Found this artcle very interesting and they cannot seem to get enough dogs.

http://www.thedca.org/seizureDNAResearch.html

Interesting.... Is epilepsy a big problem with Dals? Too bad they didn't have a bigger gene pool to use. They should have started with Labs.

The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America and the PBGV Club of America have also been involved with this project for quite a few yrs. The problem is getting people to submit blood samples of affected dogs and even more difficult is getting people who own the parents, and siblings to the affected dogs to submit blood samples. The Greater Swiss people were early on the bandwagon and have a large number of submissions even with the small gene pool of this breed. Submission of samples from complete families is what is needed by the reseachers for them to make the progress that is needed.
I have been involved with both breeds and breed clubs and this research.
Julia