Ok I am getting confused...as I am reading this it says to me that the mutated gene is seen in 70% of certin breeds and 40% in others. It looks to me to say that 70% of the dogs in say Boxers carry 1 or 2 sets of the mutated gene. And in some others 40% of the dogs carry 1 or 2 sets of the breed. I do not see ANYWHERE that it says the test is only 40% reliable?? It further says to test offspring and use it in a way to lower the precentage of dogs in the gene pool carrying the mutation. Here is what it says A relatively high percentage of dogs in several breeds have the predisposing mutation. With the testing done thus far (thru February 2011), the frequency of the mutation is over 70% in Boxers, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, and Wire Fox Terriers. There are another 10 breeds where the mutation frequency is over 40%. For breeds with a high frequency of the DM mutation, it will take wise use of the test and several generations to maintian a healthy and diverse gene pool while reducing the prevalence of DM. It is important for breeders and owners to keep in mind all the traits present in an individual dog, and not to simply breed a test result. We encourage breeders to DNA test potential breeding stock and consider the results of the DM test as part of their evaluation and decision-making process. Rebecca Little Peakes Brook German Shepherds http://www.peakesbrookshepherds.net/ ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2011. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in any post. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - http://showgsd.org SUBSCRIPTION:http://showgsd.org/mail.html NATIONAL BLOG - http://gsdnational.blogspot.com/ ============================================================================