A new study suggests scientists may eventually tackle dog allergies at their source, opening the door to a bigger question: what else could we genetically change in our pets? Researchers created two gene-edited beagles, Alfie and Bailey, in September 2024. In a new study published in The CRISPR Journal, the researchers found no detectable Can f 1—a major dog allergen—in saliva, hair or dander from the edited dogs.
Extracts from the dogs also produced no detectable allergic skin response in the single sensitized person tested. The researchers emphasize that the work is a proof of concept rather than a finished allergy treatment, since the study involved only two canines. The dogs have shown normal growth and development so far, but the research raises the possibility that gene editing could eventually be used to prevent disease or improve animal health.
Matt Walker, the study's lead author, told Newsweek that gene editing could become another tool for addressing specific biological problems in companion animals. "The most realistic applications are likely to involve well-characterized genetic conditions where a specific change could provide a meaningful health or welfare benefit," Walker said. That could be particularly relevant for dogs, where selective breeding has contributed to inherited health problems in some breeds.
Hip, spinal and respiratory disorders, for example, affect certain breeds at higher rates. Walker said gene editing could eventually offer a more precise way to address some inherited conditions, but only when the underlying genetics are well understood, and there is strong evidence that the change benefits the animal. Rather than dramatically redesigning an animal, Walker said gene editing can involve an extremely small genetic change.
In this case, researchers made a single-letter change in the dogs' DNA at a specific site. "Our goal is not to redesign dogs, but to make a minimal and precise change that addresses a real problem," Walker said. He said he is most excited about the possibility of using the technology to prevent disease and improve animal welfare.
But for him, the value depends on using it for meaningful benefits that prioritize animal health over appearance, temperament or characteristics. Other possibilities, including extending pets' lifespans, are considerably more complicated. Aging depends on numerous biological processes rather than a single, easily targeted trait.
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