Our Sire Jack At 8 weeks old. Below, Scout and Rock |
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The article below, shows evidence through recent studies to suggest that veterinarians, and owners working with canine athletes should revisit the standard protocol in which all dogs be spayed or neutered at or prior to six months old if they are not intended for breeding purposes.
Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence
Benjamin L. Hart1*, Lynette A. Hart2, Abigail P. Thigpen2 and Neil H. Willits3
Neutering (including spaying) of male and female dogs in the first year after birth has become routine in the U.S. and much of Europe, but recent research reveals that for some dog breeds, neutering may be associated with increased risks of debilitating joint disorders and some cancers, complicating pet owners' decisions on neutering. The joint disorders include hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear or rupture, and elbow dysplasia. The cancers include lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. In previous studies on the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog, neutering before a year of age was associated with increased risks of one or more joint disorders, 2–4 times that of intact dogs. The increase was particularly seen with dogs neutered by 6 months of age. In female Golden Retrievers, there was an increase in one or more of the cancers followed to about 2–4 times that of intact females with neutering at any age. The goal of the present study was to expand and use the same data collection and analyses to cover an additional 29 breeds, plus three varieties of Poodles. There were major breed differences in vulnerability to neutering, both with regard to joint disorders and cancers. In most cases, the caregiver can choose the age of neutering without increasing the risks of these joint disorders or cancers. Small-dog breeds seemed to have no increased risks of joint disorders associated with neutering, and in only two small breeds (Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu) was there a significant increase in cancers. To assist pet owners and veterinarians in deciding on the age of neutering a specific dog, guidelines that avoid increasing the risks of a dog acquiring these joint disorders or cancers are laid out for neutering ages on a breed-by-breed and sex basis.
Introduction
In the U.S. and much of Europe, the practice of neutering male and spaying female dogs (herein both referred to as neutering) has become routine (1) and is increasingly being performed at, or before, 6 months of age. At the same time, several investigations have revealed that joint disorders and some cancers may increase in association with neutering of males and/or females. For example, in studies that did not focus on specific breeds or ages of neutering, one found that hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears or ruptures were significantly more likely in neutered than intact males and females (2). Another study found that neutering was associated with a 3-fold increase in excessive tibial plateau angle (3), which is a risk factor for development of cranial cruciate ligament tears or rupture. Neutering is reported to be a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation in Dachshunds (4). Certain cancers are also known to be more likely in neutered than intact dogs. The occurrence of lymphoma was found to be higher in spayed than intact females (5), as was the occurrence of mast cell tumors (6) and hemangiosarcoma (7). A study of over 40,000 dogs utilizing the Veterinary Medical Database found that neutered males and females were more likely to die of cancer than intact dogs (8). A recent finding was that the absence of estrogen from spaying females was associated with accelerated brain aging (9). Another recent report from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Project is that neutering at <6 months increases the risk of cranial cruciate ligament injury (10). Most of the studies cited above offer no useful clinical information or guidelines with regard to the various diseases that may occur in association with neutering in a specific breed.
In an attempt to address the absence of breed-specific information on joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering, we undertook a project focusing on various specific breeds using data collection and analyses with our extensive veterinary hospital database where the same diagnostic criteria could be applied to all breeds. We started with popular breeds well-represented in the database, initially with the Golden Retriever (11, 12), Labrador Retriever (12) and German Shepherd Dog (13). The joint disorders examined included cranial cruciate ligament tears or rupture (CCL), hip dysplasia (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED). The cancers examined, which previous studies found could be affected by neutering, were lymphoma/lymphosarcoma (LSA), hemangiosarcoma (HSA), mast cell tumors (MCT), and osteosarcoma (OSA).
In the Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs, there was an increase in the incidence of one or more of the joint disorders with neutering in the first year in males and females to 2–4 times >3–5% incidence in intact dogs. In female Golden Retrievers, neutering at any age was associated with an occurrence of one or more of the cancers followed to 2–4 times higher than the 5 percent incidence in intact females. But in male Golden Retrievers, and in male and female Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs, there was no evident increase in cancers above that of the dogs left intact. Preliminary analyses from some small-dog breeds revealed no apparent increased risks of joint disorders with neutering. Thus, the research that had been undertaken revealed a wide range of breed-specific differences in disease vulnerability to neutering.
The purpose of this study was to analyze, in a variety of additional breeds, the increased risks, if any, of the above specified joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering male and female dogs at various ages, so as to increase the information available to pet owners and veterinarians for consideration when making decisions regarding neutering specific dogs. We added 29 new breeds to the study, separating three varieties of Poodles, for a total of 32 breed groups (referred to as breeds); this made a total of 35 breeds with the Goldens, Labs and German Shepherds included. The goal was to use the same veterinary hospital database and diagnostic criteria for the diseases as was used with the published studies on the retrievers and German Shepherds so as to allow for direct comparisons among various breeds. The primary purpose was to offer readers some evidence-based information on breed-specific differences with vulnerability to neutering, including suggested guidelines for neutering ages to avoid increasing long-term health risks of neutering, if any. A secondary, unforeseen, purpose was to document breed-specific differences in the increases in some cancers associated with removal of gonadal hormones, as an area for possible research on genetic aspects of cancer occurrence.
Methods Ethics Statement Hospital records of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) provided the retrospective dataset used. In conformity with the campus policy, faculty of the University of California-Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, are allowed use of the record system for research purposes. No animal care and use committee approval was required, and strict confidentiality of the owners and their dogs was maintained.
Subjects Breed CategoriesIn addition to the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and German Shepherd Dog, the other breeds chosen for this project included those most frequently occurring in the database and those chosen to obtain a sampling of giant breeds or small-dog breeds. The final list of 35 (including three varieties of Poodle) represented in the present study are, alphabetically, the: Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Border Collie, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Corgi (Pembroke and Cardigan combined), Dachshund, Doberman Pinscher, English Springer Spaniel, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer, Pomeranian, Poodle-Miniature, Poodle-Standard, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Shetland Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, West Highland White Terrier, and Yorkshire Terrier.
Study Parameters The present study examined the occurrence in both sexes of the joint disorders: HD, CCL and ED. Also examined in both sexes were the cancers LSA, HSA, MCT, and OSA, because these had been shown in some multi-breed studies to be increased in risks with neutering. In addition, mammary cancer (MC), pyometra (PYO), and urinary incontinence (UI) were examined in female dogs. Of interest was the possible association of early neutering and the occurrence of intervertebral disc disorders (IDD) in the Corgi and Dachshund, two breeds known to be at risk for these diseases. All of the above diseases were examined with regard to dogs neutered in one of the age periods of: <6 mo., 6–11 mo., 1 year (12 to <24 mo.) or 2–8 years, or left intact. The diseases were tracked until the dogs were last seen at the hospital, or through 11 years of age, if seen past their 12th birthday.
Mammary cancer is a late occurring cancer with the median age of diagnosis being 10.1 years in one study (14). Tracking cancers through 11 years of age would be presumably sufficient to catch most cases of MC if the case record had information extending to that age. However, most case records did not extend to that age. As an additional point of comparison, percentages of MC occurrence were looked at in just females tracked through 8 years of age or beyond, including diagnosed MC cases beyond the 12th birthday cut-off, which was the cut-off used for all other data.
Data Collection and Presentation The computerized hospital record system of the VMTH provided the dataset. The hospital, with currently over 50,000 cases admitted per year, is a secondary and tertiary facility as well as being a primary care facility. The statistical evaluations, with standardized diagnostic criteria applied to various diseases and taking into account sex and different ages of neutering, required a large database with a computerized record system. The study focused on proportional differences in disease occurrences between the neuter age groups and intact dogs of the same breed and sex.
The study period represented 15 years of data for most breeds. The inclusion criteria were date of birth, age at neutering (if neutered), and age of diagnosis or onset of clinical signs for diseases of interest. As mentioned, age at neutering was designated as <6 mo., 6–11 mo., 1 year (12 to <24 mo.), and 2–8 years (2 to <9 years). The term “early neutering” is sometimes used below to refer to neutering in the first year, combining cases for both the <6 mo. and 6–11 mo. neuter periods. For MC, PYO, and UI, only females were examined. While UI does occur in males, it is predominantly an issue in females.
For all neutered dogs that developed a disease of interest, records were examined to confirm that the dog was neutered prior to the diagnosis or signs of the disease. If the dog developed signs of the disease prior to neutering, the dog was considered intact for analysis of that disease. However, for any disease that occurred after neutering, the dog was considered neutered for analysis of that disease. For any disease of interest that occurred before 12 months of age, the dog was removed from that disease analysis, but included in analyses of other diseases. Therefore, the number of cases for various diseases varied in the analyses for different disease occurrences.
The age at neutering was sometimes not included in the hospital records, so telephone calls to the referring veterinarians were made to obtain the neutering dates or ages. Nonetheless, there were many neutered dogs where age at neutering was not available from the VMTH records or the referring veterinarian, so these dogs were excluded from the study. Of course, this was not an issue with the sample of intact dogs, so there were proportionately more intact cases in the final dataset for each breed than would be expected in the general population. However, the proportion of dogs with a disease, whether intact or neutered, was not affected by the overrepresentation of intact dogs in the database.
The criteria for disease diagnoses were the same as in previous studies on the retrievers and German Shepherd Dog (11–13). A dog was considered as having a disease of interest if the diagnosis was made at the VMTH, or by a referring veterinarian and later confirmed at the VMTH. For joint disorders (HD, ED, and/or CCL), dogs typically presented with signs of lameness, difficulty in moving, and/or joint pain. The diagnosis was confirmed by orthopedic examination, radiographic evidence, and/or surgery. In Dachshunds and Corgis, where intervertebral disc disorders (IDD) is a concern, the diagnosis included herniation, rupture, extrusion, protrusion, fracture, compression, stenosis, or spinal cord injury. For cancers (LSA, HSA, MCT, OSA, MC), the diagnosis was based on the presence of a tissue mass, lumps on the skin or enlarged lymph nodes, and confirmed by chemical panels, appropriate blood cell analyses, imaging, histopathology, and/or cytology. PYO was confirmed by ultrasonic evidence and/or post-surgically after removal of the uterus. UI was confirmed by clinical signs of abnormally frequent urination, urinalyses and exclusion of urinary tract infection and/or other disease. If a diagnosis was listed in the record as “suspected” based on some clinical signs but not confirmed, the case was excluded from the analysis for that specific disease, but the dog was included in other disease analyses.
Although body condition scores have been reported to be a factor in the occurrence of joint disorders (3, 15), our previous studies on the retrievers and German Shepherd Dog found no significant relationship when body condition scores were compared between dogs with and without a joint disorder. Therefore, in the current paper the body condition score is not reported for each breed.
Statistical Analyses Survival analysis was used to test for differences with respect to the hazard of a disease in the neutered and intact groups, while adjusting for the differences in time at risk for a disease. The groups were initially compared using a Kaplan Meier life table analysis. Post-hoc comparisons among the subgroups were based on least squares means of the hazard within each subgroup. For comparisons where the Kaplan Meier test showed significance at the p <0.05 level, both the log-rank and Wilcoxon tests were used for further analyses. Because joint disorders are expected to be seen at a similar risk throughout a dog's lifespan, regardless of age, the log-rank test was used initially for the joint disorders. If the log-rank test did not show significance but the Wilcoxon test did for joint disorders, the Wilcoxon test result was reported with significance level and an asterisk. The reverse rule of thumb was used with cancers where the first test examined was the Wilcoxon test, since the risk of cancer is expected to be higher in older dogs. If the Wilcoxon test did not show significance but the log-rank test did for cancers, the log-rank test result was reported with significance level and an asterisk. For all statistical tests, the two-tailed statistical level of significance was set at p <0.05 and reported as either p < .05 or p <0.01. Each breed was analyzed separately, and there were no statistical comparisons between breeds. However, the overall findings with each breed allow for some general comparisons.
Data Presentation For each breed represented on a separate page in Appendix 1, the numbers of intact and neutered males and females are given. In the tables, the percentage of dogs with each of the diseases and the percentage having at least one of the joint disorders and at least one of the cancers (except MC) was calculated for intact males and intact females as well as those neutered at various age ranges. Statistical analyses compared the occurrences of joint disorders and cancers between each neuter period and intact dogs. If the comparison was significant at either the p <0.05 or p <0.01 level, the data were bolded and the p-value was given. The detailed datasets are available online (Figshare, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7231010). Three breeds for which findings have been previously published (Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd Dog) are included to present an overall picture in the same Appendix 1. The data for these three breeds were expanded through 11 years of age, to provide continuity among breeds and diseases.
For each breed, a short paragraph summarizes the main findings on joint disorders (HD, CCL, ED), cancers (LSA, HSA, MCT, OSA) for both males and females, and MC, PYO and UI for females. For Dachshunds and Corgis, the occurrence of IDD is listed for both sexes. Survival analyses were not done on IDD occurrence because the condition represented so many different disease diagnoses. Also included in the breed summary information is a suggested guideline for neutering age for males and females to avoid increasing the risks of a disease under consideration. When there was no noticeable occurrence of an increase in joint disorders or cancers with neutering, the guideline statement was made that those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age (or briefly stated as choice in Table 1). When neutering at <6 months was associated with an increased disease risk but no increased risk was evident with neutering beyond 6 months, the default recommended guideline was neutering beyond, 6 months.
(Click To Read Full Article).
Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence
Benjamin L. Hart1*, Lynette A. Hart2, Abigail P. Thigpen2 and Neil H. Willits3
- 1Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- 2Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- 3Department of Statistics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
Neutering (including spaying) of male and female dogs in the first year after birth has become routine in the U.S. and much of Europe, but recent research reveals that for some dog breeds, neutering may be associated with increased risks of debilitating joint disorders and some cancers, complicating pet owners' decisions on neutering. The joint disorders include hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate ligament tear or rupture, and elbow dysplasia. The cancers include lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, and osteosarcoma. In previous studies on the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd Dog, neutering before a year of age was associated with increased risks of one or more joint disorders, 2–4 times that of intact dogs. The increase was particularly seen with dogs neutered by 6 months of age. In female Golden Retrievers, there was an increase in one or more of the cancers followed to about 2–4 times that of intact females with neutering at any age. The goal of the present study was to expand and use the same data collection and analyses to cover an additional 29 breeds, plus three varieties of Poodles. There were major breed differences in vulnerability to neutering, both with regard to joint disorders and cancers. In most cases, the caregiver can choose the age of neutering without increasing the risks of these joint disorders or cancers. Small-dog breeds seemed to have no increased risks of joint disorders associated with neutering, and in only two small breeds (Boston Terrier and Shih Tzu) was there a significant increase in cancers. To assist pet owners and veterinarians in deciding on the age of neutering a specific dog, guidelines that avoid increasing the risks of a dog acquiring these joint disorders or cancers are laid out for neutering ages on a breed-by-breed and sex basis.
Introduction
In the U.S. and much of Europe, the practice of neutering male and spaying female dogs (herein both referred to as neutering) has become routine (1) and is increasingly being performed at, or before, 6 months of age. At the same time, several investigations have revealed that joint disorders and some cancers may increase in association with neutering of males and/or females. For example, in studies that did not focus on specific breeds or ages of neutering, one found that hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament tears or ruptures were significantly more likely in neutered than intact males and females (2). Another study found that neutering was associated with a 3-fold increase in excessive tibial plateau angle (3), which is a risk factor for development of cranial cruciate ligament tears or rupture. Neutering is reported to be a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation in Dachshunds (4). Certain cancers are also known to be more likely in neutered than intact dogs. The occurrence of lymphoma was found to be higher in spayed than intact females (5), as was the occurrence of mast cell tumors (6) and hemangiosarcoma (7). A study of over 40,000 dogs utilizing the Veterinary Medical Database found that neutered males and females were more likely to die of cancer than intact dogs (8). A recent finding was that the absence of estrogen from spaying females was associated with accelerated brain aging (9). Another recent report from the Golden Retriever Lifetime Project is that neutering at <6 months increases the risk of cranial cruciate ligament injury (10). Most of the studies cited above offer no useful clinical information or guidelines with regard to the various diseases that may occur in association with neutering in a specific breed.
In an attempt to address the absence of breed-specific information on joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering, we undertook a project focusing on various specific breeds using data collection and analyses with our extensive veterinary hospital database where the same diagnostic criteria could be applied to all breeds. We started with popular breeds well-represented in the database, initially with the Golden Retriever (11, 12), Labrador Retriever (12) and German Shepherd Dog (13). The joint disorders examined included cranial cruciate ligament tears or rupture (CCL), hip dysplasia (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED). The cancers examined, which previous studies found could be affected by neutering, were lymphoma/lymphosarcoma (LSA), hemangiosarcoma (HSA), mast cell tumors (MCT), and osteosarcoma (OSA).
In the Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherd Dogs, there was an increase in the incidence of one or more of the joint disorders with neutering in the first year in males and females to 2–4 times >3–5% incidence in intact dogs. In female Golden Retrievers, neutering at any age was associated with an occurrence of one or more of the cancers followed to 2–4 times higher than the 5 percent incidence in intact females. But in male Golden Retrievers, and in male and female Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs, there was no evident increase in cancers above that of the dogs left intact. Preliminary analyses from some small-dog breeds revealed no apparent increased risks of joint disorders with neutering. Thus, the research that had been undertaken revealed a wide range of breed-specific differences in disease vulnerability to neutering.
The purpose of this study was to analyze, in a variety of additional breeds, the increased risks, if any, of the above specified joint disorders and cancers associated with neutering male and female dogs at various ages, so as to increase the information available to pet owners and veterinarians for consideration when making decisions regarding neutering specific dogs. We added 29 new breeds to the study, separating three varieties of Poodles, for a total of 32 breed groups (referred to as breeds); this made a total of 35 breeds with the Goldens, Labs and German Shepherds included. The goal was to use the same veterinary hospital database and diagnostic criteria for the diseases as was used with the published studies on the retrievers and German Shepherds so as to allow for direct comparisons among various breeds. The primary purpose was to offer readers some evidence-based information on breed-specific differences with vulnerability to neutering, including suggested guidelines for neutering ages to avoid increasing long-term health risks of neutering, if any. A secondary, unforeseen, purpose was to document breed-specific differences in the increases in some cancers associated with removal of gonadal hormones, as an area for possible research on genetic aspects of cancer occurrence.
Methods Ethics Statement Hospital records of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH) provided the retrospective dataset used. In conformity with the campus policy, faculty of the University of California-Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine, are allowed use of the record system for research purposes. No animal care and use committee approval was required, and strict confidentiality of the owners and their dogs was maintained.
Subjects Breed CategoriesIn addition to the Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, and German Shepherd Dog, the other breeds chosen for this project included those most frequently occurring in the database and those chosen to obtain a sampling of giant breeds or small-dog breeds. The final list of 35 (including three varieties of Poodle) represented in the present study are, alphabetically, the: Australian Cattle Dog, Australian Shepherd, Beagle, Bernese Mountain Dog, Border Collie, Boston Terrier, Boxer, Bulldog, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Collie, Corgi (Pembroke and Cardigan combined), Dachshund, Doberman Pinscher, English Springer Spaniel, German Shepherd Dog, Golden Retriever, Great Dane, Irish Wolfhound, Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Maltese, Miniature Schnauzer, Pomeranian, Poodle-Miniature, Poodle-Standard, Poodle-Toy, Pug, Rottweiler, Saint Bernard, Shetland Sheepdog, Shih Tzu, West Highland White Terrier, and Yorkshire Terrier.
Study Parameters The present study examined the occurrence in both sexes of the joint disorders: HD, CCL and ED. Also examined in both sexes were the cancers LSA, HSA, MCT, and OSA, because these had been shown in some multi-breed studies to be increased in risks with neutering. In addition, mammary cancer (MC), pyometra (PYO), and urinary incontinence (UI) were examined in female dogs. Of interest was the possible association of early neutering and the occurrence of intervertebral disc disorders (IDD) in the Corgi and Dachshund, two breeds known to be at risk for these diseases. All of the above diseases were examined with regard to dogs neutered in one of the age periods of: <6 mo., 6–11 mo., 1 year (12 to <24 mo.) or 2–8 years, or left intact. The diseases were tracked until the dogs were last seen at the hospital, or through 11 years of age, if seen past their 12th birthday.
Mammary cancer is a late occurring cancer with the median age of diagnosis being 10.1 years in one study (14). Tracking cancers through 11 years of age would be presumably sufficient to catch most cases of MC if the case record had information extending to that age. However, most case records did not extend to that age. As an additional point of comparison, percentages of MC occurrence were looked at in just females tracked through 8 years of age or beyond, including diagnosed MC cases beyond the 12th birthday cut-off, which was the cut-off used for all other data.
Data Collection and Presentation The computerized hospital record system of the VMTH provided the dataset. The hospital, with currently over 50,000 cases admitted per year, is a secondary and tertiary facility as well as being a primary care facility. The statistical evaluations, with standardized diagnostic criteria applied to various diseases and taking into account sex and different ages of neutering, required a large database with a computerized record system. The study focused on proportional differences in disease occurrences between the neuter age groups and intact dogs of the same breed and sex.
The study period represented 15 years of data for most breeds. The inclusion criteria were date of birth, age at neutering (if neutered), and age of diagnosis or onset of clinical signs for diseases of interest. As mentioned, age at neutering was designated as <6 mo., 6–11 mo., 1 year (12 to <24 mo.), and 2–8 years (2 to <9 years). The term “early neutering” is sometimes used below to refer to neutering in the first year, combining cases for both the <6 mo. and 6–11 mo. neuter periods. For MC, PYO, and UI, only females were examined. While UI does occur in males, it is predominantly an issue in females.
For all neutered dogs that developed a disease of interest, records were examined to confirm that the dog was neutered prior to the diagnosis or signs of the disease. If the dog developed signs of the disease prior to neutering, the dog was considered intact for analysis of that disease. However, for any disease that occurred after neutering, the dog was considered neutered for analysis of that disease. For any disease of interest that occurred before 12 months of age, the dog was removed from that disease analysis, but included in analyses of other diseases. Therefore, the number of cases for various diseases varied in the analyses for different disease occurrences.
The age at neutering was sometimes not included in the hospital records, so telephone calls to the referring veterinarians were made to obtain the neutering dates or ages. Nonetheless, there were many neutered dogs where age at neutering was not available from the VMTH records or the referring veterinarian, so these dogs were excluded from the study. Of course, this was not an issue with the sample of intact dogs, so there were proportionately more intact cases in the final dataset for each breed than would be expected in the general population. However, the proportion of dogs with a disease, whether intact or neutered, was not affected by the overrepresentation of intact dogs in the database.
The criteria for disease diagnoses were the same as in previous studies on the retrievers and German Shepherd Dog (11–13). A dog was considered as having a disease of interest if the diagnosis was made at the VMTH, or by a referring veterinarian and later confirmed at the VMTH. For joint disorders (HD, ED, and/or CCL), dogs typically presented with signs of lameness, difficulty in moving, and/or joint pain. The diagnosis was confirmed by orthopedic examination, radiographic evidence, and/or surgery. In Dachshunds and Corgis, where intervertebral disc disorders (IDD) is a concern, the diagnosis included herniation, rupture, extrusion, protrusion, fracture, compression, stenosis, or spinal cord injury. For cancers (LSA, HSA, MCT, OSA, MC), the diagnosis was based on the presence of a tissue mass, lumps on the skin or enlarged lymph nodes, and confirmed by chemical panels, appropriate blood cell analyses, imaging, histopathology, and/or cytology. PYO was confirmed by ultrasonic evidence and/or post-surgically after removal of the uterus. UI was confirmed by clinical signs of abnormally frequent urination, urinalyses and exclusion of urinary tract infection and/or other disease. If a diagnosis was listed in the record as “suspected” based on some clinical signs but not confirmed, the case was excluded from the analysis for that specific disease, but the dog was included in other disease analyses.
Although body condition scores have been reported to be a factor in the occurrence of joint disorders (3, 15), our previous studies on the retrievers and German Shepherd Dog found no significant relationship when body condition scores were compared between dogs with and without a joint disorder. Therefore, in the current paper the body condition score is not reported for each breed.
Statistical Analyses Survival analysis was used to test for differences with respect to the hazard of a disease in the neutered and intact groups, while adjusting for the differences in time at risk for a disease. The groups were initially compared using a Kaplan Meier life table analysis. Post-hoc comparisons among the subgroups were based on least squares means of the hazard within each subgroup. For comparisons where the Kaplan Meier test showed significance at the p <0.05 level, both the log-rank and Wilcoxon tests were used for further analyses. Because joint disorders are expected to be seen at a similar risk throughout a dog's lifespan, regardless of age, the log-rank test was used initially for the joint disorders. If the log-rank test did not show significance but the Wilcoxon test did for joint disorders, the Wilcoxon test result was reported with significance level and an asterisk. The reverse rule of thumb was used with cancers where the first test examined was the Wilcoxon test, since the risk of cancer is expected to be higher in older dogs. If the Wilcoxon test did not show significance but the log-rank test did for cancers, the log-rank test result was reported with significance level and an asterisk. For all statistical tests, the two-tailed statistical level of significance was set at p <0.05 and reported as either p < .05 or p <0.01. Each breed was analyzed separately, and there were no statistical comparisons between breeds. However, the overall findings with each breed allow for some general comparisons.
Data Presentation For each breed represented on a separate page in Appendix 1, the numbers of intact and neutered males and females are given. In the tables, the percentage of dogs with each of the diseases and the percentage having at least one of the joint disorders and at least one of the cancers (except MC) was calculated for intact males and intact females as well as those neutered at various age ranges. Statistical analyses compared the occurrences of joint disorders and cancers between each neuter period and intact dogs. If the comparison was significant at either the p <0.05 or p <0.01 level, the data were bolded and the p-value was given. The detailed datasets are available online (Figshare, doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.7231010). Three breeds for which findings have been previously published (Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, German Shepherd Dog) are included to present an overall picture in the same Appendix 1. The data for these three breeds were expanded through 11 years of age, to provide continuity among breeds and diseases.
For each breed, a short paragraph summarizes the main findings on joint disorders (HD, CCL, ED), cancers (LSA, HSA, MCT, OSA) for both males and females, and MC, PYO and UI for females. For Dachshunds and Corgis, the occurrence of IDD is listed for both sexes. Survival analyses were not done on IDD occurrence because the condition represented so many different disease diagnoses. Also included in the breed summary information is a suggested guideline for neutering age for males and females to avoid increasing the risks of a disease under consideration. When there was no noticeable occurrence of an increase in joint disorders or cancers with neutering, the guideline statement was made that those wishing to neuter should decide on the appropriate age (or briefly stated as choice in Table 1). When neutering at <6 months was associated with an increased disease risk but no increased risk was evident with neutering beyond 6 months, the default recommended guideline was neutering beyond, 6 months.
(Click To Read Full Article).
Below, are photos of two littermates, one spayed between 6-12 months, the other is not. Note: The dog on the left did not develop fully from having been spayed early.
*With our research we recommend not having your dog spayed or neutered prior to 18-24 months. If you do, your pet will have unstable joints, and be more susceptible to ACL issues, cruciate ligament tears, hyperextension, hip, and/or elbow dysplasia. Hormones will also contribute to how your dog looks. Structural growth is complete at approximately two years of age in Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs. If you have your pet spayed/neutered early, they will be stunted, and will NOT look like its parents. (Many Veterinarians have been giving the HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) and PETA ‘spay/neuter early’ line for years, only caring about ‘unwanted puppies and kittens” with no consideration for the long-term health of your canine companion. If your veterinarian desires to alter your dog early, you may want to look for a vet who is knowledgeable on the latest research. You may also want to consider a Holistic veterinarian as well. *
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AAHA AAHA publications NEWStat 2020-08 Data on the consequences of early sterilization continues to mount
Data on the consequences of early sterilization continues to mount
Tony McReynolds - 8/27/2020
AAHA AAHA publications NEWStat 2020-08 Data on the consequences of early sterilization continues to mount
Data on the consequences of early sterilization continues to mount
Tony McReynolds - 8/27/2020
References:
1. Trevejo R, Yang M, Lund EM. Epidemiology of surgical castration of dogs and cats in the United States. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2011) 238:898–904. doi: 10.2460/javma.238.7.898
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
2. Witsberger TH, Villamil JA, Schultz LG, Hahn AW, Cook JL. Prevalence of, and risk factors for, hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2008) 232:1818–24. doi: 10.2460/javma.232.12.1818
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
3. Duval JM, Budsber SC, Flo GL, Sammarco Jl. Breed, sex, and body weight as risk factors for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in young dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1999) 215:811–4
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
4. Dorn M, Seath IJ. Neuter status as a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) in dachsunds: a retrospective cohort study. Canine Genet Epidemiol. (2018) 5:11. doi: 10.1186/s40575-018-0067-7
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
5. Villamil JR, Henry CJ, Hahn AW, Bryan JN, Tyler JW, Caldwell CW. Hormonal and sex impact on the epidemiology of canine lymphoma. J Cancer Epidemiol. (2009) 2009:591753. doi: 10.1155/2009/591753
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
6. White CR, Hohenhaus A, Kelsey J, Procter-Gray E. Cutaneous MCTs: associations with spay/neuter status, breed, body size, and phylogenetic cluster. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. (2011) 47:210–6. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5621
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
7. Prymak C, McKee LJ, Goldschmidt MH, Glickman LT. Epidemiologic, clinical, pathologic, and prognostic characteristics of splenic hemangiosarcoma and splenic hematoma in dogs: 217 cases. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1985) 193:706–12.
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
8. Hoffman JM, Creevy KE, Promislow DEL. Reproductive capability is associated with lifespan and cause of death in companion dogs. PLoS ONE. (2013) 8:e61082. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061082
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
9. Rzechorzek NM, Saunders OM, Hiscox L, Schwarz T, Marioni-Henry K, Argyle DJ, et al. Network analysis of canine brain morphometry links tumor risk to oestrogen deficiency and accelerated brain ageing. Sci Rep. (2019) 9:12506. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-48446-0
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
10. Simpson M, Albtight S, Wolfe B, Searfoss E, Street K, Diehl K, et al. Age at gonadectomy and risk of overweight/obesity and orthopedic injury in a cohort of golden retrievers. PLOS ONE. (2019) 14:e0209131. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209131
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
11. Torres de la Riva G, Hart BL, Farver TB, Oberbauer AM, Messam LL, Willits N, et al. Neutering dogs: effects on joint disorders and cancers in golden retrievers. PLoS ONE. 8:e55937. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055937
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
12. Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Long-term health effects of neutering dogs: comparison of labrador retrievers with golden retrievers. PLoS ONE. (2014). 9:e102241. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102241
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
13. Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Neutering of german shepherd dogs: associated joint disorders, cancers and urinary incontinence. Vet Med Sci. (2016) 2:191–9. doi: 10.1002/vms3.34
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
14. Cohen D, Reif JS, Brodey RS, Keiser H. Epidemiological analysis of the most prevalent sites and types of canine neoplasia observed in a veterinary hospital. Cancer Res. (1974) 34:2859–68.
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
15. Comhaire FH, Snaps F. Comparison of two canine registry databases on the prevalence hip dysplasia by breed and body weight and height. Am J Vet Res. (2008) 232:330–3. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.69.3.330
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
16. Houlihan KE. A literature review on the welfare implications of gonadectomy of dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2017) 250:1155–66. doi: 10.2460/javma.250.10.1155
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
17. Leedham DY. Prepubertal neutering of dogs – some risks and benefits. Companion Anim. (2019) 24:28–42. doi: 10.12968/coan.2019.24.1.38
CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
18. McGreevy PD, Wilson B, Starling MJ, Serpell JA. Behavioural risks in male dogs with minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones may compromise population-control benefits of desexing. PLoS ONE. (2018) 13:e0196284. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196284
CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
19. Perry RJ, Farquharson C, Ahmed SF. The role of sex steroids in controlling pubertal growth. Clin Endocrinol. (2008) 68:4–15. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02960.x
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
20. Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V. Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1991) 198:1193–203.
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
21. Golds G, Houdek D, Arnason T. Male hypogonadisman and osteoporosis: the effects, clinical consequences, and treatment of testosterone deficiency in bone health. Int J Endocrinol. (2017) 2017:4602129. doi: 10.1155/2017/4602129
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
22. Root Kustritz MV. Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2007) 231:1665–75. doi: 10.2460/javma.231.11.1665
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
23. Beauvais W, Cardwell JM, Brodbelt DC. The effect of neutering on the risk of mammary tumours in dogs – a systematic review. J Small Anim Pract. (2012) 53:314–22. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2011.01220.x
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
24. Neilson JC, Eckstein RA, Hart BL. Effects of castration on the behavior of male dogs with reference to the role of age and experience. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1997) 211:180–2.
Google Scholar
25. Hart BL, Eckstein RA. The role of gonadal hormones in the occurrence of objectionable behaviours in dog and cats. Appl Anim Behav Sci. (1997) 52:331–44. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01133-1
CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
26. California Food and Agricultural Code. (2017). Division 14. Regulation and Licensing of Dogs. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAC§ionNum=2005 (accessed June 23, 2020).
Google Scholar
27. Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for mixed breed dogs of five weight categories: associated joint disorders and cancers. Front. Vet. Sci. (in press).
Google Scholar
Keywords: elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate tear, lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma
Citation: Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP and Willits NH (2020) Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:388. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00388
Received: 02 April 2020; Accepted: 01 June 2020;
Published: 07 July 2020.
Edited by:
Natali Krekeler, The University of Melbourne, AustraliaReviewed by:
Ottmar Distl, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany
Andreas Pospischil, University of Zurich, SwitzerlandCopyright © 2020 Hart, Hart, Thigpen and Willits. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Benjamin L. Hart, blhart@ucdavis.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
2. Witsberger TH, Villamil JA, Schultz LG, Hahn AW, Cook JL. Prevalence of, and risk factors for, hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2008) 232:1818–24. doi: 10.2460/javma.232.12.1818
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
3. Duval JM, Budsber SC, Flo GL, Sammarco Jl. Breed, sex, and body weight as risk factors for rupture of the cranial cruciate ligament in young dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1999) 215:811–4
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
4. Dorn M, Seath IJ. Neuter status as a risk factor for canine intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH) in dachsunds: a retrospective cohort study. Canine Genet Epidemiol. (2018) 5:11. doi: 10.1186/s40575-018-0067-7
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
5. Villamil JR, Henry CJ, Hahn AW, Bryan JN, Tyler JW, Caldwell CW. Hormonal and sex impact on the epidemiology of canine lymphoma. J Cancer Epidemiol. (2009) 2009:591753. doi: 10.1155/2009/591753
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
6. White CR, Hohenhaus A, Kelsey J, Procter-Gray E. Cutaneous MCTs: associations with spay/neuter status, breed, body size, and phylogenetic cluster. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. (2011) 47:210–6. doi: 10.5326/JAAHA-MS-5621
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
7. Prymak C, McKee LJ, Goldschmidt MH, Glickman LT. Epidemiologic, clinical, pathologic, and prognostic characteristics of splenic hemangiosarcoma and splenic hematoma in dogs: 217 cases. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1985) 193:706–12.
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
8. Hoffman JM, Creevy KE, Promislow DEL. Reproductive capability is associated with lifespan and cause of death in companion dogs. PLoS ONE. (2013) 8:e61082. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061082
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
9. Rzechorzek NM, Saunders OM, Hiscox L, Schwarz T, Marioni-Henry K, Argyle DJ, et al. Network analysis of canine brain morphometry links tumor risk to oestrogen deficiency and accelerated brain ageing. Sci Rep. (2019) 9:12506. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-48446-0
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
10. Simpson M, Albtight S, Wolfe B, Searfoss E, Street K, Diehl K, et al. Age at gonadectomy and risk of overweight/obesity and orthopedic injury in a cohort of golden retrievers. PLOS ONE. (2019) 14:e0209131. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209131
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
11. Torres de la Riva G, Hart BL, Farver TB, Oberbauer AM, Messam LL, Willits N, et al. Neutering dogs: effects on joint disorders and cancers in golden retrievers. PLoS ONE. 8:e55937. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055937
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
12. Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Long-term health effects of neutering dogs: comparison of labrador retrievers with golden retrievers. PLoS ONE. (2014). 9:e102241. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102241
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
13. Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Neutering of german shepherd dogs: associated joint disorders, cancers and urinary incontinence. Vet Med Sci. (2016) 2:191–9. doi: 10.1002/vms3.34
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
14. Cohen D, Reif JS, Brodey RS, Keiser H. Epidemiological analysis of the most prevalent sites and types of canine neoplasia observed in a veterinary hospital. Cancer Res. (1974) 34:2859–68.
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
15. Comhaire FH, Snaps F. Comparison of two canine registry databases on the prevalence hip dysplasia by breed and body weight and height. Am J Vet Res. (2008) 232:330–3. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.69.3.330
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
16. Houlihan KE. A literature review on the welfare implications of gonadectomy of dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2017) 250:1155–66. doi: 10.2460/javma.250.10.1155
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
17. Leedham DY. Prepubertal neutering of dogs – some risks and benefits. Companion Anim. (2019) 24:28–42. doi: 10.12968/coan.2019.24.1.38
CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
18. McGreevy PD, Wilson B, Starling MJ, Serpell JA. Behavioural risks in male dogs with minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones may compromise population-control benefits of desexing. PLoS ONE. (2018) 13:e0196284. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196284
CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
19. Perry RJ, Farquharson C, Ahmed SF. The role of sex steroids in controlling pubertal growth. Clin Endocrinol. (2008) 68:4–15. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2007.02960.x
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
20. Salmeri KR, Bloomberg MS, Scruggs SL, Shille V. Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1991) 198:1193–203.
PubMed Abstract | Google Scholar
21. Golds G, Houdek D, Arnason T. Male hypogonadisman and osteoporosis: the effects, clinical consequences, and treatment of testosterone deficiency in bone health. Int J Endocrinol. (2017) 2017:4602129. doi: 10.1155/2017/4602129
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
22. Root Kustritz MV. Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (2007) 231:1665–75. doi: 10.2460/javma.231.11.1665
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
23. Beauvais W, Cardwell JM, Brodbelt DC. The effect of neutering on the risk of mammary tumours in dogs – a systematic review. J Small Anim Pract. (2012) 53:314–22. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2011.01220.x
PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
24. Neilson JC, Eckstein RA, Hart BL. Effects of castration on the behavior of male dogs with reference to the role of age and experience. J Am Vet Med Assoc. (1997) 211:180–2.
Google Scholar
25. Hart BL, Eckstein RA. The role of gonadal hormones in the occurrence of objectionable behaviours in dog and cats. Appl Anim Behav Sci. (1997) 52:331–44. doi: 10.1016/S0168-1591(96)01133-1
CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar
26. California Food and Agricultural Code. (2017). Division 14. Regulation and Licensing of Dogs. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=FAC§ionNum=2005 (accessed June 23, 2020).
Google Scholar
27. Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Willits NH. Assisting decision-making on age of neutering for mixed breed dogs of five weight categories: associated joint disorders and cancers. Front. Vet. Sci. (in press).
Google Scholar
Keywords: elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, cranial cruciate tear, lymphoma, mast cell tumor, hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma
Citation: Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP and Willits NH (2020) Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:388. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00388
Received: 02 April 2020; Accepted: 01 June 2020;
Published: 07 July 2020.
Edited by:
Natali Krekeler, The University of Melbourne, AustraliaReviewed by:
Ottmar Distl, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany
Andreas Pospischil, University of Zurich, SwitzerlandCopyright © 2020 Hart, Hart, Thigpen and Willits. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Benjamin L. Hart, blhart@ucdavis.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
0 Comments
This website is best viewed on a PC.
I am happy to announce the much awaited edition of my new book. It contains in depth details about the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog.
Amazon:
amzn.to/31PYR5m
Barnes &Noble:
bit.ly/2Z2xlzH
Amazon:
amzn.to/31PYR5m
Barnes &Noble:
bit.ly/2Z2xlzH
Bringing home your new Alapaha puppy should be a very special time for everyone involved. This new member of your family can bring great joy into your life, and become your best friend and your protector. They are adorable, soft, affectionate, and cuddly. Lets not forget that "puppy breath" for those of us who love that sort of thing, ourselves included! It can be quite entertaining watching them as they play and pounce on imaginary objects while exploring the world around them. Everything is a new adventure and a valuable learning experience all at the same time. However, this could become very stressful for you and your new addition rather quickly, if the appropriate steps are not taken to develop a routine being consistent, and setting boundaries right from the start. This is fundamental in helping your puppy adjust more smoothly into their new surroundings and family, while also instilling appropriate behavior as they mature.
From our experience, taking your puppy outdoors to potty before playing loose in the house works best. Take them outside every 15 minutes to relieve themselves even if they don't act like they need to go. We have found that this routine is most effective in preventing unwanted accidents in your home aside from doing crate training.
We suggest always taking your fur baby outside preferably to the same area. Usually, the smell of their waste will encourage them to go potty in the same spot. When you are unable to keep an eye on them, put your puppy back into the crate for their safety, no longer than two hours at a time throughout the day at this stage. Your puppy will have to go to the bathroom directly after waking up, after heavy play, and approximately 25 - 30 minutes after eating or drinking. Provide a variety of safe toys around to keep your new addition entertained, and distracted from chewing anything inappropriate.
Most likely, your new fur baby will eventually have an accident on the floor. You should never spank them or rub their nose in it. They can not help it. The muscles needed to control their bowel/bladder movements will develop as they mature.
Thank you for taking the time to read over this.
F. F. Fox'SFarm
From our experience, taking your puppy outdoors to potty before playing loose in the house works best. Take them outside every 15 minutes to relieve themselves even if they don't act like they need to go. We have found that this routine is most effective in preventing unwanted accidents in your home aside from doing crate training.
We suggest always taking your fur baby outside preferably to the same area. Usually, the smell of their waste will encourage them to go potty in the same spot. When you are unable to keep an eye on them, put your puppy back into the crate for their safety, no longer than two hours at a time throughout the day at this stage. Your puppy will have to go to the bathroom directly after waking up, after heavy play, and approximately 25 - 30 minutes after eating or drinking. Provide a variety of safe toys around to keep your new addition entertained, and distracted from chewing anything inappropriate.
Most likely, your new fur baby will eventually have an accident on the floor. You should never spank them or rub their nose in it. They can not help it. The muscles needed to control their bowel/bladder movements will develop as they mature.
Thank you for taking the time to read over this.
F. F. Fox'SFarm
*See Puppy Supply Basics for Puppy Toys, Crate, and Items We Use*
TOTAL WEBSITE VISITORS
This website is best viewed on a PC.
We have had the pleasure of speaking with several wonderful families, many of which have commented that our dogs look much different than most they have seen in their search for Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog (ABBB) puppies.
Here are the differences to help bring some clarity between the two Lana Lou Lane's bloodline, and Raoul "Ray" T. Coleman's bloodline also known as Cattle Rustler Kennels (CRK). Ray T. Coleman is also the president of the ABBA registry.
Lana became part of the Certified Breeder's Program with the Animal Research Foundation (ARF) in 1986 upon registering the first Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. These Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs derived from her kennel named Circle L Kennels. There is no known documented evidence in existence prior to 1986 of an Alapaha outside of the Lane family. Ray Coleman of CRK proclaims that he first established the breed in 1979, and acknowledges Lana's granddaddy, PaPa Buck, as the original breeder of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. We have been fortunate enough to have spoken on more than one occasion with Lana's former brother-in-law, Mayor Collins, as well as with her associate/trainer Marker R. Nicholas. They both shared their knowledge with us. They confirmed that Lana's granddaddy, PaPa Buck, never bred any dogs. Lana was the sole breeder of the Alapahas. On page four in her original kennel booklet Mrs. Lane states, "I've bred to very choice dogs over the years and culled closely, picking and choosing for any genetic or temperamental defects."
The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs traits and characteristics are based on the Old Southern White aka White English Bulldog (WEB) and Old Southern Bulldog (OSB) breeds. The Old Southern White is not an extinct breed as stated in the ABBA's breed history. Three of our girls Leia, Lily, and Lulu's Sire, "Baron", is of pure bloodline Old Southern White. He is Registered by: Working White English Bulldog Association
#AWE-1BM015-L7-0003. "Baron's" pictures, registrations, and pedigrees can be viewed at the bottom of our Dams page.
White English Bulldog/Old Southern White - Traits and Characteristics
The WEB is a working type utility farm dog, not actually a bulldog. They are used for catching feral hogs and guarding the homestead and livestock. Being very submissive with their family they are not a dominant breed that needs firm handling. These dogs are distrustful of strangers. They have a fondness toward children. White English Bulldogs can often be depicted as being lazy for those who are not familiar with them. They are very intelligent and do not require much training or a lot of attention.
Old Southern Bulldog - Traits and Characteristics
The OSB is very protective of the family and home. This is a stable breed that likes to please. They are easily trained. These dogs can be fearless and opposing, who like to let their presence be known. Their hard working with a lot of drive and endurance. They can be stubborn. The Old Southern Bulldog is very outgoing and energetic. They play rough and require a lot of exercise. Being a hard dog that is adaptable to any environment.
Note: The White English Bulldog breed is formerly in the Alapaha, and Old Southern Bulldogs lineage. Their forebears trace back to the Old Spanish War Dogs.
Breeds That Established Lana Lou Lane's Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs Genetic Pool
Old Southern White aka White English Bulldog (WEB), Colby Pitbull, Old Southern Bulldog (OSB) and Catahoula Leopard Dog aka Catahoula Cur.
The Differences Between Lana Lou Lane's Alapahas and the CRK Dogs
Lana Lou Lane's stock bloodlines does not carry: Black Mouth Cur, Mountain Dog, Bandog or Old Country (Big) Bulldog, as opposed to the breed description of the CRK dogs bloodline.
The Height and Weight - Breed Standards of Both Bloodlines
*Lana Lou Lane's official breed standards: Males: 22 -25 inches at the withers, with a variance of 1 inch, Weight: 70 to 100 pounds, with a 5 - 10 pound variance.
Females: 20 -23 inches at the withers, with a 1 inch variance. Weight: 50 - 70 pounds, with a 5 - 10 pound variance.
*CRK breed standards: Males: 20 - 24 inches at the withers. Weight: 70 - 90 pounds.
Females: 18 - 22 inches at the withers, 55 - 75 pounds.
Here are the differences to help bring some clarity between the two Lana Lou Lane's bloodline, and Raoul "Ray" T. Coleman's bloodline also known as Cattle Rustler Kennels (CRK). Ray T. Coleman is also the president of the ABBA registry.
Lana became part of the Certified Breeder's Program with the Animal Research Foundation (ARF) in 1986 upon registering the first Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. These Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs derived from her kennel named Circle L Kennels. There is no known documented evidence in existence prior to 1986 of an Alapaha outside of the Lane family. Ray Coleman of CRK proclaims that he first established the breed in 1979, and acknowledges Lana's granddaddy, PaPa Buck, as the original breeder of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. We have been fortunate enough to have spoken on more than one occasion with Lana's former brother-in-law, Mayor Collins, as well as with her associate/trainer Marker R. Nicholas. They both shared their knowledge with us. They confirmed that Lana's granddaddy, PaPa Buck, never bred any dogs. Lana was the sole breeder of the Alapahas. On page four in her original kennel booklet Mrs. Lane states, "I've bred to very choice dogs over the years and culled closely, picking and choosing for any genetic or temperamental defects."
The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs traits and characteristics are based on the Old Southern White aka White English Bulldog (WEB) and Old Southern Bulldog (OSB) breeds. The Old Southern White is not an extinct breed as stated in the ABBA's breed history. Three of our girls Leia, Lily, and Lulu's Sire, "Baron", is of pure bloodline Old Southern White. He is Registered by: Working White English Bulldog Association
#AWE-1BM015-L7-0003. "Baron's" pictures, registrations, and pedigrees can be viewed at the bottom of our Dams page.
White English Bulldog/Old Southern White - Traits and Characteristics
The WEB is a working type utility farm dog, not actually a bulldog. They are used for catching feral hogs and guarding the homestead and livestock. Being very submissive with their family they are not a dominant breed that needs firm handling. These dogs are distrustful of strangers. They have a fondness toward children. White English Bulldogs can often be depicted as being lazy for those who are not familiar with them. They are very intelligent and do not require much training or a lot of attention.
Old Southern Bulldog - Traits and Characteristics
The OSB is very protective of the family and home. This is a stable breed that likes to please. They are easily trained. These dogs can be fearless and opposing, who like to let their presence be known. Their hard working with a lot of drive and endurance. They can be stubborn. The Old Southern Bulldog is very outgoing and energetic. They play rough and require a lot of exercise. Being a hard dog that is adaptable to any environment.
Note: The White English Bulldog breed is formerly in the Alapaha, and Old Southern Bulldogs lineage. Their forebears trace back to the Old Spanish War Dogs.
Breeds That Established Lana Lou Lane's Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldogs Genetic Pool
Old Southern White aka White English Bulldog (WEB), Colby Pitbull, Old Southern Bulldog (OSB) and Catahoula Leopard Dog aka Catahoula Cur.
The Differences Between Lana Lou Lane's Alapahas and the CRK Dogs
Lana Lou Lane's stock bloodlines does not carry: Black Mouth Cur, Mountain Dog, Bandog or Old Country (Big) Bulldog, as opposed to the breed description of the CRK dogs bloodline.
The Height and Weight - Breed Standards of Both Bloodlines
*Lana Lou Lane's official breed standards: Males: 22 -25 inches at the withers, with a variance of 1 inch, Weight: 70 to 100 pounds, with a 5 - 10 pound variance.
Females: 20 -23 inches at the withers, with a 1 inch variance. Weight: 50 - 70 pounds, with a 5 - 10 pound variance.
*CRK breed standards: Males: 20 - 24 inches at the withers. Weight: 70 - 90 pounds.
Females: 18 - 22 inches at the withers, 55 - 75 pounds.
Below is Lana Lou Lane's Stud dog- Lana's Marcelle Lane
Registration# ARF ABBB12M
Registration# ARF ABBB12M
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TOTAL WEBSITE VISITORS
Special Nutritional Needs of Puppies
petMD - Puppies eating a food with too much Calcium and Phosphorus, and a high calcium to phosphorus ratio, also increases the odds that a large breed puppy will be afflicted by a developmental orthopedic disease.
Studies have shown rather definitively that high calcium levels are a risk factor for development of DOD in large breed puppies. Best to a avoid calcium-containing supplements and treats.
Choosing the best large breed puppy food — and feeding it in the right amount — can significantly lower your dog’s risk of developing hip dysplasia.1
That’s because the nutritional needs of large and giant breed puppies are different from those of small and medium breeds, and ignoring those needs can lead to crippling bone and joint disorders like:
Why Large Breed Puppies
Are at Greater Risk
When compared to smaller breeds, two unique factors about the way they grow make large breed puppies more prone to skeletal problems:
In comparison, a human being can take 18 years to achieve results that are less than half that much. What’s more, unlike smaller breeds that can be fed as adults at about 9-12 months, many larger breeds continue to grow and can still be considered puppies until 12 to 24 months.3
Rapid growth means the bones must change quickly — a factor that can put them at risk of forming improperly. And it is this remarkable rate of growth that makes large and giant breeds so sensitive to nutritional imbalances.
Pups, unlike adult dogs, cannot adequately regulate how much dietary calcium they absorb from the intestinal tract. Sometimes they absorb and retain too much calcium which can cause skeletal malformations.
Overfeeding
Free choice is a popular feeding method in which the food remains in the bowl and continuously available — so a puppy can eat whenever it wants.
Sadly, many owners of large breed puppies mistakenly believe that this form of uncontrolled eating is the correct way to feed their pets.
However, free choice feeding has been shown to cause a puppy to grow too fast — and lead to serious problems.
For example, a 1995 German study of Great Danes demonstrated a significant increase in the risk of developing skeletal disease when the puppies were fed free choice.8
In another study, one group of Labrador Retriever puppies was fed throughout life a restricted calorie diet while a second was fed free choice.9
The restricted calorie group experienced a much lower incidence and later onset of hip joint arthritis.
Too Much Calcium
Like overfeeding, excessive dietary calcium has also been shown to increase the risk of skeletal disease in large breed puppies.10
That’s because puppies can have trouble regulating how much calcium is absorbed from their intestinal tracts11 and that’s not all, feeding too little calcium can also lead to problems. That’s why it’s so important to feed a dog food that contains an amount of calcium that’s safe for large breed puppies.
The Protein
Myth
Unfortunately, the Internet is awash with misinformation about how to feed large breed puppies. For example, many insist that high levels of dietary protein can lead to hip dysplasia.
Yet contrary to that popular myth…
No evidence exists to link high protein intake to skeletal disease in large breed dogs.4
So, if high protein isn’t the problem — what is?
The Real Causes
of Hip Dysplasia in Dogs
If you exclude all the less common factors, hip dysplasia in large breeds appears to be the result of at least one of 3 proven causes: So, since after birth there’s nothing you can do to change your puppy’s genetics…It’s important to avoid overnutrition — feeding too many calories or too much calcium — to help lower your dog’s risk of hip dysplasia.
Scan the Package for the Nutritional Adequacy Statement picture below on the bag we feed our large breed puppies.
Studies have shown rather definitively that high calcium levels are a risk factor for development of DOD in large breed puppies. Best to a avoid calcium-containing supplements and treats.
Choosing the best large breed puppy food — and feeding it in the right amount — can significantly lower your dog’s risk of developing hip dysplasia.1
That’s because the nutritional needs of large and giant breed puppies are different from those of small and medium breeds, and ignoring those needs can lead to crippling bone and joint disorders like:
- Elbow Dysplasia2
- Osteochondrosis (OCD)
- Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD)
- Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD)
Why Large Breed Puppies
Are at Greater Risk
When compared to smaller breeds, two unique factors about the way they grow make large breed puppies more prone to skeletal problems:
- They grow faster
- They remain puppies longer
In comparison, a human being can take 18 years to achieve results that are less than half that much. What’s more, unlike smaller breeds that can be fed as adults at about 9-12 months, many larger breeds continue to grow and can still be considered puppies until 12 to 24 months.3
Rapid growth means the bones must change quickly — a factor that can put them at risk of forming improperly. And it is this remarkable rate of growth that makes large and giant breeds so sensitive to nutritional imbalances.
Pups, unlike adult dogs, cannot adequately regulate how much dietary calcium they absorb from the intestinal tract. Sometimes they absorb and retain too much calcium which can cause skeletal malformations.
Overfeeding
Free choice is a popular feeding method in which the food remains in the bowl and continuously available — so a puppy can eat whenever it wants.
Sadly, many owners of large breed puppies mistakenly believe that this form of uncontrolled eating is the correct way to feed their pets.
However, free choice feeding has been shown to cause a puppy to grow too fast — and lead to serious problems.
For example, a 1995 German study of Great Danes demonstrated a significant increase in the risk of developing skeletal disease when the puppies were fed free choice.8
In another study, one group of Labrador Retriever puppies was fed throughout life a restricted calorie diet while a second was fed free choice.9
The restricted calorie group experienced a much lower incidence and later onset of hip joint arthritis.
Too Much Calcium
Like overfeeding, excessive dietary calcium has also been shown to increase the risk of skeletal disease in large breed puppies.10
That’s because puppies can have trouble regulating how much calcium is absorbed from their intestinal tracts11 and that’s not all, feeding too little calcium can also lead to problems. That’s why it’s so important to feed a dog food that contains an amount of calcium that’s safe for large breed puppies.
The Protein
Myth
Unfortunately, the Internet is awash with misinformation about how to feed large breed puppies. For example, many insist that high levels of dietary protein can lead to hip dysplasia.
Yet contrary to that popular myth…
No evidence exists to link high protein intake to skeletal disease in large breed dogs.4
So, if high protein isn’t the problem — what is?
The Real Causes
of Hip Dysplasia in Dogs
If you exclude all the less common factors, hip dysplasia in large breeds appears to be the result of at least one of 3 proven causes: So, since after birth there’s nothing you can do to change your puppy’s genetics…It’s important to avoid overnutrition — feeding too many calories or too much calcium — to help lower your dog’s risk of hip dysplasia.
Scan the Package for the Nutritional Adequacy Statement picture below on the bag we feed our large breed puppies.
How To Be Sure
Your Dog Food Is Safe
It is recommended that puppies not eat a food that has high Calcium to Phosphorus ratio. This increases the risk of large breed puppies presenting with Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD). It is best to avoid dog foods and treats, etc., containing higher calcium levels. Unfortunately, the internet is saturated with misinformation about how to feed large breed puppies. For example, many insist that high levels of dietary protein can lead to hip dysplasia. Yet, contrary to that popular myth, no evidence exists to link high protein intake to skeletal disease in large breeds.
Due to a change in the dog food labeling law in January 2016, the standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), they now have stricter guidelines for the well-being of large breeds. This is based on scientific data published by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science. Look for the label on the back of the dog food bag that has “The Nutritional Adequacy Statement.”
Your Dog Food Is Safe
It is recommended that puppies not eat a food that has high Calcium to Phosphorus ratio. This increases the risk of large breed puppies presenting with Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD). It is best to avoid dog foods and treats, etc., containing higher calcium levels. Unfortunately, the internet is saturated with misinformation about how to feed large breed puppies. For example, many insist that high levels of dietary protein can lead to hip dysplasia. Yet, contrary to that popular myth, no evidence exists to link high protein intake to skeletal disease in large breeds.
Due to a change in the dog food labeling law in January 2016, the standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), they now have stricter guidelines for the well-being of large breeds. This is based on scientific data published by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Science. Look for the label on the back of the dog food bag that has “The Nutritional Adequacy Statement.”
- 1.2 to 1.8% calcium
- 1.0 to 1.6% phosphorus
- Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio 1:1 to 1.8:113
Supporting Links:
IVC Journal (Innovative Veterinary Care)
VCA
petMD
Footnotes
Lauten SD, Nutritional Risks to Large Breed Dogs: From Weaning to the Geriatric Years, Vet Clin Small Anim 36 (2006) 1345–1359.
- Elbow dysplasia, Wikipedia
- Iams: Is Your Puppy Ready for Adult Food?
- Lauten SD, Nutritional Risks to Large Breed Dogs: From Weaning to the Geriatric Years, Vet Clin Small Anim 36 (2006) 1348.
- Hedhammar A, Canine hip dysplasia as influenced by genetic and environmental factors, EJCAP, Oct 2007, 17:2 (pp 141-143)
- Kealy RD et al, Effects of limited food consumption on the incidence of hip dysplasia in growing dogs, JAVMA, Sep 1992, 201:6 (pp 857-863)
- Richardson, Skeletal diseases of the growing dog: Nutritional influences and the role of diet, Canine Hip Dysplasia: A Symposium Held at Western Veterinary Conference, 1995
- Zentek J, Meyer H, Dammrich K. The effect of a different energy supply for growing Great Danes on the body mass and skeletal development. Clinical picture and chemical studies of the skeleton. Zentralbl Veterinarmed A 1995;42(1):69–80.
- Smith GK, Paster ER, Powers MY, et al. Lifelong diet restriction and radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis of the hip joint in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002;229(5):690–3.
- Hazewinkel HAW. Nutrition in relation to skeletal growth deformities. J Sm Anim Practice. 1989; 30:525-630.
- Tryfonidou MA et al. Intestinal calcium absorption in growing
- dogs is influenced by calcium intake and age but not by growth rate. J Nutr. 2002;132:3363-3368.
- On a dry matter basis
- Ratio reduced by the author from 1:2 to 1:1.8 based on dry matter maximum calcium and minimum phosphorus values
- Lauten SD, Nutritional Risks to Large Breed Dogs: From Weaning to the Geriatric Years, Vet Clin Small Anim 36 (2006) 1345.
- IAMS, “How to Transition Your Puppy to Adult Food”
- Purina, “When to Switch from Puppy Food to Adult Dog Food”
- Yuill C, DVM, MSc, CVH, “Nutrition: General Feeding Guidelines for Dogs“, VCA Hospitals (November 2011)
Living with an Alapaha - WOW! there are many natural outstanding qualities that make up an Alapaha. Apart from being great protection, and alert to what's happening around them, they also desire to be close to their people and are quite satisfied relaxing against you or in your lap, sleeping in your bed, and following close by. They're just devoted loving dogs, desiring of their family's affection and admiration. They love children and tend to gravitate toward them, and will instinctively play more gently with younger ones as well as with smaller pets as shown in our videos with Jack, playing with one of our Chihuahua's Pepe, along with some of the puppies. They do have a "downtime" and we've noticed when closer to two years of age they do tend to slow down some, but are always game for hiking through the woods, a swim, playing with each other or going after a ball. We get a lot of enjoyment watching them play!heir favorite game's a stick or rope toy tugging together.
Each is unique in their own loyal, loving and special way. They are smart as a whip, and love to exercise their brain, learning different things. They are very focused when we are in training, and take it very seriously from our experience. Alapahas are extremely intelligent. Regardless whether it's a male or female, some may be more aloof toward new people which is the nature of this breed, and others can warm up pretty quick to people outside of the family. Some Alapaha may be more energetic, while another might be of a more laid back temperament. However, they all have a goofy/silly side that's sure to keep you entertained!
By nature, this breed is not aggressive toward people or other dogs unless it is for defense over their family, home, and other pets/animals they have been raised with. This is a very stable and clear-headed breed that has the ability to size up a situation before reacting, and settling if a would-be-threat ends up being one of your childrens' friends, as an example. All of these beautiful qualities should be apparent in this breed when they are bred correctly, always staying within the breed standards, and the bloodlines distinctive to the ABBB. Like any other dog they should be brought up well socialized, and exposed to various environments, people and other creatures, etc., and of course LOTS of LOVE!
Each is unique in their own loyal, loving and special way. They are smart as a whip, and love to exercise their brain, learning different things. They are very focused when we are in training, and take it very seriously from our experience. Alapahas are extremely intelligent. Regardless whether it's a male or female, some may be more aloof toward new people which is the nature of this breed, and others can warm up pretty quick to people outside of the family. Some Alapaha may be more energetic, while another might be of a more laid back temperament. However, they all have a goofy/silly side that's sure to keep you entertained!
By nature, this breed is not aggressive toward people or other dogs unless it is for defense over their family, home, and other pets/animals they have been raised with. This is a very stable and clear-headed breed that has the ability to size up a situation before reacting, and settling if a would-be-threat ends up being one of your childrens' friends, as an example. All of these beautiful qualities should be apparent in this breed when they are bred correctly, always staying within the breed standards, and the bloodlines distinctive to the ABBB. Like any other dog they should be brought up well socialized, and exposed to various environments, people and other creatures, etc., and of course LOTS of LOVE!
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AGH! Worms
Roundworms
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Tapeworms
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Tapeworm breaking off into segments.
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Tapeworm segments resemble small grains of rice or dried up sesame seeds. They are visible around the dogs anus.
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Whipworms
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Hookworms
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For Flea and Tick preventative, we use NexGard Flea and Tick Chewables for our dogs and they love them, it works excellent for us! We have never experienced any side effects with our dogs being on it and they are flea and tick free!
We have inserted a link above from where we buy it. This requires a prescription approval from your Veterinarian.
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Ticks
Soft ticks don't embed themselves into their host while feeding, instead, they take a blood meal and crawl away. Hard ticks embed themselves into the dog’s skin during feeding.
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Seed Ticks
Adult Tick larvae are commonly referred to as seed ticks. Larvae hatch from the eggs laid by an adult female tick and are rarely seen unless in large groupings because they are so tiny, resembling poppy seeds with six legs. While the number of eggs deposited by females varies, often times eggs laid by one female at one time may number into the hundreds. Therefore, usually seed ticks on a dog equates to a very large number at one time, rather than just a few.
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Heartworms
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Here is the link for Heartgard Plus preventative against Heartworms, treats, and controls 3 species of hookworms and 2 species of roundworms. It kills heartworms in the larvae stage. This also requires a prescription approval from your Veterinarian.
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Brucellosis - Brucellosis is a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Brucella canis. It is one of the leading causes of infertility in breeding stock. It occurs worldwide and affects all kinds of dogs, purebred and not, and it can also be transmitted from dogs to humans. Other animals that can also be affected with Brucellosis include livestock such as sheep, cattle, and goats, along with wildlife such as wild pigs, elk, and bison.
This website is best viewed on a PC.
INGREDIENTS IN PET FOOD
By-Products - (PETMD by-product) aka Also described as the 5 D's aka 5-D meat:
Dead, Diseased, Dying, Decayed, and Drugged animals.
For example, chicken by-products or beef by-products: clean, and non-rendered "parts", other than meat, derived from slaughtered animals. This includes, but not limited to the lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, blood, bone, roadkill, fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents, Dead zoo and shelter animals. This is a cheap way for pet food companies to keep the protein levels high (not high quality) while keeping food production costs down.
*Preservatives - There are many ingredients including chemicals in foods. If you are unsure of something research it. Avoid foods with a copious amount of preservatives, chemicals, and unknown ingredients.
Dry or Canned Dog Foods, Raw Diet or Home Cooked - There are pros and cons with the food options above. We selectively choose our dogs' diets based on what is best for their needs (age/activity level), and not what's more convenient or the cheapest.
Dry Dog Food - Most popular choice, economical, hard dog chow helps in keeping your dogs' teeth cleaner, predictable nutrition analysis, convenient, potential recalls. This is what we feed ours and recommend.
Raw - Gaining in popularity, it's the least practical and generally quite costly, having good quality ingredients. Be aware your dog is getting a complete diet of required nutrients. This diet can be unsanitary or pose a risk to those with a weakened immune system. Potential for recalls from raw food companies. From our research, we believe raw feeding is a very good supplement however, we wouldn't advocate an absolute raw diet without first consulting a lic. veterinarian to ensure it covers all the dogs' dietary needs. Also, making sure that the diet can be maintained consistently (In regards to traveling/boarding, etc.) Just tossing the raw meat into their bowl and expecting it to cover your dogs needs nutritionally is not satisfactory. Consult your vet, research about all of the aspects of a raw diet.
Canned Dog Food - May cause a "finicky eater," less economical, convenient. It can lead to tooth decay, predictable nutrition analysis, and potential recalls.
Home Cooked - May cause your dog to "hold out" from eating their regular dog food. It is less economical and convenient, can lead to tooth decay, good quality control of ingredients. If your dog gets sick or an upset stomach, feeding plain cooked chicken and rice can be beneficial.
Educate yourself on learning to read your dog food bag, its ingredients and order listed.
Macros - "Macronutrients are what make up the caloric content of a food," The three categories of macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The caloric combination of the macros is where those mysterious total number of calories is from.
BASICS of DOG FOOD INGREDIENTS:
*Grain Free - Some dogs can be sensitive to a grain filled diet. Usually, it consists of cheap food fillers, corn, and grains.
*Protein Source - Ingredients are in order from the highest quantity to lowest. The first ingredients should be a quality and identifiable protein from a quality source.
*Proper protein, fat, carbs, and fiber ratios - Overall macros is important to maintain weight, condition, energy level and growth.
*Dyes - Avoid foods with heavy chemical dyes.
*Fruits and Vegetables - Certain fruits and vegetable ingredients can be beneficial. Do your research. See our BLOG on (DANGEROUS TREATS).
Chicken meal - Chicken meal is considered to be a meat concentrate which contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
SIGNS FOR AWARENESS:
*Coat should be odorless with minimal shedding and shiny. A dull coat and an unusual amount of shedding can indicate signs of a deficiency in nutrition.
*Dog likes it. Some dogs just don't like certain foods (taste, size, texture, and scent).
*Dogs overall vigor and demeanor.
*Vomiting - Your dog should not vomit from new food. If they do most likely something's probably wrong. Your dog could be allergic to something in the ingredients or it may not be the food at all. Check into it with your veterinarian ASAP and have the bag ready to make them aware of the brand/ingredients from that particular dog food.
*Bowel Movements (Large stool). It is normal for soft stool while transitioning your pet slowly to a new food over a 12-14 day period. However, after 7-15 days on the new food, their stool should be firm and regular.
*Weight. Your dog should maintain a healthy weight. If they are over or underweight, things may need adjusting but the food could have inadequate macro ratios for their specific metabolism. Consult your veterinarian for professional advice.
*See Puppy Supply Basics for Puppy Toys, Food, Crate, and Items We Use*
Dead, Diseased, Dying, Decayed, and Drugged animals.
For example, chicken by-products or beef by-products: clean, and non-rendered "parts", other than meat, derived from slaughtered animals. This includes, but not limited to the lungs, spleen, kidneys, brain, blood, bone, roadkill, fatty tissue, and stomachs and intestines freed of their contents, Dead zoo and shelter animals. This is a cheap way for pet food companies to keep the protein levels high (not high quality) while keeping food production costs down.
*Preservatives - There are many ingredients including chemicals in foods. If you are unsure of something research it. Avoid foods with a copious amount of preservatives, chemicals, and unknown ingredients.
Dry or Canned Dog Foods, Raw Diet or Home Cooked - There are pros and cons with the food options above. We selectively choose our dogs' diets based on what is best for their needs (age/activity level), and not what's more convenient or the cheapest.
Dry Dog Food - Most popular choice, economical, hard dog chow helps in keeping your dogs' teeth cleaner, predictable nutrition analysis, convenient, potential recalls. This is what we feed ours and recommend.
Raw - Gaining in popularity, it's the least practical and generally quite costly, having good quality ingredients. Be aware your dog is getting a complete diet of required nutrients. This diet can be unsanitary or pose a risk to those with a weakened immune system. Potential for recalls from raw food companies. From our research, we believe raw feeding is a very good supplement however, we wouldn't advocate an absolute raw diet without first consulting a lic. veterinarian to ensure it covers all the dogs' dietary needs. Also, making sure that the diet can be maintained consistently (In regards to traveling/boarding, etc.) Just tossing the raw meat into their bowl and expecting it to cover your dogs needs nutritionally is not satisfactory. Consult your vet, research about all of the aspects of a raw diet.
Canned Dog Food - May cause a "finicky eater," less economical, convenient. It can lead to tooth decay, predictable nutrition analysis, and potential recalls.
Home Cooked - May cause your dog to "hold out" from eating their regular dog food. It is less economical and convenient, can lead to tooth decay, good quality control of ingredients. If your dog gets sick or an upset stomach, feeding plain cooked chicken and rice can be beneficial.
Educate yourself on learning to read your dog food bag, its ingredients and order listed.
Macros - "Macronutrients are what make up the caloric content of a food," The three categories of macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. The caloric combination of the macros is where those mysterious total number of calories is from.
BASICS of DOG FOOD INGREDIENTS:
*Grain Free - Some dogs can be sensitive to a grain filled diet. Usually, it consists of cheap food fillers, corn, and grains.
*Protein Source - Ingredients are in order from the highest quantity to lowest. The first ingredients should be a quality and identifiable protein from a quality source.
*Proper protein, fat, carbs, and fiber ratios - Overall macros is important to maintain weight, condition, energy level and growth.
*Dyes - Avoid foods with heavy chemical dyes.
*Fruits and Vegetables - Certain fruits and vegetable ingredients can be beneficial. Do your research. See our BLOG on (DANGEROUS TREATS).
Chicken meal - Chicken meal is considered to be a meat concentrate which contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
SIGNS FOR AWARENESS:
*Coat should be odorless with minimal shedding and shiny. A dull coat and an unusual amount of shedding can indicate signs of a deficiency in nutrition.
*Dog likes it. Some dogs just don't like certain foods (taste, size, texture, and scent).
*Dogs overall vigor and demeanor.
*Vomiting - Your dog should not vomit from new food. If they do most likely something's probably wrong. Your dog could be allergic to something in the ingredients or it may not be the food at all. Check into it with your veterinarian ASAP and have the bag ready to make them aware of the brand/ingredients from that particular dog food.
*Bowel Movements (Large stool). It is normal for soft stool while transitioning your pet slowly to a new food over a 12-14 day period. However, after 7-15 days on the new food, their stool should be firm and regular.
*Weight. Your dog should maintain a healthy weight. If they are over or underweight, things may need adjusting but the food could have inadequate macro ratios for their specific metabolism. Consult your veterinarian for professional advice.
*See Puppy Supply Basics for Puppy Toys, Food, Crate, and Items We Use*
Here's a link to two sites that we really like: Unusual Southern Names, and Double Names. There is a long list of what we think, are some great name options of the "Deep South," if you want to name your new fur baby one that's indicative to their Southern heritage. We personally like naming our dogs in this way. We hope this helps give you some ideas and inspiration!
There are many types of "drives" - Prey, Play, and Pack, Etc.
Drive - Is an inherent, unconscious desire that pushes the dog into taking action in relation to something. All dogs have certain basic drives. Sometimes, a dog with a lot of drive is referred to as being "hot." Rarely does one inborn trait exist without the influence of another alongside that behavior. There are several “drives" that can exist with a diversity of intensities. For training aspects, some drives are desirable and some are not. Dogs have certain basic drives, each drive is linked to a dog's survival. For example, to survive out in the wild a dog must have the desire and ability to seize and kill its prey. For our breeding program we like dogs with strong nerves, and a lot of energy where these drives can be channeled and focused along with sound and discerning qualities. As per the breeds character traits.
Favorable drives are effective only when coupled with strong nerves and the correct thresholds.
*Prey Drive - Prey drive refers to a dog's inherent desire to chase, catch and kill prey. This natural trait outlines the foundation for a large variety of dog jobs. High prey driven dogs will chase a ball without end, and continue to hunt relentlessly for it if it goes out of view. Many times, these strong prey driven traits can be used for working.
*Play Drive - Is a dog's desire for physical contact with the family, trainer, and/or other dogs. This behavior is more commonly observed in puppyhood and can follow throughout their lifetime. When puppies are wanting to play, they display a particular gesture known as the Beckhov’s Bow. Once a puppy bows and the other responds in a playful nature, it's understood by both as only being play. This drive can be used for motivating many forms of training.
*Pack Drive - A higher ranked, pack driven dog is easier to train in obedience than the more standoffish dog. The dog believes it's more important to please the pack rather than pleasing themselves. This desire is to be socially connected with the pack members, it's the state of mind in the social drives, the dog seeking the companionship of others. They want to hang out with their owner, other people, and dogs. In higher levels, this type of dog would follow you everywhere, be underfoot and be waiting outside the door for you to come out. The overly dependent dog is going to become fixated on "where's my owner," falling out of drive. Nerves are also a factor here. Higher pack driven dogs are more trainable due to their fear of rejection, and getting expelled from their "pack."
*Rank Drive - Is a dogs desire to improve their social status in the "Pack." Dogs that are higher in rank drive will attempt to establish the highest position. More independent dogs tend to also be higher in rank drive. Some dogs will fight to the death to achieve the "top" position with other dogs, but also be totally submissive to humans and accept their leadership without a challenge. You will observe a wide range among dogs' behaviors. Some will challenge and constantly test you for the "superior" position while also displaying aggression.
*Guard Drive - This is used to defend territory and/or prey by barking and growling. If these warnings do not work, then a defensive bite could follow. This behavior is only exhibited under specific conditions and is territorial in nature. Other drives contribute to various degrees of intensities.
*Protection Drive - This is to protect the pack leader and the other members. This drive is displayed when either a real or imagined threat is perceived. A subtle sign of this is when a dog gets between their owner and a stranger while remaining on guard. An extreme case is when a dog engages a threatening individual with absolutely no protection training. This behavior is much rarer than people would think.
*Survival Drive - This could be a problem depending on both strength of the drive and the length of time it takes to be displayed. It refers to the dog's instinct to defend itself. It's part of the self- preservation instinct and is motivated by fear brought on by a real or imagined threat. It's exhibited as “fight or flight," also known as “defense or avoidance.” When a dog's in defense drive, it's displaying aggressive behaviors. Their hackles might be up, the dog might be barking, growling, lunging, and snapping as an attempt to convince the threat to stay away. This dog feels it must fight for it's life. A dog in defense drive is under acute anxiety, with possible feelings of uncertainty. You will witness ears moving to-and-fro, the dog may bark and back up, and step forward again. If the dog goes into defense, it will attempt to avoid the threat by a swift, intense attack, then retreat before an injury is sustained. In avoidance mode, it will simply try to escape. The dog will exhibit body language that is intended to increase its size, and therefore, its ability to threaten, like turning sideways with its hair up. If a dog's on a leash and begins to go into "fight or flight" mode, it will invariably go into "defense or fight" because the leash has inhibited the flight opportunity.
Note: the next time someone tells you that their growling and lunging dog is being "protective," that protection by its very description, demands the presence of a genuine and discernible threat. If the dog is carrying on defensively toward a non-threatening person/object, that is a frightened dog, not protection.
*Hardness - This trait is both psychological and physiological. It is a physical and/or mental resiliency towards unpleasant experiences. Hardness is best understood when compared to a pain threshold. A dog with a huge level of hardness can take an immense amount of pain and stress with minimal prolonged, negative effects. This type of dog requires stronger corrections when defiant. Physiologically, hardness is in direct relation to the thickness of the sheathing around the nerve fibers in a dog’s body; the thicker the sheathing, then the harder the dog. Highly excitable levels in a hard dog will increase its hardness where corrections may become totally ineffective.
*Softness - Softness is the opposite of hardness and is the natural state of the wild dog. Nature has dictated softness as a survival trait. The soft dog perceives pain and stress more extremely than the average dog. A dog with a high level of softness often associates the location where it was exposed to a painful and/or stressful experience. It may never go back to that particular area. For example, if a soft dog stepped on a hornet and got stung, it might avoid that spot in the yard for hours, possibly days before the effects wear off.
*Trainability - Trainability is a psychological character trait and is generally seen in one of two ways. The first is the spontaneous attempt to perform the will of its pack leader/handler. The second is the number of behaviors the dog can be taught. Trainability can be described as a desire to be obedient and a willingness to learn new things.
*Pup Playing Games - This drive is demonstrated when dogs stalk and pounce on imaginary prey such as sticks, leaves, and rocks. They'll pick up objects and shake them, then carry them around very proudly. Other examples are “I’ll chase you, then you chase me,” and tug games which can be used to motivate obedience.
*Pup Guarding - In Puppy Guard Drive, a dog will get a prey object and taunt another dog with it in order to initiate play, and then make a big deal out of ferociously guarding that object. All of these mock-drives prepare a dog for adulthood by allowing the puppy to experience these behaviors.
*Pup Fighting - To many, rough play can sometimes be perceived as aggression when it's really just Puppy Fight Drive. Dogs prepare themselves for potential future battles by wrestling, biting and roughhousing around when they're young. They learn to leap, tumble, and divert while also gaining valuable social, and physical skills such as controlling the force of their biting as well as their aggression.
Drive - Is an inherent, unconscious desire that pushes the dog into taking action in relation to something. All dogs have certain basic drives. Sometimes, a dog with a lot of drive is referred to as being "hot." Rarely does one inborn trait exist without the influence of another alongside that behavior. There are several “drives" that can exist with a diversity of intensities. For training aspects, some drives are desirable and some are not. Dogs have certain basic drives, each drive is linked to a dog's survival. For example, to survive out in the wild a dog must have the desire and ability to seize and kill its prey. For our breeding program we like dogs with strong nerves, and a lot of energy where these drives can be channeled and focused along with sound and discerning qualities. As per the breeds character traits.
Favorable drives are effective only when coupled with strong nerves and the correct thresholds.
*Prey Drive - Prey drive refers to a dog's inherent desire to chase, catch and kill prey. This natural trait outlines the foundation for a large variety of dog jobs. High prey driven dogs will chase a ball without end, and continue to hunt relentlessly for it if it goes out of view. Many times, these strong prey driven traits can be used for working.
*Play Drive - Is a dog's desire for physical contact with the family, trainer, and/or other dogs. This behavior is more commonly observed in puppyhood and can follow throughout their lifetime. When puppies are wanting to play, they display a particular gesture known as the Beckhov’s Bow. Once a puppy bows and the other responds in a playful nature, it's understood by both as only being play. This drive can be used for motivating many forms of training.
*Pack Drive - A higher ranked, pack driven dog is easier to train in obedience than the more standoffish dog. The dog believes it's more important to please the pack rather than pleasing themselves. This desire is to be socially connected with the pack members, it's the state of mind in the social drives, the dog seeking the companionship of others. They want to hang out with their owner, other people, and dogs. In higher levels, this type of dog would follow you everywhere, be underfoot and be waiting outside the door for you to come out. The overly dependent dog is going to become fixated on "where's my owner," falling out of drive. Nerves are also a factor here. Higher pack driven dogs are more trainable due to their fear of rejection, and getting expelled from their "pack."
*Rank Drive - Is a dogs desire to improve their social status in the "Pack." Dogs that are higher in rank drive will attempt to establish the highest position. More independent dogs tend to also be higher in rank drive. Some dogs will fight to the death to achieve the "top" position with other dogs, but also be totally submissive to humans and accept their leadership without a challenge. You will observe a wide range among dogs' behaviors. Some will challenge and constantly test you for the "superior" position while also displaying aggression.
*Guard Drive - This is used to defend territory and/or prey by barking and growling. If these warnings do not work, then a defensive bite could follow. This behavior is only exhibited under specific conditions and is territorial in nature. Other drives contribute to various degrees of intensities.
*Protection Drive - This is to protect the pack leader and the other members. This drive is displayed when either a real or imagined threat is perceived. A subtle sign of this is when a dog gets between their owner and a stranger while remaining on guard. An extreme case is when a dog engages a threatening individual with absolutely no protection training. This behavior is much rarer than people would think.
*Survival Drive - This could be a problem depending on both strength of the drive and the length of time it takes to be displayed. It refers to the dog's instinct to defend itself. It's part of the self- preservation instinct and is motivated by fear brought on by a real or imagined threat. It's exhibited as “fight or flight," also known as “defense or avoidance.” When a dog's in defense drive, it's displaying aggressive behaviors. Their hackles might be up, the dog might be barking, growling, lunging, and snapping as an attempt to convince the threat to stay away. This dog feels it must fight for it's life. A dog in defense drive is under acute anxiety, with possible feelings of uncertainty. You will witness ears moving to-and-fro, the dog may bark and back up, and step forward again. If the dog goes into defense, it will attempt to avoid the threat by a swift, intense attack, then retreat before an injury is sustained. In avoidance mode, it will simply try to escape. The dog will exhibit body language that is intended to increase its size, and therefore, its ability to threaten, like turning sideways with its hair up. If a dog's on a leash and begins to go into "fight or flight" mode, it will invariably go into "defense or fight" because the leash has inhibited the flight opportunity.
Note: the next time someone tells you that their growling and lunging dog is being "protective," that protection by its very description, demands the presence of a genuine and discernible threat. If the dog is carrying on defensively toward a non-threatening person/object, that is a frightened dog, not protection.
*Hardness - This trait is both psychological and physiological. It is a physical and/or mental resiliency towards unpleasant experiences. Hardness is best understood when compared to a pain threshold. A dog with a huge level of hardness can take an immense amount of pain and stress with minimal prolonged, negative effects. This type of dog requires stronger corrections when defiant. Physiologically, hardness is in direct relation to the thickness of the sheathing around the nerve fibers in a dog’s body; the thicker the sheathing, then the harder the dog. Highly excitable levels in a hard dog will increase its hardness where corrections may become totally ineffective.
*Softness - Softness is the opposite of hardness and is the natural state of the wild dog. Nature has dictated softness as a survival trait. The soft dog perceives pain and stress more extremely than the average dog. A dog with a high level of softness often associates the location where it was exposed to a painful and/or stressful experience. It may never go back to that particular area. For example, if a soft dog stepped on a hornet and got stung, it might avoid that spot in the yard for hours, possibly days before the effects wear off.
*Trainability - Trainability is a psychological character trait and is generally seen in one of two ways. The first is the spontaneous attempt to perform the will of its pack leader/handler. The second is the number of behaviors the dog can be taught. Trainability can be described as a desire to be obedient and a willingness to learn new things.
*Pup Playing Games - This drive is demonstrated when dogs stalk and pounce on imaginary prey such as sticks, leaves, and rocks. They'll pick up objects and shake them, then carry them around very proudly. Other examples are “I’ll chase you, then you chase me,” and tug games which can be used to motivate obedience.
*Pup Guarding - In Puppy Guard Drive, a dog will get a prey object and taunt another dog with it in order to initiate play, and then make a big deal out of ferociously guarding that object. All of these mock-drives prepare a dog for adulthood by allowing the puppy to experience these behaviors.
*Pup Fighting - To many, rough play can sometimes be perceived as aggression when it's really just Puppy Fight Drive. Dogs prepare themselves for potential future battles by wrestling, biting and roughhousing around when they're young. They learn to leap, tumble, and divert while also gaining valuable social, and physical skills such as controlling the force of their biting as well as their aggression.
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SPECIAL ALAPAHA QUALITIES
Of the many endearing qualities that make an Alapaha so special, such as their loving and affectionate demeanor towards its people and other comrades they may share their home with, along with their goofy antics and having a playful nature just to name a few. However, aggression is not one of them! They possess the ability to read a situation before reacting, having the mental capacity to approach any given circumstance in a calm manner, and the awareness to settle if a would-be threat ends up being one of your children's friends, for instance. It's these attributes that make them an excellent guard dog with a stable temperament and not a liability.
To us, They're just a loving puppy in a big dogs body that wants nothing more than our affection and approval. When we let them, they will gladly climb onto one of our laps, given having a 75 - 90+ pound dog in our lap isn't the easiest feat to achieve depending on who it is, lol! No matter what the task is at hand, they are always alert to their surroundings and very protective, keeping a watchful eye.
To us, They're just a loving puppy in a big dogs body that wants nothing more than our affection and approval. When we let them, they will gladly climb onto one of our laps, given having a 75 - 90+ pound dog in our lap isn't the easiest feat to achieve depending on who it is, lol! No matter what the task is at hand, they are always alert to their surroundings and very protective, keeping a watchful eye.
Jack's silly side, lol!
They love the attention from our kids' friends!
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WHICH TYPE CRATE & SAFE BEDDING SHOULD I USE?
Since a puppy hasn't developed control over their bowel and bladder, they need potty breaks frequently! With ours during the mornings, they would have to poo and pee at least 3 times between 5 a.m. and noon. Puppies under the age of 6 months shouldn't be left in their crate longer than 3 or 4 hours each time. On average, a puppy can "hold it" for about an hour per every month of age. For example, a 2-month-old puppy can usually wait 2 hours to relieve their bladder. A full grown dog will generally need to pee between 3 to 5 times daily.
***SeePuppy Supply Basics For the Items Described On Our Page***
***SeePuppy Supply Basics For the Items Described On Our Page***
BEDDING WE USE AND SUGGEST-
Using a crate in the early stages of your puppy's development helps in keeping them safe when you can't watch them and see what they're up to. Puppies love to explore and pick up whatever they can with their mouths! It also helps in keeping them out of mischief, having unwanted accidents all over the house and from developing any undesirable behaviors which aren't fun for anyone and can become stressful for both you and your new addition. That being said, We really like the 42" or 48" inch size metal crate with the double doors, and comes with a divider because it's perfect for a full grown Alapaha to be comfortable, and have plenty of room to lie down and relax. Having the double doors gives more options as to where it can be placed in our home as well. The divider allows for adjustment to grow with a puppy, and it helps in training them to "hold it" until they are housebroken which in that instance, you would disregard using the divider altogether. But until then, you should place the divider where it gives just enough room for your new puppy to turn around and lay down. The first tendency your puppy will have when they feel the need to potty, will be to go to the other end of their crate to do their "business" if allowed. Naturally, dogs do not like to "go" in their "Den" so having this divider makes it ideal for potty training. We personally don't use Pee-Pads during their potty training, as those end up becoming a dangerous, shredded play toy. We also train using the Potty-Bells which cuts down on all the guess-work, so when our dogs have to "go," they ring those bells, and let us know it.
Make sure the crate latch is an "L" shape or it could eventually slide out of place, and your fur baby will be on the loose!
With our research, we like using the raised feeders with ours and we personally, have never experienced any issues with bloat in our dogs.
Read "Raised Feeder Bowls" Benefits/Risks?
By 2-3 months of age, your new puppy should be able to eat/drink directly out of the bowls in their raised stand.
Read "Raised Feeder Bowls" Benefits/Risks?
By 2-3 months of age, your new puppy should be able to eat/drink directly out of the bowls in their raised stand.
Slime In Your Dogs Water Bowl?
We suggest washing your dogs food and water bowls every one to two days using the coarse side of a sponge and hot soapy water, then rinsing well until no more suds are visible.
Biofilm needs to be physically broken up in order to be removed. Use the coarse side of a two-sided sponge to break it down, and then put the bowls in the dishwasher which is safer and more effective because the heat is antimicrobial. For a more natural cleanser, you can combine equal parts of baking soda, table salt, and hot water. If washing by hand scrub with hot soapy water, then rinse. Make sure you do not use the same sponge to wash your dishes or counters.
To really disinfect, mix a solution of one tablespoon bleach to one gallon of water and submerge the bowls into the solution to soak for about 3 minutes, and rinsing well to remove any bleach residue which is toxic to your pets. You also can use a bleach solution on ceramic, glass, plastic and stainless steel dishes but not aluminum which will rust.
A word of caution if using plastic feeders, they can sometimes cause an allergic reaction to your pets muzzle or chin area, causing a breakout similar to acne!
To really disinfect, mix a solution of one tablespoon bleach to one gallon of water and submerge the bowls into the solution to soak for about 3 minutes, and rinsing well to remove any bleach residue which is toxic to your pets. You also can use a bleach solution on ceramic, glass, plastic and stainless steel dishes but not aluminum which will rust.
A word of caution if using plastic feeders, they can sometimes cause an allergic reaction to your pets muzzle or chin area, causing a breakout similar to acne!
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By three weeks of age we start introducing the puppies to moistened puppy kibble, along with still getting their mothers milk, and slowly tapering them off of her until they are completely weaned by seven weeks of age. Upon reaching seven weeks they are eating dry puppy kibble specifically formulated for Large Breed Puppies, three times daily until they are full during each feeding. By eight weeks of age your puppy will start out eating approximately 1.5 to 2 cups with each of their three feedings. We feed a premium puppy kibble so there is no need for adding supplements to their diet. You always want to insure that your new Alapaha puppy has gotten their fill, and not sniffing around, licking at the bowl, searching for more! They will not overeat.
Underfeeding your puppy could lead to behavioral problems.
*By regulating their feedings, this also helps to make their bowel/bladder movements much more predictable, and aids with housebreaking.*
Make positive the puppy kibble has the Nutritional Adequacy Statement pictured below, set by the AAFCO Association of American Feed Control Officials for Large Breed Puppies. Read more on this topic- Rapid Growth Rate-Myths VS Facts
From our research we have decided to switch to these particular brands listed below for our dogs/puppies. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy, Victor, and Beaverdam Pet Food brands. These kibbles are free of by-products with zero artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, potatoes in any form, peas, and gluten-free grains- No corn, wheat, soy.
We will switch up on occasion for variety with our adults, and only with AAFCO approved, comparable brands.
*The FDA warns against the possible link to DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) in dogs fed a grain-free diet with Ingredients Containing - Potatoes in various forms, Lentils, Peas, and other legume seeds.* Read Article: FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy
*Our dogs are very active! We are fortunate enough to allow them hours of free play outdoors, where they play tug, run around chasing each other, and exploring the property, etc. Because of their high activity level we like to give our adult dogs free choice of dry kibble only, no wet food, as they are maintaining a consistent, healthy weight, and we will adjust this accordingly depending on age, and activity level down the road. Otherwise, we would suggest around One year of age with average to moderate activity feeding adult large breed dry dog food two times daily.
*Canned food can cause tooth decay over time*
Note: For training we will use their dog food, Cloud Star Tricky Trainers Crunchy Liver Flavor Treats, and occasionally small pieces of raw or steamed cauliflower. No table scraps. Ice cubes are a favorite treat too they all come running when they hear that ice maker! See our blog on "Dangerous Treats".
Underfeeding your puppy could lead to behavioral problems.
*By regulating their feedings, this also helps to make their bowel/bladder movements much more predictable, and aids with housebreaking.*
Make positive the puppy kibble has the Nutritional Adequacy Statement pictured below, set by the AAFCO Association of American Feed Control Officials for Large Breed Puppies. Read more on this topic- Rapid Growth Rate-Myths VS Facts
From our research we have decided to switch to these particular brands listed below for our dogs/puppies. Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy, Victor, and Beaverdam Pet Food brands. These kibbles are free of by-products with zero artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, potatoes in any form, peas, and gluten-free grains- No corn, wheat, soy.
We will switch up on occasion for variety with our adults, and only with AAFCO approved, comparable brands.
*The FDA warns against the possible link to DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) in dogs fed a grain-free diet with Ingredients Containing - Potatoes in various forms, Lentils, Peas, and other legume seeds.* Read Article: FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy
*Our dogs are very active! We are fortunate enough to allow them hours of free play outdoors, where they play tug, run around chasing each other, and exploring the property, etc. Because of their high activity level we like to give our adult dogs free choice of dry kibble only, no wet food, as they are maintaining a consistent, healthy weight, and we will adjust this accordingly depending on age, and activity level down the road. Otherwise, we would suggest around One year of age with average to moderate activity feeding adult large breed dry dog food two times daily.
*Canned food can cause tooth decay over time*
Note: For training we will use their dog food, Cloud Star Tricky Trainers Crunchy Liver Flavor Treats, and occasionally small pieces of raw or steamed cauliflower. No table scraps. Ice cubes are a favorite treat too they all come running when they hear that ice maker! See our blog on "Dangerous Treats".
Pictured Below On the Bag We Feed Our Puppies
Nutritional Adequacy Statement
Nutritional Adequacy Statement
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Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Formula Dry Dog Food
Made In USA- Recipe made from pasture raised lamb with probiotics, Gluten-Free Grains No corn, wheat, soy, filler, artificial flavors, colors, by-products, preservatives, and no peas, lentils or potatoes. 40# Bag 
Diamond Naturals Large Breed Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food.
Made In USA- Has Probiotics, and Free of corn, wheat, soy. No potatoes in any form, peas or lentils, artificial colors, flavors or by-products. For Adult Dogs 40# Bag 
Diamond Naturals Beef Meal & Rice Formula Adult Dry Dog Food, 40-lb bag
Made In USA- Has Probiotics, and No corn, wheat, soy, potatoes, peas or lentils, artificial flavors, colors or by-products. For Adult Dogs 40# Bag 
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Victor Performance Formula Dry Dog Food Made in the USA- Only all-natural ingredients Gluten-Free Grains No corn, wheat, soy, and no peas, lentils, potatoes, dyes, artificial preservatives, dyes, colors, flavors or by-products.
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***See detailed Puppy Stages Progression Photos, Potty Training and Feeding***
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*Toys Mainly For Adult Alapaha's That Can Take A Chewing*
~See Puppy Supply Basics for Puppy Toys, Food, Crate and Items We Use~
Just a few toys we've found through our experience that can stand up to their chewing! This breed likes to chew. It's best in our opinion, to not give your puppy toys that look like shoes or items that you wouldn't actually want them chewing on. Puppies grow fast, and we suggest getting the largest size available for your new puppy at 8 weeks to adult. *We choose not giving our dogs rawhides/pig ears or knuckle bones, etc., for risk of being a choking hazard. Giving them these types of treats/chews, will almost always leads to them not being interested, and refusing the safer bones/antlers, and other types of toys, because they can not compete with those types of flavor basted chews, and bones. The types we use listed below, can last ours a long time.
We have not experienced any of our dogs breaking off or chipping their teeth with any of the toys we have suggested here.
This being a working breed, their mouth is like our hands and they LOVE to chew and carry things around. Ours like variety and these toys help keep them from boredom so they stay happy, and satisfied especially on their downtime.
*I like to add to this from time to time once I feel the toys are tried, and true from our experience with all of our dogs in our opinion!*
~See Puppy Supply Basics for Puppy Toys, Food, Crate and Items We Use~
Just a few toys we've found through our experience that can stand up to their chewing! This breed likes to chew. It's best in our opinion, to not give your puppy toys that look like shoes or items that you wouldn't actually want them chewing on. Puppies grow fast, and we suggest getting the largest size available for your new puppy at 8 weeks to adult. *We choose not giving our dogs rawhides/pig ears or knuckle bones, etc., for risk of being a choking hazard. Giving them these types of treats/chews, will almost always leads to them not being interested, and refusing the safer bones/antlers, and other types of toys, because they can not compete with those types of flavor basted chews, and bones. The types we use listed below, can last ours a long time.
We have not experienced any of our dogs breaking off or chipping their teeth with any of the toys we have suggested here.
This being a working breed, their mouth is like our hands and they LOVE to chew and carry things around. Ours like variety and these toys help keep them from boredom so they stay happy, and satisfied especially on their downtime.
*I like to add to this from time to time once I feel the toys are tried, and true from our experience with all of our dogs in our opinion!*
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Jolly Pets Teaser Ball-
Any Size! (8 "pictured) Our dogs have yet to destroy this or puncture it! They like carrying it around too. Below: Leia, playing with the Teaser Ball. 
Leia, pictured above.
Blinky Babble Ball - Medium or Large
This Babble Ball is loud, and obnoxious! BUT, our dogs love this thing! They have not cracked it. However, after about a month (with our 5 playing with it) It doesn't make all the sounds.
Chuckit! MAX GLOW-L/XL.
This particular "Chuckit! ball", and there are a few different ones, poses no threat of choking and glows in the dark. Our dogs absolutely love it! Jack walks around flexing his jaws on it, while it makes a funny popping noise with it being hollow and flexible with a hole on both ends, he seems to really like that, lol. As long as your puppy/adult does not begin to chew on the hole openings on either side, then it can be practically indestructible! 
Jack, with the Glow Ball
Nylabone Power Chew XL Dog Chew Toys for Aggressive Chewers
This one is pretty tough! 
Nylabone Dura Chew Ring Chicken Flavor
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Petstages Deer Horn Long Antler Lasting Chew-L.
This withstands their chewing and lasts for months with all of ours chewing it, as do the other types we've listed. When the bones get worn down where they could possibly swallow one, we throw them away. We also keep a spare in the car and in their crates.
This withstands their chewing and lasts for months with all of ours chewing it, as do the other types we've listed. When the bones get worn down where they could possibly swallow one, we throw them away. We also keep a spare in the car and in their crates.
Lexy and Jack
Nylabone Power Chew Galileo Chew Toy-L/XL
This is Super Durable!
This is Super Durable!
Pet Qwerks Dinosaur BarkBone Real Bacon Dog Chew Toy-XXL-XXXL
They LOVE This one, and lasts months with our pack of 5!
They LOVE This one, and lasts months with our pack of 5!
Lexy with the XXXL
Lexy
The Antler Box-Premium Elk Antler Dog Chews (1 lb Bulk Pack) -Both Whole and Split Antlers-Long Lasting Organic Chewing Toys Sourced from Naturally Shed Antlers in The USA
Elk Antlers have the most trace minerals.
We suggest sz L or XL
Elk Antlers have the most trace minerals.
We suggest sz L or XL
Plastic bottles without their caps or labels of course. They don't last long but they have a great time with them while it lasts, so keep an eye out for any signs of the plastic being punctured and then of course, THROW it away!
***See detailed Puppy Stages Progression Photos, Potty Training and Feeding***
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DOG TREATS AND DANGERS
TREATS: If you choose to buy any pet treats or foods made in China, you may be exposing your pet to serious danger. Some of the treats include: chicken jerky treats, chicken tenders, chicken strips, chicken treats and sweet potato treats. As a precaution, buy only food and treats made in the USA. Even though buying pet products made in the United States won’t eliminate all risk of ending up with tainted products, it can improve the chances of keeping your dog safe. Veterinarians are now reporting kidney problems linked to dogs consuming sweet potato and yam treats made in China. One of the types of rare kidney disorders is Fanconi’s Syndrome. If left untreated, Fanconi Syndrome can be fatal.
In 2007, the FDA become aware of an increasing number of ailments in pets associated from consuming Chinese produced jerky treats. Most of the complaints involved chicken jerky (treats, tenders and strips), but others include duck, sweet potato and treats where chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruits, sweet potatoes or yams. If your pet exhibits signs of distress after eating Chinese products, contact your veterinarian. It is advised that you save the treats and packaging for testing by the FDA to confirm or rule out if the product caused any disorder.
The FDA released a warning to dog owners informing them to avoid nonflavored and flavor basted dog bones. This was advised due to the fact of their potential harmful effects. Dog owners have reported that these bones caused gastrointestinal obstructions, blocked airways, internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea.
*Beware of Xylitol- Xylitol is reported to be 100 times more toxic to dogs than chocolate and causes an increase in insulin circulating through the dog's body. This may cause your dog's blood sugar to drop and lead to liver failure. Initial symptoms include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Eventually, the dog may have seizures and liver failure can occur within just a few days.
*Chocolate- Large amounts of chocolate and cocoa products can kill your dog. The toxic component found in chocolate is called Theobromine, which dog’s process much slower than humans and this causes a buildup of toxic levels in their system. Even just a small amount of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can cause symptoms such as staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, abdominal pain, arrhythmia, seizures, coma and death. Chocolate also contains very toxic substances called methylxanthines, which are stimulants that stop a dog’s metabolic process. If your dog does ingest chocolate, contact a veterinarian and Pet Poison Helpline ASAP! The signs of sickness may not be visible for several hours even with death following within 24 hours!
*Cinnamon- While cinnamon is not actually toxic to dogs, it’s probably best to avoid it. Cinnamon and its oils can irritate the inside of dogs’ mouths, making them uncomfortable and sick. It can lower a dog’s blood sugar too much and can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, increased, or decreased heart rate and even liver disease. If they inhale it in powder form, cinnamon can cause difficulty breathing, coughing and choking.
*Eggs- Raw egg whites can give dogs biotin deficiency, so be sure to consult the advice of a licensed veterinarian before giving them or any food/treats to your pet you may be unsure about, for their health and safety.
*Fruits and Vegetables…Fruits- grapes, raisins, cranberries, persimmons, peaches and plums are especially dangerous treats for your dog. The problem with these fruits is the seeds and pits. Seeds from persimmons can cause inflammation of the small intestine and cause intestinal obstruction. Also, obstruction or choking is a possibility if a dog eats the pit from a peach or plum. More importantly, peach and plum pits contain cyanide which is poisonous to both humans and dogs. The difference is that humans know not to eat them. Dogs, unfortunately, do not. Other toxic human foods to dogs are onions, yeast dough, artificial sweeteners, avocados, alcohol and coffee.
*Macadamia Nuts- This is one of the most poisonous foods for dogs. They can cause vomiting, increased body temperature, inability to walk and lethargy. Even worse, they can affect the dogs' nervous system.
*Garlic- Like onions, chives, leeks and garlic, is part is five times more toxic to dogs than the rest of the Allium plants. Garlic can create anemia in dogs, causing side effects such as pale gums, elevated heart rate, weakness and collapse. Poisoning from garlic and onions may have delayed symptoms, so if you think your dog may have eaten some, contact your veterinarian.
*Ice Cream- Dogs do not digest dairy very well, and some dogs have a slight intolerance to lactose, a sugar found in milk products.
*Table Scraps- Feeding table scraps can cause many health issues for your pet. Feeding dogs scraps of food from the dinner table damages the health of pets as canine digestive systems cannot process food in the same way as humans. Dogs’ digestive systems cannot process food in the same way as humans, meaning certain foods normally classed as healthy could be toxic for a dog. Oily and fatty foods can lead to severe health problems such as diarrhea, vomiting and pancreatitis. Even worse, there are several people foods that are highly toxic to animals. Onions or any food prepared with them, for instance, can be unsafe for dogs and should never be given. Fat trimmings, cooked or uncooked can be an obvious cause of obesity in dogs. Fat trimmed from meat can cause pancreatitis. This can be painful and cause loss of appetite, lethargy, and dehydration. Feeding cooked bones to your dog such as leftover chicken or pork chop bones etc. is extremely risky as cooked bones can become a choking hazard and could splinter causing punctures and lacerations internally. Some dogs that are constantly fed with table scraps have the tendency to become dependent on them. Dogs that eat table scraps could start refusing to eat their regular dog food. Aside from that, feeding your pets the scraps can also cause undesirable behaviors such as the sneaking of food off of your plate while your back is turned. Granted, most dogs if given the chance will do this anyway unless they have been properly trained. However, if they already have a taste for it, this may encourage the behavior along with begging, which both can become very annoying.
Click on the highlighted word, "Dogs Health" and on the PET MD logo below, for more in-depth information on this topic.
In 2007, the FDA become aware of an increasing number of ailments in pets associated from consuming Chinese produced jerky treats. Most of the complaints involved chicken jerky (treats, tenders and strips), but others include duck, sweet potato and treats where chicken or duck jerky is wrapped around dried fruits, sweet potatoes or yams. If your pet exhibits signs of distress after eating Chinese products, contact your veterinarian. It is advised that you save the treats and packaging for testing by the FDA to confirm or rule out if the product caused any disorder.
The FDA released a warning to dog owners informing them to avoid nonflavored and flavor basted dog bones. This was advised due to the fact of their potential harmful effects. Dog owners have reported that these bones caused gastrointestinal obstructions, blocked airways, internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhea.
*Beware of Xylitol- Xylitol is reported to be 100 times more toxic to dogs than chocolate and causes an increase in insulin circulating through the dog's body. This may cause your dog's blood sugar to drop and lead to liver failure. Initial symptoms include vomiting, lethargy and loss of coordination. Eventually, the dog may have seizures and liver failure can occur within just a few days.
*Chocolate- Large amounts of chocolate and cocoa products can kill your dog. The toxic component found in chocolate is called Theobromine, which dog’s process much slower than humans and this causes a buildup of toxic levels in their system. Even just a small amount of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, can cause symptoms such as staggering, labored breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, fever, heart rate increase, abdominal pain, arrhythmia, seizures, coma and death. Chocolate also contains very toxic substances called methylxanthines, which are stimulants that stop a dog’s metabolic process. If your dog does ingest chocolate, contact a veterinarian and Pet Poison Helpline ASAP! The signs of sickness may not be visible for several hours even with death following within 24 hours!
*Cinnamon- While cinnamon is not actually toxic to dogs, it’s probably best to avoid it. Cinnamon and its oils can irritate the inside of dogs’ mouths, making them uncomfortable and sick. It can lower a dog’s blood sugar too much and can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, increased, or decreased heart rate and even liver disease. If they inhale it in powder form, cinnamon can cause difficulty breathing, coughing and choking.
*Eggs- Raw egg whites can give dogs biotin deficiency, so be sure to consult the advice of a licensed veterinarian before giving them or any food/treats to your pet you may be unsure about, for their health and safety.
*Fruits and Vegetables…Fruits- grapes, raisins, cranberries, persimmons, peaches and plums are especially dangerous treats for your dog. The problem with these fruits is the seeds and pits. Seeds from persimmons can cause inflammation of the small intestine and cause intestinal obstruction. Also, obstruction or choking is a possibility if a dog eats the pit from a peach or plum. More importantly, peach and plum pits contain cyanide which is poisonous to both humans and dogs. The difference is that humans know not to eat them. Dogs, unfortunately, do not. Other toxic human foods to dogs are onions, yeast dough, artificial sweeteners, avocados, alcohol and coffee.
*Macadamia Nuts- This is one of the most poisonous foods for dogs. They can cause vomiting, increased body temperature, inability to walk and lethargy. Even worse, they can affect the dogs' nervous system.
*Garlic- Like onions, chives, leeks and garlic, is part is five times more toxic to dogs than the rest of the Allium plants. Garlic can create anemia in dogs, causing side effects such as pale gums, elevated heart rate, weakness and collapse. Poisoning from garlic and onions may have delayed symptoms, so if you think your dog may have eaten some, contact your veterinarian.
*Ice Cream- Dogs do not digest dairy very well, and some dogs have a slight intolerance to lactose, a sugar found in milk products.
*Table Scraps- Feeding table scraps can cause many health issues for your pet. Feeding dogs scraps of food from the dinner table damages the health of pets as canine digestive systems cannot process food in the same way as humans. Dogs’ digestive systems cannot process food in the same way as humans, meaning certain foods normally classed as healthy could be toxic for a dog. Oily and fatty foods can lead to severe health problems such as diarrhea, vomiting and pancreatitis. Even worse, there are several people foods that are highly toxic to animals. Onions or any food prepared with them, for instance, can be unsafe for dogs and should never be given. Fat trimmings, cooked or uncooked can be an obvious cause of obesity in dogs. Fat trimmed from meat can cause pancreatitis. This can be painful and cause loss of appetite, lethargy, and dehydration. Feeding cooked bones to your dog such as leftover chicken or pork chop bones etc. is extremely risky as cooked bones can become a choking hazard and could splinter causing punctures and lacerations internally. Some dogs that are constantly fed with table scraps have the tendency to become dependent on them. Dogs that eat table scraps could start refusing to eat their regular dog food. Aside from that, feeding your pets the scraps can also cause undesirable behaviors such as the sneaking of food off of your plate while your back is turned. Granted, most dogs if given the chance will do this anyway unless they have been properly trained. However, if they already have a taste for it, this may encourage the behavior along with begging, which both can become very annoying.
Click on the highlighted word, "Dogs Health" and on the PET MD logo below, for more in-depth information on this topic.
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There are so many poisonous plants out there, here is the link and the Top 10 Poisonous Plants to your pets!
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I wanted something unique. I thought Jack's coat looked similar to the color of moonshine. So, after doing a little searching, I came upon an article about moonshine. I found the legend behind the name to be very interesting! and that is how I came up with Jack's first name, Moonraker's.
: ) Thanks for reading!
Here's the article.
MOONRAKER, MOUNTAIN DEW, MOONSHINE, OR WHITE LIGHTNING?
: ) Thanks for reading!
Here's the article.
MOONRAKER, MOUNTAIN DEW, MOONSHINE, OR WHITE LIGHTNING?
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TEMPERAMENT:
Temperament is a function of genetics. It is inherited not developed. A dog's core temperament never changes. Some behaviors can be modified through training, but the temperament itself never changes. It's in their DNA. For example, a high energy dog is not going to learn to be a laid back low energy dog. But the dog can be taught to control his energy, to an extent. A dog with a rotten temperament will always be a dog with a rotten temperament no matter how wonderful the environment is. A dog with a sound, stable temperament will always be a sound, stable dog even in a miserable environment.
PERSONALITY:
Each dog has a personality, which is different than temperament. Personality is developed through interaction with other animals and primarily with people. A dog will not consider as a prey object, any living creature to which he is exposed to early as a puppy. Puppies who are raised in nurturing, enriched environments, tend to have well- developed personalities. Good early handling, socialization, and training will help develop desirable traits, but those traits have to be there. However, this does not change their temperament.
We begin handling our puppies from birth, rubbing their feet, ears, and tail, handling their mouths and turning them over as they mature. We start their socialization along with introducing them to our friends and family, the other animals here, different surfaces and sounds. We believe this is vital in developing each puppy's trust and personality and should continue long after they leave us and our home to be with their new families.
Temperament is a function of genetics. It is inherited not developed. A dog's core temperament never changes. Some behaviors can be modified through training, but the temperament itself never changes. It's in their DNA. For example, a high energy dog is not going to learn to be a laid back low energy dog. But the dog can be taught to control his energy, to an extent. A dog with a rotten temperament will always be a dog with a rotten temperament no matter how wonderful the environment is. A dog with a sound, stable temperament will always be a sound, stable dog even in a miserable environment.
PERSONALITY:
Each dog has a personality, which is different than temperament. Personality is developed through interaction with other animals and primarily with people. A dog will not consider as a prey object, any living creature to which he is exposed to early as a puppy. Puppies who are raised in nurturing, enriched environments, tend to have well- developed personalities. Good early handling, socialization, and training will help develop desirable traits, but those traits have to be there. However, this does not change their temperament.
We begin handling our puppies from birth, rubbing their feet, ears, and tail, handling their mouths and turning them over as they mature. We start their socialization along with introducing them to our friends and family, the other animals here, different surfaces and sounds. We believe this is vital in developing each puppy's trust and personality and should continue long after they leave us and our home to be with their new families.
This website is best viewed on a PC.
MERLE AND BRINDLE COLOR GENETICS
Note: We absolutely do not condone breeding just for color!
The Merle aka Dapple is a pattern and not a color in a dog's coat, and is usually a solid base color of black or red/brown with lighter blue/gray or reddish patches, giving a watercolor effect, and an uneven speckled or mottled appearance.
What Causes Merle?
Merle is carried by a genetical change in the Silver-Gene (SILV, Pmel17). This is a mobile genetical element (Retrotransposon), which lies within the SILV-Gene and interrupts its functionality. The merle color responsible for the defect SILV-Gene is named with M while the normal SILV-Gene is named with m. The merle originates in dogs that carry this mutant version of a SILV-Gene heterozygous (Mm). The defect SILV-Gene (M) shows an imperfectly dominant heredity.
Double Merle Breeding -
The breeding of two dogs both having merle coats is defined as: Double-Merling or Merle-to-Merle. The resulting offspring are known as being: Double-Merle, Double-Merled or Double-Dappled.
We do not condone this type of breeding and consider it as Irresponsible, Unethical and "Quick Sells" methodology. Breeding just for color with no regard for the betterment of the breed.
This type of pairing assures a merle coat pattern with most or all of the litter. Each puppy has a 25 % chance of inheriting the double-merle gene. Genetically, here are just some of the side effects that may be inherited by the offspring: Disfigurement such as blindness, various ocular abnormalities, having one eye or no eyes whatsoever, and different levels of congenital deafness or a combination of these malformations.
Definitions of the Merle Gene-
mm - Non-merle.
Mm - Merle.
MM - Double-merle
M(c)m - Non-merle (heterozygote, cryptical merle)
heterozygote- A pair of genes where one is dominant and one is recessive-they're different. Like all words with the prefix hetero, this has to do with things that are different - specifically, genes If you inherited the same gene from both parents, it's homozygous - the same.
M(c)M(c) -
Non-merle (homozygote, cryptical“ merle)
homozygotes- An organism with identical pairs of genes with respect to any given pair of hereditary characters and therefore breeding true for that character.
Origin of homozygote.
M(c)M -
Merle (heterozygote, cryptical merle)
Due to the unstable and variable nature of the merle gene, sometimes merles have patches that are only partially diluted and are between the base and the patch color. These are known as dilute spots, and they may sometimes appear brownish. Harlequin is a modified type of merle where the areas between the patches are diluted completely to white.
Dilute spots don't have anything at all to do with the Dilution gene (d) and are just a normal variation of the merle pattern.
Dogs which carry the merle-gene (Mm; one normal and one mutant gene) will give the merle gene with a similarity of 50% to their offspring.
Definition of Allele -
Alleles are forms of the same gene with minimal differences in their sequence of DNA bases.
Hidden Merle -
Hidden Merles are merle dogs who do not exhibit any merle pattern because their coat color does not show the pattern (Merling is not normally shown in red, gold, fawn and cream coat colors). The hidden merle can be distinguished only by a genetic test.
Cryptic Merle: aka "Phantom" or "Ghost" Merles have little, if any, visible merling because their patching is so heavy. Sometimes a recessive red merle will have blue or partially blue eyes, but otherwise, there may be no indication that the merle gene is present, in some cases it is not visible at all. The dog can have only small patches aka "points" of merle, for example, at the base of their tail or ear, or the merle coloration can be hidden by white markings. Assumable, these dogs carry a specific shorter mobile element in the SILV-Gene, sometimes one copy, sometimes two, a stable genetical reversion, which means a spontaneous loss of the disposition merle (M) in the offspring of merle gene carrying dogs is documented in the medical literature by a percentage of 3-4 %. Unlike regular merled dogs the cryptic merle dogs have no serious health problems that are connected with the regular (not shortened) merle allele as described. They apparently have no eye or hearing problems. Dogs with two copies of the cryptic merle gene (Mc/Mc genotype) or dogs with one cryptic merle copy and one regular merle copy (M/Mc genotype) have no health problems. The correct description of cryptic merle is a problem when registering the dog. These dogs appear like normal colored dogs.
The other main way that merle can be hidden is through the recessive red allele ee. Recessive red dogs are unable to produce any eumelanin pigment. The most common type is eumelanin, of which there are two types—brown eumelanin and black eumelanin. Pheomelanin is a cysteine that contains a red polymer of benzothiazine units largely responsible for red hair, among other pigmentation in their coat, making them solid red (phaeomelanin). Phaeomelanin cannot be merled, not in a heterozygous merle. A recessive red dog with the merle allele will just appear to be a normal clear red. Even if it's rare, but there are dogs which do not show the merle color but still carry the merle gene and when bred their offspring can be merle.
Note: We absolutely do not condone breeding just for color!
The Merle aka Dapple is a pattern and not a color in a dog's coat, and is usually a solid base color of black or red/brown with lighter blue/gray or reddish patches, giving a watercolor effect, and an uneven speckled or mottled appearance.
What Causes Merle?
Merle is carried by a genetical change in the Silver-Gene (SILV, Pmel17). This is a mobile genetical element (Retrotransposon), which lies within the SILV-Gene and interrupts its functionality. The merle color responsible for the defect SILV-Gene is named with M while the normal SILV-Gene is named with m. The merle originates in dogs that carry this mutant version of a SILV-Gene heterozygous (Mm). The defect SILV-Gene (M) shows an imperfectly dominant heredity.
Double Merle Breeding -
The breeding of two dogs both having merle coats is defined as: Double-Merling or Merle-to-Merle. The resulting offspring are known as being: Double-Merle, Double-Merled or Double-Dappled.
We do not condone this type of breeding and consider it as Irresponsible, Unethical and "Quick Sells" methodology. Breeding just for color with no regard for the betterment of the breed.
This type of pairing assures a merle coat pattern with most or all of the litter. Each puppy has a 25 % chance of inheriting the double-merle gene. Genetically, here are just some of the side effects that may be inherited by the offspring: Disfigurement such as blindness, various ocular abnormalities, having one eye or no eyes whatsoever, and different levels of congenital deafness or a combination of these malformations.
Definitions of the Merle Gene-
mm - Non-merle.
Mm - Merle.
MM - Double-merle
M(c)m - Non-merle (heterozygote, cryptical merle)
heterozygote- A pair of genes where one is dominant and one is recessive-they're different. Like all words with the prefix hetero, this has to do with things that are different - specifically, genes If you inherited the same gene from both parents, it's homozygous - the same.
M(c)M(c) -
Non-merle (homozygote, cryptical“ merle)
homozygotes- An organism with identical pairs of genes with respect to any given pair of hereditary characters and therefore breeding true for that character.
Origin of homozygote.
M(c)M -
Merle (heterozygote, cryptical merle)
Due to the unstable and variable nature of the merle gene, sometimes merles have patches that are only partially diluted and are between the base and the patch color. These are known as dilute spots, and they may sometimes appear brownish. Harlequin is a modified type of merle where the areas between the patches are diluted completely to white.
Dilute spots don't have anything at all to do with the Dilution gene (d) and are just a normal variation of the merle pattern.
Dogs which carry the merle-gene (Mm; one normal and one mutant gene) will give the merle gene with a similarity of 50% to their offspring.
Definition of Allele -
Alleles are forms of the same gene with minimal differences in their sequence of DNA bases.
Hidden Merle -
Hidden Merles are merle dogs who do not exhibit any merle pattern because their coat color does not show the pattern (Merling is not normally shown in red, gold, fawn and cream coat colors). The hidden merle can be distinguished only by a genetic test.
Cryptic Merle: aka "Phantom" or "Ghost" Merles have little, if any, visible merling because their patching is so heavy. Sometimes a recessive red merle will have blue or partially blue eyes, but otherwise, there may be no indication that the merle gene is present, in some cases it is not visible at all. The dog can have only small patches aka "points" of merle, for example, at the base of their tail or ear, or the merle coloration can be hidden by white markings. Assumable, these dogs carry a specific shorter mobile element in the SILV-Gene, sometimes one copy, sometimes two, a stable genetical reversion, which means a spontaneous loss of the disposition merle (M) in the offspring of merle gene carrying dogs is documented in the medical literature by a percentage of 3-4 %. Unlike regular merled dogs the cryptic merle dogs have no serious health problems that are connected with the regular (not shortened) merle allele as described. They apparently have no eye or hearing problems. Dogs with two copies of the cryptic merle gene (Mc/Mc genotype) or dogs with one cryptic merle copy and one regular merle copy (M/Mc genotype) have no health problems. The correct description of cryptic merle is a problem when registering the dog. These dogs appear like normal colored dogs.
The other main way that merle can be hidden is through the recessive red allele ee. Recessive red dogs are unable to produce any eumelanin pigment. The most common type is eumelanin, of which there are two types—brown eumelanin and black eumelanin. Pheomelanin is a cysteine that contains a red polymer of benzothiazine units largely responsible for red hair, among other pigmentation in their coat, making them solid red (phaeomelanin). Phaeomelanin cannot be merled, not in a heterozygous merle. A recessive red dog with the merle allele will just appear to be a normal clear red. Even if it's rare, but there are dogs which do not show the merle color but still carry the merle gene and when bred their offspring can be merle.
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This Cryptic Merle (merle only visible going across her right shoulder blade) Alapaha puppy pictured above, displays a butterfly nose with a blue right eye and the left eye is referred to as a "split eye". The "split eye" has some blue in it and the rest is brown or amber.
How Merle Effects the Eyes and Nose -
The random coat dilution caused by merle can also affects the eyes and nose. The eyes can be completely or partially blue. Split eyes vary from mostly blue to mostly brown or amber. Walleyes, technically known as heterochromia, are when a dog has one blue eye and one brown or amber eye. Other terms for the various eye coloration includes marbled, fleck, odd-eyed, and glass-eyed which is solid blue.
The nose may be completely pink or partially pink, known as a "butterfly" nose in merles. Not all merles have blue eyes or butterfly noses. Merles with heavily dark patching are more likely to have normal eyes and nose pigmentation.
Possible Genotype Combinations -
Parent 1
Parent 2
Offspring
mm = non-merle
mm = non-merle
(Non-Merle) 100 % of these dogs are mm- Carry the full pigment coating of the fur.
A solid black (no merle), is mm and can only give her pups a solid color gene.
mm = non-merle
Mm = merle
50 % of these dogs are Mm = merle
50 % of these dogs are mm = non-merle - Carry the full pigment coating of the fur
mm = non-merle
MM = double-Merle
100% of these dogs are Mm = merle
Mm = merle
25 % of these dogs are mm = no merle - Carry the full pigment coating of the fur
50 % of these dogs are Mm = merle
25 % of these dogs are MM = double merle
(Merle x Merle) - This is the litter where the double merle pups show up. You will get solid color pups since each parent still carries a solid gene.
CR/CR = Double Cryptic Dog carries two copies of the Cryptic "CR" allele.
m/CR = Merle Dog has one copy of the Cryptic "CR" allele and one negative "m" copy of Merle allele. The dog can pass either allele on to any offspring.
m/m = Negative Dog is negative for Cryptic "C" allele. The dog will always pass on a negative copy of the Merle allele to all offspring.
M/CR = Merle/Cryptic Dog carries one copy of the dominant "M" allele and one Cryptic Merle allele. The dog is considered a Merle and carries Cryptic Merle. The dog can pass either allele on to any offspring.
All Genes Come In Pairs -
Genes can be "dominant" or "recessive." A dominant G gene is always visible, no matter what it is paired with. A recessive G gene is only visible when the other half of the pair is the same recessive (homozygous G).
Dominant genes are not always "good" and recessive genes are not always "bad" (nor is the opposite true).
Merle (M) is dominant to solid (m).
Black (B) is dominant to red (b), and there is no visual clue to know if a black dog is carrying a red gene (although there is a DNA test that can be done).
Merle is a single gene. It can be combined with another merle gene (creating a double merle dog), or a solid gene (creating a normal merle).
Health -
Merle can cause lack of pigment in certain vital areas such as the eyes and inner ears. Most heterozygous merles have plenty of pigment because they still have an m (non-merle) allele to help them to make it, but double merles often have large white areas where there is no pigment produced at all.
Dogs which carry the heterozygous mutant version of the SILV-Gene (MM, Double Merle) are mostly colored white or have great white areas on their body. These kinds of dogs can have very severe damage internally, as well as malformations to the eyes which can cause blindness, damage to the internal ear which can lead to deafness.
Genotype -
Term coined by Danish botanist, plant physiologist and geneticist Wilhelm Johannsen in 1903 - is the part (DNA sequence) of the genetic makeup of a cell. Therefore, of an organism or individual, which determines a specific characteristic (phenotype) of that cell/organism/individual.
Phenotype -
(Physically Visible) - (from Greek phainein, meaning 'to show and typos meaning 'type') is the composite of an organism's observable characteristics or traits, such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior.
Brindle (DDKK) -
Brindle is a coat pattern and not a color, and has a wild-type allele which is the product of at least two recessive genes and is rare. Many red breeds carry the brindle gene but it is not expressed unless the animal has a wild-type allele. Dogs must inherit the recessive brindle gene, usually from both parents that visibly show this pattern, or both having it close within their heritage for the brindle to be outwardly expressed. Sometimes, brindle is not that noticeable. The gene might cause the dog to be brindled all over or just points such as around their ears or base of their tail.
Fawn, blue, harlequin, brindle, chocolate and piebald are all recessive genes that can be carried in any color. The brindle can also carry unseen colors. Merle and black are dominant genes. A blue merle has two blue genes as well as one merle but can carry others as well. Read more on Brindle.
K-locus -
Dominant Black - Description: Coat coloration is controlled by several different genes in dogs. Dominant black is due to a mutation in a Beta defensin gene (CBD103). This gene fawn colors in certain breeds.
KB/KB -
The dog carries two copies of the dominant "KB" allele. The dog will not have fawn offspring. The dog will always pass on a copy of the "KB" allele to all offspring.
KB/n -
One copy of the dominant black allele was detected. The agouti phenotype will be altered and in some breeds can result in brindle. The dog could pass on this allele, or either the brindle or fawn allele, to any offspring.
n/n -
The dog does not carry the dominant black mutation. The dog's coat color will be determined by the agouti gene and may pass on brindle or non-brindle.
The dominant black gene consists of three different alleles or variants. The first allele, which is dominant, is notated as "KB," or dominant black. The dominant black allele is actually a mutation that reduces or eliminates the expression of the agouti gene. Because this mutation is dominant, a dog only needs to have one copy of the mutation to affect the agouti locus.
The second allele is known as the "brindling" allele and is represented as "Kbr." The Kbr allele is a separate mutation that still allows the agouti gene to be expressed but causes brindling of the agouti patterns. The agouti gene represents several different colors, such as fawn/sable, tricolor, tan points, or recessive black. The Kbr allele is recessive to the KB allele however, it is dominant over a third allele, Ky.
The third allele is represented as "Ky". This allele allows the agouti gene to be expressed without brindling. When a dog is Ky/Ky at the K-locus, the agouti locus determines the dog's coat color. For example, a dog that is Ay/Ayat the agouti locus could be fawn/sable. If that same dog is KB/KB at the K-locus, the agouti locus will be hidden, and his coloration will be determined at the B and E loci. However, if that same dog is Ky/Ky at the K locus, he will then be able to express agouti and will be fawn/sable.
At this time, there is no direct test for the "Kbr" allele, although it can generally be inferred through testing for the presence of the dominant black allele, as well as through phenotypes of the parents and offspring. Testing for the dominant black mutation determines if the dog is able to express agouti phenotypes. However, it is limited in that it will not tell you if the dog will pass on brindle.
D-Locus = (Dilute Coat Color)- Chocolate Dilute Basic Color Description
B/B or B/bD/D = Black
B/B or B/bd/d = Blue
b/bD/D = Liver/Chocolate
b/bd/d = Lilac
e/eD/D =Yellow
e/ed/d = Champagne
This Cryptic Merle (merle only visible going across her right shoulder blade) Alapaha puppy pictured above, displays a butterfly nose with a blue right eye and the left eye is referred to as a "split eye". The "split eye" has some blue in it and the rest is brown or amber.
How Merle Effects the Eyes and Nose -
The random coat dilution caused by merle can also affects the eyes and nose. The eyes can be completely or partially blue. Split eyes vary from mostly blue to mostly brown or amber. Walleyes, technically known as heterochromia, are when a dog has one blue eye and one brown or amber eye. Other terms for the various eye coloration includes marbled, fleck, odd-eyed, and glass-eyed which is solid blue.
The nose may be completely pink or partially pink, known as a "butterfly" nose in merles. Not all merles have blue eyes or butterfly noses. Merles with heavily dark patching are more likely to have normal eyes and nose pigmentation.
Possible Genotype Combinations -
Parent 1
Parent 2
Offspring
mm = non-merle
mm = non-merle
(Non-Merle) 100 % of these dogs are mm- Carry the full pigment coating of the fur.
A solid black (no merle), is mm and can only give her pups a solid color gene.
mm = non-merle
Mm = merle
50 % of these dogs are Mm = merle
50 % of these dogs are mm = non-merle - Carry the full pigment coating of the fur
mm = non-merle
MM = double-Merle
100% of these dogs are Mm = merle
Mm = merle
25 % of these dogs are mm = no merle - Carry the full pigment coating of the fur
50 % of these dogs are Mm = merle
25 % of these dogs are MM = double merle
(Merle x Merle) - This is the litter where the double merle pups show up. You will get solid color pups since each parent still carries a solid gene.
CR/CR = Double Cryptic Dog carries two copies of the Cryptic "CR" allele.
m/CR = Merle Dog has one copy of the Cryptic "CR" allele and one negative "m" copy of Merle allele. The dog can pass either allele on to any offspring.
m/m = Negative Dog is negative for Cryptic "C" allele. The dog will always pass on a negative copy of the Merle allele to all offspring.
M/CR = Merle/Cryptic Dog carries one copy of the dominant "M" allele and one Cryptic Merle allele. The dog is considered a Merle and carries Cryptic Merle. The dog can pass either allele on to any offspring.
All Genes Come In Pairs -
Genes can be "dominant" or "recessive." A dominant G gene is always visible, no matter what it is paired with. A recessive G gene is only visible when the other half of the pair is the same recessive (homozygous G).
Dominant genes are not always "good" and recessive genes are not always "bad" (nor is the opposite true).
Merle (M) is dominant to solid (m).
Black (B) is dominant to red (b), and there is no visual clue to know if a black dog is carrying a red gene (although there is a DNA test that can be done).
Merle is a single gene. It can be combined with another merle gene (creating a double merle dog), or a solid gene (creating a normal merle).
Health -
Merle can cause lack of pigment in certain vital areas such as the eyes and inner ears. Most heterozygous merles have plenty of pigment because they still have an m (non-merle) allele to help them to make it, but double merles often have large white areas where there is no pigment produced at all.
Dogs which carry the heterozygous mutant version of the SILV-Gene (MM, Double Merle) are mostly colored white or have great white areas on their body. These kinds of dogs can have very severe damage internally, as well as malformations to the eyes which can cause blindness, damage to the internal ear which can lead to deafness.
Genotype -
Term coined by Danish botanist, plant physiologist and geneticist Wilhelm Johannsen in 1903 - is the part (DNA sequence) of the genetic makeup of a cell. Therefore, of an organism or individual, which determines a specific characteristic (phenotype) of that cell/organism/individual.
Phenotype -
(Physically Visible) - (from Greek phainein, meaning 'to show and typos meaning 'type') is the composite of an organism's observable characteristics or traits, such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior.
Brindle (DDKK) -
Brindle is a coat pattern and not a color, and has a wild-type allele which is the product of at least two recessive genes and is rare. Many red breeds carry the brindle gene but it is not expressed unless the animal has a wild-type allele. Dogs must inherit the recessive brindle gene, usually from both parents that visibly show this pattern, or both having it close within their heritage for the brindle to be outwardly expressed. Sometimes, brindle is not that noticeable. The gene might cause the dog to be brindled all over or just points such as around their ears or base of their tail.
Fawn, blue, harlequin, brindle, chocolate and piebald are all recessive genes that can be carried in any color. The brindle can also carry unseen colors. Merle and black are dominant genes. A blue merle has two blue genes as well as one merle but can carry others as well. Read more on Brindle.
K-locus -
Dominant Black - Description: Coat coloration is controlled by several different genes in dogs. Dominant black is due to a mutation in a Beta defensin gene (CBD103). This gene fawn colors in certain breeds.
KB/KB -
The dog carries two copies of the dominant "KB" allele. The dog will not have fawn offspring. The dog will always pass on a copy of the "KB" allele to all offspring.
KB/n -
One copy of the dominant black allele was detected. The agouti phenotype will be altered and in some breeds can result in brindle. The dog could pass on this allele, or either the brindle or fawn allele, to any offspring.
n/n -
The dog does not carry the dominant black mutation. The dog's coat color will be determined by the agouti gene and may pass on brindle or non-brindle.
The dominant black gene consists of three different alleles or variants. The first allele, which is dominant, is notated as "KB," or dominant black. The dominant black allele is actually a mutation that reduces or eliminates the expression of the agouti gene. Because this mutation is dominant, a dog only needs to have one copy of the mutation to affect the agouti locus.
The second allele is known as the "brindling" allele and is represented as "Kbr." The Kbr allele is a separate mutation that still allows the agouti gene to be expressed but causes brindling of the agouti patterns. The agouti gene represents several different colors, such as fawn/sable, tricolor, tan points, or recessive black. The Kbr allele is recessive to the KB allele however, it is dominant over a third allele, Ky.
The third allele is represented as "Ky". This allele allows the agouti gene to be expressed without brindling. When a dog is Ky/Ky at the K-locus, the agouti locus determines the dog's coat color. For example, a dog that is Ay/Ayat the agouti locus could be fawn/sable. If that same dog is KB/KB at the K-locus, the agouti locus will be hidden, and his coloration will be determined at the B and E loci. However, if that same dog is Ky/Ky at the K locus, he will then be able to express agouti and will be fawn/sable.
At this time, there is no direct test for the "Kbr" allele, although it can generally be inferred through testing for the presence of the dominant black allele, as well as through phenotypes of the parents and offspring. Testing for the dominant black mutation determines if the dog is able to express agouti phenotypes. However, it is limited in that it will not tell you if the dog will pass on brindle.
D-Locus = (Dilute Coat Color)- Chocolate Dilute Basic Color Description
B/B or B/bD/D = Black
B/B or B/bd/d = Blue
b/bD/D = Liver/Chocolate
b/bd/d = Lilac
e/eD/D =Yellow
e/ed/d = Champagne
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