Summer 2005
Vaccinations:
Know What You’re Using
By Theresa Shea, editor
As a dog breeder, imagine yourself sitting down in a
“vaccine” restaurant.
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Boston
Terrier.
Credit:
Isabelle Francais
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When you open the menu to view your
choices of vaccines, you might be surprised at the number
of options before you. You could be further shocked
by a list of ingredients included in each vaccine. When
it comes time to order, which vaccines will you select
for your dogs, and how often will you administer them?
At a recent American Kennel Club and AKC Canine Health
Foundation Breeder Symposium at the North Carolina State
College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Richard Ford asked
dozens of dog breeders these questions and discussed
canine vaccination protocols and what he considers a need to revise them. Read
the full article.
Take a Few Minutes to Prevent an Identity Crisis
By Stacy Mason, AKC Investigations
Executive Field Agent, longtime Italian Greyhound breeder
and approved AKC conformation judge
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Labrador
Retriever.
Credit: Christine Weisse |
Preparing a new litter for AKC registration
is a simple process breeders can follow that, when done
accurately and effectively, will ensure the integrity
of their breeding programs in perpetuity. An effective
record-keeping and identification system should be set
up so anyone, whether an AKC inspector or an estate
executor, could look at a breeder's records and - without
any help - correctly match each dog to its AKC papers
and breeding history. Read the
full article.
Considerations Before Breeding
By Mary M. Rodgers
True breeders represent a small portion of the dog world. Some say true breeders are
born not made.
So many things must be experienced over and over rather
than by simply reading a book, although there are wonderful
books and publications from which to glean important
information. Once you realize how important the consideration
of the "whole dog" is, perhaps you could join the ranks
of the successful breeders. Read
the full article.
Frozen Semen's New First Lady
By Faye Strauss
After 30 years I tried it, and the results were stunning.
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Credit:
Leslie Newing |
"Sweetie," my 6-year-old bitch, was
in search of a sire for her final litter. Two years
ago we drove 3,500 miles round trip from Seattle to
Palm Springs to breed Sweetie to a top dog. This litter
produced one of the best bitches we've ever bred. We
turned down a substantial offer for her purchase. I
knew the decision was a good one when her extraordinary
potential breeding qualities began to manifest themselves.
Her best qualities are her ideal, medium size, alert
expression, dark eyes, clearly defined dark markings,
parallel head planes and a wedge-shaped head that is
in balance with her body. Depth of body is to the elbows
and equal to the length of leg. Her topline is straight.
She is poured into her skin, is sound coming and going
and possesses a superb temperament. And Sweetie's story
is just beginning. Read the full
article.
AKC Offers Cutting-Edge DNA Technology
By Tom Sharp, AKC Assistant Vice
President of Compliance
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Kerry
Blue Terrier |
The AKC DNA Certification Program
brings cutting-edge parentage testing technology to
owners of AKC-registered dogs. A cheek swab brush is
used to collect the DNA sample from the dog, and returned
to the AKC. The sample is processed by AKC's DNA service
provider, and the resulting genotype is entered into
the AKC DNA Database. The information is used to verify
parentage of AKC dogs and for genetic identity purposes.
This technology allows breeders, dog owners, and the
AKC to ensure that the AKC Registry is the most accurate
in the world. Read the full article.
Make Informed Breeding Choices with CHIC
By Theresa Shea, editor
 The
Canine Health Information Center, also known as CHIC,
is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored
by the AKC Canine Health Foundation (AKCCHF) and the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). CHIC provides
a source of health information for owners, breeders
and scientists, that assists in breeding healthy dogs.
The CHIC database, administered by OFA, collects health
information on individual animals from multiple sources.
In order for data to be included in CHIC, test results
must be based on scientifically valid diagnostic criteria.
For breeders, CHIC provides a reliable information source
regarding dogs you may want to use in your breeding
programs. Through CHIC, breeders can begin to analyze
the pedigrees of a proposed breeding for health strengths
and weaknesses as well the traditional analysis of conformation,
type, and performance strengths and weaknesses. Read
the full article.
Ovulation: Timing is Everything
By Katherine Settle, DVM
As breeders, many of us have been successfully breeding dogs for a long time.
For the most part, we breed when the bitch "says" she's ready and the stud "says"
she's ready. Ovulation timing is important because 75 percent of the missed breedings
can be contributed to improper timing of the breeding. Since some of us are now in a
new age of long-distance breeding, where the bitch and stud stay at home and the
semen travels, timing the bitch's ovulation is critical.
By keeping accurate breeding history records, we can
get an idea of future heat cycles. Always keep a record
of the date, the day of the cycle the bitch was bred,
the results of the 30-day pregnancy ultrasound or test
results, the date of whelping, and the number of pups.
Even if the bitch was not bred, you can get an idea
if the cycle was long or very short and when she began
flagging. Read the full article.
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Whether you are
a dedicated or novice fancier or are considering joining
the world of purebred dogs as a breeder, the AKC welcomes
you to the first issue of AKC Breeder.
As part of AKC Breeder Services, we hope this newsletter
will become a valuable tool for enhanced communication
between AKC and purebred dog breeders. We seek to
provide educational and informational resources for
the betterment of purebred dogs.
Our goal is to provide breeders – the backbone
of the sport of purebred dogs – with articles
from experts in their fields on basic husbandry, responsible
breeding practices, the value of purebred dogs and
science-based resources to enhance your role as breeders
of AKC-registered dogs.
The AKC is here to help you meet your goals. Having
this forum to exchange ideas, provide more resources,
and develop a closer relationship with you can only
improve your success as a breeder.
Our inaugural newsletter contains a variety of articles
written by AKC staff members, veterinarians, and others
who have devoted a lifetime to breeding.
I hope you enjoy this premier issue and encourage
you to send me your comments and suggestions.
Ronald N. Rella
Director, Breeder Services
AKCbreeder@akc.org
(212) 696-8303
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•
Vaccinations: Know What You’re Using
•
Take a Few Minutes to Prevent an Identity Crisis
•
Considerations Before Breeding
•
Frozen Semen’s New First Lady
•
AKC Offers Cutting -Edge DNA Technology
•
Make Informed Breeding Choices with CHIC
•
Ovulation: Timing is Everything
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Each breed of dog recognized by
the AKC has its own standard, which is written by
the national breed club or “parent club.”
The breed standard provides a blueprint or complete
picture of what the ideal dog of a particular breed
should be like in appearance and temperament. The
standard may specify everything from the curvature
of a dog’s tail to the color of its eyes. The
breed standard is the official guide by which dogs
are judged at dog shows.
Visit www.akc.org
to view the breed standard for the Doberman Pinscher
as well as for the other 152 breeds recognized by
the AKC. You may order breed-specific educational
videos from the AKC. Many parent clubs offer more
detailed information on the standard, such as amplifications
and illustrations. Visit the AKC web site for links
to national parent clubs. |
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Maintain a registry
for purebred dogs and preserve its integrity.
Sanction dog events that promote interest in, and
sustain the process of, breeding for type and function
of purebred dogs.
Take whatever actions necessary to protect and assure
the continuation of the sport of purebred dogs.
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