Conclusions

• The observation that the disease almost invariably occurs in family groups establishes that JKD is inherited.
• The observation that inbreeding on JKD breeding is commonly involved, or that JKD is present in the background of both parents irrespective of country of origin, strongly suggests a recessive mode of inheritance.
• However, the partially-hidden nature of the disease and the probability that affected dogs may survive and breed normally pose further problems that need to be resolved.
• That the levels of inbreeding in many JKD pedigrees are extremely high, notably in the show section of the breed, indicates that inbreeding has played a significant role in the emergence of detectable disease in the UK.