During a dog’s development, the testicles form in the abdomen and then normally descend into the scrotum in the first few weeks after birth. The reason why the testicles do not remain inside the body is simple: temperature. A body temperature of 35–38°C would damage them. However, due to developmental faults, one or both testicles may remain in the abdomen, which can have serious consequences for the dog and its offspring.

Affected dogs are often infertile and have a 13.6-fold higher risk of developing cancer. They frequently suffer from other side effects such as hair loss, skin diseases, behavioural disorders and testicular torsion, which can cause severe abdominal pain. To reduce these risks and prevent the condition from being passed on, castration is carried out, although this can be very expensive.

Unfortunately, research into the disease – which could help your dog and many others – is relatively scarce. Although it is known that the condition is triggered by various internal (e.g. genes, hormones) and external factors (environment), there are hardly any specific details available, which makes treating the condition all the more difficult.

With your help, we want to change this.

We first extract your dog’s DNA from the blood samples. In order to investigate the effects of cryptorchidism, we have identified a number of promising genes (sections of DNA) through extensive preliminary work. Using a method called polymerase chain reaction (PCR), these genes are amplified and their structure is then analysed (DNA sequencing).

The genes from healthy and affected dogs are then compared to identify differences and, consequently, possible causes of the condition. A large number of different samples are required to carry out this analysis and draw concrete conclusions.

We are currently working on expanding the method to incorporate even more genetic information into the analysis. In this genome-wide association study, we are examining not only individual candidate genes but also informative loci distributed throughout the Poodle’s genome.

The genes of healthy and sick dogs are then compared to identify the differences and, consequently, possible causes of disease. This process requires a large number of different samples in order to draw concrete conclusions.

We are currently working on expanding the method to incorporate even more genetic information into the analysis. In this genome-wide association study, we are examining not only individual candidate genes but also informative loci distributed throughout the Poodle’s genome.

We are researchers at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences in Central Saxony. Our research group leader, Prof. Dr Röbbe Wünschiers, completed his habilitation in genetics at the University of Cologne and specialises in the analysis of genetic data. Nils Schön is currently the head of the Sheep-Poodle Project. After completing his Master’s thesis on the investigation of genetic variants that might be linked to cryptorchidism, he began his PhD in 2023. In this, he is continuing this work.

Dr Robert Leidenfrost was a PhD student in Professor Wünschiers’ group and was originally analysing DNA in bioaerosols. He supported the project with advice and practical assistance. He completed his PhD in January 2023 and has since been working at the Federal Institute for Occupational Medicine and Safety in Berlin. Ms Rebecca Prause studied for a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology, specialising in Molecular Diagnostics, in Mittweida, followed by a Master’s degree in Molecular Biology/Bioinformatics. She laid the foundations for this project in her Bachelor’s thesis. In her Master’s thesis, she validated the previously identified markers using numerous blood samples from sheep poodles from across Europe, alongside the associated breeding data from the Institute for Holistic Breeding of Sheep Poodles and PON in Oberseifersdorf, Saxony. Since graduating in 2019, she has been working at Dresden University of Technology. As part of his Master’s thesis, which he completed in 2022, Mr Tom Fritsche carried out analyses of the Sheep Poodle genome, thereby laying an important foundation for further research.