“Nature prevails enormously over nurture” …English scientist Francis Galton in the late 19th Century. Natural Selection & Survival of the Fittest Hip dysplasia is not common in wild animals because of the continuous processes of natural selection and survival of the fittest. In an environment where society removes or inhibits these means of selection, the …
Your dog being pregnant can be a nerve racking time for owners who have not had the experience before. Just like with human babies the first is the most challenging and if you intend on doing this often – don’t worry it gets easier with practice. Follow some of these tips for making the birthing …
Revised December 2011. Osteochondrosis is a term applied to a number of similar disorders of the joints where bone (osteo-) and cartilage (chondro-) are involved. If they are inflamed we use the term osteochondritis. It is now a fairly common diagnosis in young limping dogs, the defects being found in one or more of those …
Return to Part 1 Adding the Row ‘Emma’ Now that we have added a second row to form a column, a comment is in order that will greatly reduce your labor. Look ahead to the completed Table 3e, for a moment. If you draw a diagonal line down the matrix from the cell Edmund-Edmund to …
Return to Part 2 In Part 2, we were in the middle of a discussion of inbreeding’s dependence on relationship. You need to read Parts 2 and 3 in close consecutive timing. The following is a continuation of that subject. Let us say, for the sake of argument, that we are thinking about mating Emma …
The following is based on an excerpt from the 1999 edition of The Total German Shepherd Dog by Fred Lanting, and may not be reproduced without approval. © 2003. Contact the principal author at for permission to quote. Some of the following charts and calculations have been contributed by a geneticist friend, John B. Cole, …
Revised 2012. As most of you know, I have been involved with the German Shepherd Dog since 1947 as a trainer, breeder, judge, author, and teacher. My love for the breed is unquestionable and I count it an honor to have fought for its welfare and preservation for all these years. In my zeal for …
In the German Shepherd Dog world, and echoed elsewhere, we have long heard (and voiced) complaints about the schism that exists between the “show” (Hochzuchtlinie or high-breeding) lines and the “sport” or working-competition (Leistungs) lines. I’ll speak to the issue of the non-standard (AKC, Alsatian) styles elsewhere, but first I intend to discuss the continued …
updated November 2011 The German Shepherd Dog is a very popular breed. In fact, it is Number One worldwide although in the U.S. it ranks much lower partly because of AKC clubs’ non-adherence to the international Standards—usually in the AKC top ten, though. As a result of there being so many GSDs, veterinarians and others …
Revised December 2011. A disorder sometimes easily mistaken for hip dysplasia is Legg Calvé Perthes disease, perhaps more frequently referred to by the dog fancier as Legg Perthes. This is an avascular (pertaining to inadequate blood supply), aseptic (not infected), developmental osteonecrosis (dying of bone tissue) of the femoral head and neck, found almost entirely …