HealthyBreeding - Learn Genetics

24/09/2026

Join geneticist Dr Katariina Mäki for an evidence-based webinar exploring the current health status of the Swedish Vallhund and the breed’s most important breeding challenges.

Drawing on scientific knowledge, practical breeding experience, and the latest available information on the breed, Katariina will discuss which traits deserve the greatest attention and present practical recommendations for future breeding decisions.

The webinar is organised in collaboration with the Special Club for Västgötaspets (SKV) and will take place on 14 October 2026, 7:00–8:30 PM (Swedish time).

Registration closes on 12 October.
Welcome!

Every breeding decision involves compromises. How should you balance health, genetic diversity and breed characteristics in the Swedish Vallhund? Which traits deserve the highest priority…

14/08/2026

Registration open! Register ->>here Don’t miss this interesting webinar by and with Katariina Mäki! We are pleased to inform you that the Special Club for the Västgötaspets is arranging an international webinar on the health and well-being of the breed in October 2026 with doctor and geneticist...

06/08/2026

It is now even easier to take our online courses, as we have arranged you some new payment methods! You don’t need a Paypal account anymore; instead you can use your credit card.

Welcome to the course!

21/02/2025

The HealthyBreeding online genetics course is now COMPLETE! 🎉

This five-part course, led by a renowned Finnish expert, dives deep into the genetics of animal health, providing breeders with the knowledge to make informed, responsible breeding decisions, while helping veterinarians offer better guidance to their clients.

🧬 Why take this course?

✅ Gain practical insights into genetic health

✅ Learn from an expert with years of experience

✅ Make science-based breeding decisions

✅ Perfect for dog, cat, and horse breeders, vets, and canine professionals

💡 I’m collaborating with the Functional Dog Collaborative to make this even better: use the code fdc2025 for 10% off, and The Functional Dog Collaborative will receive a 10% commission to support their amazing work! 🙌

🎯 Don’t miss this opportunity—the full course is now available! The course modules are separate, so you can buy only part of the course if you wish. Enroll today at healthybreeding.com! 🐾✨

14/01/2025

More and more information about the effects of inbreeding on longevity and morbidity is accumulating every year.

A recent study comparing the lifespans of purebred, multi-breed and cross-bred dogs showed once again that diversity brings vitality: Multi-breeds lived the longest and crossbreeds the second longest.

A popular suggestion to cure inbreeding and health problems is to stop breeding.

Abandoning separate breeds is another commonly suggested remedy. If all breeds were bred together, freely crossed, the gene pool would be as large as all breeds combined and the situation would improve for good.

Would that really be the case?
Would these methods be feasible in practice? Would they work?

Read my thoughts on https://www.katariinamaki.fi/l/reducing-the-harms-of-inbreeding-in-pedigree-dogs-by-combining-all-dog-breeds/ (link in the story and the Article highlights).

14/01/2025

Helle Friis Proschowsky, from the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Copenhagen University, has just published a Horizon Topic paper with Maja Arendt, Brenda Bonnett, Camilla Bruun, Irena Czycholl, Merete Fredholm, Dan O’Neill, James Serpell, and Peter Sandøe. The title of the paper is ”A new future for dog breeding”.

The paper presents a review of modern dog breeding, outlining the current situation and suggesting improvements to enhance the health and welfare of dogs in the future. The authors view this paper as a call to action, providing a framework for driving meaningful change.

👉Read my blog post on dogwellnet.com as well as the post on my website katariinamaki.fi which is listed as a reference in the paper.

03/01/2025

New research by showing lighter, more normally built dogs do better. More extreme brachycephalic conformation was found to be associated with an increased risk of BOAS.
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Tomlinson F, O’Neill E, Liu N-C, Sargan DR, Ladlow JF (2024) BOAS in the Boston Terrier: A healthier screw-tailed breed? PLoS ONE 19(12): e0315411. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0315411

22/12/2024

🎄✨ Merry Christmas to all my followers! ✨🎄

A heartfelt thank you for your interest and passion for canine genetics and welfare this year. A special thanks also for the active and constructive discussions – they are invaluable in advancing this important cause.

Your support and engagement inspire continued efforts to improve the quality of life for our four-legged friends. Let’s keep working together to promote canine well-being in the coming year! 🐾💛

Wishing you all – both furry companions and their owners – a peaceful holiday season and a happy New Year! 🎅🎁

11/12/2024

We've got some exciting news to share!
Just to let you know that part 4 of our health-focused genetics course will be available on 18 December!

We're delighted to be able to offer you an Early Bird Discount of 40%. Just use coupon code 'health' and you'll get the course for 29.40€ (the normal price is 49€).

The discount will be available until 17 December 2024, so don't miss out!

Here's how the discount works:

1. To get the discount, go to the course page via the link: https://healthybreeding.com/kurssit/monogenic-inheritance/.
1. Click 'Take this Course'.
2. Click 'Click here to enter your code'.
3. Enter the code 'health' and click 'Apply coupon'.
4. Enter your billing details and email address – this will be your username on the course platform.
6. Click 'I have read and agree to the website terms and conditions'. You can read the terms and conditions by following the link.
7. Click 'Proceed to Paypal' to pay. You can pay via PayPal with a credit card – you don't need a PayPal account.

Just a heads-up: the lessons for the course will be going live on 18 December at 8.00 EET.

We'd love you to join us to learn! Let's work together to improve animal health through genetics!

Genetics online course for those who are interested in responsible breeding of dogs, cats and horses. Part 4 of Genetics for Breeders and Vets.

08/12/2024

We're putting the finishing touches on the fourth part of the Genetics for Breeders and Vets course, which will be ready as soon as we get the lecture videos recorded. We've translated the lecture texts (the course is originally in Finnish), put together the lesson content, translated the exercises, and translated the glossary. We hope you enjoy the course!

We'll have it ready before Christmas. In the meantime, here's the glossary to get you started!

Use the alphabetical glossary below to remind yourself what the terms in the course mean. Additive gene effect – each allele of a gene pair affects the individual’s appearance independently…