sandgrubber

Article was interesting but I couldn't get passed those horrible cropped ears in the photos section. shudder For photos of extreme dogs, I recommend: dogshowpoop.blogspot.com Personally, I'm more grossed out by coiffure than ears that have been tampered with. But then, I'm not into cosmetics and I would never own a long haired dog.

Where I lived in South Fremantle, wandering cats often disappeared. Rumor had it that someone was using them as bait in cray pots. Where I lived in a Perth kennel area, I had neighbours who had Akitas . . . who were quite skilled at cat killing. Where I live now, in a mountainous area of California, we have great horned owls, bobcats, coyotes, and grey foxes (only distantly related to red foxes) who have no trouble taking on domestic (or feral) cats in rural areas, and I rarely see cat prints on my property. I'd applaud this guy for posting a warning. My guess is the warning was a bluff . . . but wandering cats are a PITA. Worse in Australia where there are so few natural predators.

I don't know how many 'the papers haven't arrived yet' posts there have been on DOL. Bloody Neanderthal K9 associations. Why the hell don't they put pup registration on line!!!!! It would take so much less time. It would avoid so many errors. It would make things more transparent. And it would reduce their costs. Aren't entrenched bureaucracies wonderful :D:)

By Ella Davies Reporter, BBC Nature 12 Jan, 2012 [/url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/16426276 Dogs can keep warm on frozen ground, thanks to a specialised circulation system in their paws, say scientists. Researchers in Japan used electron microscopes to study the internal structure of domestic dogs' paws. They found that heat was transferred from the artery to the network of veins, meaning that cooled blood could not return to the body. The system has been recognised in many other animals' extremities, including penguins' beaks and dolphins' fins. The findings are published in the journal Veterinary Dermatology. Arctic foxes and wolves are well known for their adaptations that help them to regulate a constant body temperature in cold conditions. Continue reading the main story COLD-PROOF PAWS Arctic foxes have dense and rigid fur on their feet which keeps the pads away from the freezing ground The pads are connective tissue and fat which is more resistant to freezing They have a "rete mirabile" or "wonderful network" of veins in their feet and legs that works as a heat exchanger where cooled blood is warmed up to maintain a constant temperature (Additional research by Dr Arnaud Tarroux from the University of Quebec, Canada) Previous studies showed that the canines can keep the tissue in their feet from freezing even in temperatures of -35C. Dr Hiroyoshi Ninomiya and his team at the Yamazaki Gakuen University in Tokyo, Japan, set out to discover if this ability was also common to domestic dogs. Using electron microscopes, the researchers were able to examine the internal structure of dogs' paws. They found that the very close proximity of the arteries to the veins in the footpad meant that heat was conducted from one blood vessel to another. So when blood in the paw's veins cooled on contact with the air or ground, warm blood pumping from the heart - through the neighbouring artery - transferred its heat. The blood was therefore "warmed up" before it returned to the body - preventing the dog's body from cooling down, whilst also keeping the paws at a constant temperature.

In that case, it would make sense for shelters and breeders to look very carefully at people's rental contracts before selling them a dog or pup. Do you really think someone with a dozen cats and a few dogs should be able to withhold that information on a rental application? Do you really think it should be illegal to ban pets in a large, hi-rise apartment complex with no parks nearby? Do you really think a community where the grounds are unfenced and a gardener is hired to keep them stunning should be forced to accept digging puppies who get the zoomies and trample the flower beds? Remember that story back a few months ago where three APBTS kept in a 3rd floor apartment in a drug-ridden slum killed a toddler who was saying the same apartment. A variety of neighbors stated that people had been pressuring slumlords to ban pet ownership because the slum dwellers tended to go for fighting dogs, and didn't pick up the dog pooh. "You break it, you pay for it" sounds great, until you try to enforce it. Lots of renters have the means to skip town, but lack the means to pay. Plus, someone with a dozen cats probably can't smell l'eau de catbox that tends to permeate everything where a large number of cats are kept in a small house . . . so in their books they have done no damage, while the landlord ends out with a house that is going to need a lot of work to get rid of the smell. I'm hoping, in my next transition, to end out with a semi-rural property with two rentals specifically set up for people with dogs . . . washable wainscoating, concrete floors, lockable doggie doors, and large secure yards. Where such an investment hasn't been made, I would only rent to people with very well trained and low energy dogs, or people without pets.

The better response to this is "SHOW ME THE NUMBERS". They are worth knowing! I've been looking all over the place for insurance statistics on vet costs by breed . . . to make a case that the much-maligned pug is actually fairly healthy. The only thing I can come up with is PetPlan's 10 most expensive breed list, which is US based: http://www.mainstreet.com/slideshow/smart-spending/10-dogs-priciest-vet-bills (The ranking from most to least expensive of the top ten is: American Bulldog, Burnese Mountain Dog, Rotweiler, Samoyed, AmStaff, APBT, Frenchie, Basset, Akita, and Great Dane . . . the costs seem to be skewed by the high cost of a few procedures . . . eg, cancer treatment, bloat, removal of foreign objects from stomach/intestine, HD surgery, and cruciate ligament surgery . . . breeds that aren't prone to any of these are likely to have lower vet bills . . . mutts . . . depends on the mutt).

yes. It literally means 'place', by inference drop in place, which has a nice precise feel if you like competitive obedience. Sit is 'sitz' . . . which adds a little emphasis to 'sit'.

You can and should consider random stats because the set of base pairs you are selecting for is much smaller than the set of base pairs you aren't selecting for. If a dog has the equivalent of the condition I have that yield a biological false positive to the Wasserman test (the old test for syphilis), apparently a recessive gene whose expression often causes problems in the immune system, you'd never know it. Or, say there are three different recessives, all of related to the development of the mouth, but you only know about one of them. In the process of breeding out the two you know, you may be increasing the probability of the other three. Eg, hypothetically, you may half the probability of undershot jaw at the cost of doubling the probabilities of missing teeth and the probability of cleft palate. Very little of a dog's genetic code controls things like body dimensions and colour, that we select for. A large amount of genetic structure governs things like biochemistry (hence, potentially affecting things such as allergies, cancer, foetal development, hormonal imbalance, pancreatis, etc., sometimes in a polygenetic mode). Rare, random deleterious recessive mutations can hide for a long time before a double recessive will cause a mutation to be expressed. Probabilities for double recessive of a rare gene increase rapidly with inbreeding. You won't be aware of a doubling of probability if it means the incidence of a hereditary disease goes from 1% to 2%. At least that's the way I understand the theory.

I like the German 'platz' for 'drop'. I think that hard 'tz' catches a dog's ear and makes the command more commanding. (correction . . . I originally put sit here . . . senior moment, I'm afraid). I also use 'oui' pretty often for 'down', or 'drop' in cases where the dog is doing something they know they're not supposed to do . . . like jumping up on a car door to greet the people inside, or carrying off the butter. Dogs don't generalise in the same way humans do, but most seem to get a command that says: 'you know that's not ok, stop".

Oops, double post

My BIGGEST not is someone who wants the pup at a certain time as a surprise gift (birthday, Xmas, etc) for someone else. I don't mind any of the NOTS listed, though I generally list puppy prices to save people from asking about a pup they can't afford. I sort of like the tweet-style emails (Do U have any pups? How much?) . . . generally keep a brief text around saying when pups are expected, describing the sire and dam, giving the price, and telling people that if they would like to be put down for a pup, I'd like the following info . . . etc.

Interesting thread. It's refreshing to hear a dog problem discussed and not once have 'more education' advocated as a solution.

Go for it. I'm sure others will be grateful to you. If you haven't met aggressive dogs there before, it's a good dog beach, and people care. . . . and the Rangers are probably good. It's probably worth saying a few flattering words about what a great beach it is and thank them for keeping it free of aggressive dogs. Good council workers deserve recognition.

I'm a sucker for old dog photos. Came across this one, unfortunately undated. The breeds are collie (the Queen preferred dropped ears), smooth daschund, and either a terrier mix or an undocked Foxie. The poster speculates that the dogs like the Queen's collies contributed to the development of the Gordon setter. Things sure were different back in the days before the stud books closed! source: http://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2012/01/15/some-of-queen-victorias-dogs/

I made no blanket statement against in/line breeding as I'm getting different opinions for different sides and haven't had the time to read the huge amount of information carefully. I am quite ready to say that close line breeding can unearth nasty recessive traits, and should not be undertaken by 'beginning' breeders who find it convenient to use a dog they have bred over his mother or half sister, even if he seems healthy and is a lovely dog. The canine genome has around 3 billion base pairs. The general effect of inbreeding is to make an increasing number of those base pairs homozygous. Line- or inbreeding with selection may help in getting the 'baddies' to drop out of the target base pairs, leaving the DNA more homozygous for the desired state of the target allele. How many traits are you breeding for . . . I'd guess less than 500. What happens to the 3 billion minus 500 base pairs? They also become more homozygous. Eventually this will lead to problems. I came across a table for pup survival rate vs COI. Unfortunately, the blogger didn't note his source. If you have better data, please post it. But until someone comes up with verified numbers, this is what I accept as a tentative hypothesis: COI: survival rate <0.19: 75% 0.25-0.67: 51% >0.67: 25% source: http://www.astraean....g-yourself.html

Good opportunity for a dog loving geek to work out some solution. Finding pups can be a mess. There should be a better, easy for lister, easy for 'wantsapuppy'-er to locate quality pedigree pups . . . and facilitate transfers of information associated with finding quality homes . . . or finding quality pups.

That is correct and the official way of doing things, although many don't bother to let the KC know they have done AI. http://www.frozenstuddog.net/ is another company you could look at, they are in the UK in the NW of england. Happy Hands seems to be particularly attractive to Labrador folks because they are associated with Balrion at Weathertop, a respected Labrador kennel with some lovely dogs. Sometime in the last decade, they moved from the US to Scotland.

So how far do we need to play with this - Last time I looked the human race had one of four women in common didn't they? Dogs move through generations a lot quicker than humans. What is your COI ? i don't know what mine is or what my ex husbands was but we each turned out to carry the same gene which causes haemochromotosis . I have 5 of 8 kids affected by it - so no doubt if we went back in our pedigrees far enough we would see where it came from - one common ancestor. If I had of known the lines and the pedigree i could have avoided that mating and prevent my kids from suffering - there was I thinking I was safe with an out cross. Lets not forget that humans in Australia can legally marry their cousins. the only time COI are helpful is if we know what else is in there. I don't know where you looked to see the human race had four women in common. How does this true up with recent discoveries that we all carry a bit of Neanderthal? As for COI: Good you asked. My maternal grandparents were first cousins and I have inherited a couple family conditions. 1) 14 of my permanent teeth never came in, and I've required implants and bridges to maintain a fully functional mouth. An aunt and great aunt were also born without permenant teeth. 2) I show a biological false positive on the Wasserman test . . . as was my grandmother. Knock on wood . . . the latter is said to be associated with autoimmune conditions, but so far I haven't suffered any. Studies of inbred human populations tend to show negative health consequences. See, eg., http://www.ncbi.nlm....les/PMC2080450/ I don't know where you got your information about human groups that practice consanguineous marriage. The patterns are complex. . . . and the practices are widespread. See, eg: www.consang.net/images/d/dd/01AHBWeb3.pdf If you look at populations where the pedigrees of humans can be traced, eg, royal families in Europe, I think you'll find that inbreeding has created health and fertility problems. Island populations with small founder populations are commonly highly inbred. And they often go extinct.

So how far do we need to play with this - Last time I looked the human race had one of four women in common didn't they? Dogs move through generations a lot quicker than humans. What is your COI ? i don't know what mine is or what my ex husbands was but we each turned out to carry the same gene which causes haemochromotosis . I have 5 of 8 kids affected by it - so no doubt if we went back in our pedigrees far enough we would see where it came from - one common ancestor. If I had of known the lines and the pedigree i could have avoided that mating and prevent my kids from suffering - there was I thinking I was safe with an out cross. Lets not forget that humans in Australia can legally marry their cousins. the only time COI are helpful is if we know what else is in there. I don't know where you looked to see the human race had four women in common. How does this true up with recent discoveries that we all carry a bit of Neanderthal? As for COI: Good you asked. My maternal grandparents were first cousins and I have inherited a couple family conditions. 1) 14 of my permanent teeth never came in, and I've required implants and bridges to maintain a fully functional mouth. An aunt and great aunt were also born without permenant teeth. 2) I show a biological false positive on the Wasserman test . . . as did my grandmother. Knock on wood . . . the latter is said to be associated with autoimmune conditions, but so far I haven't suffered any.

I didn't say inbreeding is common. I said the most common reason for inbreeding was convenience. I cannot prove this, and I don't think anyone can disprove it. I I don't know the truth about inbreeding. It's clear that, carefully done, it can produce healthy, uniform lines. Also clear that, taken to the extreme, homozygousity can be ruinous to health. Eg, lab mice: http://www.astraean....d-lab-mice.html and the Isle Royale wolf population in Lake Michigan (island population apparently founded by two males and one female around 1950) http://www.astraean....and-wolves.html To me, the interesting question is "how has low diversity affected breeds that were founded by very small populations". I think the jury is still out on this. But in such cases, even if the five generation COI looks good, the COI that would be derived by going all the way back to the founding of the breed would be very high. Here the problem isn't matings too close on the family tree, but the difficulty of finding any way to avoid breeding dogs who are genetically very closely related. I'm sure you are careful about inbreeding, and use it, as you say, as a way to predict EVERYTHING. But for an inexperienced breeder, who has not had a decade or two to observe the lines they are working with and done a lot of reading . . . and who is not in a position to deal with the consequences of an inbred litter that turns out to show serious hidden recessives . . . I think it's a very bad idea to use 'the boy next door' in a brother/sister of son/mother mating, even if he is a handsome devil and seems healthy (at, say, 4 years of age).

Has anyone had experience with Happy Hands? They claim (for UK dogs): http://www.balrion.com/Happy_Hands Ship Fresh Chilled Semen Worldwide Mini Tube America CaniPro long life extender keeps semen viable for at least 7 days. We can do the paperwork Arrange for collection Arrange shipping and delivery All fees including stud fee may be paid by credit card Use our service or just our kits From start to finish we jump through all the hoops so you don’t have to I thought the UK was really bad about AI . . . but do they permit export to other countries? Would AQIS raise so many roadblocks that more than 7 days is needed? Do extenders really work to 7 days?

Here's the organisational link http://pet-connections.org/pet-transport/index.html They look good on paper. Pulling dogs from impoverished suburbs and marketing them in better off areas seems like a sound idea. No idea if they're genuine, or a wolf in sheep's clothing . . . or (most likely) some sort of mixed blessing. California government is broke and I can imagine that shelters in poorer neighborhoods would do anything to reduce the number of dogs they pts and bring in a few bucks.

It would be interesting to know what sort of dogs they are taking from shelters. Pit bulls dominate the LA shelters and have horrid euthanasia rates. Are they going through the shelters and taking the most adoptable dogs . . . thus leaving the shelters, increasingly, with dogs that are very difficulty to rehome?

Yes, especially if it gives the option of checking references.

Surprised and impressed. I wrote to CERF and got a quick and thorough reply! Here's the scoop: This condition is inherited in Labradors (or at least based on numbers (incidence) listed in the book of inherited ocular conditions of purebred dogs considered so). There's not really a great place to read about this but basically it is a remnant or incomplete regression of an embryologic blood vessel that runs from the optic nerve at the back of the eye to the back of the center of the lens to nourish the lens during development. In dogs (this varies with species) if it persists after puppy-hood, it is called a persistent hyaloid artery. It may be blood filled still and then potentially result in bleeding in the back of the eye (though it usually does nothing). It is rarely associated with an opacity or cataract of the back of the lens. It can also be non-patent (without being filled with blood) and/or partial (not spanning the entire distance from the nerve to the lens). So as you were told, I agree that you should expect no consequences. As for the breeding implications and CERF, in breeds where this is an issue, it still passes CERF because it is so benign. It will pass with breeder option qualifier of F1 for persistent hyaloid but really the only thing would be to try or ideally breed away from it by breeding to individuals that don't have F1 which is pretty easy to do as not that many have it, and possibly avoiding E1s (cataract significance unknown) that are posterior capsular (at the back of the lens) and might have a relationship to persistent hyaloid arteries or other similar issues that labs get - in order to know what a specific E1 on a CERF certificate is, you'd have to see the actual exam form.... Anyway, this really shouldn't be a big deal at all and the only reason to monitor it at all is to avoid breeding it "in" with potential more serious consequence in the pups (pretty unlikely). Hope this helps but feel free to email with further questions or concerns.