IPFD Officers and Board

Marc Ralsky – CEO, International Partnership for Dogs – Canada

Marc joined IPFD as its new CEO on October 3, 2022.

He has broad experience as a not-for-profit leader and has worked extensively with fundraising and corporate sponsorship with various organizations.

Marc is a board member of the Canadian Kennel Club. He owns and breeds Siberian Huskies, and co-owns Toy Manchesters, and Samoyeds and shows them in conformation shows worldwide. Marc is also an experienced writer on dog-related topics.

 

Pekka Olson – Chair, IPFD Board – Sweden

Veterinarian 1975, DVM, DR. h.c. (Honorary Doctorate Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences) 2013. Clinician/lecturer at the faculty of veterinary medicine, SLU, 1976 – 1996. Worked at Agria Animal Insurance from 1996 to 2017, where he has had various roles including Veterinary Manager, Marketing Manager, Managing Director of Agria Pet Insurance, in the UK.

Currently:
Board member, Hundstallet (Swedish dog shelter and humane organization)
On the boards of the Agria/SKK Research Fund

Former Chair, Swedish Kennel Club, board member of the Swedish/Norwegian horse research foundation, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and Trofast AB (an IT company providing service to 50% of Swedish veterinary practices).

Fleur-Marie Desfougères – Vice Chair, IPFD Board – France

Bio to come!

Bill Lambert – IPFD Board Member-at-Large – UK

Bill Lambert is a recognised authority on the Bull Terrier Breed, a successful breeder and judge of the breed, and a judge of Miniature Bull Terriers.

He is a former Health, Welfare and Breeder Services Executive at the Royal Kennel Club, where had overall responsibility for Canine Health and Welfare initiatives and Kennel Club Breed Rescue for almost 20 years. He was also Chief Royal Kennel Club spokesperson, where he represented the RKC both in the media and on internal and external committees and groups, including in Parliament.

He has a special interest in the place of dogs in society and has lobbied for changes to the Dangerous Dogs act since its inception in 1991.

He is an IEMA approved Lead Auditor and formulated the process for assessing breeders’ premises on behalf of the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme – the first scheme of its kind in the world.

His previous career involved providing customer service where he has a long history in raising and applying accreditation standards as well as being involved in the specialised IT and print industries, where he ran a successful printing business for a number of years as well as being employed in the advertising industry, where he was formerly responsible for the digital delivery of the world’s largest newspaper advertising campaign.

Jannine Edgar – IPFD Board Member – UK

Jannine holds an MBA and is a Chartered Accountant by background with international experience in Europe, USA, and Africa. She has successfully managed and delivered business critical improvement programs over the past 25 years in commercial, not-for-profit, and professional body settings. 

She joined The Royal Kennel Club over a year ago as CFO, transitioning over to COO, and now Chief Executive. She is a passionate dog owner with a cross breed (which she rescued whilst living in Africa) and a one-year-old Jack Russell. 

Jannine's vision is to lead The Royal Kennel Club to financial sustainability and increase impact and influence whilst creating a fun and inspiring place to work.

Peter Friedrich – IPFD Board Member – Germany

Education and Profession Studies in Psychology and Biology; Professor for Psychology and Criminology: Analysis of extremely violent actions, especially cases of murder in the context of investigations, when the offender is unidentified, in the context of interrogation and questioning of accused, suspects and witnesses, in the context of court cases, in the context of prevention

Memberships: Allgemeiner Deutscher Rottweiler Klub since 1980, Deutscher
Windhundzucht- und Rennverband since 2000, Deutscher Doggen Club 1888 since 2005 Breeding and Racing Society 2008 - 2011

Working Judge (IPO, FH, BH) since 1990; Specialist Breed Judge since 2008
Honouring : Großes Hundeführer-Sportabzeichen mit Kranz of the German Kennel Club (VDH) 1989
Kennel Rottweiler "vom Sternbogen" together with Elvira and Reinhold Mühle and Manfred
Mayer; Tahuara's Greyhounds and Sloughis , Owner: Heide Friedrich (Teamwork)

Currently:
President of the German Kennel Club (VDH) since 2009
Professor for Psychology and Criminology
    

Kirsi Sainio – IPFD Board Member – Finland

Education: Ph.D., University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine 1998

Adjunct Professor in Developmental Biology, University of Helsinki 1999 - ; Principal Investigator, Institute of Biomedicine, Biochemistry and Developmental Biology 2003 – ; Senior University Lecturer, Institute of Biomedicine 2008 –

Research Activities: 50 original scientific articles; Other publications: 15 (chapters in books, reviews); Supervisor of numerous Ph.Ds and master’s thesis
Public Relationships: Specialist in Radio Broadcasting and TV news and special programs (Finnish Broadcasting Company News, Finnish Broadcasting Company Prisma-program; Swedish Radio Vega etc.), interviews to Newspapers; Numerous articles in magazines

Currently:
Member of the Board of The Finnish Kennel Club 2008
Finnish Kennel Club: Chair of the Breeding and Scientific Commission
Finnish Kennel Club: Chair of the DNA-group
Nordic Kennel Union: Chair of the Scientific Committee and DNA-group
Fédération Cynologique Internationale; Scientific Commission, member
Fédération Cynologique Internationale; Breeding Commission, member and secretary
Finnish Kennel Club: conformation judge (FCI group 3; Terriers)
The Skye Terrier Club of America, Health Committee Chairperson
Skye Terriers since 1974, breeder (prefix of Skyeline).

Dave Eikelberg – IPFD Board Member – USA

Dave Eikelberg lives in Knoxville, Tennessee in the USA and has been married 38 years to his wife Kennetha. They have one son (an attorney in Boston, Massachusetts), and Dave and Kennetha are expecting their first grandchild in January of 2020.  

Dave grew up on an apple orchard in Indiana and learned the value of hard work. He later joined the United States Navy as a propulsion engineer and served in the Pacific and Atlantic fleets earning commendations and an honorable discharge. From the Navy, Dave went directly into industry refueling commercial nuclear power plants and eventually went on to work at the Department of Energy as a nuclear safety analyst, where he currently works.

Throughout those years Dave earned a Master’s degree in Information Technology and completed all his coursework for a PhD in Business specializing in Project Management. He also became a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with the Project Management Institute.

Throughout all those years, Dave and Kennetha enjoyed raising and breeding dogs of many types including Maltese, Boxer, Bull Dog, Afghan Hounds, and currently, they breed Black Russian Terriers. Their four Black Russian Terriers, Zeus, Enya, Hunter, and Saphira keep them busy and passionate about responsible breeding, health testing advocacy, and the future health of canines throughout the world. His work with the Black Russian Terrier Club is an example of his dedication to canines of all types as he is developing a health research program in cooperation with various U.S. institutional research organizations to benefit the BRT.  

Dave looks forward to bringing his business, financial, and practical dog breeding and rearing experience to the IPFD and helping to further the position of the IPFD as the global leader in canine advocacy.

Marty Greer – IPFD Board Member – USA

Dr. Marty Greer received her Bachelor of Science in 1978, her DVM in 1981 from Iowa State University, and her JD in 2010 from Marquette Law School.

Dr. Greer and her husband, Dr. Dan Griffiths, own Veterinary Village and International Canine Semen Bank WI-IL. She has a special interest in Pediatrics, Small Animal Reproduction and behavior. They have 2 married grown children, Katy (Tim Anderson) and Karl (Kelly) and one grandson, Jorin. In addition, they raise and show Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Danish-Swedish Farmdogs (and Bengal cats in the past). Her family has raised six puppies for Canine Companions for Independence, a bona fide service dog program that trains all varieties of assistance dogs except those for visually impaired handlers. She is Director of Veterinary Services at Revival Animal Health, a catalog company. Dr. Greer practices law part-time with her law partner, Sheila Kessler, at Animal Legal Resources, LLC. Her passion is to educate clients and keep puppies and kittens healthy.

Dr. Greer's work on education and outreach extends to a wide range of breeders, e.g. through her work with AKC on the Bred by Heart program, as well as commercial breeders on topics of theriogenology, breeding standards, and kennel management.

She is a serious foodie, loves beer, cooking, knitting, and photography. Dr. Greer has recently published the book: Canine Reproduction and Neonatology – for Veterinarians, Veterinary Staff, and Breeders.

Currently:
Veterinarian, Co-owner Veterinary Viillage, Lomira, WI; Law partner at Animal Legal Resources LLC.

Barbara Thiel – IPFD Board Member – Germany

Education and Profession: Veterinarian, graduated in 2000 at the Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen. Worked for Royal Canin since being a student, then in the department for training and development as well as in the private label department at Fressnapf / MaxiZoo for seven years. Since 2013 and ongoing employed at Bewital petfood.

Memberships:
Rassezuchtverein für Hovawart-Hunde e.V. since 1991, Deutscher
Windhundzucht- und Rennverband since 2002, De Greyhound Club (NL) since 2018.

Co-Breeder of "Koseilata’s"-Whippets from 2003 – 2018. Doing temperament tests for breeding licenses in many different breeds for the VDH and the DWZRV since 2012.

Former Head of the Breeding Board of the German Sighthound Association (DWZRV)

Currently:
R & D, training and development, Bewital petfood, Germany
Liaison for IPFD at the German Kennel Club (VDH)

Alexandre Balzer – IPFD Board Member – France

Alexandre is a vet practitioner in his clinic in France. A prolific writer, he frequently authors articles on pet health and collaborates on training resources for vets, breeders, and dog trainers, and he is the author or co-author of a several books and numerous scientific articles. Alexandre often works with the Société Centrale Canine (SCC) and with breeders on health issues, and he has considerable experience talking to owners and the public about dog health and well-being. He and his wife breed Newfoundlands and Golden Retrievers.
 
Education:
DMV, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse
CEAV (Advanced Veterinary Studies Certificate), Internal Medicine
DU, Veterinary Psychiatry

Currently:
Président, Société Centrale Canine (SCC)
Member of CNEAC, CUNSE, and the SCC Scientific Commission
Président, Association Canine Territoriale du Bourbonnais
Président, Club Canin de Sauvetage Aquatique

Eva Lejdbrandt – IPFD Board Member – Sweden

Eva is a retired Air Force officer with a long career thereafter as manager, mainly in the public sector. She is a breeder of Kerry Blue Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Eva has been president of the Swedish Kerry Club, the Swedish Terrier Club, and has been a board member of the Swedish Kennel Club for 10 years. She has developed digital distance breeders education for SKK during the first eight years and been president of the breeding committee for the last two years.

Dino Muto – IPFD Board Member – Italy

Born in Piedimonte Matese, Dino Muto is a consultant for community agricultural policy and for the health requirements of hygiene and operation of livestock farming - primary production, and he has held the position of Director of the C.A.A. Servizi Europei S.r.l. since 2002.

In 1991, he began his journey in dog breeding as an exhibitor, then as a breeder of the Dalmatian breed under the kennel name "Saude di Boezia". Among the founders of the "Club Amici Dalmata", Dino currently holds the position of President.

Dino was a member of the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana (ENCI) Exhibition Committee from 2002 to 2010 and has served as ENCI representative within the FCI Exhibition Committee.

Dino collaborated in the organization of the European Exhibition in Genoa (1998) and the World Exhibition in Milan (2000). In 2015, he coordinated the World Dog Show in Milan.

Dino has been a member of the ENCI Board of Directors and Executive Committee since 2003. He became ENCI Vice President in 2010 and has served as President since 2014.

Ulf Uddman – CFO – Sweden

Ulf is former CEO of Svenska Kennelklubben (SKK), a position in which he served since 1984. Before that he was employed at EY (firm of accounts) after studying economics at the Stockholm University. Ulf has been the SKK representative in a number of governmental investigations regarding animal issues e.g. animal protection, disease control and import of pets. Representing the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in various international working groups e.g.: the development of an ISO-standard for chips for pets, FCI Task Force 2010 producing an operational plan for a modernization of FCIs activities.

Currently:
Member of the board of the animal insurance company, Agria Pet Insurance
Member of several election committees for non-profit organizations

IPFD Consultants

Katariina Mäki – Business and Project Coordinator – Finland

Katariina joined IPFD as Business and Project Coordinator in August, 2021. She served as Acting CEO from November, 2021 until September 2022.

Katariina is a researcher who previously worked as a breeding expert for the Finnish Kennel Club. She studied animal breeding and genetics in the University of Helsinki. Her dissertation dealt with dog breeding (‘Breeding Against Hip and Elbow Dysplasia in Dogs). She is specialized in population genetics (genetic diversity and small populations), canine hereditary disorders and breeding value estimations.

During her kennel club career, Katariina was actively engaged and involved with the scientific committees of the kennel club and the Nordic Kennel Union. She was also a permanent contributor of the kennel club magazine ‘Koiramme’. She was the main developer of the general breeding strategy, which was introduced for all breeds in 2012. She was also responsible for the estimation of breeding values for hip and elbow dysplasia and spondylosis.

In 2019, Natural Resources Institute assigned Katariina to write a dog breeding investigation commissioned by The Finnish Food Authority. The Investigation, ‘Improving the implementation of animal welfare legislation in animal breeding. Part II: Preliminary analysis of problems and means of intervention in the breeding of dogs’, was published in 2020. The work led to the award of the Act of Animal Welfare 2020 by SEY Animal Welfare Finland. The award was given to Katariina and her colleague Riitta Kempe, who worked as the project administrator. During 2021−2022 Katariina works with a follow-up of the investigation.

Katariina is at her best when working in and between scientific research and practical advisory work, taking the results of science to the field. Her extensive cooperation network with various stakeholders guarantees her work a multi-stakeholder approach.

Katariina lives in the countryside with her family and their four horses, two dogs (a Hovawart and a Jack Russell – Lancashire Heeler mix) and two cats.

Aimée Llewellyn-Zaidi – HGTD Project Director – USA

Aimée is responsible for maintaining and developing IPFD's Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs database, as well as resources for genetic and health education and support. This includes updating the generic phenes (test) information, Breed Relevance Rating, and communication with our Collaborating Experts. In addition, Aimée fields queries from our DogWellNet.com members and breeders on issues related to genetics and genetic counselling.

You can contact her:  Aimee.Llewellyn-Zaidi@IPFDogs.com

Formerly Head of Health and Research at the (Royal) Kennel Club, Aimée provided bespoke advice to Kennel Club clients, and developed evidence-based canine health resources and engagement programs for the public and professional. Aimée's experience includes development of health teams and collaboration building, active engagement and involvement with committees such as the Kennel Club and British Veterinary Association (Canine Health Schemes); direct collaboration with international universities, and the former Kennel Club Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust, and engagement with projects such as Vet Compass (RVC). She is an experience presenter, with engagements ranging from BSAVA Congress to virtual genetic education meetings, as well as numerous publications and media engagements. Aimée was also involved in the initial development of the journal “Canine Genetics and Epidemiology,” and remains active as an editorial board member.

When not working on the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs, Aimée spends her time walking her Pembroke Welsh Corgis, McDuff and Poppy.

Dave St. Louis – Communications Specialist – Canada

Dave is a seasoned communicator with more than two decades of diverse experience in communications, public relations, and marketing.

Since 2014, his multi-faceted role at IPFD has included the development of content for DogWellNet.com, production of the DogWellNet Digest e-newsletter and annual reports, coordination of many aspects of webinars and International Dog Health Workshops, and management of IPFD's social media accounts.

In his spare time, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife (Jen), his puppy (Mika), his horse (Theia), and his extended "barn family".
     

IT Consultants

Updates coming soon

IPFD Founding CEO (Retired)

Brenda Bonnett – Founding CEO (Retired), International Partnership for Dogs – Canada

Ever since Dr. Brenda Bonnett proposed the development of a canine health and welfare information network in 2011, she has been the driving force behind the IPFD and DogWellNet.com.

As IPFD’s first Chief Executive Officer, Brenda was responsible for the development and operation of the IPFD including its technical infrastructure, partnership building, programs and projects, and more. She stepped down from the CEO role on 31 October, 2021 and continued to share her expertise with the international dog community as IPFD’s Veterinary Science Officer until July 2022. The wealth of information that Brenda and IPFD the team created during her tenure remain on DogWellNet.com as an enduring resource to support the health and welfare of dogs.

Formerly tenured faculty at the Ontario Veterinary College, Brenda is a veterinarian and Consulting Epidemiologist. Her research and projects in Europe and North America have included the development of national and international programs with kennel clubs; extensive work with / publications on animal insurance data; human-animal interactions, numerous pet welfare initiatives spanning the National Council on Pet Overpopulation (1993) and for the American Humane Association: Cat Welfare Forum (Sept. 2013) and Keeping Pets (Dogs and Cats) in Homes: A Three-Phase Retention Study. As Lead Scientist at Morris Animal Foundation (2010) she assisted in development of the (now titled) Golden Retriever Lifetime Study.

Brenda played a major role in organizing and presenting the first four IPFD International Dog Health Workshops (IDHWs) and subsequent virtual IDHW sessions on canine genetics. She has also been a frequent speaker on topics of animal health, welfare, and human-animal interactions at scientific meetings, as well as to many stakeholders in the dog world (i.e., breed and kennel clubs, judges, and veterinarians). Most recently, Brenda made virtual presentations at the April 2022 Embark Canine Health Summit and the July 2022 Symposium on Healthy Dog Breeding (presented in collaboration with the Canadian Kennel Club and Canadian Veterinary Medical Association).

We are hopeful Brenda will have many opportunities to continue supporting the health and welfare of animals with her extensive knowledge and experience. We invite our members to leave their best wishes for Brenda in the comments area below (login required) or through her IPFD email account, which will remain active in the near term.

On behalf of IPFD’s Board, Consultants, and Partners, we thank Brenda for her tireless efforts in the creation of IPFD and for her immense contributions in advancing dog health, well-being, and welfare.

Other affiliation:  President, B Bonnett Consulting, Canada

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The International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD)

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The International Partnership for Dogs (IPFD)   

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IPFD is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

IPFD may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from January 1^st 2015.

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A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

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The documents available on our site are provided for personal use only and may not be re-transmitted or redistributed except to other members/account holders on DogWellNet.com. DogWellNet.com is the owner of all materials or has the right and authority to use them and publish them to the public domain. DogWellNet.com is providing this data "as is," and DogWellNet.com disclaims any and all warranties, whether express or implied. In no event DogWellNet.com will be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of this data, files or materials. You assume the entire risk related to your use of this download procedure and any downloaded material.

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We make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries or damages arising from its display or use.

Guidelines

The International Partnership for Dog's DogWellNet.com website serves as a platform to facilitate  international collaboration and the distribution of knowledge, expertise and experience.

DogWellNet.com, is an open access, ever-expanding information hub, providing links, documents, and additional resources to breeders and others in the dog world. Content and materials offered by our Partners, Contributors and Collaborators are designed to enhance the health, well-being and welfare of dogs.

History: DogWellNet.com was opened to the public (guests) in February 2015 after the 2nd International Dog Health Workshop in Dortmund, Germany.

Highlights...

• IPFD International Dog Health Workshops (IDHWs) - Materials from the IPFD International Dog Health Workshops, which bring together stakeholders from around the world to improve the health, well-being and welfare of dogs.

• The Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD) - Database, articles, and other resources associated with the IPFD's Harmonization for Genetic Testing for Dogs initiative.

• Health & Breeding Articles - Topics of interest for anyone involved in breeding dogs, including those providing advice to breeders, breed clubs or kennel clubs

• Pedigree Breeds Database - breed pages include breed standards, population data, club newsletters, breed databases, videos and much, much more. Native Breeds and Additional Resources including Agria Breed Profiles are available.

• Blogs - topics and observations by experts

• Hot Topics - Highlights current issues and timely discussions for consumers, breeders, veterinarians, researchers and other members of our community

• Population Data - Data needed to underpin decisions on health and breeding, i.e. data enumerating and describing dog populations, in general, as well as, the occurrence of disease in dog populations, breed populations, etc.

• Welfare - Welfare issues related to the breeding and distribution of purposely bred dogs, issues and legislation related to health and welfare and human-animal interactions

• Downloads - Breeding Strategies, shared event resources, Agria Breed profiles, and canine genetics, research, health and welfare resources and materials

Website Updates and News - DogWellNet Digest, our online newsletter, published several times a year provides a collection of the latest news and highlights from IPFD/DogWellNet.com. Current and past issues of DogWellNet Digest are available here.

A key goal of DogWellNet.com is to promote and facilitate international collaboration. Our purpose is to provide expert commentary and guidance in interpretation and use of information pertaining to dog health and welfare topics and issues. JOIN US! to collaborate with the global dog world on DogWellNet.com - the web platform of the International Partnership for Dogs - as we work to enhance the health, well-being and welfare of dogs.

FYI: Although almost all DogWellNet content is available to guests, we encourage readers to sign up.
Access to the various areas of DogWellNet.com is dependent on your level of membership (e.g., Guest, Member or Advanced Member...). Guests can view public content or create a Member account to access additional material and features.

•     Signing up as a DogWellNet.com Member is quick, easy and free!
•     To register, click the Sign Up button in the top-right corner of the Homepage.
•     Fill out the form and click the Create my Account button at the bottom.
•     Shortly after, you will  receive a validation email - follow the instructions in the email to confirm your registration.
   

Contact Us

  General Inquiries: info@ipfdogs.com

  Harmonization of Genetic Testing inquires: Project Manager Aimee.Llewellyn-Zaidi@ipfdogs.com

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IPFD

• An overview of our activities in the first half of 2022 IPFD - Milestones Through June 2022

For more news items, check out IPFD in the Media here.

2012: 1st International Dog Health Workshop, hosted by the Swedish Kennel Club, Stockholm, Sweden

2015: 2nd International Dog Health Workshop, co-hosted by the German Kennel Club (VDH), in Dortmund, Germany

2017: 3rd International Dog Health Workshop, co-hosted by the French Kennel Club (SCC), Paris, France

2019: 4th International Dog Health Workshop, co-hosted by the Kennel Club, Windsor, UK

2024: 5th International Dog Health Workshop, co-hosted by the Finnish Kennel Club, Helsinki, Finland.

IPFD is hosting its first-ever Virtual Dog Health Forum in June 2025 – the midway point between the 5^th and 6^th IDHWs – to continue discussions on key issues in dog health and well-being and identify new opportunities for international collaboration.

IPFD Virtual Meetings

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted IPFD to host Virtual Meetings in 2022 and 2023, and due to the success of the webinars held to-date, we will continue to offer online events.

• Virtual International Dog Health Meeting 1 - Theme: Standardizing Genetic Testing
  The aim of the meeting was to discuss and share relevant information around these challenges, and others, relevant to standardizing genetic reports.
   
• Virtual International Dog Health Meeting 2 - Theme: Genetic Diversity
  The focus of this free webinar was on genetic diversity (primarily from a genetic tests/tools view), and discussions aimed to identify genetic diversity tools and resources, and discuss priorities and actions for the benefit of dogs.
   
• Virtual International Dog Health Meeting 3 - Theme: Parentage Profiling for Kennel Clubs
  The aim for this meeting was to provide information and support to Kennel Clubs at all stages of integrating genetic parentage profiling and other genetic testing into registration systems or health plans, or those who are considering this for their club in the future.
   
• Virtual International Dog Health Meeting 4 (Oceana Region) - Theme: Breeding for Health and Purpose
  This meeting aimed to help dog breeders to develop holistic breeding plans that improve health and welfare, as well as meet the goals of the breeder using evidence-based tools balancing the art and science of dog breeding.
   
• Virtual International Dog Health Meeting 5 - Theme: Breeding for Health – Supporting “Whole Dog” Health from Planning to Pregnancy
  This session aimed to help dog breeders consider options for supporting reproductive health and breeding healthy puppies for the future. Talks included information on pre-breeding testing, breeding/mate selection considerations, and reproduction for purpose-bred dogs of all types.
   
• Virtual International Dog Health Meeting 6 - Theme: Breeding Healthy, Quality Dogs: The Veterinarian, Breeder, and Public Roles
  What are reasonable and responsible guidelines to produce healthy dogs and healthy breeds? How should our knowledge of dog populations and gene dynamics influence how breeding dogs are selected and the selection of their mates? What are the roles of various stakeholders, including breeders, kennel clubs & breeding societies, veterinarians, legislative & governing bodies, and the public? This session highlighted useful tools and outline logical steps and corresponding roles regarding breeding quality, healthy dogs.
   

About the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD)

One of the major IPFD projects, the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD) arose from discussions at the International Dog Health Workshops (IDHWs); the HGTD is a proud achievement, exemplifying the IDHW’s tagline: From Information and Collaboration to Action!

The goal of the HGTD is to improve standardization of, and access to, robust genetic testing to support health improvements and a sustainable future for healthy dogs. It is a portal for information on Genetic Testing Providers (labs); genetic tests, and tests by breed. There are two major components: the Quality Testing Database and Genetic Counselling resources. Information pertaining to genetic testing including genetic terms, FAQ's, accreditation, guidelines, standards and more is available HERE.

As of January 2022, the HGTD Database now includes 82 academic and commercial genetic test providers (GTPs) in 22 countries. The database currently includes information on accreditation and tests for 45 collaborating GTPs.

Our searchable genetic phenes database currently holds information on 300+ phenes across all breeds/types, and provides a plethora of information on each phene: links to OMIA, gene + mutations, a simple and advanced disease description, inheritance details, links to original publications, patents/licenses, comments from the original researchers/experts on application, and breed specific information (such as research/validation) - where possible. 

Go to the HGTD!

HGTD developments in 2021 & 2022...

Updated in ' 21 and '22
Key comments are associated with the relevance of the test to specific breeds/types and can vary in content. Provided by experts in the phene discovery or application of the test, the information could be related to how common the phene is in a breed, specific concerns about the test for a particular breed, or breed-specific application of the test.

“All Phenes”: The tests listed on HGTD have previously been listed only where offered by a participating GTP. We expanded the database to more comprehensively cover breed-associated traits (350 phenes, and growing). For 2021, Breed Relevance Ratings (BRR) have been reviewed for all of the 2,000+ breed-specific test combinations. In addition, BRRs have been reviewed for general «all dogs» tests, as well as many popular breed crosses. BRRs are dynamic, and we aim to reflect new research or other evidence, as quickly as possible.

Expanded phene information: Phenes information has expanded on breed/dog-specific associated diseases and traits. This includes more clinical information, more breed-specific clinical and application information, outreach to researchers on specific diseases and tests, and more specific information on test technology and type (e.g., linkage tests, direct mutation tests, and risk-variants).

Blogs: HGTD This Week continues to provide HGTD-specific blog posts across relevant genetic testing information and key HGTD features, e.g., technology like SNP-chips or dog ID, HGTD features like BRR, and real- world test usage. The Ask Aimee blog continues to answer IPFD and HGTD users’ questions and raise conversations around emerging genetic testing tools, such as genomic COI.

Our HGTD projects moved forward in 2021...

• Expanding engagement of GTPs,
• Integration of Expert Panels,
• Health Strategies Database (HSDD), and the Get a GRIHP Program) to enhance breed-specific information and outputs

We are pleased that we continue to have sponsorship and support from many of our key Leadership Sponsors to develop our work. We would welcome anyone with an interest in contributing to, or participating in, the HGTD project to contact us. We are particularly keen to engage with academic and research institutions providing testing, who are concerned about ensuring genetic testing is a beneficial and responsible resource. 

Contact:  Project Director Aimee.Llewellyn-Zaidi@ipfdogs.com

HGTD NEWS

HGTD & Genetic Testing A group blog by IPFD's Genetic Testing Team

In this article we present a collection of links and excerpts from media coverage of IPFD's Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs initiative. We will be adding more content as media articles are published.

• In the News: Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs

ALSO: See the HGTD summary article for Additional Information: HGTD Rationale and Background