It has come to me recently that we might not be able to rely on all breeders' claims about DNA tests on their dogs. Let me give you a "hypothetical."
Let's say there was a recent dog show, a big specialty, that was offering DNA swabs, where you'd sign up, bring in your dog to get swabbed, the dogs' identities would be verified and swabs taken. Then the host club would send those swabs in for analysis and filing with the OFA. But what if one breeder wouldn't bring their dog to be verified, but insisted that the swab given to them, saying they would swab their dog and send it in themselves? Why would such a longtime breeder not just let their dog be ID'd and swabbed, but insist on doing it themselves and "sending it in later?" Would there be any way of assuring the OFA that the dog actually swabbed was the dog ultimately given the clearance?
And that got me thinking because, of course, these DNA businesses hand out swabs to owners all the time, who then submit them on their own, with no verification that the dog named is the dog swabbed. Breeders can easily falsify such tests if they know a particular dog is affected or a carrier of some genetic disease and they want the test to show clear. They can simply swab one of their clear dogs and send it in, can't they? I've seen breeders fake eye clearances (they show buyers faked clearances and say they simply never sent them in to OFA). It's even easier to fake a DNA clearance than an eye clearance.
So I'm wondering how many dogs out there with DNA clearances for genetic disease are actually affected or carrier dogs, whose breeders/owners sent in a swab from a different dog. Are there any safeguards against that? How trustworthy are these DNA clearances?
Let's say there was a recent dog show, a big specialty, that was offering DNA swabs, where you'd sign up, bring in your dog to get swabbed, the dogs' identities would be verified and swabs taken. Then the host club would send those swabs in for analysis and filing with the OFA. But what if one breeder wouldn't bring their dog to be verified, but insisted that the swab given to them, saying they would swab their dog and send it in themselves? Why would such a longtime breeder not just let their dog be ID'd and swabbed, but insist on doing it themselves and "sending it in later?" Would there be any way of assuring the OFA that the dog actually swabbed was the dog ultimately given the clearance?
And that got me thinking because, of course, these DNA businesses hand out swabs to owners all the time, who then submit them on their own, with no verification that the dog named is the dog swabbed. Breeders can easily falsify such tests if they know a particular dog is affected or a carrier of some genetic disease and they want the test to show clear. They can simply swab one of their clear dogs and send it in, can't they? I've seen breeders fake eye clearances (they show buyers faked clearances and say they simply never sent them in to OFA). It's even easier to fake a DNA clearance than an eye clearance.
So I'm wondering how many dogs out there with DNA clearances for genetic disease are actually affected or carrier dogs, whose breeders/owners sent in a swab from a different dog. Are there any safeguards against that? How trustworthy are these DNA clearances?
