An online 'dating site for dogs' goes live today in a bid to improve the health of pedigree animals
The service enables owners to assess how a proposed mating of two registered pedigree dogs will affect the genetic diversity of the whole breed. It will also allow breeders and prospective buyers to check official health test results of all website's registered dogs, to see whether the puppies from two adults are likely to be healthy.
Puppy love: The website will allow breeders to match the compatibility of two dogs based on the contribution that they will make to the long-term health of the breed. Representation pic
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The service is another step to tackle concerns over genetic diseases in pedigree dogs, sparked by a TV documentary which claimed animals bred for shows were suffering a high degree of genetic illness. The website's services attempt to ensure genetic diversity within pedigree breeds, to prevent the concentration of harmful genes which can cause illness and debilitating conditions, is in addition to moves such as banning matings between close relatives.
Professor Jeff Sampson, the website's chief scientific adviser, said, "It's a groundbreaking service that will enable breeders to match the compatibility of two dogs based on the contribution that they will make to the long-term health and genetic diversity of the breed."
He added, "The service, which will be available for all registered dogs, will also enable puppy buyers to easily find the health test results of parent dogs, so that they can predict the likely health of their puppies."
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