Ivy League dogs
Our dogs are SO smart, we’ve sent them to an Ivy League school . . . in a test tube! 
What they actually did is dontate samples of DNA to a Cryptorchidism research study at Cornell University in New York. What is this? It’s when a male puppy’s testicle or both testicles don’t descend from the abdomen.
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/cryptorchidism
This is a very common issue in French Bulldogs and an EXTREMELY common issue in English Bulldogs. (The British have actually altered the British Bulldog standard to allow showing dogs with only one testicle in conformation events.) The purpose of the research study is to find genetic markers or mutations causing this disorder. Then dogs who carry this gene can be identified, and breeders can alter their breeding program so two carriers aren’t paired or the carrier dog might be removed from the line.
Cryptorchidism doesn’t effect the quality of life for the pup, as long as he is neutered and the vet removes the undescended testicle. The true danger is leaving the testicle in place and running the risk of it becoming cancerous later. If a breeder has a puppy who is a cryptorchid, the puppy is usually is slated as a pet. In US conformation events, a missing testicle is a disqualification. However, being altered or neutered does not prevent a dog from participating in Obedience, Agility, or other non-conformation events. It does NOT keep the pup from growing up to be a wonderful pet.
This study is not limited to Frenchies. Any canine breed is eligible. Providing the DNA of a parent pair, the affected offspring, and any normal male siblings, is the best sample set for the study. This is only one of the ongoing studies.
For more on this study, please visit:
