Frequently people ask me what I feed my dogs, so I thought Journal readers too might be interested to know. I will take you through the process of how I developed the recipe (ration) so anyone interested can do a similar thing if they fancy developing a balanced ration of their own. For those not quite so keen, you can skip to the recipe at the end of the article. [Read more...]
DNA tests inconclusive
March 9, 2011 By 4 Comments
By Fiona Douglas
This is a follow up to an article published in this Journal a few weeks ago, titled “Blindness test flawed?‘‘ Any breeder who has ever modified their breeding program based on DNA test results alone could find this interesting.
Right across the world dog breeders are turning to DNA testing as an important breeding management tool. Indeed, some dog associations have made DNA screening of certain breeds and diseases obligatory. [Read more...]
Old dog meets new puppy
February 9, 2011 By 2 Comments
Owning more than one dog is now commonplace and as such people at some stage will find themselves introducing their new puppy to their well-established family pet.
Sounds simple? Then think again!
How well your established dog adjusts to the new addition will depend on many factors, so much so that no two dog meetings will likely be the same. By understanding some of the factors involved, however, we can manage the situation for a smooth transition to a larger family. [Read more...]
Blindness test flawed?
February 7, 2011 By 8 Comments
By Fiona Douglas
How many dachshunds have you seen bumping into things lately?
As a breeder of miniature dachshunds, a test that has met my scrutiny is that for Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) which is a disease that causes blindness. I believe that breeders of smooth haired dachshunds could be suffering unnecessarily if the DNA disease screening test proves to be flawed.
Responsible breeders take every opportunity to ensure the health status of their breeding dogs. Indeed, in Victoria it recently became law that dogs with heritable diseases can only be bred under an approved breeding program; a good thing providing, that is, the disease tests are correct.
Costs involved with incorrect diagnoses are many. One of the most serious of these is decreasing the health of a breed. Purebreds already have relatively small gene pools. Erroneous tests make this problem worse by seeing the phasing out of genetics that were in fact sound. The dangers of a smaller gene pool are the increased risks of new genetic defects arising because long-buried recessive genes surface into the phenotype.
Costs to the breeder include the personal distress of being told that a fine dog of wonderful temperament, who is perfectly fit and healthy, is to be publicly tagged ‘breed with conditions’. This naturally impacts breeding programs: programs that might have involved many, many years of planning and dedication. Then there is the financial cost of finding new breeding stock (thousands of dollars), not to mention the high cost of the DNA test itself which can be around $80 for an uncertified test result or up to $160 for a result certified by a vet. Multiply that by 10 dogs, say, and the costs build up.
Why do I doubt the PRA test? [Read more...]
Revisiting back to back breeding
February 5, 2011 By 16 Comments
It is frequently claimed that breeding dogs on every heat or “back to back breeding” is bad for a bitch’s long term health and well being. However the research in canine reproduction shows that not breeding a dog when it comes into heat can in fact be bad for its health.
Scientist have shown that pseudopregnancy ['phantom pregnancy'] increases the risk of mammary cancers which are the second most common cancer in dogs after skin tumours and are 3-5 times more common than breast cancers in women1:
Pseudopregnancy often occurs when a bitch is not bred. [Read more...]
Raising giants: Anatolian shepherd breeder
February 4, 2011 By 1 Comment
Interview with Anatolian shepherd breeder and published author, Gilles Galand, located in rural Belgium, close to Mons.
By Laure-Anne Viselé
About the interview
Gilles Galand’s reputation as a breeder reaches far and wide throughout Northern Europe.
He has bred multiple award-winning dogs, and even published a book on the breed. Our family dog being an Anatolian shepherd, I am a big fan of the breed, so I came to find out more about the life of this successful breeder.
Anatolian shepherd breeder and published author, Gilles Galand, Belgium
Also, it was a good excuse to stage-dive in a crowd of Anatolian puppies.
About the kennel
The ‘Chenil des Poteries’ (literally translated: Pottery Kennel), is run by 75 year-old Gilles Galand. The multi-facetted dog business includes:
- a high-end pet food store,
- a dog breeding business for Briards and Anatolian shepherds, and
- a dog pension.
Before I even reached for the doorbell, a barking concert announced my arrival. No breaking and entering here, that’s for sure. Once I had been introduced, I was heartened to see that the giant dogs acted like 200-pound puppies
Giles himself is quite the character. His continuous baby-talk to the giant dogs speaks volumes about his devotion. He is a proud autodidact, and clearly does not suffer fools gladly. He speaks candidly of his no-nonsense approach in a world that is so influenced by regulations, politics and academia.
About the set-up
The high end food store at the kennels
There are approximately forty 4m by 4m outside pens, and a sheltered enclosure in each of them. Many pens are equipped with promontories for the dogs to climb on. This is ideal for Anatolian shepherds who have a predilection for high places.
The domain is bordered by a patch of woodland, where the dogs can stretch their legs and burn some energy. [Read more...]
Traditional and modern canine psychology
January 31, 2011 By 3 Comments
This essay is attached as a PDF file, 26pages.
Traditional vs modern dog training theories
Training your dog to respect a new family member can involve more than a simple introduction!
Overview
The essay was originally written as part of a qualification in canine psychology. It reviews the main tenets of the modern versus traditional training philosophies, and briefly explores their scientific and historical groundings.
It highlights some of the acts most commonly interpreted to be related to dominance, and comparatively interprets them with the traditional and modern approaches.
A practical example of a frequent behaviour issue is presented, for which traditional and modern management methods are compared. [Read more...]
Your Puppy is Deaf, What Now?
January 30, 2011 By 1 Comment
Dogs deaf from birth know no different
Total deafness from birth is an inherited condition that occasionally arises in dogs. What is interesting about deafness is that it is not obvious at the litter stage. A deaf puppy can even slip through a vet check, to be confidentally presented to a new owner as their healthy new family member.
The reasons a breeder might not detect deafness in a young puppy are many. Puppies are deaf and blind for the first 11 to 14 days of life anyway, until the eyes and ear canals open. A deaf puppy grows to look perfectly healthy and presents no differently to his litter mates. He plays just the same, wags his tail, eats and so on.
Deaf puppy can achieve this normal development because he is part of a unit, his litter, and derives visual cues from his litter mates. When a visitor arrives, for example, all pups rush to greet and he is a part of that.
Sight is a powerful sense and puppy can detect activity about him through changing shadows. Vibration will be another cue, perhaps feeling the footsteps of an approaching person.
Accordingly it is not unusual that puppy’s deafness does not become apparent until he is removed from this communal living environment. Namely, when he reaches his forever-home. [Read more...]
Getting Mums to Eat and Drink
November 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The undercooked microwaved plain beef sausages lose their casings and take on an appearance and texture not unlike the umbilicus of the freshly delivered pup
It is my pleasure to have the opportunity here to pass on some tips that might be of use to some; they have certainly proved useful to me. It involves enticing the new mum to eat and drink, some hours after whelping.
For some bitches this is not a problem because they are food-mad. But for other bitches the ‘pleeeease – eat or drink something!’ becomes the mantra of the weary breeder, deprived of sleep for longer than they care to remember.
This becomes all the more important a couple of days after parturition, when the bitch’s milk comes in and her liquid and solids intake is more vital than ever if she is to produce good volumes and quality of milk for the babies. Not to mention the need for her own good nutrition needed to repair her body and restore energy levels following giving birth. [Read more...]
Is newborn pup feeding?
November 14, 2010 By 1 Comment
A one week old pup with the all-important visible red tongue revealing proper attachment
After a pup has successfully arrived in the world, the next critical step in my experience is ensuring that they attach to mum for that all-important first feed. I say all-important, because I find that once a pup has successfully fed once, in all probability they will successfully feed again. The litter is off to a good even start and a major aspect of litter management is well under control.
Experienced breeders can tell after 24 hours which pups are feeding and which are not by virtue of how well the pups are filling out. This can be done at a glance by an experienced eye without the need for close inspection. Other breeders elect to use scales to confirm puppy’s feeding status, weighing each pup daily and recording these weights for comparison.
Assessments such as these are fine, but they are of little value in detecting that all-important feeding in the first hours. A puppy that doesn’t feed in the first 12 or so hours is behind the eight ball; life becomes more and more difficult as their filling-out siblings become stronger and more proficient at claiming the teats while the unfed pup slips further behind. Life also becomes harder for the breeder, who can find themself complementary (also called supplementary) feeding at all hours of day and night and possibly for many days.
Recent comments