There is and will always be considerable confusion among dog fanciers and other publics in regard to breeds of dogs and their relations to other dog-like animals. One of the words that some of us maintain is misused or, at least, used by various people in different ways, is “hybrid.” Many dictionaries inadequately define hybrids …
I have written in a few publications before, on the topic of genetic diversity, linebreeding, and health, and am now living up to my promise to the club leadership to supply another article on the related topic of phenotype variability as it relates to genotype. That is, “What you see is a clue to what …
Most German Shepherd Dogs (the full name of the breed) are colored, and these are listed as: 1. sable (see Fig.1), 2. black-and-tan (let’s call this one “B&T” referring to a dog with a black saddle, Fig.2), 3. black-and-tan of the Rottweiler-type coloration (usually called “bi-color”), and 4. solid black–including black hair under the tail …
Continued from PART 1 GENETIC EVIDENCE The finding of CDRM in several littermate pairs, combined with the acknowledged high incidence of the disease in the German shepherd breed in general suggested that a genetic factor may well be involved in the aetiology of the disease, as previously suggested (Clemmons, 1989). Due to this unusually high …
INTRODUCTION Before we get into the meat of the matter, let’s review the OFA-type definitions of canine hip dysplasia, referred to here as HD. Mild HD: Significant subluxation, only partial coverage by the acetabular rim, and usually no arthritic changes (yet). A fairly recent development in OFA’s operating rules is that if a dog rated …
This article is not a detailed, complicated study of coat color genetics. I have written other pieces to answer that need. Here, I would like to aim this toward the beginner, though it should be a good review for the veteran breeder and valuable to people whose experience is only in one or two breeds. …
Revised November 2011 This article originally appeared in The SENNtinel, official publication of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America, because elbow dysplasias (ED) are at a high incidence in the breed. Besides clearing up minor errors or misconceptions, I would like to give some additional information on the disorders in the elbow. Please …
There are two pastern disorders that are often confused until one actually has seen the “extreme” type. The severity of “weak-by-genetic-neglect” wrists seen in many German Shepherds can approach the other type at first impression. In addition to these two, there are cases of retained cartilage and the unequal or asynchronous growth of the two …
PART ONE – Existing Colors in the Breed It was my pleasure to deliver a series of illustrated lectures in the Republic of South Africa at the invitation of a coalition of the South African Boerboel clubs in January 2011. One seminar was on the subject of hip dysplasia and other orthopedic disorders, and the …
Revised 2012. (As They Relate to Function and AKC & UK Breed Standards, with Special Attention to Leg-length Ratios and the Tendency toward 13-, 14-, and 15-inch Cairns. Plus, Comments on Other Short Terriers.) Several people over the years have commented on my article “A Matter of Proportion” first published in magazines, and later on …