Breeding Functional Working Dogs with Dr. Jessica Heckman

In this episode of K9 Conservationists, Kayla speaks with Dr. Jessica Heckman from Dog Zombie about Breeding Functional Dogs. Science Highlight: Advancing Genetic Selection and Behavioral Genomics of Working Dogs Through Collaborative Science What is functional breeding? The population is no more at risk of X disease than the dog population as a whole. Also prioritizing behavioral wellness over looks or closed stud books. No elevated risk of separation anxiety, etc. What are common pitfalls breeding programs can run into? Not bringing in dogs from outside of the population You aren’t going to get to the goal and sit there - you have to keep working at it while you have it “It's not about the first generation, it’s about the population and the direction you are moving the population towards” - Dr. Jessica Heckman What tests are mission critical? It depends on the breed/mix The very first step would go to the breed club and see what tests they recommends Then start talking to other breeders in the breed and learn about what issues the breed has For mixed breeds, you should test for everything each purebred parent should be tested for, but it’s hard to say Links Mentioned in the Episode: Pet genomics medicine runs wild Where Do Good Dogs Come From Where to find Dr. Jessica Heckman: Website | Functional Dog Collaborative You can support the K9 Conservationists Podcast by joining our Patreon at patreon.com/k9conservationists. K9 Conservationists Website | Merch | Support Our Work | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok