Health, genetics and breeding priorities
Making breeding decisions isn’t just about avoiding diseases; it’s about deciding which traits deserve the highest priority and how to balance health, genetic diversity and breed characteristics.
Which traits should be given the highest priority in Swedish Vallhund breeding? Where is flexibility possible, and where is it not?
Join geneticist Dr Katariina Mäki for an evidence-based webinar exploring the current health status of the Swedish Vallhund and the breed’s most important breeding challenges. Drawing on scientific knowledge, practical breeding experience, and the latest available information on the breed, Katariina will discuss which traits deserve the greatest attention and present practical recommendations for future breeding decisions.
The webinar is organised in collaboration with the Special Club for Västgötaspets (SKV) and will take place on 14 October 2026, 7:00–8:30 PM (Swedish time).
The webinar will be held in English on Google Meet, which can accommodate up to 500 participants.
Can’t attend live? No problem. Every registered participant will receive access to the recording for 30 days.
What you will learn
During the webinar, you will learn:
- which health and genetic traits should be prioritised in breeding,
- where breeders have flexibility and where they should be cautious,
- how to balance health, genetic diversity and breed characteristics, and
- practical recommendations for future breeding priorities.
Who is this webinar for?
This webinar is intended for Swedish Vallhund breeders, breed club members, judges, veterinarians, and anyone interested in the long-term health and sustainable breeding of the breed.
About the speaker
Dr Katariina Mäki is a Finnish geneticist specialising in canine population genetics and hereditary diseases. She has worked with kennel clubs, breed clubs and breeders internationally and teaches online courses on genetics and sustainable breeding.
Katariina’s approach to this webinar:
“I have decades of experience in breeding counselling and have worked with various breed clubs. Although I am a breeding professional, I do not claim to be an expert on the Swedish Vallhund. During the webinar, I will offer an impartial, external viewpoint on how I believe this breed should move forward in terms of the health and welfare of the dogs. I am not on anyone’s side in this webinar — except the dogs.“
How the webinar is prepared
The webinar content is based on questions submitted in advance by breeders and breed enthusiasts, the Swedish breed-specific breeding strategy (RAS), and the latest available information on the breed.
Registration
Registration is open until 12 October 2026.
If you would like to submit questions in advance, please register no later than 21 September 2026. Because of the amount of material covered, additional questions during the live webinar are unlikely.
Accessing your webinar materials
To keep everything in one place and make it easy to access before and after the webinar, all webinar materials are provided through a simple online course consisting of a single lesson.
After completing your payment and registration, simply click either of the lesson links on this page to access your webinar lesson. The lesson links are located in the upper right corner and at the bottom of this page. The links are visible before registration, but access to the lesson is activated automatically after your payment has been completed.
The webinar lesson contains everything you need before and after the webinar:
- a link to the survey where you can submit questions and suggest specific topics for the webinar (available until 21 September),
- the Google Meet webinar link (available two days before the webinar),
- a 20% discount code for Katariina Mäki’s online genetics courses, and
- a link to the recording (available within two days after the webinar and accessible until 16 November 2026).
If you experience any problems accessing the webinar lesson, the recording, or the online courses, please contact Katariina at info@katariinamaki.fi.
Problems attending?
Don’t worry if you can’t attend the live webinar.
Please note that individual technical support during the live webinar may not be available. If you are unable to join the webinar or experience technical difficulties, you can watch the recording afterwards.
Interested in learning more about genetics?
As a webinar participant, you’ll receive a 20% discount on Katariina Mäki’s online genetics courses.
Browse the courses at https://healthybreeding.com/.
Register today to secure your place. If you have specific questions or topics you would like to see covered, remember to register by 21 September so you can submit them in advance.