Dog Science Project

A dog is made up of hundreds of billions of cells. All but the red blood cells contain a nuclei. Inside a nuclei are 38 pairs of chromosomes. These were formed when 38 individual chromosomes from each parent joined during conception. Every single cell in a dog’s body contains chromosomes made from DNA.

Now, a chromosome is made up of thousands of genes. Genes define traits and characteristics that an individual will possess. The term "canine genome" refers to all of the genes found in the canine. There could be 20,000 or 200,000 canine genes. Only a few hundred have been identified. This identification of genes is at the very frontier of science.

You might be able to help identify some of these genes so that scientists can learn more about dogs.

Scientists at the Canine Genone Project at the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA believe that some diseases in certain dogs occur as a result of inbreeding. They’re trying to reduce this, as well as understand the general pattern of disease across breeds.

You can help if you have a purebred, registered dog, or if you know someone who does. These scientists are requesting cheek swabs or blood samples from the list of breeds below. In the other list, the scientists need samples from at least twelve unrelated breeds. For the dogs with an asterisk after their name, they may require twenty to fifty samples from each breed.

If you are interested in having your dog participate in the research studies, please send an email inquiry to: dog_genome@mail.nih.gov. Please provide your name, your dog's registered name, your dog's breed, any diagnosed diseases your dog has, age of your dog, and the best way to contact you.

AKC Registered breeds needed:

  • Afghan Hound*
  • American Eskimo Dog*
  • American Pit Bull Terrier
  • American Staffordshire Terrier
  • Bernese Mountain Dog*
  • Bichon Frise
  • Black and Tan Coonhound
  • Bloodhound
  • Border Collie
  • Borzoi
  • Boston Terrier
  • Boxer
  • Brittany
  • Brussels Griffon*
  • Bull Terrier
  • Bulldog
  • Bullmastiff
  • Cairn Terrier
  • Cardigan Welsh Corgi*
  • Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
  • Chihuahua
  • Chinese Shar-Pei
  • Chow Chow
  • Cocker Spaniel
  • Collie
  • Dachshund (all varieties)*
  • Dalmatian
  • Dandie Dinmont Terrier
  • English Cocker Spaniel*
  • English Springer Spaniel*
  • Flat-coated Retriever*
  • Fox Terrier (Wire)
  • French Bulldog
  • German Shepherd Dog
  • German Shorthaired Pointer
  • Giant Schnauzer*
  • Golden Retriever
  • Gordon Setter*
  • Great Dane
  • Greyhound*
  • Ibizan Hound
  • Italian Greyhound
  • Jack Russell Terrier
  • Japanese Chin*
  • Maltese
  • Manchester Terrier
  • Mastiff
  • Miniature Bull Terrier
  • Miniature Pinscher
  • Miniature Schnauzer
  • Newfoundland
  • Norwich Terrier
  • Papillon
  • Pekingese*
  • Pembroke Welsh Corgi*
  • Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen*
  • Pharaoh Hound*
  • Pomeranian
  • Poodle (all varieties)*
  • Pug
  • Redbone Coonhound
  • Rottweiler
  • Saint Bernard
  • Saluki
  • Samoyed
  • Scottish Deerhound
  • Scottish Terrier*
  • Shetland Sheepdog
  • Shih Tzu
  • Siberian Husky
  • Standard Schnauzer
  • Sussex Spaniel
  • Weimaraner
  • West Highland White Terrier*
  • Yorkshire Terrier
  • Basset Hound
  • Bernese Mountain Dog
  • Cardigan Welsh Corgi
  • Doberman Pinscher
  • Golden Retriever
  • Irish Wolfhound
  • Labrador Retriever
  • Newfoundland
  • Poodle, Standard
  • Poodle, Toy
  • Portuguese Water Dog
  • Rottweiler
  • Scottish Terrier
  • West Highland White Terrier
  • Whippet


For more information about individual studies and to request a blood collection or cheek swab collection kit email:

dog_genome@mail.nih.gov

Rita Meacham

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