Epilepsy worry looking. Looking for Long hair sable. - Page 1

Hi

My apologies if I shouldn't be asking this but....

We very recently lost our 13yr old long hair silver sable to cdrm/dm and I am trying to find another to love. 

The problem is I know that here in the UK, with the type I am looking for there is now an epilepsy issue with several breeders because their dogs have 2 certain well known carriers in their ancestry.

My question is two fold, does the gene dilute over generations if so roughly how many?  Would it be safe to assume a great grandchild for example would be disease free?

Secondly if it isn't safe  does anyone know of any safe lines?  I've poured over descendant lines going sideways and down from the starting point of my girl,  and they all seem to have at least one of the dogs or their siblings in their ancestry.

I guess we can count ourselves very fortunate with our girl, as her father (am I allowed to name)? Is grandfather to the dam that sired one of the affected white dogs.

Thanks and sorry again if I've opened a can of worms.

Thank you Donna,

Your dogs are lovely, but rather too far away from me.  I think maybe I should have added that I am in the UK.  :-)

Alison

Are you in the UK?  Somehow I get the impression that you are in the UK.  I recall that there are some lines of white and white-carrier GSDs there that are known to carry epilepsy. 

Don't apologize for asking questions, there's absolutely nothing wrong with asking these questions

No, genes do not dilute over generations, a dog either inherits a gene or it doesn't.  

I think you should look into different types of GSD lines, as in working lines or German showlines.  You can find sable longhairs in the German showlines from either Timo Berrekasten or Arlett bloodlines, these sables will be red sables though, not silver. 
Practicly all working lines have sables, so it's just a matter of waiting for someone to have a longhair pop up.   I have been seeing more longhair working lines lately, I think because the SV now allows them. 

lmao, oops Alison, I guessed right! lol, we posted at the same time. 

Yes Euroshepherd I'm in the UK. I've now edited my original post to include that somewhat necessary piece of info.

Thank you very much for the input. I will investigate the names you have suggested.

Alison