ROUNDING UP THE GENOME OF NZ’s WORKING DOGS

Massey team passes milestone in project to understand genetic make-up of working farm dogs.

Early findings from a three-year project aimed at understanding the genetic makeup of working farm dogs have revealed 27 health-related variants across nearly 250 dogs tested.

The “Right Dog for the Job” project, focused on New Zealand’s working farm dogs, is led by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University, with support from industry partners and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFF Futures) fund. The project’s goal is to enhance the health and performance of the country’s working dog breeds, particularly huntaways and heading dogs.

Under the direction of Professor Matt Littlejohn from the School of Agriculture and Environment, the research team has reached a significant milestone by completing whole genome sequencing on 249 dogs. This analysis revealed 19 million DNA variations across the dogs studied, which included 130 huntaways, 104 heading dogs, and 15 crossbreeds.

The goal of this research is to inform future breeding decisions, helping farmers and breeders enhance the genetic health of their working dogs.

The main focus of the study is to identify genetic variants—differences in DNA sequences—that may impact the health or performance of working dogs. While many of these variants have been discovered in other dog breeds worldwide, little genetic research has been conducted on New Zealand’s working dog populations until now.

Professor Littlejohn explained, “While we knew that breeds like the Border Collie influence farm dogs, we didn’t have a clear understanding of which health-related variants might also be carried by these dogs. Genome sequencing allowed us to confirm these details, and there were a few surprises along the way.”

Out of nearly 400 known genetic variants affecting health or physical traits in other breeds, the study identified 27 variants in the 249 dogs tested.

Among these, five health-related variants were found at a high enough frequency to warrant future testing. An unexpected finding was the frequency of two of these variants – located in the CUBN and CLN8 genes. While the number of carrier animals identified was not extreme (2-8% of dogs tested), the frequencies in NZ farm dogs is still higher than other international breeds.

The five key genetic variants identified are:

• CUBN variant – causes cobalamin (vitamin B12) malabsorption, leading to serious health issues if untreated. Six carriers were identified.
• CLN8 variant – leads to a neurodegenerative disorder causing loss of motor functions, seizures and blindness. Affected dogs usually need to be euthanised early. The frequency of this variant was quite high, with 21 carriers identified (mostly heading dogs).
• SGSH variant – causes a neurodegenerative disease known as mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA, which has already been linked to huntaways. Five carriers were identified and routine testing for this variant is recommended due to the severity of the disease.
• SOD1 variant – linked to degenerative myelopathy, a disease that affects the spinal cord and leads to mobility loss. This variant has “variable penetrance”, meaning not all dogs with two copies of the variant will show symptoms, but the risk should still be monitored, particularly in huntaways. Forty-six carriers were identified.
• VWF variant – causes Von Willebrand disease I, which leads to excessive bleeding after injury or surgery. Nine carriers and one affected dog were found in the study.
  
  In the next phase of the project, the research team will gather DNA samples from more dogs and collaborate with farmers and veterinarians to assess health and working performance traits.