THE LIBRARY

The articles in the FDC Library were summarized by scientists with an eye to providing access to the scientific literature, particularly subjects related to functional breeding. Where possible, we use open access articles so that you can read the original, but occasionally we do summarize an article that is behind a paywall. If you have topic or specific article requests, please feel free to send them to the Library Editor by using the form at the bottom of this page. 

Feel free to use these articles in newsletters or other places! Their license information is on each article: they may be reused freely so long as they are unchanged and you link back to the Functional Dog Collaborative. Feel free to contact us with questions. If you want to translate them, just check with us first for permission.

Estrous Cycle Manipulation in Dogs

Estrous Cycle Manipulation in Dogs

Estrous Cycle Manipulation In Dogs - Michelle Anne Kutzler, DVM, PhD. Oregon State University. 2018. By Amanda Venturino, MS, MSc Dog breeders have access to medication to delay estrus. However, induction of estrus is rarely if ever attempted. This publication is a...

Breed, Behavior, and Mutt Genomics

Breed, Behavior, and Mutt Genomics

Morrill, Kathleen, et al. "Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes." Science 376.6592 (2022): eabk0639. PubMed Link | Full Text Link by Jessica Hekman, DVM, PhD (Note: the author of this summary is second author on the paper)  This paper...

Facial Conformation and Risk of BOAS

Facial Conformation and Risk of BOAS

Packer, et al. “Impact of facial conformation on canine health: brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome”. PLOS One (2015) 10: e0137496. PubMed Link | Full Text Link This two-part study investigates risk factors for brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS)...

Sex-Specific Aging in Dogs?

Sex-Specific Aging in Dogs?

Hoffman, et al. “Do female dogs age differently than male dogs?”. J Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci. (2018): 73: 150-156. PubMed Link | Full Text Link This study investigates sex differences in longevity and causes of death in dogs taking into account the effect of...

Variation in Neuroanatomy Across Dog Breeds

Variation in Neuroanatomy Across Dog Breeds

Hecht, Erin T., et al. “Significant Neuroanatomical Variation Among Domestic Dog Breeds.” Journal of Neuroscience. 39(2019):7748 –7758. This study investigates how the size and shape of different areas of the brain vary across dog breeds, which may contribute to...

What Genes Control White Spotting in Dogs?

What Genes Control White Spotting in Dogs?

Baranowska Körberg, Izabella et al. "A Simple Repeat Polymorphism in the MITF-M Promoter Is a Key Regulator of White Spotting in Dogs." PLoS One 2014: 9(8). This 2014 paper examined the role of mutations in a gene that is known to affect white spotting in...

Genetics of Inbreeding Depression

Genetics of Inbreeding Depression

Charlesworth, Deborah & Willis, John. “The genetics of inbreeding depression”. Nature Reviews Genetics. 10 (2009): 783-96. This study is a broad review of inbreeding depression research to date, focusing on the genetic mechanisms hypothesized to produce reduced...

Inbreeding Depression and Lifespan

Inbreeding Depression and Lifespan

Yordy, J, et al. "Body size, inbreeding, and lifespan in domestic dogs". Conserv. Genet. 21 (2020): 137-148. PubMed Link | PDF Link This study investigates evidence for inbreeding depression in lifespan in dogs at three scales: comparing mixed breed and purebred dogs,...

Why Large Dogs Die Young

Why Large Dogs Die Young

Kraus, C, et al. "The size-lifespan trade-off decomposed: Why large dogs die young". Am. Nat. 181 (2013): 492-505. This study investigates the demographic mechanisms behind the trade-off between size and lifespan in the domestic dog. Background Large dogs die younger...

Hybrid Vigor in Dogs

Hybrid Vigor in Dogs

Nicholas, FW, et al. "Hybrid vigour in dogs?" Vet J. 214 (2016): 77-83. This article is a review of the existing research examining hybrid vigor in dogs. Review articles summarize the research published to date on a particular subject and often comment on the validity...

Heritability of Behavior Meta-Analysis

Heritability of Behavior Meta-Analysis

Hradecká, L., et al. Heritability of behavioural traits in domestic dogs: A meta-analysis." Applied Animal Behavior Science 170 (2015): 1-13. This meta-analysis examines the heritability of behavior in dogs.  A meta-analysis is a study that pools and analyses the data...

Effects of Diet Restriction on Hip Health

Effects of Diet Restriction on Hip Health

Smith, Gail K., et al. "Lifelong diet restriction and radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis of the hip joint in dogs." J Am Vet Med Assoc. 229.5 (2006): 690-693. PubMed Link | PDF Link This study looked at the effect of limiting food consumption on the development...

Effects of Diet Restriction on Lifespan

Effects of Diet Restriction on Lifespan

Kealey, Richard D., et al. "Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs." J Am Vet Med Assoc. 220 (2002): 1315-1320. PubMed Link | PDF Link This study evaluates the effects of a modest (25%) lifelong calorie restriction on life span and...

Factors Affecting Reproductive Performance

Factors Affecting Reproductive Performance

Hollinshead FK, Hanlon DW. “Factors affecting the reproductive performance of bitches: A prospective cohort study involving 1203 inseminations with fresh and frozen semen.” Theriogenology 101 (2017): 62-72.  PubMed Link | PDF Link This study describes a variety of...

The Impact of Inbreeding on Litter Size

The Impact of Inbreeding on Litter Size

Chu, Erin T., et al. "Inbreeding depression causes reduced fecundity in Golden Retrievers." Mammalian Genome 30.5-6 (2019): 166-172. This study describes a possible relationship between inbreeding and litter size in Golden Retriever dogs.  Inbreeding refers to the...

REQUEST AN ARTICLE SUMMARY

If you’d like to request an article summary, please send details to our Library Editor using this form, please be sure to provide a link to the article in the message box (if for some reason a link is not available, please complete the form noting this and the editor will respond by email for an attachment). 

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