Quote:
Originally Posted by pstinard
(Post 4239880)
Wow, please email them with your questions and comments, and offer them DNA samples from better BRT stock. In the meantime, I'll get back with info on their Yorkshire Terrier sampling as soon as they tell me something. MARS has a virtual monopoly on canine breed testing, so they have to be held accountable and use the best samples. I hope that their sampling is not purely "ad hoc" and that they have some assurance of breed purity for the DNA samples in their database.
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Hoping that they have breed purity DNA samples are not enough, if in any way they want reputable breeders to submit their DNA samples to be included in a hodgepodge of other DNA samples.
First of all, there should be a rigorous submission criteria. Microchipped dogs registered with a reputable registry, taken by an independent vet and submitted directly to them. Along with the pedigree history of this registered dog from the reputable registries.
For example when I do PRA certifications there is a whole lot of paperwork I fill out, including either and or both Tattoo number and microchip number. The opthamologist fills out the paperwork, including their evaluation and a copy is submitted to the CERF database.
Now I think what Mars is doing is great in one way, but at this point in time is mis-leading. Why they did not source out the National Clubs to voluntarily submit DNA samples I do not know. But as a member of three National Clubs I am pretty sure they have not.
I am going to be very clear here. And why trust is very important.
Reputable responsible breeders, will and should only register a litter if there is no doubt about the parentage from their purebred dogs. This means a number of things, you witnessed the tie, you safeguarded your female throughout her whole heat cycle and KNOW she never mated with any one other than the sire. We as the female owner register the litter, and in that registration information is the information of the sire.
So what happens if? If you get a puppy way outside of the standard for your breed? What happens if your breed is predominately black, and you get pups with brown paws? What happens if you didn't actually witness a tie, but hey your female is pregnant?
In all those situations, you (if you haven't yet DNA;d your breeding dogs) do that and sigh YES DNA the whole litter, because you just simply have to know the parentage, prior to registering this litter as purebred with a reputable registry.
This whole purebred world is built on trust. Trust that the breeder will insure proper breeding practices, will register their litters to the exact sire and dam involved. This is why we always say get to know your breeder, understand their practices, see them in action. And this is nothing new, this is how the purebred dog world has been for 100's of years.
Real life example. One of my mentors had an "oops litter". In this case it means she did not deliberately breed her bitch. And her bitch ended up pregnant...... The litter whelped it looked like BRT pups, but 4 wks later 2 pups had brown toes.... In a breed that is Black from nose to tail. She of course had already DNA;d her breeding dams and sires, she had to DNA her whole litter of 9 pups to see who the father was, and let me tell you she was on tenderhooks..... Did she have a mixed breed litter. Luckily it was purebred, how-ever now she has genetically tested her breeding stock for color.
So circling back to Mars testing, if their DNA samples are not coming from the top breeders that have shown to our show worlds integrity and commitment to insuring purebred integrity then, any DNA comparisons based on a sample pool of "purebreds" is hugely suspect.
