Why is genetic (DNA) testing essential for dog breeders?

The following information is the most important thing you need to know no matter who you adopt your retriever from.

Scientific studies have found that eight genetic deficiencies commonly occur in Golden Retrievers. These genetic deficiencies are passed from parent to offspring through their DNA.  A strand of Golden Retriever DNA is very similar to human DNA, as there are two genes that make up a strand of DNA. One (1) gene from each parent is passed to their offspring. The pairing of these genes will decide the make up of a puppy’s DNA.

Genetic deficiencies fall into three categories: clear, carrier and affected.

To be clear, genes from both parents must be considered good.

To be a carrier, one gene is good and the other is bad. But don’t be thrown off by the word bad. Having only one bad gene is not a bad thing. Your puppy/dog will never show signs or symptoms of that deficiency. They can only carry that deficiency (in their DNA) and potentially pass it along if they ever have puppies of their own.

To be affected, genes from both parents are bad. It is never acceptable to breed two affected parents as their offspring will be always be affected. Additionally, breeding two parents that are carriers of the same bad gene will result in affected puppies. Please, stay away from any breeder who says or believes genetic testing is not important. Genetic testing is critical. Each genetic deficiency has been scientifically identified for a reason. Some of these genetic defects are DEADLY in affected puppies. As a breeder our job is to better the breed, not produce bad puppies for a quick dollar. The betterment of the breed is why we invest a lot of time, energy and money into having our dogs/puppies tested.

The color coded chart on the right illustrates how pairing parents with different

DNA (clear, carrier or affected) will affect the type of puppies they’ll produce. A puppy can be considered cleared by parentage only if both parents are clear. Please note, the percentages on the chart are only the average and can flex one way or another.

At Indy’s Goldens, our new puppies are genetically tested and screened for the eight common genetic deficiencies found in Golden Retrievers unless they are cleared by parentage. We are proud to say, none of our puppies (or our adult breeding Retrievers) are affected by any of these genetic deficiencies. We carefully select our dams and sires to ensure this standard is maintained. Genetic Testing results of our puppies and adult retrievers can be found on their respective page. You’ll receive a copy of genetic testing results of both parents and puppy should you purchase a puppy from Indy’s Goldens. We do not hide any test results good, bad or ugly. You’ll see on our adult page that we list every test result.

If you encounter a breeder who does not provide written test results direct from the testing lab for all eight genetic deficiencies, it should be an immediate red flag. Ask to see ALL the written results directly from the testing lab and verify that all 8 deficiencies are shown. Many breeders may only list the good results or use wording that can be misconstrued. Ask specifically about clear, carriers, or affected. If any breeder does not use or understand those terms, you are in the wrong place and should find a different breeder.

The next page has a brief description of each of the eight common genetic deficiencies found in Golden Retrievers. It might be a little dry reading for some, but it is VERY important to understand if you are serious about the health of any Golden Retriever you are considering to adopt. More in-depth information on each genetic deficiency is also easily found online. Please let us know if you have any questions.