sandgrubber

This weird ad appeared when playing games on my phone. I've never heard of a steam brush and have doubts. Just wondering if anyone has had experience. https://lifelivingors.store/products/steam-pet-brush?ttclid=E.C.P.CsIB9O5mxMDnysGBHiKemFzSLk3MIE0yJI42uCPWh0X1V1vsAWNAEusg5yBf1TifeNFCg-ROrV67QkmI_OjX1Wv-W0s1f1XZ1PxlmSBYUhiS8_qvbGwh9lgScq0nzp9LjWgELEcxox1zNO2DU5uVTJK2o3fHL12_DNsRAr56M_MQ5HD3xed_QM0Dd4wkP8flpjDwzaaj0U42PwWcPwIfEA4LJR16DOOcZy2vdbuejS4yyowBDewRdNuWQQplVU0YPDbgYGYSBHYyLjAaIONTAAozeXYXR7sQr8DB56rTfsU6V_2qeugnzCtN6Olt

[Science, Quickly] The Surprising Health Benefits of Dog Ownership #scienceQuickly https://podcastaddict.com/science-quickly/episode/169240313 via @PodcastAddict Better than most of its type, I think

Better than "multiple animals killed because driver did not take required sleep breaks"... or multiple fatalities in animal transport van crash. Too many locks and new problems arise. Glad the pup was recovered.

No rust in first month. I've used nylon martingales for years. Never had one get caught.

My Springers swim a lot. I don't like wet collars, and metal seems to be a little easier on their coats. Very pleased with this metal martingale, purchased on Ali Express for around $10.

Tests are available for heterozygosity, Ie, the genetic consequences of inbreeding, and for preserving heterozygosity when planning a mating. Has any club ever recommend these?

This is a Pedigree dog group, and not friendly to cross breeding. I doubt you will find anything but anecdote evidence to your question (anywhere), and reality is likely to be all over the map. For example, puggles (pug x beagle) may less brachy and less unhealthy than pugs, while attempts to breed out cancer proneness may not be successful. Seems likely that breeding giant breeds to smaller breeds will eliminate some of the structural and other problems common to the giants. Second generation crosses will be more variable than first generation. Careful crossing over many generations, as in the creation of the Cobber dog from selection among labradoodles, will probably have better results than indiscriminate crossing to meet market demand.

It's a question of, say, 95% protection or 99% protection. Actual figures can't be given, the experiments would be horrific, and it varies between breeds. Parvo is such an awful disease, I'd go for the 3rd jab.

I wonder if it's fake news.

I think you and I are saying similar things. One problem is the definition of Environment. Surely there are multiple environments. Retrieving shot waterfowl, being a family companion, detecting drugs, and assisting the blind, autistic and PTSD and are all environments for Labradors. It makes sense for breeders to develop different types better suited to different environments, as does happen with Labradors... but it's under a loose, unofficial system, not the kennel clubs. Unfortunately, few breeds have the numbers or the apparent flexibility to adapt to diverse environments that have favoured the Labrador. A population of many tens of millions worldwide can support a lot of variation.

The more I look at it, the more I question even Standards, much less type. Yes, breeds should have certain characteristics, and it's good to be able to predict what you're getting when you acquire a dog. Yes, pedigree could be important for improving both health and temperament / working ability. But I feel something like nostalgia for the late 19th and early 20th century when it was considered laudable to work toward a better adapted gun dog by crossing Springers, St John's Dogs, setters and pointers. Or the equivalent in other Groups. I wish the pedigree world would focus on adaptation to present realities and demands, and less to somewhat revised scripts about what was wanted from a dog in my great grandparents days and before, as decided by a committee of aristocrats or wanna be aristocrats.

If catastrophe only happens to one dog in several, and you save the equivalent of insurance cost for each dog, it will, on average more than cover extreme situations. I've owned 20+ dogs (I used to breed Labbies). I've never had insurance, but have never had a vet bill over $2000. There have been two who got cancer and could have gotten very expensive. But if a dog requires chemo or heroic measures to prolong life and a painful existence for a few months, I will opt for the green dream.

Don't they do DNA testing for dogs? That would settle it.

Brachy-ness isn't the only worry. Pugs, bulldogs and Frenchies are near the top of the OFA list for bad hips, elbows and patellas. Not to mention brain and spinal problems for cavvies, Apple headed chihuahuas etc. Yes, the squashed face is 'cute', but... It's good to see a KC beginning to take measures to reduce the negative effects of breeding for extremes. In the future it would be better to see a whole dog approach.

And they likely show a favourable bias, as indiscriminate breeders tend to skip testing.

If you look at OFA statistics, 70% of bulldogs have abnormal hips (only 0.4% excellent). They also have awful scores for elbows and patellas.

Biologically possible, but institutionally, not so much. For example, in years past I bred Labradors. The breed's popularity is unquestionable. It's also clear that many people who love Lab temperament would prefer a smaller dog with less shedding. Breeding in this direction would be easy, and would probably also yield dogs better suited to hot climates. BUT you'd be excommunicated for announcing the intention of doing so.

I just wish the effort that went into pushing extreme comformation had gone to breeding overall health (including the things causing most vet visits like allergies, obstructed breathing, ear infections) and traits suitable for the majority of modern families (friendly, playful, trainable, not overly barky or energetic, relatively small, good with children). Oodles move in this direction, but not very well. Systematic, pedigree based cross breeding could have done a much better job, but has been utterly rejected.

Brachy skulls serve no purpose. The shortened legs and elongated spine of modern daschunds serve no purpose. Excess coat serves no purpose. Deep skin folds serve no purpose. It's trend/fashion. Small fluffy oodles seems to work for many modern families. They may require a lot of grooming, but so do Pekes, poodles, Saints, Newfies, Afghans, and show line Spaniels. The pedigree world supported and furthered the cross breeding that created the modern pekinese, cavvy, silky, and other small pet/lapdog breeds. More recently it has dropped the ball when it comes to breeding dogs suited to apartment life, 300 sq m sections, grey nomadism, etc. I approve of keeping pedigrees, but when the function is pet/companion, I wish the pedigree conveyed more information about the things that matter in a pet: health and temperament. There's high demand for friendly, cheerful, loyal, non yappy, dogs without huge need for exercise. Sadly, the pedigree world isn't meeting this demand and the supply is coming from elsewhere.

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I don't think the history of breed development, especially when it comes to toy and lap dog breeds, shows much concern for dog health or ethics. Pugs and toy Spaniels are cases in point. I don't know anything about the breeders who supplied the demands of the growing urban middle class during the Industrial Revolution, but I'd be surprised if they didn't breed for pecuniary gain. The extreme inbreeding of show line standard poodles probably was motivated more by desire for ribbons than by financial gain, but has also led to well documented health outcomes. IMO blanket condemnation of oodles rests on a romanticised notion of virtuous dog breeding. Dog health has rarely outranked fashion in the breeding of pet dogs, and $ has long been important.

IMO, unfriendly attitudes toward the creation of new breeds has created a lot of problems for the pedigree dog world. People's circumstances have changed greatly over the last century. Inflexible breed standards and hostility towards creation of new breeds have left the dog fancy unable to adapt.

EletD Deleted. Previous answers is better than mine was

I don't see the problem. Breeds should come and go.

My mother had a Lab who would go outside and bark aggressively, trying to scare the thunder away.