Inside Foundation Archives - Dog Aging Project

Dog and Human Genetics: Similarity and Difference

Published on July 26, 2022

Did you know that dogs and people share over 17,000 special genes called orthologs? Each pair of orthologs is derived from the same common ancestor via vertical descent (speciation) and they tend to have similar functions. They are one of the main reasons why your pup is such an invaluable comparative animal model for studying human health. In fact, humans and dogs have numerous similarities even in those parts of the genome that aren’t genes (the noncoding part of the genome). When it comes to better understanding human health, your pup is our best friend!

Interpreting Breed-Specific Risk of Genetic Disease

Published on November 17, 2021

Most health outcomes in dogs and humans are caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Environmental factors include both our physical environment, like climate and chemical exposures, and elements of our lifestyle, like diet and exercise. Genetic variations can influence risk of health outcomes either positively or negatively.