Research & Development

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood
Now is the time to understand more, so we may fear less

As breed enthusiasts and occasional breeder, we actively participate in research projects and the development of genetic tests because we put the importance and the survival of the Saarlooswolfdog first.

Genetic Research Project for the Saarlooswolfdog

University of Bern, Switzerland

Before

Some 25 years ago Saarlooswolfdog blood was donated for a research project on PRA - Progressive Retinal Atrophy at the Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany.

Some 10 years ago Saarlooswolfdog blood was donated for a research project on Cataract at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

For more updates, joint the facebook group Saarlooswolfdog Genetics & Research !

The future depends on what we do in the present

Two years ago the previous research was revived in a new project on PRA - Progessive Retinal Atrophy, CCL - Canine Ceroid Lupofuscinosis, Cataract, Retinal Dysplasia and Epilepsy at the University of Bern, Switzerland and new Saarlooswolfdog blood was added, which enabled the discovery of a genetic mutation, a variant linked to CCL.
Read more about each disease in health.

Blood collection

Just because 1 gene variant has been found, the research does not stop there. We need as many blood samples as we can get. The next step is finding the PRA gene, and Cataract, and Retinal Dysplasie, and Epilepsy, and...
In the meantime a commercial test for the CCL variant needs to be developed. Genetics alone is not enough. Without specific analyses for certain dogs, the test will at least take a year, maybe more.