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Read about various happenings through
our "Tibbie-years".
I'll also mention ailments and othet not-so-nice things.
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I have worked with Tibbies for more than 23 years (at present witch is
2008), and of course, looking back, not all aspects of the experience
has been joyful, although without a doubt the absolute majority of that
time has been extremely good and worth remembering. As we use the alphabet
in the naming of litters, we have been through A to Z twice and is well
under way the third time. Good things are easy to tell, not so good things
can be a trifle painful to relieve. But I am a vehement defender of that
"information" is only valid if it contains both the good side and the not so
good side, if we, the Tibbie-community, really want to reduce risk and
ensure a healthy, vibrant race, although I naturally accept and respect that
not everybody has the same opinion when it comes to temper, size, weight,
coat, teeth and all the other details we use to evaluate our loved ones.
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Those first years |
In those first,
tentative years with the Tibbies I did get quite a few puppies with overshot
and undershot, rather large ones sometimes, as well as other "beauty
deficiencies". I have also experienced Hernia, Lack of Testicles, Cherry
Eyes, and Distichia. This last one can be a painful experience for the dog,
especially if it has developed fully. A single, soft strand of hair doesn't
bother the dog much but nevertheless it is important to use a dog affected,
with another one that may have the same ailment along its lines. Cherry Eyes
is clearly visible and reasonably easy to operate for a trained and
experienced vet, but the price for an operation at a specialist can be
prohibitive. Overshot has never bothered the dog any as far as we have been
able to see. Of course such dogs are sold with a contract saying the dog
cannot breed. Lack of Testicles are treated the same way as far as a sale is
concerned, not permitted to breed under the auspices of the Danish Kennel
Club. It is therefore, simply a question of informing all involved and to
register that in the genes on such a such a bloodline, the ailment may
occur.
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Guarantees
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I have experienced a few,
serious cases of joint problems and a case of entropion (inward folding
eyelids ). This is a serious condition and appeared in my second A and
D-litters, In those litters I had several joint-problems, but the A and
F-litters also gave Overshot,
Distichia, Cherry Eyes, Lack of Testicles, not all of them necessarily
bothering the dog much, except for Distichia. Some of these illnesses has
shown itself later as well, but only rarely. An example was a puppy in my
third P-litter with Cherry Eyes.
Hernia is still quite common in Tibbies. I have never had anything but very
small and insignificant hernias and I always guarantee that if the dog owner
want to have the hernia surgically removed, then I will pay for the
operation and it has to be carried out by my vet. I have yet to pay for any
operation, although some vets do recommend surgery until they hear about the
guarantee, then the question tend to fall by the wayside. I have however,
sold one puppy at a slightly lower than normal price, because an operation
was thought to be best.
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A problem? Or not...
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From Germany we have learned that HD quite often appear in Tibbies. From
this we should be able to deduce that the same is true in Denmark? We rarely
diagnose our dogs for this, since small dogs almost never have any problem
with HD (Hip
Luxation).
Our Pierre had HD, but never showed
signs of being plagued by the condition, to the contrary, he had excellent
movement, ran and jumped like a deer all his life, until he wa put to rest
for totally different reasons.
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Blood to Blood Breeding
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I am
naturally familiar with the many good words spoken about the advantages with
blood to blood breeding, as one with this method ensures a particular type
of result. Genes are doubled or tripled or even more, in those instances
where a breeder has been using the same stock for years.
Problems do show itself when using this method though, because one does not
only double up on favourable genes but also on those not so favorable. And
that is what I learned, the hard way, as I, when starting up as a breeder,
decided to breed blood to blood. It was in litters breed blood to blood I
experienced Cherry Eyes, Lack of Testicles, Overshot, faults in the
development of long, tubular bones, distichias, hernia, back problems and,
worst of all, temperaments that I do not want myself and therefore cannot
justify delivering dogs with it to others.
All of this can of course be had without direct blood to blood breeding, but
normally it will not be as prominent as for example being present in several
if not all individuals in one litter. Bear in mind though that all breeds
are the result of a more or lesser degree of inbreeding, thus the
possibility is always there. And the only "remedy" is to obtain proper,
honest and correct information if you want to avoid to the extent possible
any negative results from a particular mating.
Another way to line-breed is to use the most winning dogs at a particular
time in history. A difficult method to hinder but a sure way to create
showstars as well as limiting the number of genes available, and almost
being sure that future generations of breeders will have problems. The
present state of German Shepherds unenviable reputation as the worlds most
inbred race, are the victim of this method, with among other things
Hip
Luxation
(HD), as a major problem. But the breed is nevertheless not near
extinction, is it?
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