Genetic research aims to improve health and performance of New Zealand working dogs

The Right Dog for the Job project is working to better understand the genetics of New Zealand’s working farm dogs. Led by Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University and supported by industry partners and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) through the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund (SFF Futures), the project aims to improve the health and performance of the country’s iconic working dog breeds, particularly Huntaways and Heading Dogs.

The research team, led by Professor Matt Littlejohn from the School of Agriculture and Environment, has just completed a major milestone in the project by conducting whole genome sequencing on 249 dogs. This analysis uncovered 19 million DNA variations across the dogs sampled, which included 130 Huntaways, 104 Heading Dogs and 15 crossbreeds. The goal is that this information will support future breeding decisions, helping farmers and breeders improve the genetic health of their dogs.

Identifying genetic risks

The main purpose of the research is to identify genetic variants (differences in DNA sequences) that could impact the health or performance of working dogs. Many of these variants have been previously found in other dog breeds worldwide, but until now, little genetic research has focused on New Zealand’s working dog populations.

“Of all the variants linked to health traits in other breeds, we didn’t have much of an idea about what might also be carried by farm dogs. Given the influence of breeds like the Border Collie on working dogs, we could guess, but using genome sequencing we could know for sure, and there were a few surprises,” Professor Littlejohn says.