Muscular dystrophy in a family of Labrador Retrievers with no muscle dystrophin and a mild phenotype.

•HyperCKemia occurred in young related dogs without clinical signs of myopathy.•Dystrophin was absent in muscle by immunofluorescence staining and immunoblotting.•These findings suggest that muscles may be functional in the absence of dystrophin.•These findings may open up new avenues for treatments of muscular dystrophies.