Pedigree Analysis

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

submitted with permission by Marj Brooks with thanks to Kevin & Donna Frizzell of DeSaix St. Bernards for generously allowing us to use many of their superb array of articles

While a pedigree analysis is fun , illuminating and of historical import …. it IN ITSELF should not be a primary factor in your breeding decision. A dog’s pedigree provides names and the percentage of CH’s. If this told the story … anyone who can count could breed a good Saint.

But, you say – I’m going to line breed so the pedigree is very important. Well sometimes line breeding is the answer and sometimes an outcross is the way to go.

Ultimately, whether line breeding or out crossing, the selection of that “perfect” mate should be based on phenotypic considerations taken in context of the genotype of the two dogs.

By phenotypic considerations, I mean what weaknesses of your dog to you want to improve and what strengths do you want to preserve. You often hear the statement, “never double-up on faults” – and this is sound advice. But it is not the whole story. The problem still remains to find that mate which will solve problems without detracting from your Saints strengths or introducing new faults. It doesn’t help to improve the head or “bone” and at the same time introduce weak fronts.

So if phenotype is so important, why not just find the stud dog or bitch that is the “complementary” physical match to your animal. I submit, that this approach has very little chance of success. Furthermore, even the “phenotype breeders” in actuality do not depend solely on physical appearance to select a mate. Every dog has buried within it’s DNA the potential for producing many different genetic combinations and thus many different phenotypes. The trick to breeding is to maximize the *probability* that the offspring will carry the genotypic combinations that lead to a desirable phenotypic expression.

By now, you are probably saying – “Lennard, get real!” There is no way of determining a Saints genotype. Well actually, this is where the pedigree becomes important. Not in terms of the number of Champions – or even in terms of how beautiful the ancestors looked (if you are lucky enough to have pictures). The pedigree is the jumping off point to learning about the HISTORY of each ancestor. Through this HISTORY we can gain insight into the likely genotype of the dogs involved!

What do I mean by HISTORY. Well, Hazel Gregory suggests that you take each dog in the pedigree and rank phenotypic attributes such as fronts, rear, topline, head, size etc. in terms of “Good”, “Average” or “Poor”. Her suggestion is that the probability of offspring with a “Good” (or “Poor”) phenotype will be directly related to the percentages of “Good” (or “Poor”) ratings found in the 5-gen pedigree. I personally find this a bit simplistic – but it *does* engage in the critical exercise of “inferring” genotype from the breeding HISTORY.

For me, the weakness of this strategy is that it doesn’t weight more strongly the contributions of closer ancestors and that it does NOT taken into account prepotent animals. What do I mean by this…. there are some animals that show an above average likelihood of passing along a trait – they are prepotent for that trait. I have an interesting question for you to ask some long-time breeders. Instead of asking them who was the best Saint they ever had, ask them who was the *most influential* Saint that was ever in their kennel. The answer will often be a dog or bitch who you never heard of and who did not have a “Ch” in front of their name. For instance, it might be a bitch that seemed to ‘never throw a bad front.’ – Ahh, now there was an animal that could be used to correct weak fronts in otherwise excellent Stud dogs.

For me, the HISTORY of a Saint means finding out not only the phenotype of each ancestor, but their genotypic strengths and weaknesses as reflected in the offspring they produced. This is a big job and must necessarily require the cooperation of the parties involved in breeding the ancestors.

I truly believe that sometimes the “good results” attributed to line breeding are not really so much related to the homozygosity of the breeding pair, but rather to the fact that the breeder intimately knew the dogs and their ancestors and thus, consciously or unconsciously, had a correct intuition of the HISTORY & genotype of the dogs to be mated.

I would be remiss if I didn’t urge you to follow the same thorough “Sherlockian” approach to uncovering the health/medical histories within the pedigree. Phenotype includes the expression of genetic wellness, predisposition to illness and out-and-out genetic disease.

Finally … a caution about breeding for size. Size, as we think of it, is a quantitative polygenic trait. In any litter, you should see a range of sizes varying around a mean. The atypically large dog in a litter will not necessarily have offspring that are large. So when selecting a mate, don’t be overly swayed by size (especially without knowing the size of the littermates). Furthermore, when deciding on “keepers” from the litter, be careful about letting size be too large a determinant. Look for well-balanced puppies. If all else is equal, of course go for the larger of the too. In any event, be cautious about that “one humungously large puppy in the litter” – it may have some unpleasant surprises for you down the road.

Tail Banding

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

This is an ELASTRATOR tool.
(Available at almost any feed store.)

It’s primary use is to DOCK lambs and to castrate young farm animals by placing the rubber ring over their testicles while they are still very immature. Doberman puppy tails are usually done at about day 7-10, depending on the size of the tail itself. It must be big enough for the rubber ring to do the job for which it is intended, and yet the tails cannot be over-large, or the pressure will be uncomfortable for the puppy. We prefer to NOT have any discomfort at all if we can manage it.

As you can see in the photos above, the little rubber “donut” shaped ring is placed over the prongs on the tool and then the tool is squeezed to open the prongs, spreading the rubber ring open. This open area is slipped up over the puppy’s tail while at the same time, the skin on the tail is slightly pulled back toward the body. The ring is placed just inside the rust color and then the tool is gently allowed to close the ring over the tail. The tool is then pulled away and the ring easily “rolls” into the space between the joints in the tail.

All the puppy feels if this is done properly is a slight momentary amount of pressure on his tail. The blood supply to the end of the tail is immediately cut off and the tail begins to shrink and waste away. Our tails usually begin to drop off anywhere from day three to day five. The black pup I’m using for an illustration below lost the tail on day three.

         Correctly placed tail band……day 7 after birth.

At this point, you generously apply some Neosporin and some antiseptic powder. There is no feeling in the spot on the end of the tail……the pup is oblivious to it. The Neosporin wards off any possible infection and the powder begins the drying and shrinking process.

Photo of how the tails appear when they fall off. (If you’re squeamish, don’t click)

The tail tip is SHRINKING ALREADY, just 3 hours later.

A domed-shape scab will form within a day or so.
This must be removed once it begins to pull away from the edge of the tail tip (no feeling to the puppy)

Once removed, by just “peeling” it away,
it will leave the appearance of a raw area.

Once this initial dome-shaped scab is removed, the tail will instantly begin to heal and close up at the tip.

If you neglect to remove this first scab, you will NOT get a nice tail. What you WILL get is a gooey mess under the scab and the tip’s REFUSAL to heal properly or quickly. Trust me…..remove that scab.

Same Puppy – 11 days after the initial banding was done. First scab has been removed, second is shrinking and drawing the hair and skin into a tiny dot on the end of the tail.

If you look closely, you will see a teensie little depression in the center of the tip of the tail. This is where everything is being drawn toward.

The end result is an attractive, “muffin-shaped” tail……not a pointed one.

Different puppy – same litter. Here’s the tail at 30 days.

Healing nicely, even though it still is not completely covered over.
Banded tails do not heal and cover as quickly as docking,
but it’s just so much easier on both puppy and breeder.

It’s actually a very short time in the life of a puppy.
By cropping time, the tails will look quite nice.
Any “cosmetics” can be done by the vet at cropping.

NO pain…..NO stress….NO Mom worrying stitches or glue….NO upset of any kind.

THIS IS WHY WE BAND AT SKYLOCKE DOBERMANS.

It’s not for everyone….and if it’s done improperly, it can damage the pup. So… if you truly want to band your babies, do it carefully…..and remember: Too long is better than too short. Long can be fixed.

Personal Comment:

I have seen a variety of Doberman tails in my life….some docked by a vet, some at home….some banded during the very first few days of life.

I have to say that the worst ones were the ones vet-docked and banded too early. I’ve known breeders to wind elastic (rubber) bands around the tails of puppies at 2-3 days old. They ended up with really sad looking tails that were pointed and ugly. I’ve also seen vet-docked tails that were seriously ugly and bald.

Home, breeder-docked tails seem to be the nicest of the docked ones; Home, breeder-banded tails done properly are the best of the banded ones.

As I said above…..any necessary tail cosmetics can b
e taken care of easily at cropping time…..IF the tail is left long enough.

Just my personal thoughts ~~ Judy Pritchard, Skylocke Dobermans

Tails & Dewclaws

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

Dewclaws are actually rudimentary thumbs and rear dewclaws are residual fixtures from the past. They have no function and are situated high on the inside of the leg above the foot. The do not make contact with the ground but are said to brush the dew from the grass and it is thought that this is where they get their name. They are called “Wolf-claws” in Europe but since the Wolf normally has no more or less toes than the dog it seems strange and unjustifiable to attribute the name back to the wolf.

Dewclaws may be Bilateral or Unilateral although most breeds seem to have bilateral front dewclaws. Rear dewclaws are not as common and are often removed from infant pups when they are present.

Sometimes there is only a vestige of the extra toe and it may be just in the skin or under it. Some Geneticists say dewclaws are Dominant and some say they are Recessive. This conflict does not alter the fact that the dewclaw represents a fifth toe, which is, through some evolutionary process no longer needed. There are some very good arguments for removing them from the rear legs as they can interfere with movement. Whether front or rear they can catch on things and even on each other and lock in a “handcuff” situation, causing a bad fall, fractures, and tearing of the skin surrounding the toe. Chihuahuas often injure their eyes with the front dewclaw when they use their front paws to clean their faces and eyes.

Because the mode of inheritance is still unclear and seems to behave differently in certain breeds it is accepted that dewclaws are Dominant Recessive with Incomplete Penetrance. They are definitely autosomal which means they can be passed on to either sex.

More confusing yet interesting facts are that, double dewclaws are recessive to single ones, dogs can carry both genes and that those genes can act independently of each other. This means that we can see parents without dewclaws produce pups with 1 or 2 or 1 double and 1 single or none at all.

Although they are usually removed within a few days of birth if the breeding records show that two pups were born with rear dewclaws, when mated together the pair may never produce them or may produce any of the combinations demonstrated above.

DOCKING TAILS AND REMOVAL OF DEWCLAWS

You have to gather the equipment you will need to perform the procedures. This consists of, among other things, a tool called a Ferguson Angiotribe. I know there are other ways to do tails, but this is the coolest. It is sort of like a pair of forceps, but the Ferguson Angiotribe has a tongue and groove arrangement on the business end. I think it is really a vascular clamp, but it does a really good job on tails.

You’ll also need a small pair of scissors, manicure size, but not with those dopey round things on the ends of the blades, like the scissors you had in kindergarten. You need some that look just like regular scissors, but small. Alcohol to clean the tools, some dental floss, styptic powder, an antibiotic powder and some small adhesive bandages and you’re good to go.

It’s a good idea to have an assistant to help hold the puppies still while the tails and dewclaws are getting done. The puppies are a little wiggly and it makes it easier if someone helps.

First clamp the Ferguson Angiotribe on the tail, twist the part of the tail that was protruding from the clamp and pull it off, and then move to the dewclaws while the clamp was still attached to the tail.

The trick to holding the puppy when it came time for the dewclaws to be removed was to put a finger behind the elbow of the leg that was being worked on so the puppy couldn’t pull its leg back. Then, once the dewclaws were snipped off, the Ferguson Angiotribe was loosened. The clamp usually had supplied enough pressure to the tail while the dewclaws were being done that the tail didn’t even bleed so it was a fairly neat procedure.

Spaying And Castration – Pros, Cons, Myths

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

written by Ione L. Smith, DVM  January 20, 2000

Many people wonder about whether to spay or neuter their dogs. There are many points to consider, both for and against performing the procedures, and even more so for owners of dobermans because of their special needs. I hope this file will aid you in your decision.

People often use the term “spay” for females and “neuter” or “castrate” for males. However, technically speaking “neuter” or “alter” is proper for both sexes. For simplicity and clarity, I’ll use the words “sterilize” or “alter” throughout this document when I am referring to both spaying AND castration. “Intact” means that the dog has not been sterilized. Also, “bitch” is simply a term for a female dog and not an insult!

POINTS FOR STERILIZATION

{jb_greendisc}1.{/jb_greendisc} Spaying a young bitch prevents most mammary cancers.

Spaying a bitch before her first heat reduces her chances of contracting mammary cancer *200 times* compared to intact females. Spaying after the first heat, but before the second heat, will reduce a dog’s chance of contracting mammary cancer 13 times compared to intact females (Schneinder 1969, Schneinder 1970). Mammary cancer is the MOST common single type of cancer in intact bitches (Bastianello 1983, Kusch 1985).

{jb_greendisc}2.{/jb_greendisc} Spaying completely prevents problems with the uterus, such as pyometra and uterine cancer.

Pyometra is a serious infection of the uterus, which is usually expensive to treat and can often be fatal. It is a relatively common problem in intact bitches, especially after their heat cycles. Uterine cancer is relatively rare in dogs, but is also expensive to treat and often fatal. If the uterus is removed, these diseases will be prevented. Other diseases such as transmissible venereal tumor, cystic ovaries, mastitis, ovarian cancer, uterine torsion, and vaginal prolapse will also be eliminated.

{jb_greendisc}3.{/jb_greendisc} A sterilized animal will never produce an unwanted litter.

Millions of healthy dogs are killed every year in animal shelters across the nation. In 1991, approximately one THIRD of ALL dog and cat deaths in the country were due to healthy dogs being killed in shelters (Koltveit 1991, Olson 1991). Millions of healthy dogs are killed every year, simply because there are too many dogs and not enough homes. Roughly 11-19 MILLION cats and dogs are killed in shelters every year (National Council 1994).

Let’s face it. There are WAY too many unwanted dogs out there. Sterilized dogs will never add to the overpopulation problem! Sure, many people think of themselves as being responsible owners who would never accidentally let their dogs have a litter of puppies — but the shelters are full of puppies produced by other people who thought the very same thing. Accidents will happen. Bitches in heat will dig under fences, jump over them, scratch their way through doors, or even breed THROUGH fences if necessary; and male dogs will go to the same extremes to reach a female in heat.

{jb_greendisc}4.{/jb_greendisc} Intact females are in heat for two or three weeks at a time, usually twice a year.

During the time a bitch is in heat, it may be difficult to even walk her on a leash. Intact males will be seeking her out, and may even try to mate with her while you are on your walks. It will not be safe to even leave her inside a fenced yard during these times, since both intact males and females have been known to dig under or jump over fences, or even to breed through them.

While an intact female is in heat, she will be spotting blood all over the house unless she wears special protective garments. She may also be anxious, and frustrated during this time. Females will have to be separated from intact male playmates at these times, and will not be able to participate in obedience classes or competitions, play in the park, or take part in any of the other outdoor activities she usually enjoys. 

{jb_greendisc}5.{/jb_greendisc} Castration prevents most prostatic diseases in male dogs.

The prostate gland often becomes enlarged or infected in older intact male dogs. Diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, acute or chronic prostatitis, perianal gland adenomas, and prostatic abscesses are common. Most of these diseases are eliminated if the dog is castrated (Cowan 1991, Krawiec 1992, 1994).

{jb_greendisc}6.{/jb_greendisc} Castration decreases aggression problems 

Aggression problems are most common in intact male dogs, including dominance aggression (Line 1986, Crowell-Davis 1991) as well as fear-related aggression (Galac 1997), aggression between males (Hopkins 1976), and other types of aggression (Neilson 1997). Castration is a valuable part of the treatment for aggression problems, and is helpful in preventing problems from occurring in the first place. Roughly 50%-75% of the dogs who are castrated because of aggression problems will show signicant improvements or complete disappearance of their aggression. Of course, training is also an important aid in preventing and/or treating these problems! (Askew 1992, Beaver 1983, Blackshaw 1991, Crowell-Davis 1991, Fry 1987, Knol 1989, Line 1986, Neilson 1997)

{jb_greendisc}7.{/jb_greendisc} Castrated males are less likely to roam, to mark furniture, or to practice other objectionable sexual behaviors.

Major behavioral benefits of castration have been known for many years, including decreases in aggression, roaming, mounting behavior, and “mischievous” behavior (Combemale 1929, Hart 1976, Heidenberger 1990, Hopkins 1976, Maarschalkerweerd, Neilson 1997, etc).

{jb_greendisc}8.{/jb_greendisc} Castration completely prevents testicular cancer in male dogs.

Testicular cancer is the most common cancer of the male reproductive tract, and is one of the most common cancers of intact males overall (Bastianello 1983, Kusch 1985). Once the testicles are removed during the castration procedure, the dog is free from the risk of this disease.

{jb_greendisc}9.{/jb_greendisc} Sterilization may help to prevent or treat other diseases, both infectious and non-infectious.

Some intact male dogs go through a “feminizing syndrome”, which is related to sex hormone production. This disease can not occur in dogs which were castrated at younger ages (Dorn 1985). Older intact males also tend to suffer from perineal hernias, which are also prevent by castration (Dorn 1985). Several other sex-hormone related diseases occur in both intact males and females, and these are also prevented by sterilization (Heider 1990).

Some breeds of dogs tend to suffer from skin problems which are prevented or treated by sterilization (Albanese 1997, Kunz). Altered dogs also have a lower risk of contracting some serious infectious diseases, such as echinococcosis (Bessonov 1986, Shal’menov, 1984), brucellosis (a disease which is transmitted in the dog by sexual contact), intestinal parasites (Coggins), and parvovirus (Houston 1992).

{jb_greendisc}10.{/jb_greendisc} Sterilization tends to increase an animal’s overall lifespan.

Altered animals are known to have a longer lifespan than intact animals overall. Sterilization appears to add approximately 2 years onto an animal’s life (Bronson 1981, Kraft 1996). 

POINTS AGAINST STERILIZATION

{jb_reddisc}1.{/jb_reddisc} Dogs may gain weight after being altered.

It is true that some animals may tend to gain weight after they are sterilized (Fettman 1997, Root 1995). The removal of the sex hormones may tend to slow an animal’s metabolism somewhat (Flynn 1996), although some studies have found no differences in weight between intact and sterilized animals (Salmeri 1991a). 

However, many dogs are altered just as they are reaching maturity. At this time in their lives, even dogs who are NOT altered will be gaining weight and slowing down a bit, so any change you see in your pet may not have anything to do with being sterilized. If you DO notice a weight gain after your dog is altered, simply decrease the amount of food you are feeding and increase the exercise your dog gets every day. 

{jb_reddisc}2.{/jb_reddisc} Altered dogs may be taller than intact dogs.

It is true that dogs who are sterilized before they have reached full maturity may be slightly taller than they would be if they had been left intact. Sex hormones influence the end of bone growth after puberty. Since the sex hormones never arrive in dogs which are altered before maturity, the bones tend to continue growing for longer than they would in the intact dog. However, this difference is very slight overall — and the dogs being altered are NOT show dogs, so a little extra height is of little significance. Also, there does not appear to be any difference in size between puppies sterilized very early (6-10 weeks) and those altered later (7 months) (Crenshaw 1995, Lieberman 1987).

{jb_reddisc}3.{/jb_reddisc} Sterilized dogs may become incontinent.

Some altered dogs may develop a problem with controlling their urine output. This is especially likely in females, but may also happen in males (Aaron 1996, Arnold 1997a). It is thought that this problem arises because the loss of sex hormones affects the strength of the urinary sphincter muscle (Gregory 1994). One researcher has claimed that incontinence may occur in as many as 20% of all spayed dogs (Arnold 1997a), but other vets believe this rate is much lower (Thrusfield 1993). 

Fortunately, the problem may be as minor as a few drops here and there, and it is usually easy to control with inexpensive drugs such as phenylpropanolamine (Arnold 1997b, Heughebaert 1988). Sometimes estrogen replacement may be necessary. Incontinence problems may last for the rest of the dog’s life. However, incontinence may also disappear after a few months or a few years (Heughebaert 1988, Arnold 1989). Also, keep in mind that older dogs will sometimes develop incontinence even if they are left intact, so incontinence is not always related to sterilization.

{jb_reddisc}4.{/jb_reddisc} Sterilized dogs are more likely to have problems with hypothyroidism.

A few dogs, especially bitches, may be more likely to have problems with decreased thyroid function after they are altered (Panciera 1994). Fortunately, thyroid problems are easy to treat with inexpensive thyroid supplements. Also, some intact dogs will also experience hypothyroidism, so most cases of hypothyroidism are not actually due to being sterilized.

{jb_reddisc}5.{/jb_reddisc} Bitches who are aggressive before being spayed may become more aggressive after being spayed.

This appears to be a valid concern for owners of aggressive bitches (O’Farrell 1990). However, it’s an easy problem to avoid. If you have an intact bitch who is already aggressive, think seriously about letting her remain intact. If your intact bitch is NOT aggressive, spaying her is not likely to MAKE her aggressive.

{jb_reddisc}6.{/jb_reddisc} Sterilization, especially spaying, is an invasive surgical procedure.

There are risks involved with any surgery, both from the surgery itself and from the anesthetic agent. However, the rate of complications is very low, and serious complications are especially rare. Especially with newer anesthetic agents like isofluorane and newer suture materials, there are rarely any serious problems. Significant complications of sterilization surgeries occur in roughly only 1-4% of surgeries (Pollari 1995, 1996). Also, the surgical procedure actually appears to be *safer* when performed in younger puppies, with less serious complications occurring overall in young puppies than in puppies altered at later ages (Fagella 1994).

{jb_reddisc}7.{/jb_reddisc} Sterilization is expensive.

Surgical costs may be as low as $25 or as high as $300, depending on the size and age of the dog, whether the dog is male or female, and the area of the country in which you live. There are low cost spay/neuter clinics in many areas these days for people who can’t otherwise afford the procedures. And in some areas you will actually SAVE money by sterilizing your dog, if licensing fees are lower for altered pets.

{jb_reddisc}8.{/jb_reddisc} The size of the external genitals may be smaller in dogs who are sterilized before puberty.

The penis of the male and the vagina of the female may be somewhat smaller in dogs who have been altered before puberty (Salmeri 1991a, 1991b). However, it is usually of little functional consequence to the dog. In a breed which is predisposed to urinary tract blockage, such as male dalmatians, this may be a problem; but in most breeds this is not likely to cause any medical complications. Very occasionally, bitches who were altered at very young ages may develop some skin irritation in the vulvar region (Jagoe 1988), but this also is not a common occurrence. 

MYTHS ABOUT STERILIZATION

1. A bitch ought to have at least one litter, or at least one heat, before being spayed.

The chances of mammary cancer in bitches gets much lower when they are spayed before their first heat, as discussed above under “points for sterilization”. Spaying a female before breeding her eliminates the chances of medical problems during a pregnancy or during birth or while rearing puppies. Also, puppies sterilized when they are very young (even as young as 7 weeks) actually have FEWER problems with the surgery than dogs who are neutered later (Faggella 1994, Howe 1997).

Before you let your dog “have just one litter”, spend some time volunteering at your local shelter and see all the puppies and dogs who must be killed daily. Letting your dogs breed only adds to the death toll, and to the vast numbers of dogs already suffering from genetic diseases like hip dysplasia, von Willebrand’s disease, progressive retinal atrophy, and many other diseases which can only be avoided by careful planning BEFORE breeding.

2. Castrating male dogs makes them more likely to get prostate cancer.

No, this is not true. There is apparently NO significant difference between the incidence of prostatic adenocarcinoma in intact males vs castrated males (Obradovich 1987). The only difference is an increased spread of the cancer to the lungs of the neutered dogs (Bell 1991). And MOST types of prostatic disease are ELIMINATED by castration, as discussed above (Krawiec 1994).

3. Dogs won’t be happy after they’re altered.

Dogs are not like humans. They don’t look forward to having children, they don’t expect to raise children and worry over them for 18 years or so, they don’t dream of being grandparents some day. Male dogs don’t even realize that pups they produce are their own offspring. A dog’s reproductive urges are based solely on i
ts hormones. Once the hormones are removed, the urges go away and the dog doesn’t miss them.

4. A bitch will become aggressive after being spayed.

This is rarely true. As mentioned above under “points against sterilization”, a bitch which is ALREADY aggressive may become more aggressive after being spayed. But the vast majority of dogs — those who are NOT already aggressive — will not become aggressive simply because they have been altered.

5. Dogs who are sterilized when young will be less stable and tend to have more behavioral problems than dogs who are left intact.

There is no substantial evidence to support this myth. Dogs who are altered early in life may sometimes be more active than their intact counterparts, but it appears that there is no other significant behavioral difference between dogs neutered very young (7 weeks) and those neutered later (7 months) (Salmeri 1991a). However, it has been well known for many years that altering dogs actually helps to decrease several significant behavioral problems, as mentioned above under “points for sterilization”.

Also, consider this: Service dogs, such as seeing-eye dogs, are almost always altered before being put into service. Many dogs participating in advanced obedience competitions are also sterilized. Obviously, dogs must be very mature and stable in order to fill these jobs, and the surgery is performed because it actually INCREASES their stability by removing the distractions of the sexual cycles.

6. Behavior problems can be prevented by good training and socialization, so sterilization isn’t necessary.

Good training and socialization are definitely essential to having a healthy happy companion. However, even the best-trained dogs in the world can have behavior problems. Remember, the sex hormones act on behavior at a very fundamental level, so those effects may override even the best training. Because of the effects of sex hormones, especially testosterone, intact male dogs are at the highest risk of any dogs for developing aggression problems (Beaver 1983, Blackshaw 1991, Galac 1997, Line 1986, etc ).

7. If I castrate my male dog he won’t protect me any more.

Castrated dogs may actually be more protective, because they will no longer be distracted by the temptations of breeding. Instead of roaming after dogs in heat, or fighting with other males, he will be paying attention to you and you alone. In fact, one recent study has found that castration has NO effect on aggression towards unfamiliar people (Neilson 1997).

8. Only the dominant wolves in a pack get to mate, so intact dogs in a household won’t be frustrated if they don’t get to mate.

What do adolescent wolves do? They either leave the pack, start a pack of their own, challenge the dominant pack members for dominance, or help the parents to raise their future siblings. Do we want our pets to leave or to challenge us? Are we going to breed more puppies just so our intact dogs can have relatives to help raise? No. We want our pet dogs to enjoy living with us, not try to establish dominance over us.

Also, remember that our domestic dogs ARE NOT WOLVES. They act very differently than wolves do in many important ways, so we can’t count on wolves to tell us how our dogs will behave.

9. My dog would make really great puppies/I want to have another dog just like my dog, so I’m going to breed him/her.

Roughly 25-30% of all dogs in shelters are purebreds. Even if your dog is AKC registered, that doesn’t mean that the dog should be bred. Before ANY dog is bred the owner should prove that the dog will actually improve the breed. Thorough health testing, including tests for genetic diseases, should also be performed.

Also, your dog is a unique individual. There is no guarantee that puppies will resemble their parents in looks or personality, especially if the parents are mixed breed dogs.

10. Breeding dogs is a good way to make money.

The only people who make any money from breeding dogs are those who don’t care about the health of their dogs or the quality of the puppies they produce. Responsible breeding requires health testing and medical care, as well as careful consideration of the pedigrees of the parents, their temperament, and whether their puppies would actually improve their breed or merely be more fodder for the shelters.

Medical costs before breeding will include extensive health testing, which may include xrays, blood work, tests for infectious diseases like brucellosis, tests for genetic diseases like von Willebrands, ultrasound exams to check for heart problems, CERF and BAER exams to check for eye and ear problems, and other additional tests depending on the breed of the dog. Medical costs after breeding will include pregnancy tests, ultrasound to check the progress of puppies, perhaps caesarian section if the dog has trouble giving birth, vaccinations, worming, tail docking and ear cropping in cropped or docked breeds, and veterinary care if the puppies should become ill. And that doesn’t even consider stud fees, registration fees, travel costs to get to a stud, expenses to show your dog and prove that it’s worthy of breeding, or the time you must invest in the mating, pregnancy care, whelping, feeding and cleaning the puppies, visits to the veterinary hospital, or advertising and selling the puppies.

11. My children should see the miracle of birth.

First, dogs usually give birth in the middle of the night when the children aren’t going to be around, and dogs prefer to have quiet and privacy during birth. If the mother dog is disturbed by children or too many other witnesses, she may become stressed and abandon the puppies or even kill them. And, of course, there are already too many puppies dying in shelters every day.

Second, if you want your children to learn responsibility through caring for a puppy, there are many great puppies waiting for adoption at your local shelter. If you want to see the miracle of birth, you should first witness the miracle of death by volunteering at your local shelter for a few weeks. And there’s a better alternative: if you want to witness the miracle of birth, rent a video.

12. We can find good homes for the puppies.

For every puppy you breed and place in a new home, a puppy or dog in a shelter may die because it wasn’t adopted. There simply aren’t enough homes for them all. And even if we ignore the puppies in the shelters — are you SURE your puppies are going to good homes? Are you following them in their new homes throughout their lives? Are you willing to take the puppies back if their new homes don’t work out? If you produce a puppy, you are responsible for it throughout its entire life.

13. We should leave our dogs as Nature intended them.

There is nothing “natural” about today’s domesticated dogs. They have been created by many generations of human breeding. We have brought pet dogs into our homes, and we are responsible for their well-being. Dogs benefit in many ways from being sterilized, and suffer few serious consequences.

ISSUES OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE FOR DOBERMANS

{jb_blackdisc}1.{/jb_blackdisc} Dobermans as a breed tend to be dominant, forceful, determined dogs, and they are large and powerful.

Therefore, it can be especially difficult to handle intact male OR female dobermans, especially if there is more than one dog in the house. Because of
these breed tendencies, sterilizing your doberman can be especially important in helping you to live with your dog.

{jb_blackdisc}2.{/jb_blackdisc} Dobermans are especially susceptible to prostatic diseases.

In fact, doberman pinschers appear to be the MOST common breed to suffer from prostatic disease (Krawiec 1992), which makes castration even MORE important for our breed.

{jb_blackdisc}3.{/jb_blackdisc} Dobermans are more likely than most other breeds to have problems with urinary incontinence.

This is true, whether the incontinence is related to sterilization (Arnold 1997, Holt 1993) or not (Adams 1983). Fortunately, most incontinent dobermans respond very well to the drug phenylpropanolamine.

{jb_blackdisc}4.{/jb_blackdisc} Dobermans are especially susceptible to hypothyroidism.

Fortunately, hypothyroidism is easily treated with thyroid supplements.

{jb_blackdisc}5.{/jb_blackdisc} Dobermans may have a bleeding disorder which makes surgery more risky than normal.

Some dobermans suffer from the disorder known as von Willebrand´s disease (vWD). This disease can prevent normal blood clotting, and may lead to life-threatening blood loss (Brooks 1992, Meyers 1992, Thomas 1996). Fortunately, it is not common for dobermans to have problems with bleeding during surgeries even if they do have the vWD trait. For maximum safety, it is best to test for vWD before surgery is performed, either through genetic testing or clotting tests. Your vet will have more information on these tests.

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• Krawiec, D. R., & Heflin, D. (1992). Study of prostatic disease in dogs: 177 cases (1981-1986). Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 200(8): 1119-1122.

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• Obradovich, J., Walshaw, R., & Goullaud, E. (1987). The influence of castration on the development of prostatic carcinoma in the dog. 43 cases (1978-1985). Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 1(4): 183-187.

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So You Want To Breed Your Bitch

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

written by Winnie Vogel
submitted with permission by Marj Brooks
with thanks to Kevin & Donna Frizzell of DeSaix St. Bernards for generously allowing us to use many of their superb array of articles

Why do you want to breed your bitch?… If the answer you gave yourself was anything other than to produce a better Saint Bernard you had better think again. Becoming a breeder isn’t for everyone and we urge you to think long and hard before taking the next step.

If you have now made the decision to plunge into the world of “wee ones” at least we can aid you in making a good breeding decision. Let’s look at your bitch.

1. Is she of breeding quality?
2. How is breeding quality established?

It started at the time of her purchase over eighteen months ago. Was she bought for breeding? If you bought her as a pet ~ please let her remain as such. If her breeder was reputable, and is breeding to produce dogs that conform to our written standard and sold her as show and breeding stock please have the breeder reaffirm her quality. (Sometimes pups do not reach the expectations of their breeders, sometimes they surpass them.)

Finishing her championship is another indication of your bitches quality.

Now comes the hard part, (because most owners think their bitch is perfect), you must evaluate your bitch. List her strong points, and then list what you want to improve on her. Again, if the improvement list, contains a note that the bitch lacks in type, has severe structural faults, or her ‘fault’ list is longer than her ‘outstanding’ list, you might be better off buying a bitch of greater quality to begin your breeding program as your starting point will be that much closer to perfection.

Take her to a few different breeders and ask them to evaluate her. You will be surprised at the different opinions they will have, especially if they use different deviations of type (lines).

Besides evaluating structure there are other genetic considerations which must be faced in a matter of fact way. Temperament in your bitch must be saintly, no excuses! Temperament is largely inherited and if she shows any overt, aggressive action towards a person, she should not be bred.

Neuromuscular problems (fits, seizures, wobblers etc.), severe hip and elbow problems, if present, should exclude your bitch from a breeding program. Eye problems, thyroid, conception and whelping problems must also be taken into consideration, for these too will be passed on in her offspring and we urge you not to breed a bitch exhibiting any of these problems.

So you say we just knocked off a great number of the existing bitches – you’re right – very few bitches should be bred and even fewer males should be used at stud. (they can pass their genes to many more offspring than a bitch can). After weighing the data on your bitch, only you can make the decision and then, be willing to stand behind it. Choose wisely and intelligently. Emotions must not have a say here.

If your bitch is still in the running you must now do two things; one is hard and the other is monumental. That list of faults you compiled earlier must be examined and you must choose which fault you most want to correct. Trying to correct more than one problem at a time will prove frustrating and in most cases is unrealistic.

So You Want To Be A Breeder

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

submitted by Judy Doniere, Toledobes, USA

NEVER breed more than once a year.  Never have more than one bitch to be bred at a time.  Don’t have more than two bitches at your home that you are breeding.  Don’t have more than four dogs total at most.

If you want to keep a pup to continue your breeding program and you have several dogs, put one or two out on Co-ownership/breeding contracts.

Just because you have older dogs that you don’t breed, don’t add to the numbers until they have passed on.  It is too easy to accumulate lots of dogs.  It’s not fair to them to be kennelled or crated until it’s their “turn” to be part of the family.   Make them ALL house pets.  Go to dog shows.  Watch, listen, study, talk to breeders, read all you can get your hands on.

Then, after a few years, try your hand at breeding.  By then people will know you and hopefully respect you.

Don’t advertise.  Your reputation will sell your pups if you’ve done the above.  If you do advertise, use one of the Doberman magazines to do so.

Check out the prospective owners.  Have them come to your home to check them out.  If they are far away, check on them with someone in their State.  Ask for references.  Sell ALL pet puppies on AKC Limited Registrations.  Have spay/neuter contracts.  Take back ALL pups that might not have worked out. Be there for ALL your puppy people for the life of the dog.

Health test ALL things possible before you breed and ask the same of the prospective sire.

Should I Breed My Female Or Spay Her?

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

by Ms. Dany Canino

SOME ANSWERS TO THAT IMPORTANT QUESTION

WHAT IS SPAYING? “A surgical procedure in which the uterus and ovaries are removed from the female animal.

WHEN SHOULD IT BE DONE? “Preferably before the first heat cycle or even as early as 4 months.

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE? The procedure involves identifying, isolating, and ligating (suturing) the vessels to the two ovaries so they can be safely removed. Then the vessels to the uterus itself are identified, isolated, and ligated. The layers of tissue under the skin incision is closed with an absorbable suture material and the skin incision is closed with a suture material that needs to be removed in approximately 10 days.

SHOULD SHE GO THROUGH ONE HEAT CYCLE FIRST? This is a misnomer in that; most people are of the belief that if the female doesn´t go through one heat cycle before being spayed she will be stunted in growth. Truth is that your animal´s size is determined by its genetic makeup. It´s not going to be bigger if you don´t spay nor smaller if you do.

SHOULD I CONSIDER BREEDING MY FEMALE FIRST? This one is multi-faceted in answer. Making the decision to bring puppies into the world carries with it a lifetime responsibility. You have to be prepared to be with, and care for, those pups until they are old enough to go to new homes, and then you have to make sure that their new home is a valid, safe one where the pup will be able to live out its life.

There are many breeds of dogs that are affected by different genetic problems. You would have to be a professional breeder to know what all of these defects are and, therefore not breed certain animals that have these defects. You would have to know what the two dog´s family trees are, and how to read them. If you purchased your dog from a pet shop it probably originally came from a puppy mill. That means that the genetic makeup of this dog will be hard to trace because puppy mills oftentimes breed brother to sister and mother to son, but they don´t always “fess up to this” and papers are quite often doctored up. That´s why the American Kennel Club has had to close so many of these places down. Without the necessary genetic background you would have no idea what problems you might be bringing into the world of dogs. The same applies if your dog is a mixed breed. You´d have no way of knowing what that dog´s genetic background really is. Therefore, how would you know which dog would be safe to breed to?

WILL MY FEMALE GET FAT IF I SPAY HER? There is no reason for your female to gain weight after being spayed. As long as you feed her normally, (not too high in protein or fat, and not too many snacks) and if you give her some exercise she should remain slim and trim. Hormonal changes in your dog´s body offer no bearing for weight gain. Owners are responsible for their dogs weight.

HOW SOON AFTER BEING SPAYED CAN I EXERCISE HER? The day after your female is spayed she can be taken for a nice easy walk. By the 2nd day you can resume her obedience work if she is in training. By the 3rd day you´ll begin to notice that your female is acting perfectly normal again and by the end of the week you and she can resume doing all the normal things you´ve always done together.

WILL MY FEMALE RESENT BEING SPAYED? She won´t even know it´s been done. Female dogs are not like human females. They don´t have a biological clock ticking and, they don´t ever miss not being a mother.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE VALID REASONS FOR SPAYING MY FEMALE? One of the main reasons for spaying your female is for her health. When a female is spayed you drastically reduce her chances of having certain types of cancer such as; uterine cancer, mammary gland cancer, and ovarian cancer. If spayed before her first heat cycle she has a 0.5% chance of developing mammary tumors. After the first heat cycle her chances rise to 8% (16 times more). After the second heat cycle her chances rise to 26% (52 times more). Considering these statistics, it would stand to reason that spaying your female could prolong her life.

Another valid reason would be to prevent her from accidentally getting bred. The neighborhood “Romeo” whose owners have not had him neutered doesn´t visit a spayed female. A spayed female doesn´t turn your white carpet or bedspread into a multi-colored painting.

Every year millions of puppies and unwanted adult dogs are put to sleep at animal shelters. These animals are a direct result of people that wanted their female dog, (or their children) to experience “birth” just once or, they just wanted that “one puppy” that would be just like their dog. Genetically speaking, the only way that you can be guaranteed that puppies out of your female would look just like momma is to breed your dog to itself. Any dog you choose to breed her to will bring into the breeding his own genetic makeup. Therefore, the resulting pups may not be anything like your female. Sometimes people want to breed just because friends and neighbors have said they would love to have a dog just like yours.

NONE OF THESE REASONS ARE VALID ENOUGH REASONS TO BREED YOUR FEMALE.

If you bought your dog from a professional breeder and this dog was sold to you as a “pet/non breeding stock” you need to spay her. If she was purchased as a potential show dog, you need to contact your breeder for a re-evaluation of your dog in order to make a valid decision.

All things considered, you should leave the breeding of dogs to the professional. A spayed dog can still be shown in Obedience, Tracking, Agility, and as a Registered Therapy Dog.

I hope this question and answer article will help you to make a conscious decision. Feel free to discuss this important decision with your Veterinarian, because next to you, (he´s) your dog´s best friend. If you´re still undecided, have your female evaluated by a professional breeder of your breed to see if your dog is worthy of being shown and also being bred. If your dog turns out to be an exceptional specimen, you should show her so that she can prove she´s able to defeat dogs of her kind. Only then, and only with proper guidance should your female be bred. She has to prove that she, and/or her pedigree are worthy of being reproduced.

Selecting Conformation Puppies

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

written & submitted by Theresa Mullen
Terrylane Dobermans

Is there a method or a “secret” to picking puppies?? I KNOW there is a secret to picking puppies—or should I say SEVERAL secrets.  I’ll try to outline all the things that I use when evaluating puppies.  

Don’t start to evaluate the litter too soon.  I think many breeders concentrate WAY TOO MUCH on what they see at 3, 4, 5 and even 6 weeks.  It’s good to watch and observe behaviour and temperament and generally which ones are bold and pushy and have great general attitude—-BUT, don’t try to analyze and grade puppies too young.  They ALL look good at 6 weeks, unless you are extremely experienced in looking at 100’s of puppies and can know when you see serious problems.  Concentrate on getting the puppies used to being up on the grooming table and relaxing up there AND work with the tails so you can get a realistic idea of what they look like stacked on the table.  

I like to look at puppies three times—-first at 7 to 8 weeks, then at about 10 weeks, after the ears are cropped—then again for the final time at about 11 to 12 weeks.  It’s important to get in your mind the “picture” of what a typical puppy looks like at these ages.  This is helpful when comparing size, maturity and bone and substance at these ages.  Many people have never seen a “great” litter that had many Champions in it, or even a litter that had a Top Twenty dog in it.  Try to ask to be there when a top breeder is grading their or someone else’s litter and listen to their critique and what the overall litter looks like.  Experience is the greatest teacher.   

The first thing I do is ask to see the puppies running around in an area that I can observe them moving around on their own and how they interact with one another.  If it’s a large litter, say 8 or over, I may want to see them all briefly and then divided into smaller, more manageable group size—say 4 or 5.  I’m looking for the puppy that carries himself with style and attitude with tail up and moving boldly around.  I just take a chair and sit somewhere in the room where I’m out of the way and can see all the puppies moving around.  I get a general “feel” for which puppies “strike” me as outstanding and having great quality.   

Next, each puppy is put up on the grooming table.  All ribbons and collars are removed—as I want to SEE how the neck flows into the wither and the arch of the neck without being distracted by coloured ribbon, collars or anything that will “cut up” the neck and wither area.  A small, think black (for black puppies) or dark brown ( for red puppies) collar works best for me.  I have someone stack the puppy on the table—without bait, hopefully—so the puppy is just standing there, relaxed, and just THERE!  I am looking for

1.  balance and harmony overall
2. a great head
3. a smooth puppy overall—no wrinkles over the withers
4. a dead level topline from the withers to the tail
5. a VERY flexible and WILLING tail—-one that is set on right, with move ability and the puppy has the attitude that he doesn’t mind the tail being manipulated and touched
6.  I am looking for the front assembly to be very angulated in shoulder placement and especially the upper arm placement and length.  This is a SERIOUS problem in our breed—straight upper arms, short upper arms and a combination or both.  If the puppy is straight or shows an upper arm angle that is JUST acceptable if he were an adult—you can bet the upper arm will be too straight once the puppy is mature and an adult.  The angulation—both front and rear assemblies—will get steeper on the great majority of lines.  A few lines stay the same, and even fewer seem to get more—-but I think 90% of the lines will LOOSE angulation as they mature.   

SO—-look for front assemblies that are angulated properly—even to the extreme, if possible.  This is the one most serious mistake most people make when evaluating puppies.  They look for the puppy that has ADULT proportions.  This is a very difficult concept to go against—-looking at puppies DIFFERENTLY than adults—but it has been very successful for me with a variety of lines.   

The body should be deep—almost too deep if you were looking at an adult.  The deep body makes the legs look too short legged.  But, for me this is a good thing.  When puppies are “tall, leggy and not deep and full” through the brisket, with depth and spring of rib and nice width through the loin—-the “tall drink of water” look continues to be just that—-often being taller than long, more slab sided, instead of beautiful spring of rib and proper loin development.   

The front legs should be straight as they leave the body and proceed to the pasterns and the foot.  The two middle toes should rest “ever so slightly” out—with moderate width between the legs.  The elbows should lie close to the body—but not pinched under the body with the front legs toeing out.  The brisket should be deep and “hanging” between the front legs.  From the side the puppy should show beautiful rounded forechest—moderate is good.  Puppies that have none is not good to me.  It signals that the front assembly is probably straight and shoved too far forward.   

7. The rear assembly should be scrutinized like the front.  The croup should be just ever so slightly sloped—-almost unperceivable.  The tail set should be proper—with the puppy carrying the tail at 1 to 2 o’clock when moving around happily.  The croup should be approximately the same length as the ischium (the point of bone right beneath the tail) to the stifle and the same from the stifle to the hock.  The stifle should have MUCH turn at this puppy age, hocks perpendicular to the ground and short.  Remember, most lines will LOOSE angulation—-front and rear—-and will be straighter than the puppy angulation.  This is why it is important to look for more exaggerated angles in a puppy.  Pasterns and hocks should look short and firm.     

ANY puppy that toes in or severely toes out will be graded PET by me.  Toeing in is VERY faulty in a young puppy.  Toeing out—if it is ever so slightly, often corrects itself as the body widens and the puppy matures—as the elbows will be pushed out slightly and this in turn allows the front legs to correct and turn more straight ahead.  Hocks that turn in (cow hocked) or out (bandy legged) to any extent will probably remain and get more obvious as the puppy matures.   

I personally don’t think breeders are critical and brutal enough when grading their puppies.  ANY deviation that is pronounced at this age will be magnified as the puppy gets older.  I grade ANY PUPPY A PET that:

• has a poor head
• toes in to any degree at this age
• toes out SEVERELY—if this is slight, it is not as severe a fault as toeing in to me
• has a shallow depth of body or concave brisket/forechest
• is “slab sided” with lack of spring of rib and width over the top
• has a poor “neck into withers” junction—any “DIP” BEFORE the wither is definitely OUT
• any DIP pronounced—after the wither, where the vertebrae change direction—will get worse and is highly heritable
• I pay close attention to “rough and wrinkling” neck into wither—-if pronounced, it’s a pet
• ANY pronounced topline problems are out—-rounded backline (“wheel-back”)—sagging back to a marked degree—sloping off of the croup significantly—rounded croup is out—low tailset it out—“squirrel tail” is NOT good, but if extremely good elsewhere I will take a good,
  hard look at the potential of the puppy—cow-hocked or bandy legged are out—-sickle hocks are out
• significantly poor feet and/or pasterns are out
• lack of bone and substance are out
• puppies that stand off and won’t come to people at this age are out
• puppies that show no exuberance and “love of life” at this age is NOT GOOD—in my own litters, these puppies are pets  

In my opinion, in a litter of 6 to 8, out of two outstanding parents and well bred—-if this litter were to produce 1 that conforms to my scrutiny that would be what I consider a “TOP SHOW PROSPECT”!!  

There may be 2 or 3 that are “POSSIBLE” Show Prospects.  

That is a “GREAT” litter.  I don’t grade or sell any puppy as a show prospect that I personally wouldn’t buy/train/put time into/spend money and blood, sweat and tears over/show.   

Too many people either don’t know what they are looking at and refuse to either hire or ask other experienced breeders to grade their litter for them.   This is a big mistake.  Also, don’t make decisions based on 10 opinions from people who DON’T KNOW!!!!!   Why ask an opinion from someone who hasn’t been where you want to be in your breeding program.  Ask the “experienced” breeder/exhibitor who has been successful in grading/buying really good Dobermans.  

DON’T BE SENTIMENTAL!!!!    Sentimentality is the downfall of breeders.  It causes breeders to make poor decisions and rationalize their decisions.  Don’t do it.  Be honest with yourself and with your litter.   

Be realistic with your litter.  A nice, average Champion bitch bred to a good producing sire will probably produce a nice litter with a Champion prospect in it.  It more than likely will not produce a litter of ALL Champions that contain half of them “Specials”.   

Don’t sell puppies as show prospects that are marginal—-it’s not worth the heartache that this decisions causes the new owner and you as a breeder.  It is so disappointing to talk weekly to people who have one of your dogs that continues to loose.  It’s better to be “brutal” in grading and place that one “STAR” into a great show home and get the “winning calls” every week.   

Be critical—-be brutal—-don’t be sentimental—-be realistic—when grading puppies.   This is my “NUMBER ONE” Secret to breeding/grading success.

Selecting A Stud

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

by Theresa Mullen, Terrylane

I think that the search for a Stud is one of the most important skills that a breeder must master if they are going to be successful.  I find that I look at stud selection from a many sided approach.

The first thing that must happen is that you must evaluate your bitch—honestly, brutally and CORRECTLY!  This basically means picking her apart — physically and mentally — and know her health profile.  Know what her sire and dam produced and look for trends in both sire and dam’s families.

An example would be pasterns.  If this is a problem that occurs with very regular frequency in the background of the bitch in question then this is definitely something you would pay close attention to.  The most gorgeous, healthy, mentally sound sire in the world that has or throws weak pasterns consistently will NOT be in your list of possibilities, no matter how good a sire he is.  So the bottom line here is — know what faults your bitch has as well as the faults that show up consistently in her immediate family.

I am a firm believer that familial trends exist in all lines — some produce good top lines consistently — some bad heads consistently, and so on and so on.  Know and observe and ask — look at the magazines and learn.  Hopefully you have had some experience in knowing the prominent lines of our breed before you attempt to have a litter.

1. First of all, observation is your greatest tool.  The National Specialty held every year is a superb learning forum because you can see hundreds of GOOD Dobermans in one place — and see them several times with the Specialties prior to it.
2. Secondly, don’t get too involved with using one breeding method — such as line breeding, out crossing or incestuous inbreeding.  Select the sire for what he is himself and what he is producing.  This is very important to pay close attention to because there are dogs out there right now that look one way and throw something else.  Their genotype does not match their phenotype.   Stay clear of these dogs as they are not reliable in what they produce.
3. Thirdly, I place great importance on siblings and progeny.  This is one reason I prefer to breed to a dog that has offspring old enough to see and how they are developing.  I need to see Star Producing power — theses are the sires that are doing more than just getting by and producing okay Champions.  I want to see that the sire has the capability within his producing power to throw a star.
4. Last but not least by any means, I was told years ago by an old horseman that the way to look at breeding was to imagine that each sire and dam had within his gene pool a DECK OF GENE CARDS with Aces high — on down to the low numbers. A ‘GREAT’ Champion was produced when both sire and dam each contributed an ‘ACE’ from their gene deck.  The great sires and dams have predominately face cards (the superior qualities equals the face cards) instead of numerical cards (these gene cards are the mediocre to poor qualities).  So the great producers will statistically throw more face cards (Ace through Jack) to their offspring than the numbers (two through ten).  The mediocre producers may only have one Ace, a couple of Kings and Queens — but mostly middle to low cards so their chances of producing a truly superior offspring are very diminished.  The deck of card example is an easy way to see how statistically, producing truly good to superior animals consistently, is possible and the opposite is so common.  Try taking two decks of cards. Divide them so one has mostly face cards and a few mid-range cards.  Then take another pile that has only one Ace and a few face cards and the rest mid to low range numbers.  Now shuffle each deck and turn over one card from each deck and lay the cards side by side.  You can get a Queen and a six — -this would most likely fall in the above borderline show specimen range.

The numbers left are from ten through two.  So the highest combination would be:

and on down the quality scale. Mid-range would be a 14 which would be right on the fence of being okay to show but with many minor faults.

If you were to try to estimate what a sire or dams deck would contain, it would be pretty accurate to predict that most good producers would have as many face cards as numbers. The poor producers have more numbers than face cards –probably some have NO FACE cards in their decks.  The great producers have a majority of face cards to be able to produce good to superior offspring with a variety of decks, even ones with primarily mid range numbers.

I have never heard another ‘dog’ person describe genetics in this way but it was so logical to me as a young girl that I used to ‘load the decks’ to represent the gene package of one animal, and do the same for another deck to represent the dam, to see what the probability of producing a *star* was. It’s just another way to help you to understand just how difficult it is to breed good dogs generation after generation.

Take your time in looking for that ‘MR. WONDERFUL’ for your bitch.  That’s how we look at breeding and sire selection.

by Pam DeHetre, Pamelot Dobermans

Finding a stud is always a difficult decision.  There are several huge mistakes I have seen breeders make and some of those are

1. to breed to the dog that is doing the most winning
2. to breed to their own dogs
3. to breed to the most popular stud dog at the time because after all he can fix all problems
4. line breeding on a dog to the point where he is in the pedigree over and over in an attempt to get another one just like him.

This isn’t going to work.  Look at how that dog was produced and I will bet it wasn’t that way.  I believe that first of all you should have a picture in your mind of what the ideal looks like in whatever breed you have and know the good qualities and the faults (in that order) of your bitch.  You should look for a dog that has the same good qualities that your bitch has and that is correct where your bitch isn’t correct. Otherwise you are just setting yourself up for a ping pong game.  Let’s say your bitch is very strong in head but a weak rear so you breed to a dog that has a bad head but a good rear — now you may get a puppy with a really neat rear but “oh oh” we just lost the head. So in the next generation we are back trying to find a dog with a good head again. To eliminate all of that stress always try to breed to the correct!!!

Now having said that I will go forward with this concept. Some lines and types have a look unto themselves.  Lets say there is Look A and Look B. Breeding to Look A with Look B is not going to produce the ideal, it is only going to weaken the look of either A or B.  In my experience breed type to type for the best results.  If you want one of the other type, then buy it!

I did not mention pedigree as yet but obviously you should go out and get the strongest one you can of the type you like the best.

These are just some of my ideas based on the facts that I have bred well over one hundred champions, including Best in Show and Group winners, in several breeds.

Rule Of 7's

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

Written in 1989 or 1990 by Pat Schaap, Shenanigan Shetlands, USA
submitted by Marj Brooks, Manorie Dobermans, USA

By the time a puppy is seven weeks old, he/she should have:

1.Been on 7 different types of surfaces:  carpet, concrete, wood, vinyl, grass, dirt, gravel, wood chips, etc….

2.Played with 7 different types of objects:  big balls, small balls, soft fabric toys, fuzzy toys, squeaky toys, paper or cardboard items, metal items, sticks, hose pieces, etc….

3.Been in 7 different locations:  front yard, back yard, basement, kitchen, car, garage, laundry room, bathroom, crate, etc…..

4.Met and played with 7 new people:  include children and older adults…

5.Been exposed to 7 challenges:  climb on a box, go through a tunnel, climb steps, go down steps, climb over obstacles, play hide and seek, go in and out of a doorway with a step up or down, run around a fence, etc….

6.Eaten from 7 different containers:  metal, plastic, cardboard, paper, china, pie plate, frying pan, etc….

7.Eaten in 7 different locations:  crate, yard, basement, laundry room, living room, bathroom, etc…..

Reproductive Health Of The Male

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

submitted with permission by Marj Brooks
with thanks to Kevin & Donna Frizzell of DeSaix St. Bernards for generously allowing us to use many of their superb array of articles

Although the reproductive health of the male is not as involved as the female and infertility problems are more likely to be related to the bitch, the male is worthy of some discussion.

A male may be fertile as early as 8 months of age. Breeding is not recommended until the dog is least over a year old and has been screened for heritable diseases.

Males may exhibit sexual behaviour at a young age and if breeding is planned it is better to provide another source of interest rather than to chastise the male as he may develop a negative behaviour response to such activities in the future. Males usually only become interested in a bitch if she is in heat unless there are medical problems with the male such as tumours or hormone imbalances.

Clinical or Sub-clinical Infertility Has a Variety of Causes:

• Inability to mate: although mating is imprinted pain or negative re-enforcement may inhibit mating
• low testosterone levels: this will reduce the sex drive but not sperm levels
• anatomical abnormalities such as persistent frenulum or paraphimosis
• semen quality: may be poor due to low numbers, large numbers of abnormal sperm or poor sperm motility
• injury or infection: will affect sperm numbers and quality
• old age: the testes become spongy / atrophied – sperm numbers drop and abnormalities increase

Chryptorchidism:

This is a polygenic inherited disorder where one or both testicles fail to descend into the scrotum. It must not be confused with Monorchidism where there is total absence of a testicle. True Monorchidism is quite a rare condition. Chryptorchids are predisposed to cancer of the retained testicle, therefore it needs to be removed and due to the heritability of the condition Chryptorchids should be totally removed from a breeding program. The condition is carried and passed on by either parent.

Semen Analysis

Semen collection is a straight forward procedure but best results are obtained when a teaser bitch is used as the male can withhold his semen, releasing only prostatic fluid. It is usually collected in three fractions with the second and third fractions being combined for total volume. Semen is checked for the typical swirling motion for gross indication of motility and concentration. It is further examined for numbers, their individual motility and the number of abnormal sperm present. Volume is also measured. The ejaculate is also checked for other cells and debris which indicates presence of infection.

When planning a mating, semen evaluation prior to the event is always worthwhile to eliminate the question of male infertility should the bitch fail to conceive.

Reproductive Health Of The Bitch

Breeder/Exhibitor Ed, Breeding/Genetics

submitted with permission by Marj Brooks
with thanks to Kevin & Donna Frizzell of DeSaix St. Bernards for generously allowing us to use many of their superb array of articles

Generally speaking, canids are considered to be fertile with approximately 80% of all bitches mated becoming pregnant in the event of a natural mating. Conception rates from artificial insemination are again approximately 70 – 80%. Fertility problems do occur: listed below are some steps that can be taken to reduce this incidence. The links are provided for more in depth topics regarding the reproductive health of the bitch.

Things you Can Do to Maximise Fertility in the Bitch:

• Do not attempt to breed the bitch until at least 2 years old or after her second season or after she is six / seven years old as fertility declines and infections processes increase due to hormonal changes
• Do not allow your bitch to become overweight or underweight and ensure that your bitch is in top physical condition
• Studies have shown that Vitamin E given regularly increases chances of improved fertility
• Ensure that the reproductive tract of the bitch is clean before mating with routine swabbing and culture and sensitivities prior to mating +/or during oestrus
• Allow your bitch to rest between litters to reduce the risk of damage to the uterus and subsequent infertility.

Pseudo Pregnancy ~ What Causes It?

A false pregnancy or pseudo-pregnancy is a normal course of events for a bitch that has had a season and who is not pregnant. This phenomena occurs because the Corpus Luteum continues to produce Progesterone which is the Pregnancy Hormone whether the bitch is pregnant or not. The Corpus Luteum eventually degenerates at about 49 days if the bitch is not pregnant. Progesterone production then ceases which is why a false pregnancy usually resolves itself after the seventh week post oestrus.

The effects of this on different bitches varies widely but the principles and hormonal influences from which such behaviours stems remain constant.

Repeated false pregnancies despite the degree to which the bitch “acts out” these events do not predispose the bitch to increased risks of Pyometra.

The Bitch May:

• develop mammary tissue
• produce milk (good indication that the pregnancy is false if there is milk present 49 days   post oestrus)
• nest
• go into labour and pass small amounts of fluid
• adopt and mother toys
• mourn for her “lost babies”
• become aggressive toward intruders

The degree to which the bitch “acts out” the above depends on her individual personality and disposition rather than a fluctuation in hormonal events. Whilst it is sad for the bitch it does not warrant radical treatment as the condition is fairly short lived. Spaying should be considered as a reasonable option.

Pyometra ~ Open and Closed

Pyometra is a potentially life-threatening illness for intact bitches. It usually occurs about six weeks to two months after the heat cycle because it is related to the production of progesterone. There are two types of pyometra:

1 Open Pyometra: This one is easily detected because it is characterized by a purulent discharge, fever, anorexia, lethargy and sometimes vomiting.

2 Closed Cervix Pyometra: This more covert and deadly because there is no discharge but the other signs and symptoms are present.

The infection remains within the body and diagnosis is more difficult in that nothing shows externally. Blood work, radiology, ultrasound and physical examination are used to rule out other causes before a definite diagnosis of Closed Cervix Pyometra can be made.

Either type of Pyometra is life-threatening. Ovario-hysterectomy is regarded by most veterinarians as the treatment of choice, because even if treated medically more than 70% of bitches will have recurrent episodes. However, if it is a valuable brood bitch or at the height of a show career, owners may wish to postpone spaying until the bitch has had a litter. In that case, treatment with prostaglandins has proved to be successful in a majority of cases of open cervix pyometra, but unsuccessful in a majority of closed cervix cases.

Bitches treated with prostaglandins should be bred at the next heat in order to forestall another episode of pyometra which is extremely likely.

Medical management of closed cervix pyometra is risky and much less likely to be effective, so owners of bitches who have developed this disease should be resigned to the fact that spaying is really the safest means of saving the animal’s life.

There is no evidence to support the notion that bitches who experience oestrous cycle anomalies or pseudo-pregnancies are more at risk of developing Pyometra that any other bitch.

A Clinical Approach To Infertility In The Bitch
by J.L. Cain and E.C. Feldman

Several unique features of the canine estrous cycle, together with dog sperm longevity, allow for dog’s high conception rate after a single mating. Many bitches, however, are seemingly infertile; that is, they fail to conceive or whelp a normal litter. Determining the cause of apparent infertility requires a logical diagnostic plan. Because of the relatively long interval between estrous cycles in the bitch, dog owners are encouraged to seek veterinary consultation after a bitch’s first reproductive failure. Failure to do so may lead to a false assessment, misguided treatment, and possible harm to a potential breeding bitch. The approach to infertility in the bitch described here is used in the clinical practices of the authors and is presented as a guide for dog owners and veterinarians to use together.

ESTROUS CYCLE AND VAGINAL CYTOLOGY:

A brief review of the canine estrous cycle, including reproductive hormone patterns and vaginal cytology, follows to provide the necessary background for understanding the rationale of the diagnostic approach discussed in this article.

INITIAL EVALUATION

The initial evaluation of an apparently infertile bitch includes collecting a general medical history and complete physical examination. The approach to infertility outlined here is designed for treating bitches that have no apparent systemic disease. Also, the current and previous use of any medication, especially corticosteroids for flea-allergic dermatitis, must be known in making an accurate evaluation. Routine laboratory testing (e.g., complete blood count, serum biochemical profile, and urinalysis) may be indicated on the basis of the animal’s history and physical examination.

The possibility of Brucella canis infection must be considered in any bitch presented for infertility, and all dogs should be screened for antibody to B. canis on a routine basis before breeding.

It is also prudent to rule out infertility in the male used for breeding before investigating a bitch for apparent infertility. This is commonly done on the basis of the male’s history (e.g., Was the dog siring litters at the time the bitch in question was bred?). Semen evaluation may be necessary to determine the viability of sperm if there is no historical evidence of male fertility.

CLASSIFICATION OF INFERTILITY BASED ON ESTROUS CYCLE HISTORY

The apparently infertile bitch can be classified on the basis of prior oestrous-cycle characteristics as follows:

• normal oestrous cycle length and normal estrous cycle events
• failure to cycle
• prolonged interestrous intervals (>10 months);
• shortened interestrous intervals (<4 months)
• persistent estrus

1 Normal Oestrous Cycles:

Bitches with normal Oestrous cycles are the most common group to present for failure to conceive or whelp a litter. The potential differential diagnosis can be investigated by answering the following questions.

Does normal mating occur? If a bitch will not accept the male for breeding, it is important to determine if the bitch is in estrus. common management practices may dictate that bitches be bred on predetermined days of the cycle such as days 11 and 13 (the first day of proestrus is considered day 1). A bitch may not be in estrus on these days, however, if her proestrus or oestrus deviates from the average duration. The use of daily vaginal cytology and observations of the bitch’s behavior in the presence of a male dog (a teaser) are the most accurate means for determining the onset of behavioral oestrus.

If the bitch appears to be in oestrus but refuses breeding, it is possible that a vaginal or vulvar anatomical obstruction prevents intromission or causes painful breeding. Careful digital vaginal palpation and vaginoscopic examination by the veterinarian are indicated. Contrast radiographic procedures may be necessary to outline anatomical abnormalities, including vaginal masses; and surgery may be necessary for resolution of the problem.

Other possible causes of a bitch’s refusal to be bred include the use of an inexperienced male, behavioral problems (of the bitch or the male), and mate preferences. the female should be taken to the male’s environment so that he can dominate the breeding event. some bitches that are transported early in estrus, however, may abruptly terminate estrus behavior as a result of stress or tranquilization. in such cases, transportation in advance of an expected proestrus, or the use of transported semen, may be necessary.

Does mating occur during the bitch’s fertile period? The bitch may display estrus behavior for longer than the duration of the time in which she is capable of conceiving. the fertile period can be estimated retrospectively from vaginal cytology by counting back five to six days from the onset of cytologic diestrus. again, a bitch that is routinely bred on predetermined breeding dates may be bred at a time she is not fertile. this problem most commonly occurs in bitches that are bred early in estrus. because dog sperm is viable in the female genital tract for four to 11 days, however, conception can occur even if the bitch is bred at a non-fertile time. to optimize the possibility of conception in bitches that have failed to conceive in the past, we recommend a management program as follows:

• the owner should obtain daily swabs for vaginal cytology beginning on day 1 of proestrus and continuing throughout estrus.
• to determine accurately the onset of oestrus, the bitch should be “teased” with a male dog every one to two days beginning when the vaginal cytology shows signs of late proestrus/early oestrus.
• once in oestrus, the bitch should be bred every two to four days throughout the duration of oestrus regardless of the number of matings that occur.
• the owner should observe the breedings to be able to report whether they were normal (ie: whether there was a normal “tie”).
• pregnancy should be assessed by ultrasonography 16 to 21 days after breeding.

The vaginal cytology obtained by this protocol will allow the veterinarian to:

1. determine when the bitch is likely to be in estrus which should be substantiated by response to the teaser male
2. determine retrospectively on the basis of the first day of diestrus, the likely fertile period of the bitch. if the bitch was bred during this fertile period, is not pregnant, and the male has been shown to be fertile, then the bitch should be further investigated for infertility.

Does the bitch ovulate? A bitch that is determined not to be pregnant by ultrasonography 21 to 28 days after oestrus should be evaluated to determine if ovulation occurred. Serum progesterone concentration at that time in the cycle should be in excess of 5 ng/ml. concentrations between 2 and 5 ng/ml may indicate the bitch has ovulated but is unable to maintain a corpus luteum (hypoluteoidism, to be discussed later). If the progesterone concentration is <2 ng/ ml, it is likely the bitch did not ovulate and should be observed for the occurrence of a “split heat.” Split heat is defined clinically as the situation of a bitch that goes into estrus, does not ovulate, and is again in estrus within two to four weeks; it is most common in pubertal bitches. Often, ovulation will occur after the second estrus. Ovarian cysts can cause ovulation failure and may be detected by ultrasonography. If ovulation failure without apparent cause has been documented, the bitch may be induced to ovulate at the next cycle by injections of human chorionic gonadotropin. Signs of false pregnancy (a response to a decrease in progesterone levels) at the end of diestrus can serve as an indirect and inexpensive indication that ovulation did occur.

Does the bitch have a normal uterus? When it appears that the bitch’s ovarian function is normal (i.e., she has normal estrous cycles and ovulates), it must be determined whether the uterus is capable of maintaining pregnancy. Ultrasonography is a non-invasive method that can be used to evaluate the uterus. In the healthy non-pregnant bitch, during any phase of the oestrous cycle other than estrus the uterus is sonographically small and free of luminal fluid and is commonly not detected at all. An enlarged or fluid-filled uterus may be an indication of chronic pyometritis or cystic endometrial hyperplasia. Pyometra can be medically managed with prostaglandin therapy. Cystic endometrial hyperplasia is most common in older bitches or in those previously treated with progestational agents, is diagnosed by uterine biopsy obtained at abdominal surgery, and is not reversible.

Vaginal cultures are often obtained in an effort to determine whether a bacterial infection may be the cause of infertility. The theory behind this practice is that bacteria present in the cranial vagina may indicate bacteria in the normally sterile uterus; the problem with this hypothesis, however, is that bacteria of many types have been isolated from the cranial vagina, and hence it cannot be considered a normally sterile environment. A positive culture from the cranial vagina does not necessarily reflect the presence of bacteria in the uterus. the only way to determine accurately whether there are bacteria within the uterus is by uterine biopsy and culture of uterine tissue. bacterial cultures of the caudal vagina are commonly positive and are indicative of the normal bacteria that inhabit that area. Overall, vaginal cultures are of little use in the infertility evaluation unless vaginitis is present. vaginitis is treated by antiseptic douching.

Does the bitch resorb or abort fetus’? A bitch that become pregnant then loses the litter before day 30 of gestation will most likely resorb the fetus’, whereas if the litter is lost later in gestation, the fetus’ will likely be aborted. Potential causes of such a problem include fetal development abnormalities, uterine or systemic disease of the bitch (including b. canis or canine herpes virus infection), drug administration and hypoluteoidism. Resorption or abortion may be suspected in the bitch that is diagnosed pregnant by abdominal palpation (at approximately day 28 of gestation), and does not whelp a litter. to determine accurately that a bitch is pregnant early in gestation, ultrasonography should be performed after day 16 to 21 of gestation. Routine abdominal radiography can be used to diagnose pregnancy only after fetal bone calcification-after approximately day 44 of gestation. when a resorption problem is suspected, the bitch should be sequentially monitored by ultrasonography during the next pregnancy and should have a concurrent serum pr
ogesterone analysis to determine if hypoluteoidism occurs. If the progesterone concentration falls below 2 ng/ ml, the bitch will likely resorb or abort the fetus’, depending on the stage of gestation; therapy in such cases involves supplementation with progesterone until day 50. Inappropriately treating a bitch that does not require such therapy, however, can lead to abnormal development of the fetus’ (e.g., masculinization of the females) and potential problems with parturition.

2 Failure to Cycle:

Potential differential diagnoses for a bitch that apparently fails to cycle may be investigated by answering the following questions.

Has the bitch ever had an oestrous cycle? The age of the bitch that has never displayed signs of an oestrous cycle (primary anestrus) must first be determined. A bitch is not routinely evaluated for primary anestrus until she is beyond two to three years of age, although bitches of many breeds (especially of smaller stature) normally experience a first oestrus (pubertal oestrus) at a younger age. A bitch with primary anestrus should be evaluated for signs of an intersex condition. The female genitalia may appear normal, but the bitch may have abnormal internal reproductive organs and hence will not cycle. Chromosome analysis may be performed with a blood sample.

Bitches may have a silent heat, i.e., they may ovulate but show minimal to no signs of proestrus or oestrus. This can be determined by monthly evaluation of serum progesterone concentration to determine whether the bitch recently ovulated. Weekly determination of vaginal cytology may alert the owner to the onset of the next proestrus and estrus even though signs may not be observed, such bitches may be fertile but require artificial insemination. Future cycles may be associated with normal clinical signs.

Has the bitch had estrous cycles in the past and now fails to cycle? This problem can occur in a bitch that has concurrent systemic disease, such as an endocrine disorder, a generalized infectious process, or cancer. Common endocrine diseases include hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism (cushing’s disease). Laboratory tests are necessary to diagnose definitively such disorders, and with proper treatment the bitch may become fertile. Another consideration is that the use of some medications may suppress the hormonal events necessary for ovarian function. Corticosteroids, frequently administered in the treatment of skin allergies, may be the cause of secondary anestrus.

The functional longevity of the ovaries in the bitch is unknown. although ovarian function generally declines after the bitch is eight to 10 years old, the ovaries may cease to function earlier (premature ovarian failure). Pituitary hormone serum concentrations reflect ovarian function because when the ovaries fail, the pituitary gonadotropins (follicle stimulating hormone [fsh] and lh) continue to be produced and reach high serum concentrations. Currently, few centers in the united states have the facilities for determining fsh and lh concentrations. Premature ovarian failure is not a treatable condition. This diagnostic approach also can be used to determine if a bitch with an unknown past history has been ovariohysterectomized.

3 Prolonged Interestrous Intervals :

Interestrous intervals greater than 10 months are considered prolonged in dogs, with the exception of the Basenji. In aging females (those older than eight years) the interestrous interval may lengthen. If such prolonged cycles are fertile, an investigation into the cause of the long interval is not indicated. Possible differential diagnoses for infertile cycles that have a prolonged interestrous interval may be explored by answering the following questions.

Does the bitch have undetected cycles? A bitch that has a prolonged interestrous interval should be evaluated to determine if a silent heat is occurring between observed estrus periods. This may be determined as discussed above. housing the bitch with another female may induce an earlier cycle.

Does the bitch have an underlying disease process? The bitch should be evaluated for underlying disease that can delay the onset of an estrous cycle. hypothyroidism, in addition to causing persistent anestrus, can cause a prolonged interestrous interval. diagnostic testing, including a response of thyroid hormone (t4) concentration to an injection of exogenous thyrotropin (tsh), is indicated. when hypothyroidism is the cause of the prolonged interestrous intervals, other concurrent signs of hypothyroidism, including dermatologic abnormalities, inappetence, and lack of energy, are usually apparent.

In bitches with persistent anestrus or prolonged interestrous intervals, an attempt can be made to induce estrus hormonally. At the university of California – Davis, studies are currently under way to evaluate the administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (gnrh) to induce oestrus and ovulation in bitches. Endogenous gnrh is released from the hypothalamus and causes the pituitary to release fsh and lh. Administering gnrh therefore simulates normal physiologic events of the estrous cycle.

4 Shortened Interestrous Interval:

Cycles that recur every four months or more frequently are considered abnormal.

Possible differential diagnoses for this problem can be investigated by answering the following questions.

Does the bitch ovulate? Determining the serum progesterone concentration will indicate whether frequent oestrus periods are associated with ovulations. If they are not, the bitch may be having a split heat. When she does ovulate, she should be fertile. Split heat is most frequently associated with young or pubertal bitches; it is therefore advisable to wait until the bitch is two to three years old before intervening.

Does the uterus have time to involute? In bitches that cycle every four months or less and ovulate, the uterus may not have time to recover from the previous cycle. A uterine environment that cannot support a pregnancy may develop. In such cases, one approach to management is to suppress estrus with mibolerone (cheque drops – Upjohn), an androgenic compound, administered orally for six months. Suppression of estrus will allow the uterus to involute completely. The bitch should be bred when estrus recurs after withdrawal of the drug.

5 Prolonged / Persistant Oestrus:

Oestrus is considered prolonged in a bitch that has behavioral signs of oestrus for longer than 21 days. Possible causes include an estrogen-secreting ovarian tumor or cyst. Abdominal ultrasonography can be used to observe ovarian structures. A negative scan does not rule out such a problem, however, and exploratory surgery may be necessary to visualize the ovaries. Another possible explanation in cases of apparently prolonged estrus is that the bitch may have vaginitis, in which case she may attract males, and this may be mistaken for a sign of oestrus. Vaginitis can be differentiated from oestrus by vaginal cytology.