When the Dog Aging Project designed the DNA reports that we share with our participants, we decided to share alleles(1) associated with phenotypic traits(2) because the data supporting that those alleles cause those traits are very strong. By contrast, for many diseases, the data about genetic risk are limited and show association only.
For instance, Irish Setters have a genetic risk for a disease called Canine Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (CLAD), and they are the only common breed with this disease risk. They are also one of the few breeds with long red hair. Statistically speaking, the genes that produce long red hair would be associated with CLAD, because this specific breed has both outcomes. However, the genes that produce long red hair do not cause CLAD. To avoid causing undue worry to participants about genes that may be associated with disease, but may not necessarily cause disease, we have chosen not to report so-called "disease alleles" until the data are much stronger.
The genetics of health in dogs are an important area of research, and we aim to strengthen it through our work at the Dog Aging Project!
(1) Alleles - the specific versions your dog has of a particular gene
(2) Phenotypic traits - physical traits such as shape, size, hair length, etc.