In 2015, the UK Kennel Club published a basic genetic analysis of pedigree breeds based on the data in their stud books. This analysis showed that, for many breeds, there were high levels of inbreeding and low effective population sizes. Subsequently, to address concerns that some of their native breeds might be at risk of extinction because of declining numbers, they created a listing of breeds that were vulnerable or at risk. They have subsequently monitored registrations of these breeds and annually update the statistics online. 

Although AKC would have the records for yearly registrations, they don't make those statistics available. Unless breeders or breed clubs compile these records themselves, there is no way to track breed population sizes in the US. Based on pedigree records of a few breeds that I happen to have, however, there is good reason to be concerned.

Population crashes have consequences. Genetic diversity is lost, and the rate of inbreeding necessarily goes up as effective and census population sizes go down. We can expect the incidence and number of genetic disorders to increase. Health will decline and interventions by breeders will become increasingly ineffective. It's not a good situation.

What are we doing about this? Nothing. If AKC is monitoring breed populations, they are not making that information available. Unlike kennel clubs elsewhere in the world that have geneticists on staff to provide guidance to breeders about genetic management, or organizations like the Animal Health Trust with expertise and research capabilities that are available to breeders, in the US it's every breeder for themself. Breed clubs and their health committees make decisions about breeding strategies in the absence of relevant expertise, and more often than not the general strategy is to remove dogs from the breeding population that are afflicted with disorders for which there are no tests (e.g., epilepsy, cancer, immune system disorders, etc). 

I am not aware of any plans to address these problems, by the kennel club, breed clubs, or smaller groups of breeders. In fact, breeders might not even be generally aware of their dire situation. For the breeds with data below, time for action has nearly run out. 

I have argued before that dogs have high value as a genetic resource. Dogs shaped the development of civilization. In many places in the world they are still essential for the special abilities they have for management of livestock, not to mention their roles as service animals, detection of everything from invasive plants to cancer, military and police service, and companions that improve our own health and longevity while they enrich our lives. 

There is plenty of evidence that purebred dogs are not doing well. And we also know that in many cases we are not doing what we can (as for the Doberman). Breeds are about to disappear. Are we going to just let this happen?

The first point here is that there is no way to know what specific genes were present in the founder lines more than a century ago. Each dog added to the mix would add another spoonful of genes from the large, diverse genetic stew available among dogs at that time. Certainly, it is fair to expect that the original gene pool was very diverse.

Could the Ky allele have been present in that original gene pool? That would depend on how common it was and how it was distributed among dogs, recognized breed or otherwise.

Eduard Korthals developed the breed in the Netherlands in the late 1800s, with the aim of producing a gun dog that was versatile, hardy, and devoted to its master. To do this he crossed a variety of dogs, some of unknown lineage but carrying some of the traits he wished to produce in the breed. Among those of various types were probably spaniels, retrievers, pointers, and otterhounds. The breed was created as many others have been, as "blender breeds" that borrowed a bit of this from one breed and a bit of that from another to produce a new breed of dog well-suited to a particular purpose in the eyes of its creator.

So here are the crucial bits of information for this discussion of the Ky allele as evidence of genetic contamination.

1) The Ky allele is the ancestral form of the K allele. It is found in all wolves. It is thus likely to have been in the earliest dogs.

2) How common is the Ky allele in dogs? To answer this question, I contacted two highly-regarded canine geneticists with access to large databases of dog DNA data, including alleles for color: Dr Adam Boyko (Cornell University and Embark Vet) and Dr Jonas Donner (Genoscoper and MyDogDNA). They both confirmed first that the Ky allele is the ancestral K allele that is found in wolves. They also both said that the Ky allele is very widespread among breeds and dogs in general. Boyko said "I think it's in more breeds than not...even some black breeds like Schipperke and Belgian Sheepdog." Donner said that "Ky/Ky is the fixed genotype in the modern wolves we have tested, so yes it is the ancestral allele...The frequency of the ky allele in dogs overall is about 70%".

Not only is the presence of the Ky allele not evidence of a cross-breeding event, it would be surprising to NOT find it in a modern dog breed created by crossing various breeds as well as dogs of ambiguous lineage. Ky is recessive to other K alleles, so it can be present in a population for many generations without being expressed. Having a few tan point dogs pop up in a long line of dogs where this has never been seen is proof of nothing more than the roles of chance and allele frequency in the expression of recessive alleles.

There is no scientific or even rational basis for the claim that Griffs carrying the Ky allele are not "purebred" or "true" Korthals. The policy of some groups to purge all the "contaminated" dogs carrying the Ky allele from breeding populations is both wrong-headed and detrimental to the breed because it reduces the size of an already limited gene pool and unnecessarily removes quality dogs for a cosmetic trait that won't even be expressed if a dog is just a carrier. Those claiming that the "pure" or "true" Korthals does not carry this gene and that dogs that do are "just mutts" do a true disservice to the breed for the apparent purpose of elevating their own dogs to a higher status than others. This is not to better the breed, and it doesn't. It is nothing less than a shameless scam.

The data to disprove the fallacy of the claim that dogs carrying the Ky allele are descendants of cross-breeding are abundant and readily-available. There is no evidence that it is associated with any detrimental or undesirable trait in this breed (which has also been claimed) or any other. Remember: this is the K allele found in wolves. In fact, the K allele is not a "color allele". The K gene is otherwise known as the β-defensin gene, and as the name implies it plays a role in the synthesis of peptides with antimicrobial activity in the skin, assisting in its role as a barrier to infection. (Candile et al 2007, Hedrick 2009, Leonard et al 2012).

While breeders are struggling to manage a number of emerging health issues in this wonderful breed, it should be a matter of policy that the loss of genetic diversity for any reason should be minimized to the fullest extent possible. A genetic management plan that strategically prioritizes retaining genetic diversity through the breeding of dogs carrying less common alleles should be encouraged by the custodians of the breeds, and breeders that do this should be supported.

There are some other important things breeders can do to improve the future of this breed. It would be useful to do a breed-wide survey of genetic diversity using a genotyping service like Embark. This will provide information on both breed-wide and genomic inbreeding, the size of the gene pool, distribution and frequency of alleles for known mutations and traits (including color), and the potential presence of lineages of differing genetic composition that can be managed in a way to support retention of the genetic diversity currently available in the breed. These data can produce much information that would assist breeders interested in developing breeding plans that will improve the health of the breed as well as its highly valued qualities as a working dog and a companion. You can see examples of these types of analyses for a number of breeds using the ICB Breeder Tool at http://bit.ly/2OE88by​, and ICB can assist you with this.

It would also be extremely useful to do a genetic analysis of a pedigree database. This will provide wealth of information about history that might not otherwise be known through other records. It can also reveal current breeding practices that are detrimental to the preservation of genetic diversity, allowing breeders to take steps that will provide more genetic stability and facilitate management of existing health issues. You can see an example of this type of analysis here (The amazing secrets hiding in your pedigree database). This analysis is for Afghan hounds, but it provides a good model of the wealth of information that can (and should) be extracted from a pedigree database with the appropriate software and expertise. ICB can provide this type of analysis, and it would be very worthwhile to do for this breed.

I have been asked to weigh in on the "Ky debate" many times over the last 10 years or so, and I hope this will put the final nail in the coffin of this debacle that has probably done great damage to the gene pool and therefore the future of the breed. Breeders should consult with scientists that have the appropriate expertise to address critical issues of genetic management instead of trying to do this "in house". There is first the issue of bias interfering with judgement, in the same way that a surgeon should not operate on a member of their own family. But most especially, genetic management of small populations of highly inbred dogs is very difficult; a policy decision to address one problem can have an unanticipated effect on something that was not considered. Here, what appeared to be a simple policy decision about a "color" allele probably did lasting damage to an already small gene pool; certainly it strained relationships among breeders and has fostered the development of cliques that have divided what should be a family of breeders that collectively support the best interests of the breed. I would encourage breeders to heal the wounds, get some factual information about the current genetic status of the breed, and work together to solve problems and insure a bright future for the breed.