Heterozygosity

Heterozygosity in dogs refers to the genetic situation where a dog inherits two different alleles (gene variants) for a specific trait or gene locus from its parents. This genetic diversity contributes to the variation seen in physical traits, behaviors, and health among individual dogs and different breeds. Maintaining a certain level of heterozygosity is important in breeding programs to avoid an excessive accumulation of harmful recessive traits and promote overall genetic health within dog populations.