Advancing Canine Health

GOLDEN RETRIEVER LIFETIME STUDY - DATA AND SAMPLES AVAILABLE FOR RESEARCH

The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study is a longitudinal study established in 2012 with a cohort of 3,044 dogs at full enrollment in 2015. Primary Study endpoints include lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, high-grade mast cell tumors and osteosarcoma. Secondary Study endpoints cover a variety of diseases affecting the breed, including other cancers. Now in its 10th year, the Study provides a rich data set for researchers from universities, nonprofit and governmental organizations as well as private industry.

Dog owners and veterinarians are completing annual questionnaires, clinical exams and sample collection over each dog’s lifetime. These data and samples are now available for research questions in areas such as genetics, disease conditions, environmental factors, nutrition and behavior to improve canine health. While the Study was established to determine risk factors for major cancers, the data and samples can be used to explore many other aspects of canine health. All applications must be received through Fluxx.

Interested in data only? Check out our Data Commons before applying to see if our existing datasets meet your needs.

RFP Open Period: 5/15/23–7/14/23

APPLY FOR:
DATA AND/OR SAMPLES (ACADEMIC)
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP (INDUSTRY)

PROPOSAL APPLICATION FLOWCHART

Below you will find a flowchart that describes the process for a typical university-based research proposal. (This does not apply to the hemangiosarcoma request for proposals.)
1. Feasibility Review, Researcher reviews available data/samples to ensure project is feasible, Researcher submits project proposal via the submission form, Researcher responds to proposal questions as needed, Researcher receives proposal decision from Morris Animal Foundation (Turnaround Time: 2-3 weeks on average from end of application period); 2. Materials Transfer: Materials Transfer Agreement is completed and signed by all parties, Data and/or samples are transferred from Morris Animal Foundation (Turnaround Time: 4-6 weeks from Materials Transfer Agreement Completion); 3. Reporting, Status report completed by researcher and submitted to Morris Animal Foundation every 6 months, Include Morris Animal Foundation acknowledgment in publication (See FAQ for wording), Publish results and send citation to Morris Animal Foundation

AVAILABLE DATA

Below you will find the demographics that will be shared with you.
  • Dog ID
  • Name
  • Study year
  • Date of birth
  • Enrollment date
  • Anniversary date
  • Study status
  • Enrollment end date (if applicable)
  • Sex status
  • Coat color
  • State of residence
Annual Owner Questionnaire contains information on each dog’s lifestyle, travel history, reproductive history, physical activity, over-the-counter medications, at-home dental care, grooming history, diet and feeding practices, environment, living conditions and exposures, flea/tick and heartworm preventives, and a behavioral questionnaire (C-BARQ).

Annual Veterinarian Questionnaire includes data on each dog’s medical history, physical exam findings including height at withers, weight and body condition score, a map of superficial masses, vaccination history and prescription medication history.

DATA DASHBOARD

AVAILABLE SAMPLES
SPECIMEN STORAGE CONDITIONS BANKED PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION AMOUNT VISIT COLLECTED
GENOMIC DNA -80 °C DNA ALIQUOTS ADJUSTED TO 100 NG/ µL 1-5 µG BASELINE
WHOLE BLOOD -80 °C 1 ML ALIQUOTS 250 µL NON-BASELINE VISITS
SERUM -80 °C 1 ML & 250 µL ALIQUOTS 250 µL ALL ANNUAL VISITS
URINE -80 °C 1 ML ALIQUOTS 1 ML ALL ANNUAL VISITS
FECES -80 °C 1 ML ALIQUOT PER VISIT DISCUSS WITH STUDY TEAM ALL ANNUAL VISITS
HAIR CLIPPING -20 °C 1 SAMPLE PER VISIT 1 SAMPLE ALL ANNUAL VISITS
NAIL CLIPPINGS -20 °C 1 SAMPLE PER VISIT 1 SAMPLE ALL ANNUAL VISITS

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the terms of the data use agreement?

The agreement details publication requirements and how the data can and cannot be used. Contact the Foundation with specific questions.

What form is the data in?

The data is sent as a .csv file.

What is the process?

Please refer to our Application Process Flowchart above.

Do I need to include an acknowledgment to the Foundation in any publications?

Acknowledgement: We would like to thank Morris Animal Foundation, its staff members and all participants in the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study, including the dog owners, their golden retrievers and the Study veterinarians who made this work possible.

Funding: The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study and this manuscript were made possible through financial support provided by the Morris Family Foundation, the Mark & Bette Morris Family Foundation, VCA, the V Foundation, Blue Buffalo Company, Petco Love, Zoetis, Antech Inc., Elanco, the Purina Institute, Orvis, the Golden Retriever Foundation, the Hadley and Marion Stuart Foundation, Mars Veterinary, generous private donors and the Flint Animal Cancer Center at Colorado State University. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

What do the endpoint tiers mean?

Endpoint tiers are used to evaluate confidence in each cancer diagnosis.

CONFIDENCE TIER CATEGORY
DEFINITIVE

1
(MICROSCOPICALLY CONFIRMED)

 POSITIVE HISTOLOGY OR CYTOLOGY REVIEWED BY A BOARDCERTIFIED PATHOLOGIST. FOR LYMPHOMA, FLOW CYTOMETRY OR PARR ACCEPTED
PRESUMPTIVE

2
(NOT MICROSCOPICALLY CONFIRMED)

 DIRECT VISUALIZATION OR IMAGING WITHOUT MICROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION. FOR LYMPHOMA, IN-HOUSE CYTOLOGY
PRESUMPTIVE 3
(CLINICAL SUSPICION)		 CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS ONLY

 

READ STUDY JOURNAL ARTICLES

APPROVED APPLICATIONS
PI NAME AFFILIATION TOPIC
FY23    
Rebecca Bloch North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Investigation into the risk factors and veterinary prescribing practices for canine otitis externa
Geoffrey Wood University of Guelph Early Detection of Lymphoma in Dogs by Circulating MicroRNA
FY22    
Lauren Trepanier University of Wisconsin-Madison Environmental Chemical Exposures in Golden Retrievers with Lymphoma
Lauren Wisnieski Lincoln Memorial University What factors are predictive of heartworm preventative medication adherence and development of heartworm disease in golden retrievers?
Kevin Morris University of Denver Exploring the impacts of Social Determinants of Health and Human-Animal Bond on compliance and retention in Morris Animal Foundation's Golden Retriever Lifetime Study
FY21    
Ross Luetchke University of Wisconsin-Madison Environmental exposures and lymphoma risk: a nested case–control study using the Golden Retriever Lifetime Study cohor
Joseph Bartges University of Georgia Description of GRLS Data Processing for AGE Research Project with GRLS Serum and Urine Samples
Sangeeta Rao Colorado State University Identifying the preferred choices of antimicrobials by veterinarians for various infectious diseases
Kaitlin Sawatzki Tufts University Human-to-dog transmission and disease risk of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19
FY20    
Geoffrey Wood University of Guelph Blood microRNA profiling for early detection of lymphoma in Golden Retriever dogs
FY19    
Eleanor Raffan University of Cambridge Identifying the genetic determinants of obesity in Golden Retriever dogs
Audrey Ruple Purdue University The Golden Retriever Lifetime Study: Assessing factors associated with owner compliance after the first year of enrollment
Unity Jeffery Texas A&M University Detecting early disease by defining physiological variation in annual wellness testing data
Josh Stern University of California, Davis Taurine Deficiency and Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Golden Retrievers Fed Commercial Diets
Elizabeth Kubas Ethos Veterinary Health Prevalence and risk factors for intestinal endoparasitism and associated clinicopathologic changes
Natasha Loy Son Ethos Veterinary Health Comparison of clinicopathologic data in juvenile golden retrievers in relation to body condition
Molly Wingerd Ethos Veterinary Health Comparison of routine laboratory values in healthy dogs fed raw versus cooked diets
FY18    
Chris Miller University of Colorado Denver Determining Environmental and Gut Microbiome Contributions to Obesity Risk in Golden Retrievers Lifetime Study Participants
Adam Boyko Embark Veterinary Genomic estimation of inbreeding and its impact on fecundity in Golden Retrievers