It's been a few years since I did DNA tests (last 2 generations were hereditary clear). Last time I did it, the vets took the swabs and sent the to the lab (Optigen if I remember rightly). I have just applied for the Combi Breed health test package from the KC. I am surprised to find that they send the swabs to the owner to swab and submit themselves.
Is it just me that's shocked about how easily these results could be falsified by just sampling a known clear dog?
Obviously there needs to be some trust somewhere, and lots of steps could result in dogs being fraudulently registered, but this really shocks me.

I've always sampled our own dogs and sent it in, even before Combi Breed. I've done Laboklin in the past and others and they've all involved owner-sampling.

I don't think you'd be hiding much if you duped people with the swabs - you'd soon be producing affected or carrier pups and people would be asking questions of the parents as a result - it's not going to stay a secret for long.

Honestly I agree and it’s the same with KC registrations- only as good as those using it :(

All the ones I've done I've been sent the kits but have taken them to my vet to do so they can confirm it's the correct dog.

I wouldnt be surprised if someone has swabbed a known  dog to guarantee their other dogs results. Especially with dogs who are ment to be clear by parentage not needing testing a fake result could take generations to come to light, by that time the original dog may no longer be around so retesting isn't possible to see if it was a fake or genuine incorrect result.

Probably why the kc only accept heridatory clear for 2 gens now then require testing.

Gundogs:  DNA Testing:
I too have now adopted the KC Combi Breed way of testing and I also had the same questions.  Where previously I had blood samples taken by my Vet
and sent to Optigen/Atnagen which took at least 2 months to turn around, I have found swabbing a much more convenient way of doing things with
an average wait from Wetherbys (Combi Breed Analyst) of 1 month.
It is all about trust and is why building a relationship with a Breeder before purchasing a Puppy is so important.  I believe a transition period is evolving
and the 'old' ways of doing things (by blood sampling) will be replaced by results of Parental DNA testing as part of the Puppy Pack provided by reputable
Breeders.

I had bloods taken for sending to Optgen when it was confirmed in 2008 that our breeds PRA was prcd variant.

In 2015 when Helsinki University identified the Glaucoma (POAG), in our breed, the testing was passed to Genoscoper under the MyDogDNA panel testing which also gave us testing for breed specific Dwarfism (rare in UK).

For this we were sent swabs, with option to do ourselves.

As a breed community we had already sent in swabs to the University during the research phase.

This had shown us ( due to some samples being untestable) the importance of ensuring a good length of sampling, and for the brushes to have some time to fully dry, before packing.

It was also important to post on Monday morning, so they had shortest transit time.

The advantage from my perspective was not only a saving on vet fees, but being able to see that each dogs swabs were kept separate, able to have several hours drying time ( I used pint glasses to stand the brush swabs in, head up).

I stood them on top of the freezer, well apart.

I have to agree when it comes to how much has to be taken in trust.  From registrations to everything else.   I would just say that peer-pressure plays a part - the eyes of other fellow-breeders are always watching.