Brought to you by the Health Committee of the American Polish Lowland Sheepdog Association (APLSA) in conjunction with UC Davis,the PLS Genetic Diversity Test is now available. This Association is constantly striving to improve the breed and it needs your help by asking you to participate in having your PON(s) tested. 

HAVE YOU HAD YOUR PON(S) TESTED YET?

Dr. Pedersen and staff have developed a panel of short tandem repeat (DLA) class I and II regions.  The test panel will be useful to breeders (ultimately the owners) who wish to track and increase  the   diversity of the breed which is our  long term goal. 

This panel will do three things:
         1,  This panel will measure the genetic diversity that exists in the breed
         2.  Wll determine internal relatedness (IR) of this breed
         3.  Will compare internal relatedness of single dogs to the population as a whole
The ultimate goal is to select mates that will produce more genetically diverse offspring. 

The number of PONs and the number of breeders in this country is very limited and therefore, the test is sorely needed. The process is simple and we need your help...not all breeders are willing to take the test. so it is important we get the genetic makeup of their puppies.  THe process is very simple.  You go online, send for a test kit as instructed below and when you receive it  you take a saliva sample and return it.  For this special part of the research we are being given a special price of $50.00 regularly $80.00) per PON.  While it may seem like a lot, the future of the breed  is at stake.  Five breeds thus far have become extinct, and many breeds are doing this exact test today. 

We are now in the  DEVELOPMENT PHASE FOR BUILDING BASELINE DATA.  One hundred PONs , un-related ,* from various regions of the United States and Europe   are needed to acquire the baseline genetic data base necessary to provide breeders with an accurate preliminary assessment of the genetic diversity..      ( *as unrelated as possible)

HOW TO ORDER TEST KITS

 1. Go to    https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/myvgl/login.htm      Breed: POLISH LOWLAND SHEEPDOG

 2.  Click on "Create Account" line to create a MYVGL account as a new customer.

 3.  By creating an account, new users will need to complete the activation step via email.

 4.  After creating an account, Select "Order Tests" in the top menu bar.

 5.  Select "Dog Tests" when it asks you to Select Species in the second menu bar.

 6.  Select "Dog Diagnostic"test in the list of links. 

 7.  Click on  "Canine Genetic Diversity "test under the title "Dog Diagnostic  Tests.

 8.  Fill in the online form, press save button at the bottom, and check out or order more tests.

 9.  Detailed instructions for collecting and mailing DNA samples are included on the submission form printout.

10. Sending in your sample will complete the genetic diversity test. 

 Still have questions:  first visit   www.betterbred.com 

  or  e mail  APLSA

You will receive two sheets of information back from U.C. Davis when the test is completed.  Copies of these two sheets should be sent to  APLSA    where a copy will be kept and the results will be sent on to our geneticist where all information will be kept private.   

POLISH LOWLAND SHEEPDOG GENETIC DIVERSITY TEST