Revised December 2011. It seems that every-other trip I make to Taiwan coincides with renewed national (or nation-to-nation) turmoil. That island country was once known by foreigners as Formosa (“beautiful island”), and I still catch myself using that name, a holdover from the days I was a star geography student in the 1940s. In the …
When I was about 5 1/2 months old, I started to limp a lot. The limping was always worse after walks and play sessions. My parents were very worried about me. They thought that I might have that terrible disease called dysplasia, or maybe OCD… They brought me to the vet to have x-rays done. …
The pet food industry must be regulated to ensure that foods destined for our pets are safe, contain only ingredients fit for human consumption, and involve no animal experimentation. January 1990 was when my research and investigation began into the commercial pet food industry. Prior to 1990 I had always fed my pets – dogs …
In 1985, the world began to hear about a disease that was affecting cattle in the UK – bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Variants of the disease – known to affect cattle, sheep and humans – left the brains of its victims riddled with holes and resembling a …
Revised December 2011. Proportions, Leg-length Ratios, and Breed Standards: Using the Vizsla and the German Shepherd Dog as Examples In early 2003, there began an argument in the circles of Vizsla fanciers in the Vizsla Club of America, VCA. This Hungarian breed of dog is a moderately-sized and agile hunter well suited to “upland” field …
Revised December 2012. Sometimes the seasoned exhibitor fails to remember how long it took him to get the hang of things when he was first going to dog shows. To the first-time spectator and for some time afterward, the activity at a show is confusing. After a few discussions with someone who knows the ropes, …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …