PGL Genetics Academy

A structured path to Applied Poodle Genetics — not another article to skim

Poodle Genetics Lab already publishes books, guides, and tools. The Academy is different: three progressive levels, real assessments, real PGL tools used on real (synthetic) cases, and a certificate that means you finished the work — not that you bought access.

See the 3 levels →

What you’re actually working toward

A study guide you keep at every level, and a real certificate at the end of it — earned, not just unlocked by paying.

Study Guide + Q&A Review Book

Included with every level. Yours to keep as a PDF.

Certificate in Applied Canine Genetics

Issued once all three levels and their capstones are complete.

Who this is for

Poodle breeders and serious owners who want to actually understand the genetics behind a DNA report and a pairing decision — not just look up an answer when a question comes up. No prior genetics background is assumed at Level I; Level III is written for someone who has worked through the material that comes before it.

How the levels progress

Level I — Foundation

10 modules

How genetic information actually works, in plain language: genotype vs. phenotype, probability and Punnett reasoning, reading a real DNA report, and what testing cannot tell you.

See the 10 modules
  1. How Genetic Information Works
  2. Genotype, Phenotype & Inheritance
  3. Probability & Punnett Reasoning
  4. From Gene to Visible Trait
  5. Introduction to Canine Color Loci
  6. Reading a DNA Report
  7. What DNA Testing Cannot Tell You
  8. Health Inheritance Fundamentals
  9. Basic Breeding Application
  10. Level I Integration / Exam Preparation
$59Sign in to enroll — Level I — Foundation

Level II — Applied

14 modules

Locus by locus: E, K, A, B, D, intensity, white patterning, progressive clearing, and merle fundamentals — then how those loci interact, mask each other, and combine into a real pairing decision.

See the 14 modules
  1. E Locus
  2. K Locus
  3. A Locus / ASIP Haplotypes
  4. B Locus
  5. D Locus / Dilution
  6. Intensity
  7. White Patterning (S Locus)
  8. Progressive Clearing (G Locus)
  9. Merle Fundamentals
  10. Coat Structure & Panel Reliability
  11. Epistasis & Masking Synthesis
  12. Phenotype to Genotype Reasoning: Solids & Patterns
  13. Pairing Analysis & Applied Case Interpretation
  14. Whole-Dog Integration / Level II Capstone
$89Sign in to enroll — Level II — Applied

Level III — Advanced

19 modules

Where the science gets genuinely uncertain: merle risk reasoning, penetrance and expressivity, population genetics and COI, structural and reproductive genetics, and how to communicate what the evidence does and doesn’t support.

See the 19 modules
  1. Advanced ASIP/Haplotype Interpretation
  2. Complex Merle Genetics & PMEL Length Concepts
  3. Mosaicism & Cryptic Merle Presentations
  4. Merle Risk Reasoning
  5. MLPH Variants & Compound Heterozygosity
  6. CDA: Evidence & Limitations
  7. Unresolved & Untestable Traits
  8. Penetrance & Expressivity
  9. Structural Genetics: Skeleton, Movement & Growth
  10. Multifactorial Health Genetics
  11. Population Genetics & Diversity
  12. Reproductive Genetics
  13. Pedigree vs. Genomic COI Concepts
  14. Scientific-Evidence Interpretation
  15. Lab Differences & Assay Scope
  16. Structural & Regulatory Variation
  17. Advanced Case Analysis
  18. Communicating Uncertainty
  19. Level III Capstone: Evidence-Based Breeding Decisions
$119Sign in to enroll — Level III — Advanced

Complete Academy

All three levels and the complete-pathway certificate. $249 — real savings over buying each level separately ($267), not a manufactured discount.

$249Sign in to enroll — Complete Academy

Learn on the same tools you’ll actually use

Exercises work directly with PGL’s own pairing calculator and DNA report reasoning — using synthetic practice dogs built for the Academy, never real breeder records. You predict an outcome first, check it against the tool, then work through why the tool landed where it did.

The certificate

Completing a level — every lesson, every assessment passed at its required standard, including that level’s capstone case — earns a Certificate in Applied Canine Genetics, Poodle Genetics Specialization, awarded by Poodle Genetics Lab. Purchasing a level is not the same as earning its certificate; the certificate is included in what you paid for, but issued only once the work is actually done.

This is a private educational credential. It does not make you a certified geneticist, a canine geneticist, or a veterinary geneticist, and it does not confer university accreditation, veterinary licensure, laboratory certification, or any government or independent professional accreditation. Every issued certificate carries a unique credential ID anyone can check at a public verification page.

Frequently asked questions

Is this recognized by any professional or governing organization?

No. This is a private educational credential awarded by Poodle Genetics Lab. It does not make you a certified geneticist, a canine geneticist, or a veterinary geneticist, and it does not confer university accreditation, veterinary licensure, laboratory certification, or any government or independent professional accreditation. Every issued certificate carries a unique credential ID that anyone can check at a public verification page.

Do I need a genetics background to start?

No prior genetics background is assumed at Level I — it starts with how genetic information actually works, in plain language. Level III is written for someone who has worked through the material that comes before it, so the levels are meant to be taken in order.

What happens if I don't pass an assessment?

You can retry it. Attempts are unlimited by default for every assessment currently in the Academy — there is no permanent lockout for a failed attempt.

Is the certificate worth anything professionally?

It represents demonstrated competency, not a click-through: it's issued only once every lesson and assessment in a level — including that level's capstone case — has actually been passed at its required standard, not simply once you've paid for the level. But it's a private credential, not a professional or government accreditation, and it doesn't confer licensure or certification equivalence.

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