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Blogs

Featured Entries

From the CEO: Marc's Blog

Marc’s 6th IDHW Reflections, Part Two

Previous Entry: Part One of 6th IDHW Reflections...continued Genetic Diversity Is Not a Side Conversation At the International Dog Health Workshop in Bologna, one message came through clearly in almost every discussion: We cannot improve dog health without talking about genetic diversity. For too long, genetic diversity has been treated as something technical. Something for geneticists, population scientists, or people who enjoy complicated charts and long discussions about allele frequencies.
Guest Posts

Healthier Conversations for Healthier Dogs at the 6th International Dog Health Workshop - By Lauren Bennett

Lauren Bennett Clip 6th IDHW.mp4 Editor's Note: Lauren Bennett was among our panel of distinguished speakers at the 6th International Dog Health Workshop in Bologna, Italy (30 May - 1 June 2026). Her presentation was entitled, 'Influencing Choice: Marketing's Impact on Pet Welfare and Breeding Practices'. View a brief clip from Lauren's presentation here > Working in animal welfare can sometimes feel like fighting an uphill battle. But coming together with other professionals, all with o
New Research

Hemangiosarcoma and Golden Retrievers

Morris Animal Foundation answers questions about hemangiosarcoma May 21, 2020   "This is a webinar which answers some questions about hemangiosarcoma, a cancer dreaded by all golden retriever owners and veterinarians. Dr. Kelly Diehl, Morris Animal Foundation Senior Director of Science and Communications, speaks with Dr. Rod Page, Director of the Flint Animal Cancer Center, and Principal Investigator for the Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study."   The present
Brenda's Blog

Metrics, Process and CULTURE! Impacts on discussions on health and welfare of dogs

Ian Seath has again stimulated our 'little grey cells' and maybe even touched on some emotions, attitudes, and even deep-seated beliefs in his DOG-ED: SOCIAL ENTERPRISE post (23 June 2020): CULTURE EATS STRATEGY FOR BREAKFAST! Catchy title - firstly - where does that come from, and what does it mean? "Management Guru Peter Drucker famously stated that culture eats strategy for breakfast. So, What does "culture eats strategy" mean for you and your organization?              
HGTD & Genetic Testing

HGTD This week, 19 June 2020: NEW Orange Breed Relevance Rating (BRR)

The continued review of breed-specific tests for assigning relevance ratings, and ongoing discussions with genetic experts has led to a refinement of the breed relevance ratings (please see: BRR) . To better accommodate the spectrum of genetic test validation, we’ve added a new orange BRR.  The orange BRR indicates where all current available evidence has been reviewed, but the relevance is inconclusive. It could be that a mutation is detectable in a specific breed, but that there is no evi
HGTD & Genetic Testing

HGTD This week, 28 May 2020: How OMIA is key to HGTD, and more fantastic phenes

HGTD, and IPFD, were thrilled to be able to send our very best wishes and acknowledgements to Prof Frank Nicholas, on the 25th Anniversary of the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA) resource. (see Brenda's Blog) Collaboration with, and integration of OMIA's information is vital for a lot of what HGTD is able to do - and fundamental to animal genetics researchers the world over. OMIA is a catalogue/compendium of inherited disorders, other (single-locus) traits, and genes in 251 animal
Brenda's Blog

Happy Birthday, OMIA - a lynch-pin in the development of genetic testing

Congratulations to the University of Sydney and OMIA - the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals database.  25 years old 25 May 2020.  Check out the celebration webpage here. This amazing resource underpins research and education on genetics in many species and has been a key support for advancement in the world of dog genetics and genomics. The development and maintenance of this fantastic database is due to the input and support of many academics, researchers, and others, man
HGTD & Genetic Testing

HGTD This week, 12 May 2020: more breed-specific information, and more updated BRRs

HGTD Update: 12 May 2020 Since the last blog, we’ve had additional expert review of many Breed Relevance Ratings (BRRs) – particular in commonly tested eye conditions, and ataxias. As we are growing our expert out-reach for input into BRRs, we are pleased to note that there is consensus between experts self-reviewing their tests as well as peer-reviewing each other. This adds reassurance to us that the current BRR estimation of combining what we can learn from research publications, phene d
HGTD & Genetic Testing

The HGTD Path to Improving Access to Genetic Testing Information

We get questions about how we ensure the quality of the information available on HGTD. It can actually be very challenging, and we rely on having good processes, and collaboration when developing content. To meet the IPFD principle of transparency, we are starting a series of blogs to describe how we manage this resource. We hope to then provide a regular news feed on HGTD developments and changes, to give you all an insight into this work. To get started, here is a little insight into running a
Ask Aimee

Is COVID-time the Right Time to Kon Mari Your Genetic Testing Plans?

Is COVID-time the Right Time to Kon Mari Your Genetic Testing Plans? a blog by Aimee Llewellyn-Zaidi, MSc; Project Director of the IPFD Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD) initiative.    “People around the world have been drawn to this philosophy not only due to its effectiveness, but also because it places great importance on being mindful, introspective and forward-looking.” -Marie Kondo, Founder of the Kon Mari method. If you’ve already, like so many of us, us
HGTD & Genetic Testing

Harmonization of Genetic Testing (HGTD) 2019 Summary

The HGTD arose from discussions at the IPFD International Dog Health Workshops (IDHWs); it is a proud achievement,  exemplifying the IDHW tagline:  Information – Collaboration – Action! In 2019, the HGTD project could be summarized in one word: Growing. We’ve consistently grown our list of genetic test providers (GTPs). Participating GTPs have provided information on their accreditation, expertise, and practices – all of which helps individuals find a GTP that has the quality measures most
Brenda's Blog

Not all puppies from health-tested parents will be healthy!

And not all dams and sires with 'clear' test results will be good choices for breeding. Oh, would that life and breeding decisions could be made easy!  But every experienced breeder knows that nothing is simple.  Breeding and inheritance and health and temperament are very complex issues - each on their own -  and combined they constitute a puzzle with no guaranteed solutions.  With the increased availability of genetic testing, with its media-inspired aura of high-tech infallibility and di
Brenda's Blog

COVID-19 - a novel experience for dogs and people

Sources of accurate and relevant COVID-19 information for your dog, your puppies and you. In the face of the great uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and its impact on pets and pet owners, many veterinary and regulatory organizations have been providing excellent information and advice, as have kennel and breed organizations.  It is important to remember that recommendations and restrictions vary depending on location and owners need to access and follow local recommendations, especially as t
Brenda's Blog

"DOGS ARE FOR LIFE, not just for Coronavirus."

The wonderful thing about our IPFD collaborator, brilliant person, and incredibly knowledgeable dog person Ian Seath, is that, when major issues are at foot, my procrastination at commenting is rewarded by him posting an article that says almost everything I wish I would have said.  All that is left for me to do is to add a few comments and send it out. This is very true for his latest installment on his platform Dog-Ed:  COVID-19: A (dog) world of unanticipated consequences Ian
Brenda's Blog

Every step we take...

After watching to play the video  again use the controls and select "Replay" ⟲... or select from other displayed IPFD videos. It seems that every day - in the world of dogs and the world beyond - we see decisions made that may work for part of a problem, but because they do not take into account the complex reality of the bigger picture, they are unlikely to be fully effective. Every step we take at IPFD reminds me of this interconnectedness - and of the need for IPFD's international, mult
New Research

NCL and Goldens

A recent article provided by the Golden Retriever Club of America, Golden Retriever Health and Genetics Highlight: Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis in Golden Retrievers, by Ann Hubbs and Ron Rubrecht,, discussed the challenges faced in Fall 2018, by a breeder who had unsuspectingly bred a litter of puppies from two carriers of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL 5) – a devastating neurological disease considered rare in the breed. While a DNA test existed, most Golden Retriever owners wouldn’t be
Brenda's Blog

Do you know that veterinary well-being is a big issue?

This blog is going to be a little different.  Still about health and well-being...  but this time about veterinarians and the veterinary community.  Many of you may not realize that every veterinary conference now has a major stream on the well-being of veterinarians, themselves. On self-care, and caretaker fatigue, and mental health.  And on suicide prevention. You may not have seen this Time article: Veterinarians Face Unique Issues That Make Suicide One of the Profession's Big Worries, b
Brenda's Blog

Breed Health... What is your vision?

Once again our IPFD friend and collaborator Ian Seath has come out with a thought provoking but practical article. In BREED HEALTH AT THE START OF A NEW DECADE – WHAT’S YOUR VISION FOR 2030?  on the DOG-ED: SOCIAL ENTERPRISE site, Ian does several things: Makes it personal - by sharing what he himself is doing - as a breeder, as chair of the Dachshund Breed Council in the UK, as the leader of the Breed-Specific Health Strategies theme at the IPFD International Dog Health Workshops (
Brenda's Blog

French Kennel Club Photo Library

Congratulations to our Partners and Collaborators at Société Centrale Canine (SCC)- The French Kennel Club.  Having had the privilege to visit their offices and their amazing library, many times, I am happy today to share links to their wonderful online library of images.   (Note:  the images here are screen captures... the actual images online of even higher quality.)   See La Photothéque     Old and new.... dog shows, events, military history, cultural treasures
Brenda's Blog

Defining Breeders - It is not just about volume

Another interesting post from our IPFD friend and collaborator and Dachshund Breed Health Council Coordinator Ian Seath. Following his insightful discussion about puppy socialization that was prompted by reports of increased numbers of mini-dachs [(see here)] he has provided a classification of breeders to help define sources of puppies (see: Breeders, the good, the bad and the future).  I think it is important emphasize his message and to add a few further comments. As was discussed i
Brenda's Blog

IPFD and DogWellNet 2019-2020: Looking Back and Moving Forward

In our final installment of the Digest for 2019, we are putting the spotlight on 2019 milestones, and looking forward to 2020 – which promises to be a pivotal year for IPFD and DogWellNet.com.   In 2019, our fifth full year of operation, we focused our efforts on several key initiatives, including: the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD); the 4th International Dog Health Workshop (IDHW); the continued growth of DogWellNet.com and our online community. We provided an independe
New Research

Great expectations, inconvenient truths, and the paradoxes of the dog-owner relationship for owners of brachycephalic dogs

Packer RMA, O’Neill DG, Fletcher F, Farnworth MJ (2019) Great expectations, inconvenient truths, and the paradoxes of the dog-owner relationship for owners of brachycephalic dogs. PLoS ONE 14(7): e0219918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0219918    Abstract Popularity of brachycephalic (flat-faced) dog breeds is increasing internationally despite well-documented intrinsic health and welfare problems associated with their conformation. Given this apparent paradox, greate
New Research

True Colors: Commercially-acquired morphological genotypes reveal hidden allele variation among dog breeds, informing both trait ancestry and breed potential

Purdue University News  -  Press release - Your dog might be hiding its true colors From the Press release... " New research from Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine shows that some breeds of dogs have hidden coat colors – and in some cases, other traits – that have been lurking all along. Example: There are around 18 recognized breeds of dogs that have the genetic potential to be born without a tail – such as the popular Australian Shepherd (shown in photo). But the dat
Brenda's Blog

DNA tests - DM - AKC-CHF Webinar

Following discussions at the August 2019 AKC Canine Health Foundation National Parent Club Canine Health Conference, DogWellNet.com's collaborators at AKC-CHF hosted a webinar available for viewing at VetVine, Canine Degenerative Myelopathy: From Gene Mutation Discovery to Clinical Trials (free VetVine registration required). Dr. Joan Coates' presentation (free VetVine registration required) gave a detailed overview of the disease and current research, including veterinary and human applica
Brenda's Blog

Client-Centered Communication for Euthanasia - for Vets and Pet Owners

I just listened to The role of client communication and euthanasia for the veterinarian | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts with Professor Jane Shaw from Colorado State University. What a great explanation of aspects of best practices in communication on sensitive issues like euthanasia and of the gaps there can be across pet owner and veterinarian perceptions. This is worth listening to for both vets AND for anyone who has had, or will have, the experience of humanely l

Blogs Disclaimer
The contents of these blogs are for informational purposes only and represent the opinion of the author(s), and not that of the International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD). This is not intended to be a substitute for professional, expert or veterinarian advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We do not recommend or endorse any specific tests, providers, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on, or linked to from these blogs.

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All materials on this site are the property of their respective authors and may not be reprinted without the author's written permission, unless otherwise indicated. The views and opinions expressed by the authors and those providing information or comments on this website are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of the International Partnership for Dogs (IPFDogs) or DogWellNet.com. We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use. All rights reserved. DogWellNet © 2014 - 2026
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