HomeAbout AHFFoundation FAQBreeder EducationGeneral Health Issues In AiredalesBroad InstituteHow to Submit A Blood SampleDisease and DNA Testing Options for Airedales

Welcome!

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Tucker's Happy! His owners support AHF - You can, too!

     The Airedale Health Foundation (AHF) is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to the health and future of Airedales.  Formed with the purpose of giving something back to this breed that gives us so much, the Foundation provides financial and other support for research efforts on the Airedale in particular and dogs in general.

SPECIAL THANKS

     We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Bet9ja for their sponsorship of the Airedale Health Foundation. The support from the bookmaker company is greatly appreciated and will go a long way in helping the foundation to achieve its mission.

     Additionally, we would like to thank Bet9ja for providing a convenient platform for accessing a wide range of betting options through the latest version of their app.bet9ja app download latest version download is user-friendly and offers a seamless betting experience, making it a great choice for both seasoned bettors and those just starting out.

     Once again, thank you BetsBest for your generous support and for providing a great platform for betting enthusiasts. And as always, we encourage everyone to bet responsibly and within their means.  
 
     The Airedale Health Foundation on FacebookThank you in advance to everyone who cares enough about the future of this wonderful breed to participate in the foundation's endeavors, whether it's by contributing samples to our research projects, contributing money to fund the projects, or by filling out a Health Survey
 
     We encourage you to explore our website, learn more about health interests in the breed, and become involved in the Foundation!
 

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world!  ~Anne Frank

Airedale Health Research 


Why is it easy to find disease genes in dogs?
Domesticated dogs split from their wolf ancestors approximately 30,000 years ago, while most breeds were created only a few hundred years ago. In the process of breeding dogs for certain desired traits, over successive generations, many genetic mutations have inadvertently come along for the ride with undesirable side effects. This includes a genetic predisposition to many common diseases ranging from epilepsy, cancer, diabetes, and hip problems as well as more breed-specific conditions.

We use dogs to study diseases because the disease genes are much easier to find. To find disease genes for complex diseases in humans, thousands of people and millions of genomic markers (SNPs) are needed. In dogs, 20,000 markers and a few hundred dogs will suffice to find genes for complex diseases like cancer. With you and your dog's help in donating blood samples (for cancers, both a blood and a tumor sample are helpful), we are hoping to continue to identify these risk factors in many more diseases which will help us to understand the overall health risks for your dog and humans alike.

To donate a blood sample from your dog please click here for instructions and our consent form. 

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  • European and Australian Airedale Blood Sample Submission Information.  We have satellite laboratories that will take your dogs' blood samples for our BankClick here for the address.
If you have additional questions, please contact:  
dog-info@broadinstitute.org.

Once again, thank you for participating in this important research - you are contributing to the betterment of future generations.

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 "Since completing the sequencing of the canine genome, the real bottleneck to understanding inheritance of disease and how to breed away from it is in getting blood samples from dogs." Kerstin Lindblad-Toh. Dr. Lindblad-Toh leads the dog disease-mapping group at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. She and her research team are mapping over 20 diseases in the canine including cancer, autoimmune, cardiac, and neurological diseases.

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Not Sure How Research Helps Improve our Dogs' Health?  Read this:

DNA Test Helps Dalmations: 

 This is just one example of many on how Research Helps Breeders Breed Healthier Dogs: 

The Molecular Basis for Hyperuricosuria in the Dalmation Dog
Bladder stone disease is a painful problem for dogs and it can sometimes require multiple surgeries. Researchers set out to determine the gene mutation that is responsible for an inherited trait in Dalmatians that predisposes them to form bladder stones. They successfully identified the location of the gene and discovered multiple mutations. These results also showed that other breeds, namely the Bulldog and Black Russian Terrier, have the same mutation as the Dalmatian. In addition, other breeds appear to have the mutation at a lower frequency. A DNA based test has been developed from this work and is now available to dog breeders and veterinarians to make better, informed breeding decisions. The discovery of the gene mutation will allow breeders the opportunity to eliminate this condition from all dogs. The test is available by contacting University of California, Davis. This fellowship training grant was the basis for a promising young researcher's PhD thesis.
Principal Investigator: Dr. Noa Safra, University of California/Davis

Interested in Supporting Airedale Health Research Projects?

Donations can be made to:

 

Broad Institute 

Airedale DNA Bank 

415 Main Street

Cambridge, MA 02142 


Your donations will go to support the Airedale DNA Bank and Research Projects on Canine Disease and Health Studies. 
   You can also donate money in memory or honor of a special dog.