Adult-onset deafness / EAOD risk panel (USP31/RBBP6/HS3ST2) - Border Collie

What does this test examine?

This DNA panel analyses four genetic markers on chromosome 6 used for Adult-onset deafness, also known as Early Adult Onset Deafness, EAOD, early adult hearing loss, progressive early adult deafness or inherited hearing decline in the Border Collie. The markers are located in or near USP31, HS3ST2 and RBBP6.

This is a risk panel rather than a simple affected-or-clear test. The four markers together provide information about inherited susceptibility to EAOD. The overall pattern across all subanalyses is therefore most useful for breeders and owners who want to manage hearing loss risk in Border Collie lines.

What does EAOD mean?

EAOD is not congenital deafness. Hearing loss develops gradually in young adult dogs and is often noticed in Border Collies around three to five years of age, when the dog responds less reliably to voice commands, whistles, environmental sounds or sounds at a distance. For working and sporting Border Collies, even moderate hearing loss can have a major practical impact because timing, direction and tone recognition matter in training, herding and daily handling.

Early signs can be subtle: slower response to recall, fewer greetings, stronger startle reactions, changes in barking or uncertainty when sounds are difficult to locate. Many dogs may already have been used for breeding before obvious signs appear, which makes DNA information valuable before selection and mating decisions are made.

How should the result be interpreted?

Each subanalysis reports whether the dog carries zero, one or two copies of the relevant EAOD risk marker. A dog with one or two copies has a less favourable genetic risk profile for that marker than a dog in which the marker is not detected. The exact risk percentage for each separate marker is not fixed; the result is most useful when the four markers are evaluated together.

The panel helps make accumulation of risk markers visible. This is particularly valuable in breeding plans: dogs with an unfavourable marker pattern can preferably be paired with dogs clear for the relevant markers, helping breeders manage the chance of offspring with an unfavourable EAOD profile.

Practical value of this test

• Provides early insight into inherited susceptibility to progressive hearing loss in Border Collies.
• Helps breeders avoid risk combinations and reduce accumulation of markers in breeding lines.
• Distinguishes dogs with zero, one or two copies of each tested risk marker.
• Adds useful context in lines with hearing loss, reduced response to whistles or deafness in adulthood.
• Supports decisions around breeding, purchase, training and work planning in dogs for whom good hearing is practically important.