What is the immune system? The term “Autoimmune disease” is currently making the rounds among dog breeders and exhibitors and in the veterinary community. Diseases caused by a defective immune system are of particular concern among many purebred fanciers. (Some people use the abbreviation AID for (A)uto (I)mmune (D)isease. Due to possible confusion with AIDS,(acquired …
The Front Variously called the front assembly, forequarters, or shoulder, the whole combination made by the shoulder blade (scapula), upper arm (humerus), breastbone (sternum), and their related soft tissues is at the heart of much poor movement in German Shepherd Dogs the world …
Translated by Irene Klotz For breed judges, Koermeister and breeders the evaluation of the German Shepherd dog is a daily activity. For all others, it is likely of interest to know how a dog – especially your own – is evaluated. Johann Mayer, Regional Breed Warden of the Bavaria-South Regional Group has compiled some of …
Fading Puppy Syndrome – One Possible Cause: Until relatively recently, canine herpes seemed to be a problem only in the whelping boxes maintained by rank novices in breeding dogs. Experienced breeders could control it, prevent the effects. But it appears that perhaps a different strain of virus may be running rampant and causing more and …
Revised December 2011. An infrequent, puzzling phenomenon is the litter in which many, if not all, of the whelps become strangely deformed sometime in the first two weeks of life. A flattening of the thorax and abdomen, top to bottom, becomes evident about a week after birth from some unknown cause. It apparently happens most …
Continued from Part 1 Conformation classes, run the same way you would see at a UKC show but with a much larger ring, were judged by J. Ray Johnson. Following his awards, the dogs went either to the ATT tent or came back one at a time for me to do the …
First Presa Canario National Specialty by Fred Lanting First Presa Canario National Specialty Report by Fred Lanting The first national specialty show of the reorganized Presa club in America known as the United Perro de Presa Canario Club was held on the grounds of Purina Farms near St. Louis, MO. This …
This article is slightly more than an update on the hip registries operating in the U.S. (and Canada, to a great extent). It is a revision of one that appeared at the turn of the 2001-2002 year, because a couple of things have changed since then. I hope to not only …
Revised December 2011. Some breed magazines a few years ago carried a short article by Doctors Foster and Smith on dewclaws. Now, these are good vets and good businessmen as well as lovers of dogs, and besides, one of them looks a little like me, so they must be really good, right? However, I would …
The title of this article stems from a discussion list or website group in the U.K. with the name “Let’s Talk Breeding”. One of its subscribers said she couldn’t “sit by and listen to foolishness without speaking up.” While the forum is admirably open-ended, “designed to allow all sides of …