Paw Print Vs Embark

Posted on January 18, 2018March 29, 2019 by Timberidge

Paw Print Genetics

Founded in 2012, Paw Print Genetics rocked the world of canine genetics by offering OFA-accepted, breed-specific disease panels at reasonable prices. Paw Print developed it’s own processes for DNA testing and uses two molecular methods to check each mutation to ensure accuracy. A third method is used if the first two don’t agree and/or a new sample requested. All testing in done in Paw Print’s own lab, and both PhD geneticists and veterinarians oversee testing, review results, and sign reports. What’s more, Paw Print promises results just two weeks from the arrival of your dog’s sample. Since samples are stored at the lab after completion of testing, additional tests can be added on at anytime. Paw Print invested in several lawsuits, working tirelessly to fight patents and ensure dog-owners access to canine DNA testing at an affordable price from a lab of their choice. Founder & CEO Lisa Shaffer is a board certified geneticist in canine genetic testing. Shaffer previously co-founded Signature Genomics, a diagnostic laboratory for people.

Embark

With just over one year of selling DNA tests to the public, Embark is the newest canine genetics company on the block. Embark partners with Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where one of two founding Boyko brothers is an assistant professor in biomedical science. With the former director of National Geographic’s Geographic Project also on the team, Embark promises big dreams as the company markets towards appealing to the average dog-owner. This Texas-based company partners with Illumina Lab in California where the same testing procedures used on human samples is conducted on doggie saliva. Results are double checked using a single method to ensure accuracy. While a veterinarian does not oversee testing or sign off on results, Dr. Kate Robinson, a veterinarian who completed a residency in genetics, is available to answer questions and review results if there is a concern. Embark offers an amazing number of tests at an incredibly low price.

Embark promo code: save $20 on your Embark DNA kit with the code winter20 (expires 4/30/19)

What’s the difference?

So what are the differences between Paw Print Genetics & Embark and which is the best choice for testing your breeding dogs? The chart below highlights some of the major differences (the following information was obtained through Paw Print Genetics and Embark’s websites as well as through communication with both companies’ team):

Now let’s compare the tests each company offers that are relevant to goldendoodles (notice that for $179 Embark includes disease, color, coat, and diversity tests all in one package):

* Note: Paw Print Genetics offers a panel of 150 diseases for $135 through Canine HealthCheck. Click here to learn more about the differences between Canine HealthCheck and the Paw Print Genetics breed-specific disease panel for breeders.

Which canine genetics company is best for breeding dogs?

Whether Paw Print Genetics or Embark is the right choice depends on the situation. Embark‘s significantly cheaper price tag certainly makes it an appealing option for breeders. If knowing whether your breeding dogs carry parti or merle is important, you may want to order those tests through Paw Print even if you use Embark for the majority of your testing. If you are relying on genetic testing results to choose a puppy from a litter (i.e. matching an F/F puppy with a family with pet allergies), Paw Print’s 2 week turnaround time will definitely be appreciated over Embark’s lengthy 4-6 week process, but Embark’s time frame is still manageable. For those selling breeding puppies, Paw Print’s $20 “cleared by parentage” designation may appeal to other breeders, as they can have their new pup’s disease carriage verified at a fraction of the cost of ordering a disease panel. On the other hand, if you are considering multiple traits, Paw Print’s $56+ per individual test can add up quickly for a litter of puppies and may quickly surpass Embark’s $179, making Embark the more economical choice. If you are new to breeding and anticipate having questions about genetic testing or test results, Paw Print may be the best choice. Paw Print repeatedly receives excellent reviews for customer service.

Best customer service

Paw Print Genetics continually receives raving reviews about their excellent customer service. Paw Print has received 4.9/5 stars on Facebook, and a quick scroll through reviews shows repeated compliments to their staff support, availability to answer questions, and customer service. Similarly Embark boasts a 4.7/5 star rating on Facebook. Reviews frequently reference satisfaction with discovering a dog’s heritage.

When researching for this post, I contacted both Paw Print and Embark via email. Paw Print promptly responded, answering all of my questions in great detail through email. While Embark responded quickly, the representative refused to answer a number of my questions over email. Instead she instructed me to schedule a 30 minute time slot for her to discuss my questions over the phone. Anyone busy raising puppies knows that scheduling a 30 minute appointment for asking questions is less than ideal. If you are new to canine genetic testing and anticipate having questions, consider choosing Paw Print.

Where do I buy canine genetic testing kits?

Paw Print Genetic’s testing kits can be purchased through their website. Be sure to check “current discounts” under the “pricing tab,” as Paw Print is nearly always offering a sale (anywhere from 30%-50% off). For Paw Print Genetics Canine HealthCheck, kits can be purchased on Amazon as well as on Canine HealthCheck’s own website. Check both to determine which has the best deal of the day.

Embark’s testing kits can be purchased either through their own website or on Amazon. Signing up as a breeder may afford you additional discounts.

Are there other canine genetics companies?

Yes! There actually are a lot of companies that test doggie DNA. Here are a few other popular ones:

Animal Genetics

3-5 day turn around
Goldendoodle disease panel: DM, GR-PRA1, GR-PRA2, Ich, NEwS, PRA-prcd, vWD1 ($200)
Offers curl & furnishing
Clear by parentage if both parents checked through Animal genetics
$45-$55 for individual tests
$40-$50 for coat traits; $130 for color profile

DDC Lab

5 day turnaround
Goldendoodle diseases: DM, vWDI
Offers curl & furnishings
$58 for the first test, $20 for additional

University of Missouri partnering with OFA

Goldendoodle diseases: DM, NEwS
$65 per test (price includes automatic registration of the results in the OFA database)
Tests can also be ordered directly through OFA

While the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) partners with the University of Missouri’s , OFA maintains a list of laboratories throughout the country that run canine genetic testing. View OFA’s list to see other options for where you can have your dog’s health testing completed.

References:

Embarkvet.com

pawprintgenetics.com/

www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/dec/30/genetic-pawprints/

Note: much of the information contained in this post was obtained through email and phone conversations with persons representing both Paw Print Genetics & Embark

Timberidge Goldendoodles is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees via affiliate links. This means that, at no cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. Thank you for your support!

Goldendoodle Pedigree

Posted on August 4, 2016January 3, 2022 by Timberidge

Goldendoodle pedigree. That statement itself seems a bit like an oxymoron. Since goldendoodles are a hybrid breed, they do not qualify for registration with major kennel clubs such as AKC, which means they don’t technically have official, certified pedigrees. This doesn’t mean that their pedigrees aren’t incredibly important, especially for breeders. A goldendoodle’s pedigree is story of its family history, telling volumes about a dog and it’s heritage. Let’s examine Junie’s pedigree to see what all we can learn about her.

1. Titles – The CH in front of a dog’s name represents a confirmation championship title. A confirmation title indicates that the breeders invested time, money, and deliberation into improving their breeding stock. The titles behind a dog’s name (such as CGC, RL1, RATI, etc.) are working titles. They show that the dog is trainable in obedience, agility, and so forth and that the breeders invested time working with the dog for specific events. In Junie’s pedigree, her dad (Buckwheat) has earned a confirmation championship title as have many of her ancestors and Junie herself has earned a CGC (Canine Good Citizen title). Keep in mind that, being a hybrid breed, goldendoodles themselves do not qualify for participating in confirmation events since they are not a breed recognized by AKC.

2. Coefficient of inbreeding (COI) – Investigating a dog’s pedigree reveals the number of times that an ancestor is repeated in that dog’s line. In the case of Junie’s pedigree, no inbreeding occurs for at least 4 generations. Low inbreeding is a good thing! Research indicates that a low COI is related to a longer life expectancy (for more information, see John Armstrong’s research on poodle inbreeding).

3. Kennels of Origin – The kennel name usually appears in a dog’s registered name, either at the beginning (i.e. Timberidge’s Juniper Blue Star CGC) or at the end (i.e. CH Wavir Vivant of Versace). Knowing the kennel of origin for each dog allows you to delve further into the history. For instance Junie’s mom is named English Meadow’s Wish Upon A Star. A quick internet search of “English Meadow Golden Retrievers” pulls up their website, which allows further research into their breeding practices, values, and so forth.

4. Health Testing – Knowing the names on a pedigree allows you to search the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) database. This is not an exhaustive list as owners must pay extra for their dog to be listed and some health testing may be done elsewhere (i.e. the Penn hip or most DNA testing). OFA is nonetheless a valuable resource, especially for investigating the health testing results of extended relatives. Searching for “English Meadow Wish Upon A Star” in OFA’s database reveals not only her results but also those of her dam, daughter, and various half siblings enabling research of her relatives’ health both horizontally and vertically.

5. Registration – The registration number for at least the sire and dam appear on a pedigree. Only a purebred dog can receive a registration number, so seeing that provides confidence that no other breeds slipped into the heritage. Some ancestors may be listed in more than one registry (i.e. English Meadow Wish Upon A Star has both an AKC registration number as well as a CKC registration number).

6. Goldendoodle Generation – Junie’s dam (mom) is a golden retriever and her sire (dad) making her an F1 goldendoodle.

Poodle x Golden Retriever = F1 Goldendoodle Puppies
F1 Goldendoodle x Poodle = F1b Goldendoodle Puppies
F1 Goldendoodle x F1 Goldendoodle = F2 Goldendoodle Puppies
F1 Goldendoodle x F1b Goldendoodle = F2b Goldendoodle Puppies F1b Goldendoodle x F1b Goldendoodle = F3 Goldendoodle (multi gen)

7. Access to Further Information – Internet searches of the different ancestors often reveals additional information. For instance an internet search of “All My Dreams in Famous Family” reveals his pedigree as well as photographs.

8. A Few Last Tidbits – Pedigrees also supply information about the different ancestors’ coat colors and dates of birth.

A pedigree provides a wealth of knowledge, and it is vitally important that breeders research the ancestors of their parent dogs. Even if goldendoodles aren’t technically a breed, their pedigrees are still incredibly valuable.

DNA Health Testing

Posted on March 6, 2016January 3, 2022 by Timberidge

If you can remember back to high school biology class, you may recall learning about a monk who studied pea plants – Gregor Mendel, often considered the father of modern genetics. Mendel discovered through selective breeding of pea plants that two pea plants could pass on traits to their offspring that they themselves didn’t express. He found that some genes are dominant over other recessive genes. In his experiments some yellow podded pea plants produced green podded pea plant offspring. This sounds simple, yet it is actually quite profound. When a plant, or animal, mates each parent gives a “package of genes” to the offspring, some of these genes are dominant and some are recessive. Recessive genes can cause hidden traits. When each parent gives the same recessive gene to the offspring, the hidden trait appears. If, on the other hand, one parent plant gives a dominate gene and the other gives a recessive, only the dominate trait will appear, but the recessive can still be passed onto future generations. These same principles apply to dogs.

A Punnett Square Demonstration PRA Inheritance

Here’s a basic Punnett square showing two parent dogs: both are carriers (have a dominate normal retina gene and a silent recessive PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) gene). Because both parents have a dominate gene for normal retinas, they themselves will have normal retinas. When these dogs are bred statistically 3⁄4 of the puppies will have normal eyes since they will each receive at least one dominate gene for normal retinas, however, the other 1⁄4 of their puppies will receive two copies of the recessive gene for PRA and will likely become blind sometime during their adult lives. Basically, if at least one parent tests clear (has two copies of the dominate good gene), all of the puppies will have normal vision. By DNA testing our parent dogs, we ensure that no goldendoodle puppy will receive two copies of a recessive gene that could result in an unwanted health problem.

DNA testing doesn’t hurt our goldendoodles. We collect DNA via a buccal swab (cheek swab) and then send the swab to Spokane, Washington. Paw Print Genetics conducts tests on the DNA samples and notifies us of the results. You can visit our page on Paw Print Genetics’ website to view our dogs’ results for yourself. They also have lots of information about genetic testing if you want to learn more about it.

Eye Health: The CERF Exam & prcd-PRA DNA Testing

Posted on February 19, 2016January 3, 2022 by Timberidge

Today we drove to Norwood, Ohio to visit Dr. Haeussler at the Animal Eye Institute. After receiving drops to dilate their eyes, Moses & Abria hopped up on Dr. Haeussler’s examination table, and he checked their eye health. The CERF (Canine Eye Research Foundation) exam looks at the lens, cornea, optic nerves, and other parts of the eye to ensure that everything looks normal and healthy and that no hereditary eye conditions are present. Happily, Moses & Abria received passing CERF scores!

In addition to receiving passing CERF scores to ensure current eye health, we also DNA test our parent dogs for prcd-PRA to make sure they won’t develop this disease later in future years. Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), an inherited disease, is a condition where the retina slowly dies eventually causing blindness. prcd-PRA (which stands for progressive rod-cone degeneration PRA) is the type of PRA sometimes carried by poodles. Consequently, Moses was tested to ensure that he is “clear.” This means he won’t develop prcd-PRA as he ages and it eliminates any possibility that he could be a silent carrier, passing the disease onto his puppies. Since Abria is a goldendoodle (making her half poodle), she also runs the risk of carrying prcd-PRA. Fortunately her dad was DNA tested for it and was clear, so we know she is too (this is known as clear by parentage). We are pleased to have parent dogs with healthy eyes so you can be confident that your goldendoodle puppy has healthy eyes as well.

Check out our blog post about DNA health testing for more information about the importance of testing parent dogs for prcd-PRA.

OFA Hips Testing

Posted on February 1, 2016January 3, 2022 by Timberidge

We’re not surprised by the results but it’s certainly a relief to have the official reading: Moses & Abria both have normal hips per OFA! Genetic and environmental factors play a role in your goldendoodle’s risk for developing hip dysplasia. Because we want to set your goldendoodle puppy up for success, we test the parent dogs before breeding them to decrease the possibility of a genetic predisposition. To test for hip dysplasia, an experienced veterinarian takes x-rays of the dog’s hips and those x-rays are then sent to OFA where three specialized veterinarians examine them to determine the official reading.

We’re happy to report that your puppy comes from health-tested parents so fortunately the hereditary aspect is minimized. Even so, because puppy bones and joint are immature, many environmental factors influence hip health, especially during the first 6 months of your puppy’s life. There are a few things you can do during to help ensure that your puppy doesn’t develop hip dysplasia. First, don’t over exercise your puppy or encourage her to exercise when she’s tired. General puppy gallivanting around your backyard is important for muscle development, but do not take your puppy on walks longer than a mile and never take your young puppy on a run. If your puppy lies down on a walk, it’s her way of saying she’s had enough. Allow her to rest and don’t push her to go any further. Second, stairs and any jumping should be avoided until at least 6 months of age. At 6 months old, a goldendoodle puppy can jump over something about 4″ in height. Also be careful not to let your goldendoodle puppy jump off of an elevated surface like a couch or out of a car, as injuries can easily happen. Lastly, weight is important throughout your goldendoodle’s life because obese dogs of any age are more likely to develop hip dysplasia. By being careful not to over exercise your goldendoodle puppy, not allowing her to jump or use stairs, and helping her maintain a healthy weight throughout her life you are playing your part in helping prevent her from developing hip dysplasia. If you are interested in learning more about hip dysplasia, check out this article from the United States Dog Agility Association (USDAA).

Rally Obedience

Posted on October 28, 2015January 3, 2022 by Timberidge

Timberidge Goldendoodles brought home a handful of rosettes this weekend after traveling to Columbus to compete in a World Cynosport Rally Obedience show. Abria qualified and placed in all four trials earning her Rally Level 1 (RL1) title, an Award of Excellence, and a first place to boot! Moses also received his RL1 title and placed in all of his qualifying legs, even taking first in one trial. We’re excited about their accomplishments and already have our sights set on earning Rally Level 2 titles in the future.

Rally obedience is a team sport in which the handler and dog navigate through an obstacle course, completing a series of exercises in order before the time runs out. Rally Level 1 emphasizes on-lead heeling and employs basic obedience commands such as sit, down, stand, and stay. The obedience course is mapped out through a series of signs that the team follows. World Cynosport (literally “canine sports”) is an organization that sponsors rally obedience and agility shows for both pure and hybrid dogs. Positive reinforcement is key to training a dog, and it’s important to keep training sessions fun. One of our favorite aspects of Cynosport is that the organization understands and emphasizes that. Handlers are encouraged to praise their dogs not just in training but also while in the show ring! Since rally level 1 encompasses basic obedience commands while on a leash, RL1 a great goal for your mini goldendoodle puppy after passing the CGC test. You will find that Cynosport events are friendly and fun to compete in, even for the novice.

Click here for the RL1 exercise signs and more for information visit World Cynosport.