© 2006 • 584 pp., illus., index
Hardcover • $139 • ISBN  978-087969742-6

Dogs of different breeds can range remarkably in size, shape, and behavior, and yet they all carry essentially the same genome, making them a particularly fascinating model for genome plasticity. The recent release of the complete sequence of the dog genome provides an exciting new context in which to consider such variation. Twenty–five chapters written by experts in the field include various aspects of morphological and behavioral variation in dogs, their origins and domestication, and their unique value as a model system for many common but complex human diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

“The Dog and Its Genome...celebrates the completion of the dog sequence with 26 chapters on the genomic biology of man’s best friend.

The book should appeal to dog fanciers, to genome biologists who wonder about the sequence’s applications, and to students of comparative genomics....

Researchers already have ‘bibles’ that define gene–based phenotypes suitable for interrogation by mouse, rat, fruitfly and human genetics.  The Dog and Its Genome does the same for the canine genomics community.”
      —Nature

  “Overall, the book will be of value to veterinary pathologists and other veterinarians interested in canine genetics, and it is nearly a must-have for researchers engaged in any form of canine genetics and genomics.”
      —Veterinary Pathology

  “The Dog and Its Genome is a collection of reviews that focus on canine genetics. The editors have assembled an excellent set of genetic investigations that demonstrate how one of our favorite companion animals can explain both the basic and complex aspects of genetics and genomics...The book has an appropriate balance of work by young investigators, established researchers, veterinarians, and dog enthusiasts...

The Dog and Its Genome will be an excellent reference for veterinarians and researchers, as well as a thorough textbook to teach all concepts of genetics at the graduate level. This work demonstrates the power of companion animal genetics and it should prove the test of time as a valuable volume in a geneticist’s library.”
      —The Quarterly Review of Biology

  “Overall, the book will be of most use to the veterinary researchers in canine disease where genetic origins or associations are suspected, and to those likewise in human genetics who are considering a dog model.”
      —Genetical Research

BREED CLUBS AND CANINE HISTORY

Working Dogs: History and Applications

The Kennel Club and the Early History of Dog Shows and Breed Clubs

American Breed Clubs and Health Initiatives

BREED CHARACTERISTICS AND MORPHOLOGY

Morphological Variation in the Dog

Genetic Analysis of the Canid Skeleton: Morphological Loci in the Portuguese Water Dog Population

Morphology and Behavior: Are They Coupled at the Genome Level?

CANINE ORIGINS

From Wild Wolf to Domestic Dog

mDNA Studies of the Origin of Dogs

Understanding Genetic Relationships among Purebred Dogs: The PhyDo Project

GENOMICS AND GENOME ORGANIZATION

Karyotype and Chromosomal Organization

The Dog Genome: Sequence, Evolution, and Haplotype Structure

SINEs of Canine Genomic Diversity

The Dog Olfactory and Vomeronasal Receptor Repertoires

The Canine Major Histocompatibility Complex

GENETIC DISEASE AND GENE MAPPING

Breed–specific Hereditary Diseases and Genetic Screening

Models, Mutants, and Man: Searching for Unique Phenotypes and Genes in the Dog Model of Inherited Retinal Degeneration

Copper Toxicosis in Bedlington Terriers

Cystinuria

Molecular Genetics of Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Sex Chromosomes, Sexual Development, and Sex Reversal in the Dog

QTL Mapping Using Crossbreed Pedigrees: Strategies for Canine Hip Dysplasia

CANCER

Breed–specific Canine Lymphoproliferative Diseases

Cancer Biology in Dogs

GENE THERAPY

Gene Therapy for Metabolic Inherited Diseases in Dogs

BEHAVIOR

Behavioral Genetics of Dog Cognition: Human–like Social Skills in Dogs Are Heritable and Derived

The Genetics of Domesticated Behavior in Canids: What Can Dogs and Silver Foxes Tell Us about Each Other?

Appendix

Index