Make Your Vet Visits Fear-Free
I drove my neighbor with his new dog to the vet's last week. It was like putting a Tasmanian devil on a leash and trying to take his temperature. Or clip his nails. Or look in his mouth. Or in his ears. In the end, they'd succeeded in muzzling him and covering themselves with scratches, and the dog had succeeded in plastering the room with feces and anal sac excitement. Fun times.

This week I took one of my own dogs. And I finally understood why the vet techs all say how much they love having them as patients. He snoozed on his pad in the waiting room. He stood calmly on the scale. He looked offended at the thermometer but stayed put. He sat calmly for a blood draw.
I'd like to say all my dogs are like this, but I confess some of them spend the time shaking and panting. They still cooperate. But they stress so much I sometimes fear they're unhealthier after a vet visit than they were before. Those are the ones I failed.

Because as much time as I spent socializing them to crowds and dogs and show halls and judges and umbrellas and kids and hats and wheelchairs and...well, you get it. I socialized them to everything they might come across on an ordinary good day. But their initial visits to the vet went like most little kids' initial visits to the doctor: despite everyone being nice, in the end those nice folks stuck a stick up their butt and a needle in their tenders. And no lollipop or dog treat made up for it.

Here's the thing: There is absolutely no situation more important for your dog to enjoy more than the vet clinic. It allows the veterinary team to perform all the examinations and procedures they need to do without being disrupted by a petrified or uncooperative dog. No panting, shaking, pulling or biting. No dread on your part about taking him. No exhaustion on his part about having been there. If you've ever taken a frightened heart patient to the vet, you know the feeling of wondering if the visit was worth the stress. So before you concentrate all your attention on learning to bait, or the perfect show stack, or how to sit front, you need to concentrate your training on learning to like the vet clinic.

Fortunately, the Fear-Free revolution in veterinary medicine has this same goal. It's to the veterinary clinic's benefit that your dog be cooperative during a visit. Founded by Marty Becker, DVM, Fear Free (whose motto is "Taking the pet out of petrified") educates and certifies veterinarians and other pet professionals---including groomers, boarding kennel operators, trainers and handlers---in ways to create less stressful, happier experiences for pets in their care. Fear-Free practices work with you and your dog to create a positive veterinary visit, laying the foundation for a lifetime of Fear-Free veterinary experiences.

You can search for a Fear-Free certified veterinarian or groomer near you at https://fearfreepets.com/resources/directory/. But even with more than 30,000 individual certified so far, you still may not find one in your area. Fortunately, much of the Fear-Free practices are ones you can do on your own. For example:

• Start with socialization---just as you normally would. You want your dog comfortable and controllable around strange people, dogs and even cats.
• Practice car rides and make sure your dog doesn't get car sick. You don't want him to associate the veterinary clinic and nausea. If need be, pre-medicate him with a motion sickness pill at least one hour before leaving. An additional pill given the night before can help even more.
• With a puppy, visit the clinic weekly just to greet the receptionists and maybe trot through an exam room. This may seem like an imposition to the staff, but if you call ahead and time your visits for their slowest times, and explain what you're doing, they will appreciate having a meet and greet. You may need to carry a young puppy, and do be sure to call ahead and make sure no dogs with communicable diseases have been there.
• Be sure to bring treats and even a favorite toy and just sit in the waiting room and play or practice some tricks. Of course, remember to be mindful that the real patients there may not feel well, so don't be too boisterous and be sure to give them lots of space. And of course, short leads only!
• At home, practice the sort of procedures your dog will regularly encounter at the vet visit. Tent his skin over the withers, touch his feet with clippers, lift his tail (maybe even take his temperature), look in his mouth and ears---all the while handing out treats like you're a broken slot machine.
• Teach your dog tricks. Performing tricks for treats helps calm many dogs as it gives them something to focus on and also specific directions of what they should do. Using treats, toys and play helps convince the dog they're in a fun place. Among those tricks, teach behaviors such as sit, stand, down, stay and shake, all of which may make an exam less of a battle.
• Bring a pad or bed from home. Even if your dog won't lie down it will provide a non-slip surface for him, and provide a bit of home.
• Know ahead what procedures the vet will likely be doing, and prepare accordingly. For example, if your dog needs a radiograph, it may be preferable to sedate him rather than have three techs dressed in lead wrestle him to the table.
• Steady the scale. The unstable surface upsets some dogs. Weigh a small dog in its carrier, or hold the scale as they step on it and release it only once they are secure. Better yet, train your dog at home on a wobble board so the scale is no big deal.
• Use persuasion rather than force. Lead your dog using a treat, not by dragging him.
• Use treats to distract the dog during procedures such as injections or temperature taking. Lickables such as peanut butter or squeeze cheese work best, but you will need to train the dog to stand calmly instead of attacking the dispenser or your hand!
• Ask if the exam can take place on the floor for large dogs, and in your pap for small dogs. If either needs to be on the table, place the pad or bed up there to stand or lie on. Make sure nothing can slip. Even a non-slip piece of rubber is helpful.
• Keep up a running conversation with the examiners. This will make most dogs feel more at ease. Unless it's an emergency, give the dog a chance to get used to them before the exam starts.
• Ask to stay with your dog as much as possible. Ask if instead of dropping your dog off in the morning for an afternoon surgery if you can wait in the parking lot, even if it's for hours, and be called when it's time. Many dogs form their most terrifying impressions of the veterinary clinic from the experiences surrounding surgery. Can you be there before or after the surgery? Having the owner present as the dog is sedated and waking up can greatly calm a dog.

 
 But what if your dog is already fearful of the vet clinic? You can practice many of these same vet visits and home imitations. As much as you may be inclined to just suck it up and never go to the vet with your fearful dog unless he really has to go, it is far better to work with him and try to convince him that going to the vet is not the same as going to the gallows.

• If your dog is scared of the vet, no number of vet visits is going to convince him otherwise unless you can get him to calm down while he's there. As long as you leave while he's still just as frantic as he was when you arrived, unfortunately you haven't accomplished anything. So you need to go about desensitizing to the vet clinic as you would any other frightening situation.
•  Depending on other medical issues, fast-acting anti-anxiety medications may help. CBD may also prove helpful. Ask the veterinarian beforehand if she sees any problem with this, and for a recommendation and prescription. Giving your dog anti-anxiety medication not only helps him get through the current appointment but acts as a training tool so that his memories of past vet visits are good.
• A thunder coat may help some dogs feel more secure. Many dogs find their slight squeeze comforting, and they can help calm a dog when at the vet.
• At first, just stand outside the clinic. Only when he's calm there should you go inside. Ask ahead and see if there is a more out of the way area you can practice in, only gradually moving to the waiting room and exam room.
• Bring your dog's favorite treats. And don't be stingy. Dole them out generously throughout the exam, not just at the end. Don't feed beforehand so your dog will be hungry for them.
• For actual visits, ask if your dog can wait in the car. The receptionist can call you on your cell phone when it's time to go in. And ask that you not be called into the exam room just to wait some more.
• Or, ask if your dog can be examined outside.  Many Fear-Free practices have an enclosed patio area where they can combine safety while reducing stress.
• Don't be shy about saying stop. For years we've been taught to push on through when our dogs fight us---that if we give in we teach our dogs that resisting pays off. That's not good advice when it comes to a vet visit because the main thing it teaches him is learned helplessness---and the stress that comes with it. Telling him to man up relays to him that you, the one person he thought he could trust for his rescue, can't even help in this chamber of horrors. Unless it can't wait, just stop, reschedule the appointment to finish the procedure, and come sedated next time.

 
Some things are out of your control, but are standard in Fear-Free practices. These simple things could make your veterinarian's practice more fear-free:

• Provide nonslip surfaces throughout the waiting and exam areas, including hallways. That may mean setting up runners or using replaceable carpet squares.
• Play soothing music or have televisions on. It can distract nervous owners as well!
• Replace hospital odors with calming dog-calming pheromones, even sprayed on staff's smocks. Air out rooms to rid them of the scent of medic and scared-dog smells.
• Allow owners to stay with their dog as much as possible.

Most fear-free practitioners report the extra time spent avoiding fear pays off in the time and manpower saved trying to restrain a fearful dog---or clean up after one! Fear-free practices have found their business has grown as owners who have avoided taking their fearful dog to the vet are more willing to do so. Do your part to make the vet visit fear free. Your dog will thank you, and your veterinarian will too.  
 
 

​The Home Health Check
"I think Zeus may be sick."  OK, why?
Signs of Sickness            
              Being the link between your dog and his doctor is not easy. Since your dog can’t talk, you have to interpret his behavioral and physical signs.
              Behavior Changes:         Sick dogs often lie quietly in a curled position. Dogs with pain may be irritable or restless, and may hide, claw, pant, or tremble.  Dogs with abdominal pain often stretch and bow. A dog with breathing difficulties may refuse to lie down or if he does, will keep her head raised.
              Lethargy is the most common sign of illness. Possible causes include

• Infection (check for fever)
• Anemia, internal bleeding (check gum color)
• Circulatory problem (check pulse and gum color)
• Pain (check limbs, neck, back, mouth, eyes, ears, and abdomen for signs)
• Nausea
• Poisoning (check gum color and pupil reaction; look for vomiting or abdominal pain)
• Sudden vision loss
• Cancer
• Metabolic diseases

              Intake and Output Changes:  Changes in eating, drinking, or elimination patterns often indicate illness. Loss of appetite is most often associated with illness, although increased appetite may accompany some endocrine disorders. Increased thirst, usually with increased urination, may indicate kidney disease or diabetes. Sudden and dramatic increased thirst could indicate internal bleeding.
              Urinating small amounts frequently, often with some sign of pain, may indicate a urinary tract infection. Painful urination, straining to urinate, or blood in the urine may indicate urinary stones. Inability to urinate is a life threatening emergency.
              Vomiting food after it’s been in the stomach can indicate poisoning, blockage, or a host of problems. Consult your veterinarian immediately if your dog vomits feces-like matter (which could indicate an intestinal blockage) or blood (which may resemble coffee grounds), has accompanying fever or pain, or if the vomiting lasts more than a few hours. Regurgitating food right after eating can indicate an esophageal problem.  Repeated retching, in which the dog tries to vomit but cannot, may indicated bloat, especially if the dog is restless and won't lie down. This is an extreme rush-to-the-emergency vet situation.
              Diarrhea can result from nervousness, a change in diet or water, food sensitivities, intestinal parasites, infections, poisoning, or many illnesses. It’s not uncommon for dogs to have blood in their diarrhea, but diarrhea with lots of blood, or accompanied by vomiting, fever, or other symptoms of illness warrants a call to the veterinarian. Bright red blood indicates a source lower in the digestive tract, while dark black tarry stools indicate a source higher in the digestive tract, and is often of greater concern.
              Coughing: Coughing can be caused by foreign bodies, kennel cough, and heart disease, among others. Congestive heart failure causes coughing and breathing difficulties mainly after exercise and at night and early morning. Kennel cough is a communicable airborne disease caused by several infectious agents. It is characterized by a gagging or honking cough, often a week after being around infected dogs. Any cough lasting longer than a few days or accompanied by weakness or difficulty breathing warrants a veterinary exam. A cough with fever may indicate canine flu.
              Physical Changes:  Sometimes you need to check over your dog piece by piece.   
              Mouth: If you think your dog is sick, one of the first things to check is his gum color. Gums should be a deep pink, and if you press with your thumb, they should return to pink within two seconds after lifting your thumb (a longer time suggests a circulatory problem). Very pale gums may indicate anemia, shock, or poor circulation. Bluish gums or tongue can mean a life-threatening lack of oxygen. Bright red gums may indicate overheating or carbon monoxide poisoning, and yellow gums jaundice. Tiny red splotches may indicate a blood-clotting problem. Tooth and gum problems will often cause bad breath and pain.
              Eyes: Squinting or pawing at the eye can arise from pain. Swelling and redness may indicate glaucoma, a scratched cornea, or several other problems. A crescent moon shape visible within the pupil could be a displaced ("luxated") lens. Profuse tear discharge may be caused by a foreign body, scratched cornea, or blocked tear drainage duct. Thick mucus and a dull appearing surface may indicate “dry eye” (keratoconjunctivitis sicca, or KCS).
              Ears: Inflamed, painful, or itchy ears can result from infection or parasites.
              Feet: Foot problems can account for limping. Cut long or split nails short and protect cut pads. Swollen toes could be from infection or an orthopedic problem.
              Skin: Parasites, allergies, and infections can cause many skin problems. Lumps in the skin may or may not be serious, but warrant a veterinary examination.
              Anus:  Repeated diarrhea can cause an irritated anal area. Repeated scooting or licking can be from diarrhea; parasites, or especially, impacted anal sacs. The anal sacs are two sacs filled with smelly brown liquid that normally is excreted with the feces or in times of fright. In some cases the material can’t get out.  The sac becomes uncomfortably distended, sometimes becoming infected. It may swell outward, even appearing to be a tumor, and often finally bursting. Your veterinarian can manually express the contents.
While you are your dog's best observer and first line of defense, when in doubt see a veterinarian. They can perform more extensive tests that may suggest what the problem is, and are in a position to treat them
Temperature: To take your dog’s temperature, lubricate a rectal thermometer and insert it about 2 inches (5 cm) into the dog’s anus, leaving it there for about a minute. Normal is from 101 to 102 o F. If the temperature is

• 103 degrees F or above, call your veterinarian for advice. This is not usually an emergency.
• 105 degrees F or above, go to your veterinarian. This is probably an emergency; 106 o or above is dangerous. Try to cool your dog by sponging with cool water in front of a fan.
• 98 degrees F or below, called your veterinarian for advice. Try to warm your dog with towels warmed in the microwave.
• 96 degrees F or below, go to your veterinarian. Treat for hypothermia on the way by warming your dog.

              Hydration: Check hydration by touching the gums, which should be slick, not sticky, or by lifting the skin on the back and letting it go. It should snap back into place quickly, not remain tented. Sticky gums and tented skin indicate dehydration. If your dog has been vomiting or has diarrhea, she may instantly lose any water you give her, in which case your veterinarian may need to give your dog fluids.
So what if you think your dog may be well? Copy this sheet and use it weekly to get to know your dog when he's well. It's the best way to recognize when he's sick:
____________________________________________________________________________________
The Five Minute Checkup
Make several copies of this check list and keep a record of your dog’s home exams.  Bring a copy to your vet visit, especially if your dog is sick.
Date: ___________
Weight: _______  Temperature: _______  Pulse: ______
 
Behavior
Is your dog
Restless? _____  Lethargic? _____ Weak? ______  Dizzy? _______
Irritable? _____ Confused? _____  Bumping into things? _____
Trembling? ____  Pacing? ____   Hiding? ____
Eating more ____ or less ____ than usual?
Drinking more than usual? ____
Urinating more____ or less ____ than usual, or with straining? ____
Having diarrhea? _____ Straining to defecate?_____
Repeatedly standing with front feet on ground and rear in the air? ____
Vomiting or trying to vomit? _____ Regurgitating undigested food?____
Gagging? ____ Coughing? _____ Breathing rapidly at rest? _____
Spitting up froth?____ Pawing at throat?____ Snorting?_____
Limping? ___________
 
Physical Exam
Hydration: Dry sticky gums? ____ Skin that doesn’t pop back when stretched? _____
Gum color:  Pink (good)____ Bright red ____ Bluish ____ Whitish ____ Red spots ____
Gums: Swellings? ____  Bleeding? ____ Sores? ____ Growths? ____
Teeth: Loose? ____ Painful? ____ Dirty?  _____
Bad breath? ____
Nose:  Thick or colored discharge? ____ Cracking? ____ Pinched? ____  Sores? ____
Eyes: Tearing? ____ Mucous discharge? ____ Dull surface? ____ Squinting? ____
              Swelling? ____ Redness? _____Unequal pupils? _____ Pawing at eyes? _____
Ears: Bad smell? ____ Redness? ____ Abundant debris? ____  Scabby ear tips? ____
              Head shaking? ____ Head tilt? ____  Ear scratching? ____  Painfulness? _____
Feet: Long or split nails? ____ Cut pads? ____ Swollen or misaligned toes? ____
Skin: Parasites? ____ Black grains (flea dirt)? ____ Hair loss? ____ Scabs? _____
              Greasy patches? ____ Bad odor? _____ Lumps? ____
Anal and genital regions: Swelling? ____ Discharge? _____  Redness? _____
              Bloody urine? _____ Bloody or blackened diarrhea?_____
              Worms in stool or around anus? ____
              Scooting rear? _____  Licking rear? ____
Abdomen: Bloating? ____
Body: Asymmetrical bones or muscles? ____ Lumps? ____
Weight change? ____

 
 
              If you answered “yes” to anything abnormal in the checklist, it’s worth a call to your veterinarian.
             
 

​Ten Tricks for the AKC Trick Dog Title

I was at a show a few years ago when a friend of a friend asked if we could be their guinea pigs for the then new AKC Trick Dog titling tests. Our dogs weren't trained for tricks, but my two salukis, Pepe and Ponzi, had obedience and agility titles, so how hard could it be? They could go through a tunnel, walk on a board, jump over a jump, sit on a platform and do the weaves. Ponzi already had a CGC title, so the rules said only had to perform five tricks to earn the TKN. Done! But Pepe didn't have a CGC, so he we had to come up with a quick additional five tricks for his title. I walked away thinking that had been a fun diversion. But by the time I got home I was eyeing the requirements for the next level. And the next.

Before I knew it  was taking breaks from Facebook to look away from my screen and work on another trick with the boys. They loved it. Of course, treats were involved, but they seemed to enjoy the challenge and the interaction.  We all grew to look forward to trick training. I always trained them together, which added to the lion-tamer atmosphere we all seemed to thrive on. For two months they learned to sit up and beg, jump through a hoop, crawl on their belly, spin right, spin left, turn on the light, play a piano, high-five, super high-ten, bow, balance a treat on the nose (Pepe only---Ponzi has no self control), catch a treat, catch a ball. We took the test for the Intermediate and Advanced levels, and they both passed. But now what?

Both dogs still looked at me expectantly as I typed away. Pepe nudged me with his nose. Ponzi did the paw in my lap thing. And cocked his head. Apparently I had created trick monsters. Bu I also found that these were my favorite times of the day, and I looked forward to them as well. And there are two higher levels yet...
If you're considering checking out a Trick Dog title, I can heartily recommend the endeavor. Everyone enjoys it. It gives you motivation to spend some pure fun times with your dog. It keeps your dog's mind active. It helps young dogs learn to learn, and keeps old dogs mentally active. For rainy days it helps burn off a little energy--maybe just mental energy but it's better than nothing.

The tricks have also been handy. We visit my mom in the nursing home, and the other residents have grown to look forward to the "circus" dogs coming to visit. Tricks releive boredom at dog shows, especially when waiting for our turn in the group ring. One caution here: After I taught Ponzi to "play" the piano I enouraged him to move his front feet up and down the keyboard repeatedly to better simulate playing. This was not a good idea, as he demonstrated the first time I baited him while in a perfect show stack in the ring--and he started shuffling his feet several steps to one side, then the other, over and over--argh! Lesson: Make sure your cue to move the feet is very different from your cue to stand still!
But other than that, tricks entertain ringside spectators and help make our show dogs seem more fun and approachable --which they are! They make your dogs better breed ambassadors.

In addition, tricks help nervous dogs calm down. Having a trick your dog knows how to do well helps the dog focus. One part of being nervous comes from not knowing what to do. With a well-learned trick, the dog knows exactly what to do, and is even more likely to eat a treat he was too nervous to eat before. This works very well at the veterinary office, especially if the tricks you teach help get veterinary tasks accomplished.  

1) Kissing Canine
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a dog that would give you a kiss when you needed one? Now you can, with just few simple lessons . . . and maybe some tasty treats. If your dog naturally licks your face, you can click and reward her every time she does. Once she’s doing it reliably you can add a cue, such as “Nobody loves me,” and reward her only for licking on cue. If she doesn’t lick your face naturally, you can help her a little bit by doing the following:

1. Get a sticky treat, such as butter or peanut butter, and smear a bit on your cheek.
2. Let your dog lick it off your cheek. Click as soon as she starts licking.
3. Gradually put less and less of the sticky treat on your cheek, but still click when she licks. Hand her a treat when she finishes.
4. You should gradually be able to do away with the sticky goo on your cheek and just click and hand your dog a treat for kissing you.
5. Once she’s doing that, add a cue by saying “Nobody loves me . . .” in a sad tone. Click and reward her only when she kisses you after you say that. Soon she will learn that she gets a treat when she kisses you on cue!

What if she won’t lick your cheek no matter what? Some dogs just aren’t comfortable licking food from people’s faces. If yours is one of them, just use the same method to teach her to kiss the back of your hand.
2) Open Arms
This trick will work only with small dogs. If your dog is bigger, he might knock you down! But this trick is very cute. When you say “Eek, a mouse!” your dog will jump in your arms and it will look like she was trying to get away from a mouse. Here’s how to teach it:

1. Kneel on the floor in front of your dog. Encourage her to run to you and get in your lap. You may need to hold a treat to get her to come. As soon as she is even partway in your lap, click and reward her. Keep practicing, gradually clicking and rewarding her only for getting farther and farther onto your lap, until she is all the way there.
2. Hold your arms down so instead of jumping into your lap she is jumping into your arms on your lap. Click and reward her for doing it right.
3. Now sit up taller and repeat the earlier steps. Gradually require her to get her whole body into your arms before rewarding her.
4. Next sit in a chair so she has to take a small running jump to reach your lap and then your arms. Be sure to click and treat!
5. Once she is jumping up into your arms while you are seated, sit on some cushions on the chair so you can gradually rise up to an almost-standing position without your dog knocking you down. Be sure to catch her! If you drop her she may be too scared to try again.
6. Now stand all the way up and have her leap into your arms!
7. Add your cue: “Eek, a mouse!” Click and reward your dog for jumping into your arms after you cue her.

What if she won’t get into your arms even when you’re kneeling? You may have to use treats to get her to come into your arms gradually until she feels comfortable there.
What if she is too big for this trick? You can do the trick with just her front paws on your chest or lap.
 
3) Spin!

He spins and spins and where he stops, nobody knows . . . The amazing spinning dog dazzles your audience and dizzies your dog. This trick is easy to teach if your dog knows how to be lured with a stick or your hand, but you can also teach it using a treat. Here’s how:

1. With your dog standing in front of you, show her the treat and move the treat so she follows it in a tight circle. Start by just clicking and rewarding her for turning her head, then for turning just a little bit, then for turning a little bit more until she is turning in a complete circle. Always spin in the same direction.
2. Once your dog is spinning in one circle, try guiding her with just your hand, without holding a treat. When she finishes the circle, give her the treat. Once she spins in one circle to your hand, practice adding on a second circle. Then add another, and another . . .
3. Now it’s time to add your cue. How about “Tornado!” Give the cue right before you make the circle with your hand, and click and reward your dog for spinning. If she spins without the cue, just ignore it. Practice until she is reliably spinning when you say “Tornado!”
4. Next you need to phase out using your hand to signal. Make your hand circles smaller and smaller, until your dog is responding to just your voice cue: “Tornado!” Remember to keep clicking and rewarding.

What about spinning in the other direction? You can teach you dog to spin in the opposite direction the same way you trained her to spin in the first direction. But use a different cue word, such as “Unwind!”

4) Dogcatcher!
Here’s a really cute trick: your dog will peer out from between your legs like he’s hiding from somebody. Follow these directions to teach it:

1. Go with your dog into a bathroom. Stand in front of the door so you are blocking it with your back to the dog. Keep your feet slightly apart so the only way out for her is through your legs.
2. Use a treat or your hand to get her to come partway through your legs. When her head sticks through, click and stop her by giving her a treat.
3. Keep repeating this process. Gradually work up to having her stay between your legs for several seconds before you click and treat.
4. Add your cue word. Let’s use “Dogcatcher!” Click and reward her when she comes to peek out between your legs after you say “Dogcatcher!” Don’t reward her for it at other times.
5. You won’t look too impressive doing your trick in the bathroom, so you need to work your way to a bigger room once she’s doing the trick reliably in the bathroom. Move to a hallway first and practice there. Once she’s doing the trick there, move to a larger room. Gradually train her so she can come from anywhere behind you and run to peer from between your legs. Be sure you are still rewarding her!
6. Finally, start standing more naturally with your legs not so far apart. Leave just enough room for your dog to stick her head through—it will look funnier that way!

5) Crawling Critter
If you've ever dreams of your dog in the movies, he'll need to know how to crawl. It’s easier for some dogs than for others, but most dogs can learn. It’s easiest to teach if your dog already knows how to lie down and come on command.

1. Place a barrier between your dog and you that is just low enough so he has to crouch down to go under it. You can use a broomstick between two chairs. Have your dog lie down on the other side of the barrier from you. Call or lure your dog to you. As soon as he takes one step in a crouched position, click and give him a treat.
2. Work on having him gradually crawl all the way under the barrier. If he is having problems, you can raise the barrier at first and gradually lower it. Be sure to click and reward him when he is still crawling.
3. Next make the barrier a little longer, so he has to crawl for a few more steps. You could use a second broomstick and drape a sheet over both of them so they make a tunnel. Keep making the tunnel a little longer and longer as your dog masters each distance.
4. Now gradually remove the barrier, starting with any sheet you’ve draped over it, and then removing each stick, starting from the middle. Eventually you want your dog to crawl the same distance but without any barriers. Be sure to click and reward while he is still crawling.
5. Once he is doing this reliably, introduce your cue. You could pretend he’s a war dog crawling behind enemy lines and shout “Incoming!” Give him this cue before you call him to you. Click and reward him only when he comes after you cue him. Gradually quit calling or luring him and just use the “Incoming!” cue.

             
6) Take a Bow!
Every performer should know how to bow! There are two ways to teach your dog to bow, and which way is best for your dog depends on your dog. If your dog naturally bows a lot, such as when he wants to play, you can teach him by just waiting for him to bow and then clicking and rewarding him every time he bows. When he starts bowing and looking at you for his treat, then you add a cue, such a “Take a bow.” Once you do that, you click and reward him only when he bows after your cue.
If your dog doesn’t bow on his own, you can teach him how. Here’s how to do it:

1. With your dog standing, kneel by his side. Take a treat in your hand and put your hand between your dog’s front legs from behind, showing him the treat. Your dog should bend his head down to reach the treat. When he does, click and give him the treat.
2. Gradually move the treat back toward his rear, but still between his front legs. Now your dog has to reach between his front legs to get the treat, and that will make him bow a little bit. Be sure to click and reward him as soon as he starts to bow.
3. Keep practicing, gradually moving the treat closer to the ground. Click and reward him for getting his elbows closer and closer to the ground.
4. If he moves out of position or tries to lie down, just start over. If he keeps trying to lie all the way down, you can put your other hand under his tummy and guide him so he keeps his rear off the ground.
5. Instead of holding the treat in your hand, put it in your pocket and try to get him to bow by just following your hand. When he does, click and reward him with the treat from your pocket.
6. Once he is bowing consistently to just your hand signal, add your voice cue: “Take a bow.” Then just click and reward him for bowing on cue.

 
7) Yes or No
Should every trick dog know how to nod? Yes! Is it hard to teach your dog to shake his head? No! Every trick dog should know how to nod yes and shake his head no. Fortunately, these tricks are not too hard to teach.

1. Have your dog face you. If your dog already knows the Look Smart! trick, you can stick her target to your hand. Otherwise you can just hold a treat.
2. To teach your dog to shake her head no, move your hand back and forth so she has to move her head back and forth to follow it. When she does, click and treat.
3. Keep practicing this. If you are using a treat, gradually do away with it in your hand so your hand is empty. Click and reward your dog with a treat from your pocket.
4. Gradually fade your hand movements so you are moving your hand only slightly. Work on making sure she still moves her head back and forth as if saying no by rewarding only head movements that go beyond your hand movements. If you can get your hand movements small enough, you can also use them as a second, secret hand signal for your dog.
5. When she is shaking her head no, introduce a cue, such as “Don’t you agree?” Practice using the cue and clicking and rewarding her only when she shakes her head no in response to it.

What about nodding yes? Don’t start teaching your dog to nod yes until she knows how to shake her head no. Then teach your dog using the same technique, except instead of moving your hand back and forth, move it up and down so your dog nods. Once your dog is nodding to your slight hand movements, add a cue such as “Isn’t that so?”
 
8) Gimme Five!
Polite dogs shake your hand. Cool dogs give you a high five. Your cool dog can give a high five by slapping your open palm with his paw. Dogs that like to use their paws to move objects can learn this trick very fast. Here’s how to teach it to a dog that already uses his paw.

1. Have your dog sit.
2. Kneel in front of him holding a treat in your closed fist on the ground close to his paw.
3. Encourage your dog to paw at your hand for a treat. As soon as he lifts his paw, click and give him the treat. If he noses your hand, just ignore him and wait for him to make a paw movement.
4. Repeat this, gradually making him move his paw closer to your hand before clicking and rewarding him.
5. Now take the treat out of your hand and just use your empty fist. When he touches your empty fist with his paw, click and give him the treat from your other hand.
6. Gradually open your palm and reward him for touching his paw to your palm.
7. Repeat having him paw your palm, gradually raising your hand higher, clicking and rewarding him for touching your palm with his paw. Finally he should be reaching up to paw your hand.
8. Now to teach him when to do it. Let’s use the cue “Gimme five!” Say “Gimme five!” just before showing him your palm. Click and reward him for pawing it right away. Now when you say “Gimme five!” your dog will high-five you!
9. Now you can move your hand around and even encourage your dog to stand up on his hind legs to high-five!

9) Paw Targeting
One way to teach a lot of paw tricks is to first teach your dog to touch a target with his paw. It makes learning all the other paw tricks even easier. Here’s what you do:

1. Get a target, such as a sticky note or a piece of tape. Let your dog see you place a dog treat under the target. Now place the target where he can’t reach it with his nose, but has to paw at it instead. You could place it under a chair, for instance. As soon as he tries to paw the target, even if he doesn’t reach it, give him a treat.
2. Each time your dog gets his paw closer to the target, click and reward him. Once he is reaching for the target reliably, remove the treat from beneath it so he is just reaching for the target without a treat beneath it. Click and reward him again for getting his paw closer and closer to the target.
3. Gradually move the target so your dog doesn’t have to reach under the chair to reach it. If he tries to nose the target, he won’t get anything, because the treat is no longer under it. Click and reward him for pawing it.
4. Move the target to slightly different places. Click and reward your dog for touching it with his paw.
5. Now add a cue. How about “Touch!” Say “Touch!” and click and reward if he touches the target. Don’t click or reward any other time. Eventually your dog will learn that he gets a reward when he touches the target with his paw after you say “Touch.”
6. Now you can gradually move the target away from your dog, so he has to step forward to reach it. Keep clicking and rewarding him when he touches the target. Work up to placing the target across the room, on a chair, or even stuck to a wall.

Can you see how knowing this trick will help you teach your dog other tricks faster? If you want to teach your dog to put his paw in your lap, you could start by putting the target in your lap. if you want him to play a keyboard or turn on a light, place the target on those objects and then slowly fade it away.
​
10)  Nose Targeting
Just as paw targeting gives you the foundation for lots of other paw-oriented tricks, nose targeting does the same for nose-oriented tricks. Sometimes the easiest way to teach a trick is to tempt your dog into doing what you want by luring him with a treat. Use the same concept as with paw targeting, only using the nose.
You can use the same method to teach your dog to follow the end of a stick. A stick is handier than your hand if your dog is very short, so you don’t have to bend down. It’s also handy for teaching your dog tricks that have to be done farther away from you.

Once the dog is touching the target with his nose, move it around so he continues to touch it, and reward for doing so.  Now you have the basis for tricks such as pushing buttons, putting the nose in your pocket, or even saying prayers.
​
 
As you practice these tricks you'll find your dog may make up his own variations, These tricks will provide the basis to do enough tricks to earn the Trick Dog Advanced title---because once the two of you have mastered these  I bet you can't quit!
 
 
 
 
 

 This article, with photos, originally appeared in Sighthound Review magazine.

Healthy or unhealthy? Boy or girl? These are the first questions we ask as we welcome each new puppy into the world. But face it; at the back of our minds is the thought we don't wish to utter out loud for fear of it sounding too trivial: What color?
 
When it comes to color, most sighthounds have a lot of choices. And while that sets breeders free to ignore color in their mate selections, it also means we tend to have more gaps about color inheritance in our breeds. Fortunately, some sighthound breeds, most notably salukis and Afghan hounds, have caught the attention of the world's foremost color genetics researchers, Sheila Schmutz, Ph.D., of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, along with her former student, Dayna Dreger, Ph.D., now of the Ostrander lab at the National Human Genome Research Institute/National Institute of Health.  Dr. Dreger presented a seminar on saluki color genetics at the 2013 Saluki Club of America National specialty; the information here is based in large part on that presentation as well as Dr. Schmutz's website (http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/dogcolors.html).
 
Coat color is surely not the most important genetic aspect of our dogs, but it's one of the most accessible. And even breeders who claim not to care about color are often heard speculating about what colors a proposed breeding will bring. Let's face it: if you don't like black-fringed reds, you'd better know you have a good chance of getting one if you breed to one! Um...well, except...it's not always that easy!
 
Here's why: Several genes at different chromosomal locations (loci) interact to produce the wide variety of colors we see. Dreger describes this interaction as a sort of layering effect where you can envision layer after layer of gene action affecting the dog's ultimate color and pattern. We'll look at those basic layers as first, the ones controlling the distribution of black versus red pigment; second, the ones modifying the intensity of that pigment; and third, the ones preventing any pigment and so essentially covering parts of the dog in white. 
 
But first, some basics. Mammals have two types of melanin that make up their hair color: the brownish black eumelanin and the reddish yellow phaeomelanin. Several genes act together to determine the extent to which eumelanin and phaeomelanin are distributed throughout the coat. When you see black, chocolate or gray hairs, you're seeing eumelanin at work. When you see cream, gold or red hairs, you're seeing phaeomelanin at work. When you see absolutely white hairs, you're often the lack or dilution of both eumelanin and phaeomelanin.
 
These genes are located at different chromosomal locations, or "loci." At some loci there may be only two alternate forms of the gene, or "alleles." In others, there may be several different forms. Usually one allele is dominant to the other, or in the case of several alleles, there is a hierarchy of dominance. In some other cases, alleles may be co-dominant, meaning that if there is one of each allele, the color will be influenced by both alleles.
 
Geneticists use upper case letters to denote dominant alleles, and lower case to denote recessive ones. Each dog carries two alleles for each locus, and they are listed with a slash between them, such as J/j . If the allele isn't known, a dash is used in place of a letter: A/-. When several alleles exist at a locus, a superscript (ay/at) may be used instead of upper case versus lower case.
 
Base Colors: Black versus Red
 
At the base of the layering are what Dreger refers to as base colors. These are found at three different loci: A (agouti), E (extension) and K (dominant black).
 
A: The A (agouti) locus is technically called the Agouti Signaling Protein  (ASIP) gene. It has four known alleles, but only two (ay and at) are found in salukis:
 
ay: Results in a sable coat color. The best known examples are black-fringed fawns and black-fringed reds. These dogs may have a very little amount of sabling on them, restricted to the ear tips, for example, or they may have extensive sabling over their entire bodies. What used to be commonly called mahogany grizzles are actually heavily sabled dogs, not grizzles at all. Dogs with ay are generally born dark; red sables may be almost black, and fawns are often described as being the color of wet cardboard. The black hair then gradually diminishes until the adult color is reached. In some cases, the adult coat has no noticeable black pigment, and may appear to be indistinguishable from cream (e/e, discussed later). These dogs have black vibrissae throughout life. Because ay is dominant to at, sable salukis can be either ay/ay or ay/at.   <<photo 1: sable>>>
 
at: Results in a tan-pointed dog. Black and tan salukis as well as chocolate and tan salukis result from at. Because at is recessive to ay, a dog must have two copies of at to be tan-pointed.  <<photo 2: black & tan>>
 
The other two variants (alleles) at this locus are not found in salukis. They are aw, which results in wolf sable type coloring with banded hairs; and a, which results in recessive black but is seen mostly in herding breeds.
 
So basically the A locus determines whether your saluki will be sable or tan-pointed, with sable dominant over tan-pointed.
 
E: The E (extension) locus is technically called the Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) gene. It has four known alleles, and salukis have all of them. In order of dominance they are:
 
EM: Results in a dark (usually black) mask. This is not a common allele in salukis, but is very common in Afghan hounds. The mask can be present on either a sable (ay/-) or black and tan (at/at) background.  <<photo 3: black masked>>
 
EG: Results in the pattern known as grizzle in salukis and domino in Afghan hounds. But here's where it gets interesting. It can only make a grizzle (or domino) dog if the dog is also at/at. In other words, EG results in grizzle by modifying a dog that is already tan-pointed. A sable (ay/-) dog can have the EG allele, but it will not be grizzle in color. <<photo 4: grizzle>>
 
E: Allows either eumelanin or phaeomelanin to be expressed, according to what alleles at other loci signal. In other words, if a dog is ay/- (sable) then E would result in a sable dog. If the dog is at/at, E would result in a tan-pointed dog.
 
e: Allows only phaeomelanin to be produced when the dog has two copies of the allele (e/e); in other words, only shades of cream to red---no black or chocolate. So even if a dog is ay/ay or at/at, it will be a shade of cream (from almost white to red) instead of sable or tan-pointed. These dogs always have whitish vibrissae. <<photo 5: cream or self red>>
 
K: The K (dominant black) locus in technically called the Beta-Defensin 103 (DEFB103) gene. It's a fairly recent discovery as earlier researchers believed dominant black was a dominant member of the A locus family of alleles. Salukis (and Afghans) can have any of the three possible alleles:
 
KB: Results in a solid black dog.  Technically, it is solid eumelanin, as it could also be solid chocolate, or have white on it, depending on other modifiers, but in practice the dog will be solid black or chocolate or blue, with or without white. It will not be sable, black and tan or otherwise tan-pointed. No matter what other alleles are present elsewhere, with the exception of a e/e cream genotype, the KB allele essentially overrides them.  <<photo 6:  solid black >>
 
kbr: Results in alternating jagged stripes of eumelanin and phaeomelanin---also known as brindle. These stripes can only be seen against a light background, so a black and tan dog with kbr/- would only have brindle stripes evident in its tan areas. A grizzle would have brindling most evident on its legs and face, where a sable would show brindling over its entire body. <<photo 7: brindle>>
 
ky: Allows for the expression of the A locus alleles. Almost all AKC salukis are ky/ky. However, some recent imports tend to be brindle or solid black, with brindle proving to be controversial in the breed.
 
So these are the base colors. How can we use them to describe salukis we see? Let's look at a few salukis and see what alleles they might---or in some cases must---have.
 
Black-fringed red or black-fringed fawn: <photo 8>This dog must have at least one ay allele, so it's either ay/ay or ay/at. The E alleles are a bit more difficult, but because it has some black hair we know it can't be e/e. It doesn't have a black mask so it's not EM. But we don't know whether it has E versus EG alleles because the EG would only have been expressed if it had a tan-pointed pattern to act upon. At the K locus we know it must be ky/ky because it's neither self black nor brindle. So we have ay/- -/- ky/ky.
 
Grizzle: <photo 9> We know that a grizzle dog must have at least one allele for grizzle, EG, and that EM is dominant to EG, so cannot be present. We don't know if it's EG/EG, EG/E or EG/e, so we just say EG/-. And we know that the EG allele only makes grizzle if the dog would otherwise be tan-pointed, so we know the dog is at/at. And because it is neither solid black nor brindle, we know it is ky/ky. So we have at/at EG/- ky/ky.
 
Black and tan: <photo 10>>To be tan pointed this dog must be at/at. It is neither black masked nor grizzle, so it cannot be EM or EG. It has black hair, which means eumelanin is expressed, which in turn means it cannot be e/e. It must be either E/E or E/e. This dog is not solid black and not brindle, so it's ky/ky. So this dog is at/at  E/- ky/ky.
 
Cream/clear red: <photo 11> Cream and red are tricky, because they can be either e/e or E/- and ay/-. Remember that the e/e genotype effectively negates the genes at several other loci, including A and K loci. So if the dog is e/e, it doesn't matter if the dog is also KB/- (dominant black), kbr/- (brindle), ay/- (sable) or at/at (tan pointed) because it doesn't allow any eumelanin (black pigment) to be produced, so the dog will be some shade of cream to red. These e/e dogs never have any black hairs on them, even in puppyhood.
 
Cream or red salukis can also result from having at least one EG, E, or EM allele, along with one ay allele as well as two ky alleles. Remember most salukis are ky/ky so unless you're dealing with lines with solid black or brindle you don't have to include that in your calculations. And very few salukis are EM (masked), although many Afghans are. A black-masked red or cream Afghan will be red or cream by virtue of being EM/- and ay/-, not e/e. But a self-colored one could still be either E/- or e/e. If the dog ever had black hairs on it, it is E/-. Otherwise it is impossible to tell a cream or red caused by e/e from one caused by E/- with ay/- simply by looking.
And some creams can even be EG/-, as long as they are not also at/at. Without the black and tan pattern to modify, the EG cannot result in grizzle.  Canine color genetics expert Sheila Schmutz, Ph.D., says on her saluki color page (http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/SalukiColor.html): "There must be another gene, yet undiscovered, that causes cream in Saluki. In Afghans, dogs with e/e or with an E or EM or EG allele can all be cream. This seems to also be true in Saluki."
 
The depth of coloration, from almost creamy white to deep red, is not associated with whichever of these mechanisms causes red/cream. The depth of pigmentation must instead lie with an as yet undiscovered gene. The same is true of the coloration of the tan points on a black and tan. Some are a deep rich red; others an almost silvery white. Nor do we know what causes the depth of coloration and contrast on grizzles. Some are almost black and white; others barely have any grizzling visible, the contrast is so subtle. The best we can do is to take the old fashioned approach and say "like begets like." You're more likely to get light creams from light creams, dark grizzles from dark grizzles and so on...but nothing's guaranteed.
 
Modifiers: Black versus Brown
 
The next layer of coloration involves dilutions and modifiers. Several loci are involved, but saluki have only one that varies.  
 
B: The B (brown) locus is technically called the Tyrosinase Related Protein (TYRP1) gene. It determines whether the eumelanin on the dog is black or brown. <<photo 12: chocolate dog>>
 
B: Results in black eumelanin.
 
b: Results in brown (also called chocolate or liver) eumelanin. This allele is one of the few that salukis and Afghan hounds don't share, as chocolate Afghans are frowned upon. A chocolate saluki is b/b, and also has liver nose leather, lips and eye rims.
 
For any color that has black in it, the b/b combination changes that black to chocolate, so you can have a chocolate and tan instead of black and tan, or a chocolate grizzle instead of black grizzle, or even a chocolate brindle. When a cream is b/b, then the nose, lips and eye rims are still liver.
 
Other loci that act as modifiers in other breeds are the saddle tan, which changes the black and tan pattern to one with a black saddle; dilution D that changes black to gray; and progressive gray G that causes black hair to gray at a young age. In salukis and Afghans, these loci are not variable, and all salukis and Afghans have the dominant member of them. And yes, there are gray or blue salukis and Afghan hounds, but according to Dreger, they are not caused by alleles at any as yet identified loci. While the gene for the D locus has been identified as Melanophilin (MLPH), and the RALY gene has been shown to impact the saddle tan patterning, the genes for the I and G loci have not yet been identified.
 
Another gene, dilution I, changes phaeomelanin red pigment to cream. "This may be the locus that dilutes to cream in Salukis," says Dreger. "But since we don't know what the gene is, we can't verify which variants are present in Salukis. We just know there has to be 'something' that causes the change in darkness of phaeomelanin, and for now, we can only call it Locus I, since the gene is unknown."
 
 
Spotting: Colored versus White
 
People tend to describe parti-colors as white dogs with spots, when in fact they should be looked upon as colored dogs with blanked out areas. Look at virtually any parti-color saluki and you can see the coat pattern hidden behind the white. Dreger suggests envisioning the dog as having a white sheet thrown over it, with holes cut in the sheet through which you can see the real color. So you can have grizzle partis, black and tan partis, cream partis, sable partis---any color you can have without white, you can have with white. Parti-colors are fairly common in salukis, but extremely rare in Afghan hounds, as parti-color Afghans are not accepted by the AKC standard.
 
In Clarence Little's classic 1957 work, The Inheritance of Coat Color in Dogs, he described the S, or spotting, locus as consisting of at least four different variants:
S: Solid: Allows the full base color pattern to show with minimal white.
si: Irish spotted: White is confined to the tail tip, feet or legs, and maybe muzzle and collar.
sp: Piebald spotted: Definite spots and patches are seen.
sw: Mostly white: No or few patches of color, often confined to the head or tail base.
 
But according to Dreger and Schmutz, salukis (along with whippets and a few other non-sighthound breeds) don't fit this classic pattern. Instead, salukis seem to fit the following pattern of inheritance:
S: solid
s: piebald or mostly white
si: Irish spotted
 
Note that the dominance hierarchy differs from Little's, such that si is the most recessive member, and S and s can be co-dominant, meaning that S/s looks different than either S/S or s/s. And to really make it really confusing, these S/s Salukis appear to be Irish spotted! The Microopthalmia-associated Transcription Factor (MITF) gene has been shown to affect whitespotting patterns in some breeds, however, the gene for this locus in Salukis has not been identified, so the entire story is still awaiting discovery. <<Photo 13: Irish marked>> <<photo 14: extreme white spotted>>
 
Many, but not all, of the alleles described here have been mapped, and DNA tests exist for some of them. You can find out if your dog carries b (chocolate) or EG (grizzle), for example. This might be an interesting exercise for a popular stud dog, but for most of us, color isn't the main reason guiding our breeding choices. It is, however, the subject of much speculation and often, surprise, at whelping time---and for some of us that bit of mystery is half the fun!
 
 
Sidebar: Test Your DNA I.Q.!
 
Questions:
Can you describe the color these dogs should be?
1) ay/at e/e ky/ky b/b S/S
2) at/at EG/e ky/ky B/b s/s
3) ay/at EG/EG ky/ky B/B S/S
4) at/at E/e ky/ky b/b si/si
5) at/at EG/EG kbr/ky B/B S/S
6) ay/at EM/e KB/kbr B/b s/s
7) You breed the following pair: at/at e/e  to  ay/ay EG/EG
Will you get grizzle puppies?
8) You breed the following pair: ay/at e/e to  ay/at EG/e
What colors could you get?
9) You have a cream saluki with a black nose. One of its parents was chocolate grizzle. The other was black and tan. What can you surmise about its genotype?
10) You breed two chocolate grizzle parti-colors together. What colors should you expect?
 
Answers:
1) Solid cream with a liver nose. The e/e negates the genes at the A locus, The b/b codes for brown, but because of e/e the only place it is expressed is as brown is on the nose, lips and eye rims.
2) Grizzle parti-color. The combination of at/at with EG/- creates grizzle. The s/s determines the grizzle will only show in patches with the majority of the dog being white in color.
3) Either sable or red/cream. The ay means that the EG cannot act on the black and tan pattern to create grizzle.  And although it seems like the dog should be sable, some such salukis appear similar to creams and reds.
4) Irish marked chocolate and tan.
5) Solid grizzle with brindle showing up in the light areas.
6) Spotted (solid) black dog.
7) Your puppies will all be ay/at EG/e, so no, you will not get grizzles. You will instead get sables or possibly clear reds or creams.
8) You could get the following combinations of alleles:
ay/ay e/e = cream/clear red
ay/at e/e =cream/clear red
at/at e/e = cream/clear red
ay/ay EG/e = sable or cream/clear red
ay/at EG/e = sable or cream/clear red
at/at EG/e = grizzle
 
9) We know the grizzle parent had to be at/at EG/- ky/ky b/b S/-. The black and tan parent had to be at/at E/- ky/ky B/- S/-. Your dog must be at/at -/- ky/ky B/b S/-.  Both parents were at/at because they had to be in order to be either grizzle or black and tan. Your dog's black nose tells you she is not b/b, but you know she had to have inherited one b allele from her chocolate parent. The only way that your dog can be cream in color and have been produced by these two parents is if both parents also carried the e allele, which is possible based on the colors that they are expressing. Your dog is e/e cream. Any other combination of available alleles at the E locus, in addition to being at/at at the A locus, would have resulted in your dog being black and tan or grizzle, with or without a black mask. The final genotype of your dog is at/at e/e ky/ky B/b S/-.
 
10) Expect a litter of parti-colors, in either chocolate grizzle, chocolate and tan or cream with a liver nose. The parents must be at/at EG/- ky/ky b/b s/s, but since they could be EG/ EG or EG/E or EG/e you don't know exactly what the E locus will code for.
 
 
Acknowledgement: Thank you to Dr. Dayna Dreger for reviewing the text and for helpful comments.

 
Sometimes I write articles that for various club political reasons the publisher decides would be bad for business and kills the article. This is one of them: 



​
The ABCs of DNA, the Z-List, and Albinos
 
Alan: "My uncle Roger says he saw an albino polar bear once."
Stu: "Really? Polar bears are white, how did he know it was albino?"
Alan: "This one was black."
Stu: "Uh, are you sure it wasn't a black bear?"
Alan: [after thinking] "Whatevs."
--From that movie classic, The Hangover 2.
 
The jury's still out on whether albino polar bears exist. But they probably do, since albino black bears and other bears exist. As well as albino humans, monkeys, bats, rats, mice, snakes, alligators, birds, lobsters and even bugs. And remember Moby Dick? The Great White Whale wasn't necessarily a figment of Melville's imagination. A 45 ft albino humpback whale was sighted off the coast of Australia in 1991.
So where are the Moby Dicks of dogdom? You'd think that as malleable as the canine species is, with all the various traits and oddities selectively bred to make new breeds, pink-eyed dogs would be as common as pink-eyed lab rats. Or polar bears.
They're not.
In fact, until recently, a lot of people denied they even existed. Sort of like Moby Dick. Sure, white dogs are everywhere. But albino dogs aren't just white; they have a complete or almost complete lack of pigment in the fur, skin, eyes, and nose.
In 1976, a white female Doberman Pinscher named Padula's Queen Shebah was born to two black and rust parents. Shebah was bred to her son to produce more white Dobermans. Since then, several thousand Dobermans, many of them "white," have descended from Shebah.
Although they're called white, they're actually light cream, with blue eyes and pink nose, lips and eye rims. The Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA), backed by several geneticists, contended early on they were albinos. Many white Dobe proponents argued they  were not albinos, contending they had some pigmentation and that further, albinos were not seen in any dog breeds.
They were wrong.
Albinism comes in many forms, and isn't limited to the prototypical white fur and pink eyes. More than 60 different gene mutations in various species are known to cause albinism, often with slightly different effects. Light hair with blue eyes is typical of the most common type of albinism, oculocutaneous albinism type 2 (OCA2), in humans. Dogs with light cream fur and blue eyes are seen in several domestic dog breeds, most notably Pekingese, but they've also been seen in Shih Tzu, Poodles, Pit Bulls, Beagles, Pugs, Dachshunds and doubtless, many others.  It is now acknowledged that white Dobermans are in fact albinos, and the causative gene has recently been discovered.
Color Genetics
In 1982, the DPCA amended its standard to allow only four colors: black, red, blue and fawn (all with tan points). The inheritance of these colors is well established, and occurs through the interaction of alleles at two loci. Genes at the B locus determine whether the color will be black (BB or Bb) or red (bb). Genes at the D locus determine whether colors will be undiluted (DD or Dd) or diluted (dd). A diluted black is blue; a diluted red is fawn (also called Isabella). Initially, nobody knew how white (albino) was inherited.

(Note: from http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/genetic/coatclr/example/page2.htm)
In 1983 the DPCA acquired two albino dogs for test matings. Bred to colored Dobes, the albinos produced only colored offspring, consistent with a recessive mode of inheritance. Further information came from a report of an albino to Isabella (bbdd) mating that produced only black offspring. Since the Isabella parent had to be genetically bbdd, the black offspring must have received the dominant black (B) and dominant undiluted (D) alleles from their albino parent. This meant the albino gene covered up the color that would otherwise have been produced. The results pointed to a recessive gene at a different locus than the B or D genes. A dog with two copies of the albino gene (aa) masks the color that would otherwise be expressed.

(Note: from http://www.discoveryandinnovation.com/BIOL202/notes/lecture4.html)
Health and Temperament Problems?
Albinism is associated with vision and skin problems in many species. Some Doberman breeders also believe it is associated with temperament problems.
Because they lack pigment in the iris (colored part) of the eye, light passes right through the iris and more light reaches the retina. Thus, albino Dobermans are bothered by bright light. They squint in sunlight and may avoid it. In many species, albinism is associated with abnormal visual pathways in the brain, and possibly diminished visual fields or acuity. This is the case with Siamese and albino cats, but it has not been studied in the dog.
Albino Dobermans are prone to sunburn, which may lead to skin tumors. A recent study (Winkler PA, Gornik KR, Ramsey DT, Dubielzig RR, Venta PJ, et al. (2014) A Partial Gene Deletion of SLC45A2 Causes Oculocutaneous Albinism in Doberman Pinscher Dogs. PLoS ONE 9(3): e92127. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0092127) by doctoral student Paige Winkler and colleagues compared skin and eye tumors of albino Dobermans with normal colored Dobermans. Winkler, of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Michigan in East Lansing, found albino Dobermans have a much higher incidence of eye and skin melanocytic tumors. More than half the 20 albino dogs had at least one of these tumors, compared with only one of the 20 regular-colored dogs. Every albino dog over age 5 had at least one tumor.
"This finally gives us the solid information we never had to educate the public that these albino dogs can have health problems," says former DPCA Health Education coordinator Kathy Davieds, DVM.
More difficult is the question of temperament. Anecdotal evidence of shy, aggressive or difficult to train albinos was bolstered by the dearth of successful albino Dobes at higher levels of  performance competitions. Then along came Sprite (Vixen's Apparition Sprite), a rescue albino owned by Karen Kissinger. Sprite not only achieved Utility Dog, Rally Excellent, Masters Agility, Masters Agility Jumpers, and Masters Jumpers Bronze level titles but was a DPCA Obedience Top Twenty Finalist.
Sprite's invitation caused a huge controversy because at the time Sprite was invited the DPCA already had in place a policy stating that albinos shall be ineligible for nomination for all conformation and performance awards, certificates, agility certificates, and competitions of the DPCA including, but not limited to, Longevity Program, Working Aptitude Evaluation, Top Twenty competition, obedience certificates, agility certificates, tracking certificates, and that Z factored Dobermans be allowed to participate in performance awards programs such as Top 20 Obedience and Agility, performance recognition awards, and the WAE only upon submitting proof that the dog was neutered.  This policy was re-examined by the DPCA Board several times, with an appeal to the AKC for clarification on whether dogs could be excluded from such events. The AKC said that if qualification is based on AKC competitions, then, no, they couldn't be. The DPCA countered that they may add additional requirements for invitational purposes, but that Dobes of any color can qualify for  Top 20 Obedience or Agility ranking. The DPCA felt the inclusion of Sprite's photo at the DPCA legitimized albino breeding and contended that albino breeders used it to further the breeding of these dogs. 
Kissinger, an experienced obedience instructor who has trained many dogs, doesn't believe albinos have any more temperament issues than other colors. She believes the poor temperaments described by the DPCA from the test breedings in the 1980s were more likely due to the dogs being kenneled with little human contact. "I've fostered and placed four other albino dogs and they all had delightful personalities," she says.
As far as training: "The only limitation with Sprite is trying to avoid being out in the intense summer sun. With no pigment, these dogs can burn in a short period of time. We train indoors, in the shade, or after dark. The only time she's had a problem with her vision is when she happened to be directly facing the rising or setting sun. She seems to see fine outside when the sun is overhead."
Sprite is Kissinger's second albino rescue. Her first, Bella, now age 12, was a therapy dog. "Even when the Alzheimer's patients pulled, poked, squeezed, and even tried to bite her nose, she stayed totally collected."
Both Sprite and Bella have led healthy lives, and "both tested normal for all the known diseases found in the breed. Normal vWD, thyroid, cardiac, and so on," says Kissinger, who is also a veterinary technician. "I've had absolutely no health issues and the new owners of my albino fosters have said the same. The albinos usually expire for all the same reasons as the others. The average age is between 10 to 14 years." No data exist to compare longevity between albino and colored Dobermans.
Kissinger doesn't believe albinos should be purposefully bred. "However, with that said, once they're here, they still make wonderful pets. They're no different than their colored relatives... It takes a little extra effort but they're still Dobermans."
The Z List
Because the albino gene is a recessive, the DPCA feared breeders could unknowingly mate two carriers and produce albinos. To prevent this, the AKC agreed to track all descendents of Shebah's parents, labeling any descendents born after 1995 with AKC registration numbers beginning with "WZ." Every AKC registered descendant of these dogs is recorded in the "Z list," even those who were born before the WZ registration numbers were instituted.
Every known albino Doberman has come from dogs on the Z list. However, a dog on the Z list doesn't necessarily carry the albino gene. Although both Shebah's parents must have carried the gene, on average one quarter of their offspring would not have inherited any copies. Even those that were carriers would have passed on their recessive gene to only half of their offspring on average. In each generation the chance of being a carrier is halved. This means that many of the dogs on the Z list are not carriers.
In addition, it's possible carriers could exist that aren't on the Z list. A notation on Shebah's pedigree describes her as the "first white Doberman not put to sleep," implying others were born before her; in fact her breeders claimed her parents had previously produced a white male that died. Researchers believe the albino gene mutation must have occurred at least five generations before Shebah. Since both Shebah's parents had to be carriers, it's most likely they in turn inherited it from a common ancestor. The first common ancestors behind Shebah's parents occur five generations before Shebah.  Kathie Davieds, DVM and Marge Brooks, who is on the DPCA BOD, traced Shebah's pedigree and found the following common ancestors:

• Singenwald's Prince Kuhio appears four generations behind Shebah's sire and  five behind her dam.
• Dobe Acres Cinnamon appears four and five generations behind Shebah's sire and six behind her dam.

·       Behind Kuhio and Cinnamon appear further common ancestors: Patton's Ponder of Torn, Cunningham's Saracenette, Ravensberg's Bert and Singenwald's Jelissa. Another Kuhio ancestor, Delegate vd Elbe, appears six generations behind Shebah's sire and dam.
 
·       Seven generations behind both sire and dam appear (often multiple times) Dictator v Glenhuegel, Emporer of Marienland, Alcor v Millsdod and Dow's Illena of Marienland. In the next generation common ancestors are Domossi of Marienland, Westphalia's Uranus, Favoriet V. Franzhof and Blank vd Domstadt.
 
Nobody knows which of Shebah's common ancestors might have been "the" common carrier. But any of these dogs could have been the one. Whichever one it was would have had a 50% chance of passing the albino gene to each of its offspring, which happened generation after generation on down to Shebah's parents. Only when two carriers were bred together did an albino occur. The problem is we don't know which one of these ancestors it was. To be fair, it could even be another common ancestor even farther back; however, if Shebah was in fact the first albino Dobe it seems more likely the original mutation occurred in a closer generation. But was she the first? Remember, printed (not handwritten) on her pedigree appears this statement: "Shebah was the first white Doberman that was not put to sleep."
 
If white Dobermans were born before Shebah, then Davieds and Brooks conlcude that "without knowledge of how many such puppies and more importantly, for how many generations this may have occurred prior to the appearance of Shebah, it is completely possible that the original spontaneous mutation occurred eight or more generations behind Shebah."
 
Every earlier carrier would be as much a carrier as would each of Shebah's offspring. Every carrier would warrant being on the Z list. But without knowing which lines brought the mutation to Shebah, all of these carriers escaped Z listing. And some of Shebah's common ancestors are behind many of today's popular lines. It's not just a possibility that some non-Z-list carriers are out there, but a probability.  The only way the Z-list would have caught every carrier would be if the mutation occurred spontaneously in both Shebah's sire and dam, or if none of the common ancestors behind them produced any other existing descendants.
Note, however, there's never been a documented case of an albino Doberman born to a dog not on the Z list. Although there are accusations that show breeders euthanize albinos before anyone can know about them, it seems odd that none have been reported from all the Dobes bred in pet homes.
DNA Testing
Without a DNA test, the Z list was the best tool available. That's now changed. Paige and colleagues screened DNA samples from albino Dobermans to determine if genes known to cause oculocutaneous albinism in humans were responsible. A mutation in SLC45A2 was found to be linked to albinism. Every albino dog tested had the mutation, whereas none of the non-Z-list dogs had it. The mutation is not a part of any of the known dog color loci. This includes the C series, where mutations causing albinism in many others species have been identified. However, mutations in SLC45A2 cause the OCA4 type of albinism responsible for cream-colored Bengal tigers, horses, and gorillas, as well as some albino humans.
"This comes as a welcome vindication that we were correct when we identified Shebah as an albino Doberman and not merely 'white' as others have claimed," says DPCA President Michelle Santana.
VetGen (www.vetgen.com) is now offering the DNA test for albinism in Doberman Pinschers commercially. Most of the 100 dogs they've tested so far were tested as part of research prior to offering the test. "We tested 80 phenotypically normal Z list dogs and 17 (21.25%) of them were carriers and the rest were clear," says Robert Loechel, chief scientific officer for VetGen Veterinary Genetic Services based in Ann Arbor, Mich. "Some of these dogs were known carriers and some came from kennels that regularly produced white dogs, so the true frequency of carriers in phenotypically normal dogs for the total Z list population is probably much lower."
 
Loechel believes the test should be of particular interest to owners of phenotypically normal Z list dogs who may want to know if their dogs are free of the mutation. "It may also be of interest to those with dogs that do not carry the WZ designation. Due to the recessive nature of the mutation, it seems likely it existed for at least a few generations prior to the dogs that mark the genesis of the Z list." Loechel says they haven't looked at enough non-Z-list dogs to know if any are carriers yet.
But the test is controversial. Advocates see it as a welcome means to allow cleared Z-list dogs back into the gene pool. Opponents contend Z-list dogs are so poorly bred that even if they don't carry albinism they still won't be good for the breed. They object to the DNA test because they see it as a tool for unscrupulous breeders aiming to produce albinos to screen their stock for the mutation and then purposefully breed two carriers together. Advocates counter that breeding carriers would be economically foolish if the aim were to produce albinos, since on average only a quarter of the puppies would be albino. Breeding albino to albino is the most economical way to produce more albinos.
Advocates also believe there may be Dobes not on the Z-list that carry the mutation, and feel they would breed with more confidence if all dogs---or at least those descending from Shebah's common ancestors---were screened beforehand.  Once both parents are tested clear, there's no need for further testing of their offspring. And if a carrier is identified, it's no cause for Z-listing or shunning. Just make sure not to breed a carrier to another carrier, which is easily accomplished with DNA testing of prospective mates.  Opponents of the test contend there is no need for testing as there is no record of non-Z-list Dobes producing albinos. "To our knowledge, Sheba was the first and only spontaneously born albino and we do not consider albinism to be a problem in our breed," says Santana. "That said, however, Sheba was exploited by breeders for the sole purpose of producing more albino Dobermans and that exploitation continues."
At present, the DPCA does not plan to change its policy regarding the Z list. "The DPCA vigorously opposes the deliberate breeding of a genetic defect without regard to the serious health problems inherent to albinism," says Santana. "For this reason, we will continue to enforce the use of Z-tracking in partnership with the AKC and any descendant of Shebah will be registered with the Z designation even if they test clear of the albino gene.  It is our only way of tracking Shebah's descendants and it has been highly effective."
 
 

I am a dog person in turmoil. I have always considered myself an outsider in the dog show world: sure, my dogs do well in the ring, have even won a Best in Show or two---but my bragging rights have always been that they're more than just pretty dogs. For more than a decade, I've belonged to several e-mail groups that spurn the foolishness of breeding for conformation over function or health, and I agree with them. But lately I've had second thoughts...

No, I have not decided that breeding for beauty trumps breeding for health. But as I wrote in an earlier blog, I have come to wonder what degree of health perfection we can realistically expect. If a dog is in pain---that is not acceptable. But at what point does "discomfort" become "pain?" I've had allergies all my life; I have certainly experienced "struggling to breathe" and ocular as well as nasal discharge. My knee hurts most of the time. My ankle hurts all of the time. Like most people, my life is not discomfort-free. Yet I wonder if I would pass the Fit For Function, Fit For Life veterinary exams if I were to win at a KC championship show? And I wasn't even  bred for show!

There's a difference between chronic pain and lack of health perfection. And here is where the tests fail. Evidence that a hairless Chinese Crested has a razor nick or burn? That's something the conformation judge should worry about, not a veterinarian. I've nicked myself with a razor before (well, actually I've looked like I was attacked by a wolverine at times)  yet I did not need a blood transfusion nor was I in agony---actually, I scarcely felt it. Yet evidence of a single nick can be used to disqualify a Chinese Crested based on health reasons. Anyone who's ever used a clipper on a dog has probably goofed and caused some clipper burn at times; not optimal, but again,
reason to disqualify for health reasons---but only in Cresteds?  The judge may fault the dog for improper coat...but is that a health problem?

The same goes for skin problems: again, there's a  difference between a dog with oozing sores and one that has some reddened folds.  I've been clearing woods the last few weeks; I have plenty of poison ivy and  chiggers causing lots of itching, reddened skin and worse right now! Irritating?  Yep. Painful? Nope. But I sure wouldn't be passing that vet exam. 
 
Most dogs that failed the health check did so because of  eye problems, and since we don't have access to their actual paperwork, we can  only surmise it was due to tearing, corneal irritation or eyelid conditions. The  Bulldog is said to have failed because of a scar on her cornea from a puppyhood injury. She apparently has no signs of irritation or pain or present problems. I had a toy rhinoceros horn stuck in my eye as a kid; I think I have a scar. Whatever, it doesn't bother me now. But again, I would be striking out at  the vet exam. 

The veterinarian checks also include lameness. I thought the judges already did this. At least at AKC shows, I've seen dogs excused for lameness where you could barely see that the dog had a slight hitch, and the dog didn't seem to have any problems coursing or doing agility. Judges are trained to look for movement; chances are, they've keenly observed thousands more dogs trot than the average veterinarian has. So it seems peculiar that a
  veterinarian is now needed to oversee the judge's evaluation of movement. Or is  it that some breeds are labeled lame because they are not the efficient movers that most purebred dogs are supposed to be? 

I admit: I love a dog that can move. I couldn't handle showing a Neapolitan Mastiff. Bulldog movement doesn't excite me. And I'd be urging that Peke to run, run like the wind (or at least a gentle breeze)! But just because they don't float effortlessly around the ring doesn't mean they're lame or in pain. We humans aren't all track stars. And even weightlifters make lousy sprinters. Most of the rest of us would be challenged to do the runway walk, much less finish a walk-a-thon. Some of us shuffle, some of us sway, and some of us even limp, but here's the thing: we may not be fit for function, but we are fit for life! 

To be continued...

 


 
Once upon a time, I lived in the suburbs with three  salukis. Every evening, I walked several miles around the neighborhood with the  dogs on retractable leads. I do not actually recommend this.


There is an art-form, a ballet of sorts, involved in  walking three salukis on three flexi-leads. The dogs dart to and fro, the lines  zing and zang, and the walker constantly exchanges leads and hands as the dog  perform complicated pinwheels in opposite directions, like a cirque de soleil  act. I don't like to brag, but I liked to think we performed like a well-oiled  machine, a precision dance troupe, and made quite the vision walking along our  neighborhood streets every evening. 

Or maybe, quite the scene...

 Now, to change hands and leads and keep your arms from  popping out of joint, you have to constantly lift the lines and leads over your  head. This is good exercise for the upper body, so walking the dogs is a full  body workout. My neighborhood didn't have sidewalks, but it didn't have a lot of traffic, either, so we generally walked in the middle of the road. So it was, one dark and windy night, I was climbing the hill on  the way home, the leads zinging and zanging overhead, when a) a car  unexpectedly rounded the bend, spotlighting us, and b) a gust of wind picked  up. 

Did I mention I have long hair? 

Turns out, when you call the dogs back to you, retracting  the leads, while holding them over your head, as the wind blows your hair up in  the air, several things happen. None of which are good. The dogs all fly back  toward you, from various directions, but not by straight routes. The leashes  retract---along with your hair. They suck your hair up all the way to root,  preventing you from unbraiding the tangle the dogs have made of the lines, and  in fact wrapping one around your neck when one dog changes direction. After that,  things go poorly.

The lines keep retracting, retracting your hair along with  them, pulling the dogs toward your head and toward each other until they all  meet in a sudden impact sort of situation. This in turn causes more things to  transpire: Your head is flung to dog head level in an attempt to not have your  hair ripped out and your breath cut off. The dogs, all now stuck together and blaming one another for the unawwarented collision, realize now is the ideal time to have a massive dog fight, even though they are now attached to your scalp by a matter of mere inches. OK, only two of them;  the third one is desperately trying to run away, dragging your head, now in the  center of a rapidly constricting cat's cradle, with him. Of course, since you face is being trampled by the other two, he can't pull you very far.

At least the car stopped. Who wouldn't, with that kind of  free entertainment is their headlights? I think he may have even turned his  brights on. Didn't get out of the car or anything rash or heroic like that, but he got a  good show. I may have even seen a flash from a camera. Because, you know, being  blinded also helped.

 I wish I could tell you how I got disentangled. In case,  you know, you find yourself in the same situation one day. I recall trying to  separate the fighters, but this is not easy when your head is the main thing  between them. Especially when your throat is being garroted by the third one  who just wants to get the hell out of there! So---just because I am spoiled and  one of my hobbies happens to be breathing---I unhooked that one, knowing she would run home. OK, maybe  not really knowing she would run home, but not really giving much a damn where  she ran right at that moment. The others---I somehow got to my feet, bending  over, and straddling one and unhooking both, holding them apart, one in each  hand. 

I am now in a position to tell you that retractable leads---or at least three of them---are really heavy when the only thing supporting them is  your hair. They unravel so they are hanging by about a foot of line from my  head, like some avant gard hair ornaments. I stand there, trying to figure what  to do. And this is when the jerk in the car decides the show is over, and  starts to blow his horn. We stagger to the edge of the road, the car guns  past---thanks for the help---and I trudge home feeling like Medusa (that's the  one with snake hair). Or maybe Methuselah (that's the one that was about seven  billion years old). 

I would like to say that once home, the dogs made up, the  leads came out, and we all had a fine laugh. Well, the dogs made up. My hair  came out. And my (now former) friends had a fine laugh as I explained the line  burn around my neck.  

Today's tenuously related tip: Don't you love the folks who show up at the vet's office with their dog on a retractable leash? And then seem to forget how to retract it? "Oh, he just wants to be friends," they gush, as he bolts across the room to snuffle at your dog---no matter that your dog is at death's door, comatose or in the throes of a seizure. I've tried to get my dog to sound like he's hacking up a lobe with kennel cough, but they seldom sound convincing enough, and the owners seem oblivious when you mention how contagious he is. But what does work is to bring a bit of whipped cream with you, and discreetly let you dog lap it up, making sure some sticks to his lips. Then declare, "I sure hope they can get his rabies under control!" Most owners, even the ones stupid enough to let their dogs wander about the reception room unretracted, seem to understand the word "rabies"--especially when your dog is foaming at the mouth. Zip!
 


 

 I recently attended an event with several other dog  writers, most of whom were a younger crowd who wrote blogs or published local  pet newspapers. It was an eye-opening experience. As with any group of dog writers, we talked about our own dogs and shared their pictures. Almost every other writer had cute mixes and we all cooed over how cool they were. A few initially thought my dogs were also pretty cool, but that was when they still thought they were mixes. I could swear that once they found out my dogs were an actual breed the compliments and interest stopped. OK, maybe my imagination. 
 
Or maybe not. I was interested in an article one writer wrote about a hairless pit bull. Because I'm interested in genetics, I was anxious to find out if the writer was sure of the dogs' parentage (yes, supposedly two fully coated pit bull parents) and if they'd had any DNA testing done or otherwise made the dog's DNA available to researchers. It was the last comment that led to indignation on the part of the writer, who proclaimed the owners had neutered the dog because they refused to allow the AKC to make another breed from it, and that they had been offered thousands and thousands of dollars by breeders but had refused because of their ethics. I tried to explain that AKC
doesn't make breeds that way, but that from a scientific viewpoint it would be interesting to know if the responsible mutation was the same as that causing hairlessness in other breeds (this dog also had dentition similar to that seen
in hairless Chinese Cresteds and other breeds thought to arise from the same mutation). I'd like to think I convinced her that no ethical breeder would be interested in creating a hairless pit bull (although I suppose some might think a toothless one might be a good idea) but I am not sure I fully succeeded. 
 
Fast forward to dinner talk---and another writer who proclaimed show breeders were responsible for shelter dogs. Huh? Yes, she said:  In their quest for a dog with some perfect trait, they bred litter after litter, and sold the rejects for $5 to $15 each. These rejects then ended up in  shelters. She knew this was true because for one thing, look at the dogs on Petfinder.org. Most are purebreds, but not show dogs---obviously breeders'  rejects. With the help of another experienced writer I explained that the dogs  on Petfinder are usually labeled with a breed name to increase their exposure and interest level to browsers, and very likely to make them noticed by breed rescues that may take on a dog that is partly their breed. (I just visited Petfinder and found 36 Salukis or Saluki mixes listed. Of them, one is a saluki---anyone in New Jersey want a 7-year-old black and tan female Saluki?  http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22844275 ---and one other is a very cute sighthound mix: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/21871898 . Just because a dog  is thin or has a brush tail does not make it Saluki or even part Saluki). We  also pointed out that simply from a financial viewpoint it would be stupid to
sell puppies for $15; the same money goes into creating a pet puppy as a show  puppy from the same litter. And finally, we explained that reputable breeders  love their dogs and often place show quality puppies in pet homes because they  want the best homes and lives for their puppies. Again, I suspect we failed to  convince her, but perhaps we at least planted some doubts.

Purebred dog breeders are fighting a bad reputation.  We've blamed the mainstream media for that, but the problem may be more  insidious. When our own writers---the people who purport to know about dogs, and
who the public rely upon to inform them in turn---are so terribly misinformed about purebred dog breeders, we've got a problem.