Looks Like Science But Don't Be Scared!
This page will make you uber up to date on the latest European DCM research. You will also come to understand just how important DNA testing for DCM 3 and DCM 4 is in our ongoing fight to save our breed from DCM.
While all Doberman populations can and do aquire DCM it is unquestionably true that European show lines appear to have a much greater prevalence of DCM than the quite distinct bloodlines of the pure "working line" Dobermans. For this reason, as much as I love the beauty and structure of the show line dogs, I absolutely knew that I could not simply breed show line dogs, ignoring the better heart health and longevity of the working line dogs. So I did my research and imported two dogs, a male and female, from the most famous working Doberman kennel in Europe, European K9 Training Base. These dogs, Lancer and Maulie are magnificent, and with their amazing genetics (Lancer has just 1 DCM 3 mutation and Maulie has none!!!) they are an invaluable addition to my long-term breeding program to produce healthy, long lived Dobermans.
Using genome-wide association studies, the newly published research has identified two genetic risk variants for Dobermans diagnosed with DCM. The DCM3 variant (chr5:53,109,178) is considered a minor risk factor, while the DCM4 variant (chr5:60,531,090) is considered a major risk factor. While together they work in an additive fashion, meaning the number (and combination) of risk variants influence the overall risk level, the individual variants still follow basic genetic inheritance patterns.Explanation of the two DCM genotypes DCM3: minor risk variant 0 copies (AA) 1 copies (AG) 2 copies (GG) DCM4: major risk variant, chr5:60,531,090 0 copies (GG) 1 copies (AG) 2 copies (AA) When placed together, the genotype is written as (DCM3) / (DCM4). When calculating risk from two variants there are nine possible outcomes. Dogs with zero copies of both risk variants are considered lowest risk (AA/GG), while dogs with two copies of each risk variant are at highest risk (GG/AA). It is significant to note that even Dobermans within the lowest risk group can still go on to develop DCM. However, they are at far lower risk than those in higher risk categories. Additionally, please be mindful that as research into understanding risk factors for developing Doberman DCM continues, our understanding of these risk variants may also change. If interested in aiding this research, continue to the bottom of this post for information on a study regarding North American Dobermans. Breakdown of risk by genotype Low risk: 0-50% Medium risk: 51-75% High risk: 76-99% Highest risk: 100%
While all Doberman populations can and do aquire DCM it is unquestionably true that European show lines appear to have a much greater prevalence of DCM than the quite distinct bloodlines of the pure "working line" Dobermans. For this reason, as much as I love the beauty and structure of the show line dogs, I absolutely knew that I could not simply breed show line dogs, ignoring the better heart health and longevity of the working line dogs. So I did my research and imported two dogs, a male and female, from the most famous working Doberman kennel in Europe, European K9 Training Base. These dogs, Lancer and Maulie are magnificent, and with their amazing genetics (Lancer has just 1 DCM 3 mutation and Maulie has none!!!) they are an invaluable addition to my long-term breeding program to produce healthy, long lived Dobermans.
Using genome-wide association studies, the newly published research has identified two genetic risk variants for Dobermans diagnosed with DCM. The DCM3 variant (chr5:53,109,178) is considered a minor risk factor, while the DCM4 variant (chr5:60,531,090) is considered a major risk factor. While together they work in an additive fashion, meaning the number (and combination) of risk variants influence the overall risk level, the individual variants still follow basic genetic inheritance patterns.Explanation of the two DCM genotypes DCM3: minor risk variant 0 copies (AA) 1 copies (AG) 2 copies (GG) DCM4: major risk variant, chr5:60,531,090 0 copies (GG) 1 copies (AG) 2 copies (AA) When placed together, the genotype is written as (DCM3) / (DCM4). When calculating risk from two variants there are nine possible outcomes. Dogs with zero copies of both risk variants are considered lowest risk (AA/GG), while dogs with two copies of each risk variant are at highest risk (GG/AA). It is significant to note that even Dobermans within the lowest risk group can still go on to develop DCM. However, they are at far lower risk than those in higher risk categories. Additionally, please be mindful that as research into understanding risk factors for developing Doberman DCM continues, our understanding of these risk variants may also change. If interested in aiding this research, continue to the bottom of this post for information on a study regarding North American Dobermans. Breakdown of risk by genotype Low risk: 0-50% Medium risk: 51-75% High risk: 76-99% Highest risk: 100%
GenotypeRisk | DCM 4(0 Copies)GG | DCM 4(1 Copy)AG | DCM 4(2 Copies)AA |
DCM 3(0 Copies)AA | LOW | LOW | HIGH |
DCM 3(1 Copy)AG | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | HIGH |
DCM 3(2 copies)GG | HIGH | HIGH | HIGHEST |