Blog Archives for the year 2013

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, or Test for Narcolepsy?

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, or Test for Narcolepsy?

If I could be a dog for a week, I think I would enjoy sleeping the most. I’ve occasionally found myself jealous of my little terrier mix, snoring away as I wipe the sleep from my eyes in an attempt to get my day started. On his back, with all four legs in the air and dreams of rawhides in his head, he frequently reminds me that life doesn’t always have to be such a rat race. While both dogs and humans tend to share their appreciation for a little “R and R”, there are many conditions where sleep is no longer just a common necessity, but a frustrating burden. Whether it’s an inability to sleep or an inability to stay awake, most people with sleep disorders will attest to the overall decrease in life quality due to their sleep disturbance. One such troubling disorder that we share in common with our dogs is narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a rare condition marked by excessive daytime sleepiness frequently accompanied by a phenomenon known as cataplexy. Cataplexy is a non-painful recurring condition caused by acute episodes of decreased muscle function leading to a variable clinical presentation from mild muscle weakness to complete collapse ...

A New Year’s Tip: Sampling a new litter for genetic testing

A New Year’s Tip:  Sampling a new litter for genetic testing

Paw Print Genetics often gets asked about an optimal time to swab a new litter of puppies. When reviewing these tips, please keep in mind that it can take up to two weeks to obtain results once Paw Print Genetics has received the swabs.  Therefore, allow plenty of time for the laboratory to process your samples before promising a specific date that the puppy can join its new home.

Puppies and dogs can be tested at any age. However, it is a good idea to allow the puppies to stabilize after birth, bond with their mother, and demonstrate that they can feed and grow before testing.  You do not have to wait until the puppies are weaned; once the puppies are stable and thriving, they can be swabbed.  For puppies that are not weaned, the puppies should be separated from their mother for at least two hours prior to swabbing. This is to ensure we get the DNA of the puppy instead of the mom's DNA. During this time, they should have plenty of water and should not be allowed food to avoid contamination of samples. Once the swabbing is completed, the pups can rejoin their ...

Breed of the Week: Labrador Retriever

Breed of the Week: Labrador Retriever

The quintessential hunting, service and family dog, the Labrador retriever has been the most popular dog in the United States since 1991, according to AKC registration statistics. It’s also the most registered breed of dog in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The affable and even-tempered Labrador is an intelligent dog that’s quick to mature – in the sense that it can begin advanced training and understand concepts at a fairly young age – and willing to please its owner.

Originating on the island of Newfoundland in Canada, modern-day Labs descend from a now-extinct breed known as the St. John’s water dog; similar to but smaller and with shorter hair than the Newfoundland breed of dog. St. John’s water dogs were used by fishermen to retrieve nets and haul lines between vessels, as well as for waterfowl hunting. The dogs were brought back to Poole, England, then a hub of new-world fishing and were developed into the modern Labrador. They were then returned to North America and have been a mainstay ever since.

Medium to large in size, weighing between 60 and 80 pounds on average, Labs should have a broad, somewhat blocky head with hazel or brown ...

Canine Care When Arctic Temps Hit

Canine Care When Arctic Temps Hit

The first week of December saw an arctic front blanket much of the country with subzero temperatures, snow and ice. Travelers were stranded in airports for days, household pipes were frozen and children left the house in multi-hued layers of clothing. It’s only December, and there’s a high likelihood of another arctic blast or two hitting before the end of February.

While it’s natural to protect our children from the discomfort of freezing temperatures, our dogs feel the temperature change, too. When it comes to canines, there are a few simple precautions you can take to protect them at home and in the field.

Provide proper shelter: If your dog spends his day outside (and hunting dogs should spend some time outdoors to acclimate to dropping temps), he needs shelter from the elements – snow, rain, wind, sun, heat and cold. A dog house with insulation of some sort is all that’s required. Canines have evolved to keep themselves warm, so just giving them a spot to get off the cold ground, some blankets or hay to nest in and a roof over their head is all that is required.

You can augment the basics with heat sources such as mats ...

The Mystery of Canine Bloat

The Mystery of Canine Bloat

Seeing a dog with a distended stomach, unproductive attempts at vomiting, weakness, and rapid, strained breathing is sure to strike fear into the heart of any dog breeder or owner. These classic signs of gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV) or “bloat” as it is colloquially known, are the worst enemy of anyone who has experienced this traumatic, life-threatening condition that often affects otherwise healthy dogs. The significance of the heartbreak caused by this disease has been made obvious to me by the numerous clients that have inquired about genetic testing for this condition at Paw Print Genetics. Though many suspects have been implicated in the cause of GDV in our dogs, unfortunately no single risk factor, including a genetic mutation, can adequately explain the lion’s share of cases at this point. With an estimated 21-24% chance of large and giant breed dogs developing GDV within their lifetime (Broome and Walsh 2003), it is no surprise that people would love to find an easy, low-cost and predictable way to prevent this disease.

GDV is a condition marked by rotation of the stomach on the upper end near the esophagus. This rotation closes off the opening between the stomach and esophagus, thus ...

Breed of the Week: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Breed of the Week: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

A medium-sized retriever, the Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever is a hunting dog that is used in a most unique manner. Instead of sitting steady in the duck blind and waiting for the gunner to drop birds, the toller is an active participant in the hunt.

While the hunter remains hidden in the blind, tollers work the shoreline, darting in and out of the brush. Waterfowl, their curiosity piqued by the motion and the flashing white patches on the toller’s reddish coat, come closer to investigate. At that point, the hunter rises from his hiding spot, causing the ducks to flush. After the gunner drops the birds, the toller swims out and retrieves the waterfowl and delivers them to the hunter’s hand.

Originating, not surprisingly, in Nova Scotia, Canada, the toller was developed in the early 19th Century. It’s the smallest of the retriever breeds and is often mistaken for the more common golden retriever. The origins are unknown, but likely consist of a red decoy dog of some sort brought to the new world by settlers and then mixed with spaniel, setter and retrievers, as well as perhaps some type of collie, according to the AKC. It was originally known ...

Feeding Your Hunting Dog During Winter

Feeding Your Hunting Dog During Winter

Hard-working dogs have special dietary needs the average pet will never require. At no time do those demands become more evident than after your early season hotspot turns into a frozen wasteland. To keep your four-footed athlete healthy, happy and pounding the ground in sub-zero temps, follow these tips:

Tailor Consumption
Field work, especially for upland dogs, demands large amounts of energy. Winter weather only exacerbates that burden and necessitates the need for more calories—what kept your dog going in October won’t cut it in December. Brian Zanghi, a nutritionist with Purina, stresses the need to modify rations to maintain ideal body condition. “Each dog is an individual so each owner must make those individual changes to their diet,” he said. “Experiment by increasing their feed by a half-cup and keep adjusting accordingly.”

Feed Performance Formulas
When it comes to energy consumption, calories count and fat and protein calories are the kings. In addition to providing a host of physiological benefits that keep your dog optimally primed, performance formulas contain the highest amounts of fat and protein and are therefore the most calorically dense kibble available. In short, your dog will get more energy from each bite and ...

Breed of the Week: Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Breed of the Week: Chesapeake Bay Retriever

The only retriever developed exclusively in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay retriever embodies the work ethic and hardiness of the American spirit at a time when the new country was first being settled.

Developed from two Newfoundlands (or perhaps St. Johns water dogs) rescued from a sinking brigantine off the coast of Maryland, Chessie ancestry likely includes flat- and curly-coated retrievers, perhaps spaniels and probably hounds from the local area. This combination of water-loving breeds with strong scenting ability produced a thick-coated and persistent working dog. And work they did.

The Chessie’s primary duty in the early 1800s was that of waterfowl retriever – which remains true today. They were used extensively by market hunters, who with their large punt guns could decimate flocks of ducks and geese, which the retrievers picked up – sometimes hundreds in a single day. Legend has it that Chesapeake Bay retrievers were dual-use dogs – they retrieved waterfowl by day and guarded the boats, guns and day’s haul at night while the market hunters caroused in waterfront saloons – and this is what has led to stereotyped traits in the modern breed (one-man dogs, strong guarding instincts, apt to bite, etc.). While market ...

Breed of the Week: English Springer Spaniel

Breed of the Week: English Springer Spaniel

A medium-sized gun dog that is affectionate and eager to please, the English springer spaniel was the foundation stock for several other spaniel breeds, including the clumber, Welsh, Irish water and field spaniels. However, the breed it is most closely related to is the English cocker spaniel.

At one time, both springers and cockers were born in the same litter, the main difference being size – larger springers were used to flush (or “spring”) and retrieve all manner of game birds while the smaller cockers were used primarily for woodcock hunting (both breed names were derived from their hunting styles). As the two breeds developed, the differences became more pronounced, and in 1902 the springer was recognized as its own breed in England and in America in 1910.

The breed standard dictates that springers stand approximately 20 inches in height and weigh between 40 and 50 pounds. As with many breeds, a split has occurred that has created differences in those dogs used for working in the field and those shown in the conformation ring. This split is perhaps the most evident of all breeds and has been evident for at least 70 years. Working field dogs tend to be ...

Hunters Spend Big Money on Their Sport ... and Dogs

Hunters Spend Big Money on Their Sport ... and Dogs

Hunters spend big bucks on their passion. Seriously, big bucks. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, hunting’s economic impact surpasses Google’s revenue ($38.3 billion dollars in 2011, compared to $37.9 billion) and supports more than 680,000 jobs. Hunting-dog owners are a big piece of that economic impact.

Well-bred field dogs average in the realm of $500 to $1,000, and this upfront cost is the least of your worries when it comes to caring for a dog. The AKC estimates that more than $2,000 is spent on one-time expenditures (crate, bowls, etc.) and that on average their members spend approximately $2,500 per year, per dog.

At first glance, that might seem extraordinarily high, but for hunters and competitors, it’s probably on the low side.

Professional trainers worth their salt average $550 to $650 per month. If you choose to use a pro trainer, you’re looking at a minimum of three months of board and training. Not a whole lot can be conditioned in and built upon in less than that time, unless you’re just going for a preseason tune-up or obedience training. In three to six months of training, you’re already knocking on or ...