Lily & … ?
There he is, when I accidentally came across this male it was clear to me quite quickly: he had to be the one for Lily! I have written about the extensive health testing we performed on Lily here.
This beautiful French Bulldog is called Käpt’n, pedigree name: Kaepten or Saxonys Countrylove. He lives in Germany and has been tested almost as extensively as Lily, with just as wonderful results. He has a spine free of abnormalities, a long tail, good hips, excellent elbows, fantastic DNA results, eyes free of abnormalities and much more. He has a wonderfully calm character, which compensates well for the bouncy Lily. I will list the research results and further information below.
Sex: Male
Date of birth: 09-08-2022
Geboortewijze: Normally born
Father: Pollux of Saxonys Countrylove
Mother: Q von der Sommerseite
Weight: 13 kg
Height at withers: 36 cm
CFR: 0,5
Colour: Bluetan
Offspring: 0
Colour genetics:
E Locus: E/e
K Locus: Ky/Ky
A Locus: At/a
S Locus: ?
D Locus: d/d
Health test results:
Cardiac ultrasound with Doppler: No abnormalities
Eye examination: No abnormalities
Hip dysplasia: HD B
Elbow dysplasia: Free 0/0
Patellar Luxation: Free 0/0
DNA:
Degenerateve Myelopathy: Carrier
Cystinuria Type 3: Clear
HC-HSF4 Hereditary Cataract: Clear
CMR1 Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1: Clear
HUU Hyperuricosuria: Clear
cord-1 PRA: Clear
CDDY/IVDD, Type I IVDD Chondrodystrofie: Carrier
DVL2 Robinow-like-syndrom: Carrier
Results examination:
Tail: Full tail, small kink towards the tip
Nostrils: Large
Murmur: None
Hemivertebrae: 0
Spondylosis: No
Calcification interverbral discs: N0
Käpt’n is quite unrelated to Lily, which is a big goal when looking for a partner. To be completely transparent: He is still on the young side, that was my only doubt about this combination. Käpt’n will be around 1.5 years old when we realize this combination. Given Lily’s age (5 years old), we cannot wait very long for a first litter and I have decided that this disadvantage does not outweigh the other advantages that this combination can offer. I write about that later below, among other things.
The pedigree of the puppies will look like this, click on the image for an enlarged version:
The special thing about this combination is that both Lily and Käpt’n are both CDDY carriers. Normally you would think that you want to avoid two carriers, but 97% of French Bulldogs are carriers/double carriers of this condition. So unfortunately it is not as simple as avoidance. Finding two carriers is already a great luck. Below is an explanation of what exactly the test for CDDY entails.
CDDY/IVDD Type I
CDDY/IVDD Type I intervertebral disc disease (IVDD) is a back or neck problem that affects the discs that act as cushions between the vertebrae (the bones of the spine). It also affects the length of the bones in, for example, the legs. With Type I IVDD, affected dogs may develop a problem where the intervertebral disc ruptures or a hernia develops towards the spinal cord. This pressure on the spinal cord causes neurological symptoms that can range from pain to an unsteady gait to paralysis. Chondrodystrophy (CDDY) refers to the relative relationship between a dog’s legs and body.
There are several different variants that can cause a distinct chondrodystrophic appearance. However, this specific variant is the only one known to also increase the risk of IVDD. The mode of inheritance is dominant.
With this combination there is statistically a 25% chance of double carriers, 50% chance of carriers and 25% chance of free puppies. Skeletal abnormalities are a problem that involves several factors, but with this combination we hope to increase the proportion of free puppies. Pretty special if you ask me!
Genetically speaking, this is not the only special thing… Käpt’n is a DVL2 carrier and so is Lily!
The DVL2 gene, or Robinow-like syndrome, is partly responsible for several factors. Finding one DVL2 carrier is quite rare within the French Bulldog population, let alone 2 that also match so well in other areas. See below for a brief explanation of DVL2.
DVL2
The factors in which DVL2 plays a role are skeletal abnormalities, including abnormal dorsal vertebrae (hemivertebrae), short limbs and kinked tails, a brachycephalic appearance and heart defects. There are very likely many more, as yet undiscovered, variants that also play a role to a greater or lesser extent. Preliminary research strongly points to a connection between DVL2 and brachycephaly (the short skull shape and flat nose) and an elongated soft palate leading to breathing problems. To date, 120 spinal X-rays have been performed on dogs carrying 1 copy of the DVL2 gene, all with perfect results. A carrier (1 copy) or free DVL2 dog will not exhibit Robinow-like syndrome and will be free of hemivertebrae. One of the most important things about the DVL2 gene is that it is recessive. So a dog must carry two copies to express the effects of the mutation. However, the DVL2 gene has incomplete penetrance, meaning that sometimes 2 copies may be present in a dog, but the effects of the mutation are not present, for example the spinal column has no hemivertebrae. More active selection towards DVL2 free dogs leads to fewer skeletal abnormalities and respiratory problems. See also the infographic below, which can be clicked for a larger size.
Just like with CDDY, with DVL2 we statistically have a 25% chance of double carriers, 50% chance of carriers and 25% chance of free puppies!
The CFR of both is also perfectly fine. Käpt’n’s CFR is 0.5 and Lily’s CFR is even higher than 0.5.
With this combination we hopefully make a big step in not only a beautiful, sporty and healthy appearance, but also by making the next generation a bit healthier genetically.
The expected colors from this combination are fawn/bluefawn with and without mask and cream/bluecream. Perhaps pied puppies are also born in the colors mentioned. The puppies may have long tails, but they may also produce shorter tails.
The waiting list is now also open for this planned combination. If all goes well, we hope for puppies in the coming spring. Experience shows that the mailbox explodes when the waiting list is open. It may take a while for a response to the messages. We handle this carefully and it takes some time. An application does not automatically mean placement on the waiting list. Have you sent an email in the past when the waiting list was closed? These emails have not been processed, please send another message.
Below you will find some more photos of the beautiful Käpt’n. We are very much looking forward to this combination!
How do I join the waitlist!
Great news! I am not looking for a new puppy right now as I have an 8 year old Frenchie, and a Havanese, but I hope your breeding goes well and that you continue to work toward healthy Frenchies, so that when the time comes, I can hopefully provide a home for one of your puppies.
Oh Käpt’n is gorgeous!!! I can hardly wait for updates on Lily and Käpt’ns romance. 😉🥂❤️
Congratulations.
I really appreciate your mission of healthier Frenchies since I’m totally in love with the bread but so sorry to see mainly inbreeding issues this breed of dogs unfortunately have to a large extent.
You really put in a lot of effort of research and thorough tests which I do hope pays off in cute and healthy puppies, I hardly can’t wait to see the outcome!
Our Minnie fought gallantly but clearly had her issues with IVDD and some other minor issues bot was the most gentle soul I’ve met. We had to let go of her in early June of 2021 at the age of nine and she left a void in our life.
I couldn’t believe it when my husband showed me this website. I have his twin 2 year old male named Huckleberry.
Exact same markings. Muscle structure everything is exactly the same except my dog does not have a tail. Unbelievable!
Above talking about Kaptin.
How to reserve a pup
How overjoyed I was to read this. We lost our beautiful boy two years ago although we got him to thirteen years old. I believe your breeding will be so beneficial and lots of luck with this.