Latest Purebred Stories

Contrary to popular belief, so-called hypoallergenic dogs do not have lower household allergen levels than other dogs.That's the conclusion of a study by Henry Ford Hospital researchers who sought to evaluate whether hypoallergenic dogs have a lower dog allergen in the home than other dogs. Hypoallergenic dogs are believed to produce less dander and saliva and shed less fur.The findings are to be published online this month in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy. The study will be...

ROCKVILLE, Md., June 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mars Veterinary, makers of the Wisdom Panel(TM) dog DNA tests has filed a patent infringement suit against BioPet Vet Lab and PetSafe and obtained a preliminary injunction prohibiting BioPet and PetSafe from selling their dog DNA breed identification kits. Mars has been a leader in the development of dog breed identification services and is the exclusive licensee of a U.S. patent on the use of DNA markers to determine the breed heritage of mixed...

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- While the results of the U.S. Census continue to roll out, the findings of a more pet-friendly version - the National Mutt Census - are released today. Launched in March 2010, the Mutt Census - conducted by Mars Veterinary, the leading authority in dog DNA analysis - took a paw print of America's mixed breed population and aimed to help strengthen the pet-owner bond. Mixed breed dogs account for more than half (53 percent) of all pet dogs in the...

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Westminster Kennel Club (WKC) Dog Show is considered the ultimate showcase of purebred dogs. With 2,500 champions, representing 173 breeds, this show offers dog lovers across the United States an opportunity to view the "best of the best" and often, spurs the purchase of a new pet. However, as WKC begins today, Petplan, the nation's leading pet insurer, reminds potential pet parents that the expense of selecting a purebred is not simply with...

Pedigree Foundation honors Muttville Senior Dog Rescue with its Innovation Grant for iMuttville's Seniors for Seniors Adoption Program San Francisco, CA (Vocus) October 21, 2010 Muttville Senior Dog Rescue announces a huge honor in recognition of its signature "Senior for Seniors" adoption program that matches senior dogs with senior citizens. 2010 is the first year of the Pedigree Foundation "Innovation" Grants, recognizing innovative new ideas in dog rescue. Out of 230 applicants, ten...

Sure, dogs are special. You might not be aware, however, that studying their genomes can lead to advances in human health. So next time you gaze soulfully into a dog's eyes or scratch behind its ears, take note of the length of his nose or the size of his body. Although such attributes can vary wildly among different breeds, a team of investigators co-led by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine, Cornell University and the National Human Genome Research Institute has found...

New research suggests that Charles Darwin's family was a living human example of a theory that he developed about plants: that inbreeding could negatively affect the health and number of resulting offspring.Darwin was married to his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood. They had 10 children, but three died before age 10, two from infectious diseases. And three of the six surviving children with long-term marriages did not produce any offspring "“ a "suspicious" sign, researchers say, that these...

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 23 /PRNewswire/ -- As millions of Americans take part in our nation's Census this year, one member of millions of households isn't included - man's best friend. That's why in 2010, the estimated 38 million mixed breed dogs in the U.S. also will have the chance to stand up and be counted with the nation's first ever Mars Veterinary National Mutt Census. Mixed breed dogs account for more than half (53 percent) of all pet dogs in the U.S. Until now, their breed makeup has...

In the new Swedish-Finnish study, published in Nature Genetics, the researchers identified five loci that predispose to an SLE-related disease in Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers. The study indicates that the homogeneity of strong genetic risk factors within dog breeds make dogs an excellent model in which to identify pathways involved in human complex diseases. The results of the study also open the door for further studies of specific T-cell activation pathways in human populations.The...

Domestic dogs have followed their own evolutionary path, twisting Darwin's directive "˜survival of the fittest' to their own needs "“ and have proved him right in the process, according to a new study by biologists Chris Klingenberg, of The University of Manchester and Abby Drake, of the College of the Holy Cross in the US.The study, published in The American Naturalist today (20 January 2010), compared the skull shapes of domestic dogs with those of different species across the order...