[/floatl]Genetic defects rise with fad-driven inbreeding of dogs in JapanInternational Herald Tribune, December 27, 2006
TOKYO: Care for a Chihuahua with a blue hue? How about a teacup poodle so tiny it will fit into a purse -- the canine equivalent of a bonsai? The Japanese sure do.
Rare and unique dogs are highly prized here and can set buyers back more than 1 million yen, or about $8,400. But the problem is what often arrives in the same litter: genetically defective sister and brother puppies born with missing paws or faces lacking eyes and a nose.
There have been dogs with brain disorders so severe that they spent all day running in circles, and others with bones so frail they dissolved in their bodies...
...Coveted traits like a blue-tinged coat are often the result of recessive genes, which can determine appearance only when combined with another recessive gene. Inbreeding is a quick way to bring out recessive traits, as dogs carrying the gene are repeatedly mated with their own offspring, enhancing the trait over successive generations...more...
