DogWellNet.com Digest: Issue #21 - 20 December 2018

News & Highlights

Breeds

• Breed of the Month

★ This Month's Breed is the Finnish Spitz ★

Research studies, feature articles, videos, Breed Standard information, clubs, and more...

Recent research: Origins and wanderings of the Finnish hunting spitzes - Pohjoismäki JLO, Lampi S, Donner J, Anderson H (2018) Origins and wanderings of the Finnish hunting spitzes. PLoS ONE 13(6): e0199992. Supporting Information

Article: MyDogDNA® contributes to the understanding of the breed history and diversity of the Finnish national dog...

And at the Finnish Canine Museum, don't miss the history of the Finnish Spitz  and The Finnish Spitz barks in the cultural history as a symbol of Finnishness.

Check out the electronic archive: Suomen Pystykorvajärjestö • Finska Spetsklubben ry. which offers a collection of published issues as PDFs, dated from 2014 to  as early as 2002. (Publication written in Finnish)

A Breed History Project - Suomen Kennelliitto - As a result of the project that has been mapping the history of Suomenpystykorva, the breeding database is being supplemented with a total of 88,430 Finnish puppy pedigrees from Finland since the beginning of the registration. Registration data from Sweden and Norway supplement the pedigrees of Finnish dogs...

Check out the Finnish Spitz!!!

• New information for the following breeds has been added to our Pedigreed Breeds database:

Miniature Dachshund

We are very pleased to see the work being done by the Dachshund Breed Council - see information on Nationwide genetic testing towards eliminating Lafora disease from Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds in the United Kingdom and an analysis of the latest Mini Wire Lafora Registration statistics (from the Autumn 2018 Breed Records Supplement).
 

Scottish Deerhound

Large rough coated dogs of greyhound type have been known in Scotland for at least 500 years. Early in its history the breed was called the Scottish Wolfdog but as the wolf population began to disappear it was developed as a deer coursing breed.
Source: The Kennel Club (UK)

Articles

• Great Britain - October 1st, 2018 - New Dog Breeding Regulation
• Take a closer look at the new Regulations pertaining to licensing  in England - the article summarizes recent changes to regulations that impact dog breeders and other dog related businesses. Guidance documents for business owners and local authorities cover concepts to improve the welfare of dogs. A link to The Kennel Club's Summary of these new Regulations is available.
•  
• Health conscious breeding, the role of genetic testing and the importance of genetic counseling are addressed in WSAVA's policy paper, The Role of Health Conscious Breeding and Genetic Testing in Reducing the Impact of Hereditary Disease.
   
• Several recent articles have raised concerns about the quality of canine genetic testing. There is concern about the quality measures, standards and practices of genetic test providers (GTPs), but there are also factors related to test discovery, validation and application that may limit our ability to get the most out of genetic testing. A new article Improving Canine Genetic Testing is in response to numerous queries and discussions on what is needed to improve the situation.
   
• Updated:12-5-2018 - SCC - "DNA Tests - Société Centrale Canine - LOF - 2019"

  Many thanks to SCC's Health and Genetic Resources Project Manager, Fleur Marie Missant, for this explanation in English!

  Good reasoning in the writing: "The best way to present results is to have an interpretation of it: What is the percentage of risk for this dog to develop the disease? What is the percentage of risk to pass it down to its offspring?"

Blogs

"We do this for the dogs' sake"

From "Brenda's Blog"

IPFD Partners in Action

See the Finnish Kennel Club's article (also posted on their Facebook page) which links to a documentary on responsible dog breeding - "constructive cooperation between the various actors - kennel union, race organisations and associations, dog breeders and dog owners, as well as various partners, such as veterinarians, researchers and different animal welfare bodies. There is already a great deal of work to be done to promote the welfare of breeds..." (Content presented in Finnish)

Pedigree dogs for the future – and the role of Breed Specific Instructions (BSI)

BSI explained - in English at SKKPlay.

"Learn more about the aim of the Breed specific instructions (BSI), the routines at the shows and how the collected data is used. Find out more about BSI at www.skk.se/bsi-brochure."

Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD)
 

• December 2018 Update on the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD)
  A year-end report on the immense progress we've made in the Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs in 2018 and our plans for 2019

• Standards and guidelines for canine clinical genetic testing laboratories
  A recent publication authored by members of the HGTD puts forward a suggested system of standards and guidelines for canine genetic testing laboratories. The paper sets out a series of standard requirements the authors feel should provide both minimum and optimal standards for any canine genetic testing laboratory.

• News from Société Centrale Canine
  Congratulations and thanks to IPFD Partners, SCC, the French Kennel Club, for recognizing the importance of HGTD in their steps to protect the quality of their pedigree and health database. Stay tuned for more information on their approach and plans!

• AKC Canine Health Foundation Highlights HGTD Support
  Contributing Leadership Sponsors the AKC Canine Health Foundation have featured their support of HGTD in a recent press release and associated content on its website.

• Accurate and timely diagnosis of TCC/UC is often challenging. HGTD collaborator, Sentinel Biomedical launches new non-invasive laboratory analysis -- Increases sensitivity to detect canine bladder and prostate cancers to over 95 percent... RALEIGH, N.C., Nov. 28, 2018
  
  /PRNewswire/ -- Sentinel Biomedical Inc.announced the availability of CADET® BRAF-PLUS, a powerful new add-on for its CADET® BRAF product..."

Get Involved in HGTD!

We welcome additional participant GTPs, more collaborators from any stakeholders concerned with dog health and welfare, the advice of experts, the participation of breed clubs and other consumer groups. We stand ready to provide more information to ongoing discussions.

Please feel free to contact us as we work together for healthy dogs and to support those who breed and own them: IPFD CEO, Dr. Brenda Bonnett, at brenda.bonnett@ipfdogs.com and/or HGTD Project Director, Aimee Llewellyn-Zaidi, at aimee.llewellyn-zaidi@ipfdogs.com.

Standards, Santé et Génétique chez le Chien / Standards, Health and Genetics in the Dog

A remarkable educational opportunity - internationally applicable!

Standards, Santé et Génétique chez le Chien / Standards, Health and Genetics in the Dog, created by the  Société Centrale Canine (SCC) in collaboration with the Fédération Cynophile Internationale (F.C.I) and the Swedish Kennel Club (SKK), presents information from the world of dogs which can be applied in service to canine and human health and well-being.

This work includes contributions by veterinarians, researchers, and dog-theorists who offer insights into the development of breed standards as well as the incredible advances in molecular genetics.

Hold the Date: 4th International Dog Health Workshop

Co-hosted by The Kennel Club and IPFD

PUBLIC REGISTRATION BEGINS JANUARY 7, 2019!

You can browse videos by category by clicking on the Video link in the main navigation bar (circled in red in image to the left) or by clicking here.

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