Our Goal
Our goal is to provide Shiloh Shepherd breeders with practical and useful genetic information that will help them with their breeding decisions.
Breeders evaluate many important factors before deciding on a pairing. One of those factors, the genetic expected Coefficient of Inbreeding (eCOI) of a litter, was not readily available in the past. Breeders had to rely on pedigree-based COIs, which can’t account for random genetic recombination.
Embark now provides trial breeding results with every Breeder’s account using an online tool called “Pair Predictor.” The results include the scientifically-based genetic eCOI of the planned litter, as well as health and coat information.
Whether or not you’re a breeder, we encourage you to include your Shiloh in our Project! Each one that joins helps us learn more. All that’s needed is any Embark DNA test for your Shiloh that includes health testing. There are no other costs or fees.

What You Will Learn with Every Trial Breeding

Expected Litter COI
The expected Coefficient of Inbreeding (eCOI) for the litter is determined by how much identical DNA the sire and dam share, and not their own COIs. Pedigree COIs cannot accurately predict a litter’s eCOI because they cannot account for random recombination of DNA.

Genetic Health Conditions
Test results are provided for all genetic health conditions that can be tested. Embark currently tests 274 health conditions, 11 of which are considered breed-relevant for Shiloh Shepherds. More are added as they are discovered.

Coat Colors
Although not part of our goal, the DNA analysis automatically provides the predicted coat colors of a planned litter. It also identifies the odds of any one pup having each of the different colors that are genetically possible.

Benefits of Joining the Project
Personalized Reports. Project members will receive a detailed report for all trial breedings they request through the Project.* The report will provide the eCOI of the hypothetical litter, health results for the 11 genetically-testable conditions which are breed-relevant, and an analysis of possible coat colors and lengths, including statistical odds of how many pups will have each type of coat. Photos of possible coat types are included.
Favorable eCOI Alerts. Owners of breeding Shilohs in the Project will be alerted whenever a new potential match joins the Project who is predicted to have a low eCOI with your Shiloh.* If both owners approve, a trial breeding will be conducted and a report will prepared for the two owners.
Assistance with Understanding DNA Results. If you have a question about your Shiloh’s DNA results, we’re here to help! We have over a decade of experience of analyzing DNA and also correspond regularly with the genetic experts at Embark.
Genetic Privacy. We only share Trial Breeding results* and nothing else. We don’t even reveal your Shiloh’s own COI unless requested. Embark’s “Pair Predictor” tool requires that both dogs be in the same “Breeder” account. If your Shiloh is shared with another breeder’s account instead of the Trial Breeding Project, all its DNA results will be shared with the other breeder too.
Personal Privacy. We will never share the names of members or their Shilohs without the prior written permission of the member.
*Subject to the owners of both Shilohs agreeing to sharing their dogs’ names with each other.

Disclaimer
Except for testing our own Shiloh Shepherds with Embark, we have no connection to Embark, financial or otherwise.
We don’t breed or show and have nothing personal to gain from this Project, other than the hope that we can help breeders of today and Shilohs of the future.
Privacy
We take privacy very seriously. We will never share or release your name or any genetic information about your Shiloh without your prior approval.