Jess Sedivy Gunderson and Xan Latta: The Flat Coat Conservation Project
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The Flat-Coated Retriever breed faces a crisis: up to 70% of dogs die from aggressive cancers like histiocytic sarcoma, with average lifespans as low as 7 years. In a bold move, co-founders Jess Sedivy-Gunderson and Zan Latta launched the Flat Coat Conservation Project— a genetic rescue initiative that deliberately outcrosses purebred flat coats with other breeds to restore genetic diversity and break the cycle of inherited disease. They argue that the closed gene pool, which has led to a breed-wide inbreeding coefficient over 33%, is fundamentally incompatible with long-term health. Despite fierce resistance from the traditional purebred community, who see outcrossing as a betrayal, the project is grounded in science: research shows flat coats carry unique genetic predispositions to cancer, likely tied to their distinctive head shape and a bottleneck from the 1940s. The team emphasizes that outcrossing doesn’t mean abandoning the breed’s identity— it means saving it. Their first outcross litters already show dogs with classic flat coat temperament, appearance, and working ability, but with dramatically improved health prospects. Success isn’t about creating a new breed, but about proving that healthy, long-lived flat coats can exist— and that the future of the breed depends on embracing genetic diversity, not resisting it. The project’s real victory isn’t just in the puppies—it’s in shifting the ethical framework of breeding.
70% of flat-coated retrievers die from cancer, with average lifespans as low as 7 years due to a breed-wide inbreeding coefficient over 33%.
Outcrossing with other breeds is not abandoning the flat coat but a scientifically grounded genetic rescue to break the cycle of inherited disease.
The project’s first outcross litters already exhibit classic flat coat temperament, appearance, and working ability while showing dramatically improved health.
Genetic diversity cannot be recovered by breeding more purebreds—only by introducing new genetics from outside the closed gene pool.
Outcrossing reduces disease risk by diluting harmful alleles, not stacking them, and does not produce unpredictable or unhealthy puppies.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Introduction to the Flat Coat Conservation Project
Jessica Perry Heckman introduces Jess Sedivy-Gunderson as interim host and outlines the mission of the Functional Breeding Podcast and the Functional Dog Collaborative. The episode sets the stage for a deep dive into the challenges facing flat-coated retrievers and the innovative solution being pursued.
The Reality of Flat Coat Health Crises
“I thought about Raven dying before I even brought him home as a little puppy. And that is a very crushing burden for people.”
The Limits of Traditional Breeding
The hosts explore why traditional health testing and selective breeding within a closed gene pool have failed to solve the breed’s core health issues. They explain that while orthopedic problems have been addressed, cancer remains untreatable and untestable.
The Scientific Basis for Genetic Rescue
Zan explains the 2021 research from Dr. Ostrander Lab that identified specific regions on chromosomes 5 and 19 linked to histiocytic sarcoma in flat coats. These genetic predispositions are likely tied to the breed’s founding and head shape.
The Emotional and Social Cost of Change
“I didn’t feel that as a breeder, I had the ability to breed healthy flat coats where I could hand a puppy to a family and say, you know, with confidence that the dog would be alive in five years. I felt that that was wrong. I didn’t even feel that it was unethical at that point or unethical. I felt like it was immoral.”
“that as a breeder, I had the ability to breed healthy flat coats where I could... where I could hand a puppy to a family and say, you know, with confidence that the dog would be alive in five years. I felt that that was wrong. I didn't even feel that it was unethical at that point or unethical. I felt like it was immoral.”
“When you cross unrelated dogs, you're much less likely to get genetics that match up in a detrimental way. You're more likely to dilute problems than you are to add them on top of each other.”
“The day I saw pictures of Zan's puppies, I just remember how I felt a lot of that fall away because I thought now we have started and now we have something and now we have hope.”
Hosts
Guests
Flat Coat Conservation Project
organization
Jess Sedivy-Gunderson
person
Zan Latta
person
histiocytic sarcoma
other
Functional Dog Collaborative
organization
English Shepherd
other
FCRSA
organization
Dr. Ostrander Lab
organization
hemangiosarcoma
other
lymphoma
other
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