DNA Tests

A couple of weeks ago, I had an email from a fellow blipper. She was participating in a study regarding canine compulsive disorder, which is the canine version of obsessive compulsive disorder. The dog breeds that the study involves at the moment are German Shepherd Dog, Bull Terrier and Border Collie and she asked me, if I could please help her find Border Collie owners, who would be willing to help out, by sending in saliva samples from from their dogs.

Of course I would! And of course I would send in samples from my own Border Collies too!

The test kits came (from the USA) last week and today I obtained the saliva samples from Hero and Beat. It was very easy and the boys were not bothered at all. They were more interested in the treats that followed! The DNA samles are now on their journey back to Massachusetts!

If there are more Border Collies, German Shepherds or Bull Terriers on Blip, that wish to help out, then read more about the study here!
They are also looking for samples from Birman and Siamese cats.

The purpose of the study is to determine genetic factors associated with OCD in dogs and to determine retrospectively whether any genetic factors found correlate with the dogs' response to pharmacological treatment.

This is Hero with the test kits and the questionnaires that came with them.

Otherwise I have been to work and spent the afternoon with my friend Ingelise and her dogs.

Have a good day!
Emmy and the Hazyland Boys

PS. I was asked by someone what OCD does to a dog. It does more or less the same to dogs as it does to human beings. It makes them repeat the same behaviour over and over again to the point of it being injurious or harmful to the dog. An example is a dog that jumped after something only he could see, until his pads were raw and bleeding. You can distract the dog from doing the behaviour, but as soon as you do not keep it busy, it will take up the compulsive behaviour again.