sandgrubber

Call for ban of electric collars after study finds them less effective https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8620391/Electric-shock-dog-collars-Call-ban-study-finds-effective-methods.html?ito=native_share_article-masthead Who in their right mind would teach 'sit' and 'come' with an e-collar? No doubt they also used too strong signals and bad timing. I stopped using one because it takes skill and patience to make them work. But I've seen them work great with a good trainer, especially for distance work...used for signaling more than punishment.

If it's unfashionable with everyone there wouldn't be waiting lists and high prices for well bred dogs.

The pedigree world is big on health testing. IMO this is the single most important test to do, and I have never heard it recommended. https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/canine-genetic-diversity The COI is a weak measure. If a breed hit a bottleneck 50 or 100 years ago, you aren't going to determine the degree of inbreeding using a 6 generation pedigree... even 15 generations may be inadequate. A direct read from DNA in the region that codes immune response is so much better. I'd love to see breeders begin to get a hold on problems such as allergies, diabetes, and various autoimmune diseases... perhaps even cancers. It bothers me to see advocacy of genetic tests for diseases / conditions that most of us have never heard of.

IMO the breeders exam is pointless. It's easy to cheat by getting someone else give you the answers. When I took the WA exam I found several questions ambiguous / confusing. This out of date stuff is unforgivable. If I wrote such a poor exam when I was teaching at university I would have gotten a lot of flack, and if I had given the same stupid exam year after year I would never have gotten tenure. One more obstacle to limit the number of new people becoming breeders.

The vet who writes the skeptvet.com blog is located in the Silicon Valley. I asked him about whether a lot of his patients were using CBD and what was available in California . Here's the reply: OMG, it is everywhere! I would guess half my clients are giving it in some form, usually for something there is zero evidence to support. The completely unregulated market, unfortunately, meant that almost none of the products have any quality control, so whether there is any CBD or how much, whether there is too much THC, and whether there are undisclosed contaminates is completely unknown. Lots of formulations that are likely worthless (e.g. cookies or water-based formulas when pharmacokinetics suggests only absorbed at effective levels in an oil base). I usually recommend using a brand that provides independent laboratory testing of each batch with a certificate of analysis. One of the clinical trials for DJD used the ElleVet product, so there is at least some direct evidence for that one.

You're right. It's down not up they're looking for. It's been well over a decade since I've done prog testing to figure whelping status and my memory slips up sometimes.

Where are you? Maybe someone here can recommend a vet in your area. $260 is very high for a prog test, plus you probably don't need to test daily, at least not until you get an elevated reading. If they charge that much for prog, I would expect the Cesar (if required) will also be expensive. In reproductive vet care, the vets who do a lot of it are often more skilled and less expensive. Local breeders may be able to advise.

The tooth chatter sounds like a Flehman response https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flehmen_response If so, interesting, as it's not a k9 thing. Neutering doesn't have a great reputation as a fix for humping.

https://skeptvet.com/Blog/2020/07/more-good-news-on-cbd-and-canine-arthritis/ Initial small study. It seems to show CBD has a significant and fairly strong effect on arthritic pain in dogs. Another article on the same study https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200528160611.htm

Hard on small litters, but nothing strange. The same sort of thing is done for whole litter genetic tests. The administrative cost of doing one is almost the same as the cost of doing many.

It's hard to choose the best puppy for yourself in a quick visit. If you are working with an experienced breeder, have a yarn with them about your circumstances and what sort of dog you want. Then get them to recommend. Labs range from very active to total couch potatoes, for one thing. The breeder will have watched the pups for several weeks and should have a good sense of how they are likely to develop.

Thanks for posting. I stand corrected.

Have you discussed this with her breeder? This all sounds unusual for a Lab.

Now if there had been a flushing dog in the mix it would have been bedlam :-)

I have stopped breeding. I never liked shows. When I was breeding I don't know how many times I was accused of being a byb because I didn't show. (I did do health testing and was selective about temperament. I generally used studs with both showing and working credibility). The snobbery aspect is real.

Anti-purebred thinking goes WAAAY back. My mum was born in 1923, my dad in 1918. Mum like purebred working dog breeds, at least some breeds, but believed show breeding had ruined rough collies, cockers, Irish setters and various other breeds she had loved as a child. Dad (a doctor) was all for mutts, accepted the concept of hybrid vigor, and detested line breeding /inbreeding. Most of my friends have had it out for poodles because of the fancy cuts and elitist attitude that seemed to go with them.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/dogs-may-use-earth-s-magnetic-field-take-shortcuts Experimental evidence that dogs navigate using inbuilt magnetic compass as well as noses and eyes

Back when I lived in Oz, I knew a few breeders who have several litters a year and didn't list on DOL because they always had long wait lists. I presume this is still the case, and that there are several dozen such breeders. That would bring the puppy count up substantially. I agree there is a scarcity problem (and a snobbery problem), even if there are a lot more than 2500 puppies on offer. But it would be good to see the actual numbers. Isn't ANCK publishing registration data any more?

That holds for any dog you adopt. So many dogs are left by their lonesome and never allowed to learn to interact with others.

No extraordinary risks. As others have stated, there's a small increase in risk of mammary tumors and pyometra. Having litters is natural and three is not excessive.

Those scores are no worry at all. At $4k, make sure you are getting what you want. Ask about other health factors. Have genetic tests been done? Are the bloodlines clear for epilepsy and diabetes? There will probably be cancer deaths in the ancestry. We're any at a young age? Labs vary a lot in temperament. Some are high drive, some couch potatoes. Ask what sort of temperament they aim for. Make sure it agrees with what you want.

Easier to rent or buy a caravan (I hate vacuuming).

Long list (including many things I can't imagine putting in a diffuser, horseradish? No way!). I hate diffusers and avoid scented products in general. But I wish people would provide evidence before they put out broad scare stories.

In many parts of Oz (including all of wa) permission from council is needed to keep > 2 dogs in a residential area. Some councils rarely grant 3 dog permits.