Genetic diversity reflects the degree of inbreeding in a breed. The lower the genetic diversity, the more closely the animals of a breed are genetically related to each other. The risk of inbreeding and low genetic diversity is increased by closed stud books and small breeding populations. This is associated with negative effects such as inbreeding depression and the accumulation of genetic variants that are harmful and cause disease. Maintaining and increasing genetic diversity ensures the long-term health of future generations.

We calculate the genetic diversity using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We use the 230 SNPs of your dog’s genetic fingerprint (LABOGEN Premium SNP DNA profile) together with hundreds of other SNPs to calculate how genetically similar the animals of a breed or club are. The genetic distance between the animals is graphically displayed by PCoA (Principal Coordinate Analysis).

The genetic diversity chart shows the genetic relationship of your own animal (red square) to other animals (dots) of its breed or club. Each dot corresponds to one dog. The closer dogs are to each other in the chart, the more genetically similar they are. The more animals are unlocked to be shown in the chart, the more complete, useful and meaningful the chart becomes. If the owners of the dogs agree, you can see the name, breed, sex and date of birth when selecting individual items and thus find potentially interesting breeding partners. If you already have candidates for breeding, the LABOGEN Diversity Check can show how closely genetically related they are to your own animal. You can contact each other by e-mail to express interest. Maybe you will also find littermates or other close relatives of your dog and arrange to go for a walk?!

This graph shows the genetic variability (heterozygosity) of your animal. Heterozygosity describes the percentage of genetic markers (SNPs) for which your dog has inherited different variants from its mother and its father. According to current scientific knowledge, dogs with a high degree of heterozygosity within a breed are less often affected by inbreeding than dogs with a low degree of heterozygosity. For calculating the heterozygosity, we use the genetic fingerprint (the LABOGEN Premium SNP DNA profile) and hundreds of other genetic markers in your dog’s DNA. In the graph, your dog is marked with a cross and a black solid line. Once LABOKLIN has examined a sufficiently large reference population for your breed, you can see the genetic variability of the entire breed population as an area shaded in orange. The mean value of the breed is marked as a grey dashed line. Small population sizes and inbreeding can decrease the heterozygosity of a breed. When breeding, animals with a high degree of heterozygosity within their breed might thus contribute to the preservation of the breed’s genetic diversity. However, please note that heterozygosity cannot be used to draw any conclusions about individual factors such as genetic diseases or characteristics like coat colour. Maintaining genetic variability can be a building block in responsible dog breeding, but it should not be viewed in isolation.

We use several hundred SNPs, including the 230 SNPs of your dog’s genetic fingerprint (the LABOGEN Premium SNP DNA profile). For each SNP, we determine if it is homozygous or heterozygous. An SNP is homozygous if your dog has inherited the same variant from its mother and its father. An SNP is heterozygous if your dog got different variants from both parents. We then calculate the percentage of all the SNPs for which your dog is heterozygous. This value is called heterozygosity.

The heterozygosity of your own dog can be compared to values of other dogs of your breed that have been genotyped with the LABOGEN Premium SNP DNA profile. When comparing animals within one breed, dogs with a high degree of heterozygosity are less often affected by inbreeding than dogs with a low degree of heterozygosity according to current scientific knowledge. However, heterozygosity should not be overrated in breeding. Breeding decisions should mainly be based on a breed’s genetic diseases. It may further be beneficial to consider the preservation of a breed’s genetic diversity, too.

The figures below the graph show the possible range of your dog’s heterozygosity. They indicate percentages from 0% to 60%. Theoretically, values up to 100% are possible. However, values above 60% are extremely unlikely and thus not shown. Should your animal have a heterozygosity value higher than 60%, you will find the exact value in the box at the top right.

You will receive an activation code when you order a LABOGEN Premium SNP DNA profile (ISAG 2020). It is used to display the LABOGEN Diversity Check online at diversity.labogen.com. Please log in here first with your data from the LABOGEN webshop (shop.labogen.com/en/). If you have not yet created an account with us, you can register at shop.labogen.com/en/account

LABOKLIN offers to test animals in breeding clubs independently of other animals of the same breed. Interested clubs are welcome to contact us at any time to set up such a service (shop.labogen.com/en/forms/index/sFid/5).

When you order a Premium SNP DNA profile for your dog from LABOKLIN, we calculate your animal’s heterozygosity free of charge and your animal is included in the calculation of the genetic diversity. You can see the results in the LABOGEN Diversity Check.

For the LABOGEN Premium SNP DNA profile, we highly recommend submitting an EDTA blood sample.

The regular test duration is 14–21 working days.