes dictated by success in the dog game we play.

What isn’t subjective is sound genetic health. Science seeks objective and discernable answers regardless of the subjective nature of an issue. Genetic screening therefor is the cornerstone of bettering a breed, regardless of the game being played. While we should always strive for proper and acceptable form and function, the perfect dog does not exist – we do the best we can with the sires and dams available to us.

When deciding pairings, we should seek dogs that complement each other in form and function so as to produce consistent puppies. We should also seek to strengthen weaknesses in both parents' conformation by pairing them with a dog that offers a contrast to the flaws in each. With the randomness of how genes combine in all aspects of puppy's physical, mental and psychological attributes, it’s a tough order ...

Click here for Part 1 of this ongoing blog about itchy dogs.

Like people, some dogs are known to develop seasonal summer allergies to a variety of environmental allergens. Pollen, mold, dust mites, and mildew are just a few of the triggers that can make dogs itchy as the days become warmer. Many dogs have only mild signs of allergies that can be controlled by the use of antihistamines and bathing to wash allergens from the hair coat. In these mild cases, the allergies are predictable annually, they don’t seem to progress in severity, and are relatively easy to manage. However, for some dogs, the body’s reaction to allergens is so significant that their overall quality of life can be greatly impaired.

Canine Atopic Dermatitis
An allergic disease now termed “canine atopic dermatitis” (CAD) is a relatively common and troubling condition seen in our canine friends. It is estimated that up to 10% of all dogs are affected by this condition worldwide. First discussed in the 1930’s, the definition of the disorder and our scientific understanding of the cause are still being worked out. Our current understanding is that CAD is a multifactorial disease involving genetic predisposition, immune system dysregulation ...

Paw Print Genetics is setting the industry’s benchmark for customer service, support and communication. We strive to make ourselves readily available - you can contact us by telephone, email or social media. We also give you the best genetic testing you need to breed or buy the healthiest canines possible.

Our user-friendly website is full of valuable information. It is also the epicenter of interactions with Paw Print Genetics. Through it, you can create and manage your account, track the progress of your dog’s sample in the testing process and view your final results.

You can make changes to your dogs at any stage! At Paw Print Genetics, we realize that changes take place – names change (“Puppy One” becomes “Larry”), pups are registered and they may receive microchips before they go to their new homes.

You can change your dog’s information prior to the laboratory receiving the your samples. Just click the edit button found on each of your dogs’ pages. After the lab has received the samples, you can still have information changed. All you have to do is submit a change request through our website and the data will be changed at no cost to you. The change ...

Early July is one of my favorite times of the year in the great and beautiful United States of America. Seeing our flag and colors displayed in so many different applications during this patriotic season always causes me to pause and reflect on the men, women and four-legged creatures whose hard work and bravery has gotten us to where we are today.

I grew up watching “Rin-Tin-Tin: K-9 Cop” religiously and was fascinated by the relationship that the German shepherd “Rinty” and his handler, Officer Hank Katts, shared as working partners and friends. The thrill of seeing them overtake the bad guys in every pursuit was highly appreciated by a budding animal lover. I’m sure at some point, when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered, “A K-9 cop!” as I frolicked around with the family standard poodle, pretending he was a police dog.

Fast forward 20-plus years. I did not become a K-9 cop, but I do work for a company whose mission is to help all dogs, including those in uniform, achieve optimal genetic health through our DNA testing process. Paw Print Genetics is currently working on a research study involving police ...

The summer season is upon us! Unfortunately, for many dogs, this also means the itchy season. In 2013, according to the veterinary health insurance company, Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), trips to the veterinarian for skin allergies were the most frequently submitted claims. In addition, the second highest number of claims came from owners whose dogs had ear infections. Interestingly, one of the most common causes of ear infections in dogs is also allergies.

In my experience, there are many misunderstandings among dog owners when it comes to canine allergic disease. One of the most common misunderstandings I encountered in practice was to blame food first as a cause of their dog’s bad skin. It was not uncommon for an owner of an allergic dog to inform me that they had already changed their dog’s food multiple times, but that it either didn’t help or only helped for a short period of time. Not only can rapid food changes cause severe gastrointestinal issues in dogs, approximately 90% of the time owners are wrong in blaming food, as only 10% of all canine skin allergies are believed to be food related.

Grain-based foods tend to get an unfair portion of blame. Though ...