Watching breakfast tv this morning I was both amazed and shocked to hear IVF had been used for a dog. Yes 7 puppies born healthy so far with three different biological  parents. Why did they use IVF? If your girl cannot have a litter is this the way forward? I do not see the requirement for using IVF for dogs as let's face it the rescue centres are full to bursting and more due over festive time.
The report advised IVF used for the purpose of better breeding! I disagree it's more Frankenstein meddling where it's not required. What's next a rottweiler having IVF to produce a litter of Poodles because the breeder doesn't want to ruin her girl?  Will we have adverts for "Surrogate Dog Wombs?"  It's crazy  and most likely more weird combo of breeds may be created.

What do you feel about IVF for dogs?

I heard this on the radio this morning and wondered if April fools day had come early or something. One of the reasons this was lauded was that it could eradicate hereditary diseases! Well that's easily done already, not exactly hard. If the dog has something hereditary, don't breed from them, it's not as if dogs need to have puppies and experience the joys of family life is it (insert ironic/sarcastic smiley here)

what I heard about it was they were hoping it would have applications for endangered species with limited gene pools - so not really dogs being end aim

Odd how it's the dog side that's being pushed on the BBC news this morning.
I can see how useful it could be for endangered species that are difficult to breed in captivity.

I heard this on the radio this morning.  They were talking about using it for endangered species of wild canids.  But they also spoke about dogs and humans sharing a number of inherited conditions and diseases, and - now they can use IVF in dogs - experimenting with gene editing to remove the affected/affecting genes.  Not sure if I like the sound of it, tbh.  But need to find out more.

Good idea for endangered species.  I just didn't get why they used dogs  to promote  this trial.. does it not give ideas for some dog breeders to use this instead of the traditional  way? As you said if a heraditory  condition  do not breed from the dog. I'm sure thou someone will want their girl to have a litter from surrogate eggs!

"What do you feel about IVF for dogs? "

I watched that article this morning too but for the life of me, didn't understand WHY.   I think it's bad enough that the UK KC now allows registration of litters from the same season to two different sires.   Said to avoid the need to breed a bitch in a breed with a narrow gene pool on two different occasions.   Clearly the resulting litter has to be DNA tested to establish which sire produced which puppy.   This although I sort-of understand, I still don't subscribe to.   So IVF for dogs?      Hum.   I'll have to find out more about this than was said during the brief article, which seemed to be more about aahhh puppies, than anything else.

It's on again right now (lunchtime UK).   Some of these puppies are mix-bred, Cockers X Beagles and some, as said Beagle-Beagles.  Said to be helping endangered species and improving health.   Suffice to say sometimes I think 'science' is just meddling.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35053391

I cant imagin this ever being used by dog breeders as surely the cost of doing it would be redicusly high. Add that to the low success rate as the bitch was implanted with 19 embryos and had 7 pups so 12 failed to take, and the amount of surgery needed to collect the eggs at the right time it would have a welfare aspect to using it as a commercial breeding tool.
The BVA allready say surgical insemination should only be done for exceptional reasons due to welfare grounds so I can't see them being happy for vets to offer surgical collection of eggs to the public.

The idea of it is to work with endangered canine species and keeping their genes going. But they couldn't use those animals in the testing as their endangered so easyer to use lab dogs.

The bbc seem to have  not much information about it past ahh cute puppies. This one is much better
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/dogs-born-ivf-give-hope-endangered-species/story?id=35673411

> What do you feel about IVF for dogs?

They do it with horses, and cattle I believe, to increase the number of young that a good female animal can produce in her lifetime.

Can see no reason for it in dogs, popular sire syndrome is bad enough.

Are you sure it was IVF and not AI with multiple sires/

This is a piece of research to establish techniques which can be used for protection of endangered species in canid family - such as African wild dogs
It isn't being researched to help "dog breeders"

Embryo transfer is a common practice in other animals - horses, cattle and sheep -  but the canine species has proved rather challenging.
I would just be happy if they could improve techniques with AI !

i have seen ai sed on horses.stallion semon fetches mega money if it racing stallion
we had few clients that have ai their mares my mares were coverd by stallion
they also.do.embro transfer in mares to the mare gets coverd by.stallion once they scaned in foal they flush embroy in to another mare so the mare can keep competing

i can not compent on ai etc for dogs as never bred dogs just horses
the puppies on tv look so.cute and healthy
would kennel club allow it and ai pups been reg
i now some horse bred soc do not allow ai foals reg.

This is the actual article: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0143930  Live Births from Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) Embryos Produced by In Vitro Fertilization

Quoted from introduction to the article

"There is great and growing interest in better utilizing the domestic dog as a biomedical research model. Domestic dogs exhibit spontaneous occurrence of cancers, and as pets, they are exposed to environmental factors common to humans [1, 2]. The 350 traits/disorders identified in the dog with potential to be models for human disease are almost twice that of any other species [3]. In addition to improving understanding of the genetic basis of disease, these studies will also enable removal of deleterious traits from breeds, a significant advancement in animal health and welfare. To realize this scientific and clinical potential, we must be able to precisely control canine reproduction and enable access to the germline."


Quoted from summary at end of article:
"Successful IVF makes possible a variety of applications, including opening new opportunities for gamete rescue of endangered species or targeted propagation of domestic dogs of high genetic value. Importantly, the dog is also a preferred model for studies in stem cell transplantation and gene therapy, and has well-characterized breed predispositions to hundreds of traits and pathologies that also plague humans. But the full potential of dog genetics has not been realized because of lack of IVF/ART. Methods shown here enable new gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas to be applied to the dog in an efficient manner. This approach will allow genes identified as candidates to cause or predispose an individual to a pathology or undesired trait to be tested empirically. This in turn will facilitate both development of targeted treatments and genetic screening tests to be used to remove those genes from affected breeds, with broad positive impacts on human and companion animal health and welfare."

I just hope it doesn't lead to more vivisection.

> would kennel club allow it and ai pups been reg

probably not this is what was reported in dogs world http://www.dogworld.co.uk/product.php/149935/34/welfare_may_not_be_top_priority_in_ivf_breeding__says_kc

"THE CREATION of puppies through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in the hope that it could lead to the eradication of inherited diseases in dogs and humans may be more novelty than necessity.

  This is the view of the Kennel Club after hearing that seven puppies – two from a Beagle mother and a Cocker Spaniel father, and five from two pairs of Beagles – have been born through IVF for the first time......

Ms Llewellyn said there were better methods of inherited conditions.

  “New gene-editing technologies may be rather more novelty than necessity when it comes to domestic dog breeds, as there are a number of easier, non-invasive methods for dog breed conservation and the eradication of heritable diseases, such as DNA testing as part of a responsible breeding programme,” she said.

  “This is particularly important given that a dog cannot consent to invasive treatments such as IVF as a human can. 

  “The KC supports research that directly benefits the domestic dog while ensuring the health and welfare of the animal remains top priority, which may not be the case when invasive procedures are involved.........”