So…. As a dog fanatic, reading the Wall Street Journal headline “Why Dogs are Some Scientists’ New Best Friends” gave me the heebie-jeebies at first.

I’m the kind of person who has to click past the awful pictures of abused doggies really quickly to keep my heart from breaking (and yes, almost all of my charitable donations are aimed at those poor pooches).

I can think of a billion reasons for scientists to be best friends with dogs. But unless the pups are cuddling up on researchers’ feet to keep brainy tootsies warm, none of those reasons involve a laboratory.

I opened the article to a “GAAAWWWW, so CUTE!” picture of basset hound eyes… and then read the subhead: “Dogs develop many of the same diseases humans do, making them good subjects for research.”

Ugh. Visions of sad, shaved-fur canines in restrictive laboratory cages fill my head. I can barely bring myself to scroll down even a single line, but when I do a smiling picture of the article’s author appears. Surely that nice smiling lady wouldn’t have written an article that touts using pup-a-dups for horrendous experiments! I’m going to be very mad at her if she does….

Must keep scrolling

Nope. Don’t wanna.

Gotta.

I read, “The DNA of dogs” –whew! I know that DNA studies often involve only easy swabs, petri dishes, and microscopes. Now, please tell me we’re not going to The Island of Doctor Moreau….

Whew!

It turns out that one doggie-loving scientist is creating a database of canine genetic information similar to the Human Genome Project.

Volunteers fill out questionnaires about their own dogs (and, yes, I’ve joined the free Darwin’s Dogs project with both my mutts).

The project will soon send me postage-paid DNA swab kits. When mine arrives, I’ll swab the dogs and send their samples back for the scientists to enter into the registry. None of my personal information will be involved or available to the public.

Instead, my dogs’ DNA, coupled with the answers I’ve provided about their behavior, health, personality, etc., will help researchers understand the genetics of diseases that happen to both dogs and humans.

I had no idea that people and dogs “share almost all the same genes and suffer from many of the same diseases.” Did you?

And because our dogs share our homes, cars, and many experiences right next to us, they’re exposed to similar pollutants and situations. That makes them better subjects than lab mice.

Apparently, other studies using dogs have resulted in interesting findings about human diseases such as a bone cancer called osteosarcoma, narcolepsy, epilepsy, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

And—hallelujah!—no puppy dogs of any age were subjected to horrendous science experiments in pursuit of these findings!

Overall, the article—and the work being done—is fascinating and sure to warm the hearts of dog-lovers. We already knew that our furry, four-footed forever friends are beyond awesome—now our dogs are helping science understand and solve human health problems.

Can we get a “Arf-men”?

Who knew dogs’ DNA could be so informative? Let us know your thoughts below!