Genetics are a mystery: Acadia Italian Ice, aka. "Bianca"

As a “reputable breeder” I would like to think that every one of my dogs is, and will produce, “Perfect” puppies. Genetics are a mystery in many, many ways and we know that even in the best of families genetic “flaws” appear. No matter how hard someone may try, no living being is an “engineered” product. Most people who are willing to take a “less than perfect” dog look to shelters or breed rescues, because that is where most dogs with “issues” end up. That is not the case for me. I have produced my share of dogs with “issues” and I am devoted to the dogs I produce. I keep all the dogs I produce until I have found the right home for them- no exceptions. I have been very lucky to have found WONDERFUL homes for each of them so far. It takes a special person to decide to take a dog with a disability and this weekend Bianca met her new person.

Bianca is deaf. The man, Dave, who purchased her says that “Deaf people (and dogs) can do everything except hear”- and he is right. Bianca is a “normal” dog- and in many respects, even healthier than many dogs that are without disability, because she was raised to be confident and well-adjusted. The only “special needs” Bianca has is a fenced yard to insure her safety. Because Bianca cannot hear someone calling her, most people whom I discussed her with said they would be afraid that she would get out, and get lost. I did fear that I had “lost” her one time, but I also knew (or expected- although I was beginning to wonder) that she was in the fenced yard. I did start to worry as I went about the yard looking for her, only to find her curled up under a bush, fast asleep.

One of the aspects of having a deaf sheltie that I enjoyed the most was her complete lack of “sound sensitivity” that can plague this breed. Bianca never reacted to the vacuum cleaner, never reacted to the doorbell, never got upset during thunderstorms….. obviously, if it was something that dogs react to that involved sound- it didn’t affect Bianca. I must say, that was very nice.

I am very excited for both Bianca and for Dave as they begin their new life together. I know that they will be great company for each other. I know that Bianca will enjoy being the center of Dave’s attention, and I am so thankful that there are people who are willing to accept a “less than perfect” dog into their lives.

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How do you evaluate your puppies?

Although this post is long; it is not the definitive writing on our puppy evaluation.

When do you decide which ones you are going to keep? What age can I get my puppy? When can I come visit the puppies? These are a few of the questions people ask a lot. The answer to the last question is - I only allow people to "come visit" the puppies when it is time to take one home. It is only human nature to "pick a puppy"- and it is the answer to the other questions that will help you understand why I can't run the risk of disappointing people.

Evaluation begins at birth, but the puppies change, and grow, and change... so I just have to observe, until they have grown enough I can start to get "real" information about them.

1st criteria: No obvious Faults

The reason I have litters of puppies is to produce my next "show dog". There is a written Breed Standard for each breed which describes the perfect specimen of that breed (it is this breed standard that judges at dog shows are using to evaluate each dog in the ring). Sometimes when a puppy is born, you know it has an obvious fault that may (will) prevent it from being a show dog. (pictured is Bianca: more than 50% white is a disqualifying fault). Those puppies can go to their new pet homes at 8wks.

Unfortunately for sheltie breeders, the genetic makeup of this breed is rather diffuse. This breed is not very old and a lot of breeds and mixes of breeds make up the sheltie. Genes don't get "diluted"- they get inherited or not (that is very simplistic and not entirely true- but for the purpose of this blog post it is good enough). One example is, as recently as the 1930's collies were cross-bred with the Shetland Sheepdog to cement more of the "collie look"- but it also added "collie size". Our breed standard says that any dog over 16" or under 13" (measured at the point of the shoulder) is to be disqualified from the conformation show ring.

2nd criteria: Measurements

How do you know what the adult height will be when they are babies? Well, sheltie breeders have been dutifully measuring their puppies for years, and growth charts have been developed that are a very helpful guide. They are not perfect, but they do give a breeder a "best guess". We begin measuring our puppies at 6 weeks of age, but we like to see a few measurements to know how they are tracking along the chart. Puppies that are over the charts at 6 and 7 weeks can go to their pet home at 8wks. Puppies that are "in-size" and quality stay longer.

3rd criteria: Testicles (obviously this applies to males only)
Males must have two testicles to be shown. The testicles can be felt as young as 7 weeks, but I don't usually check until around 8 weeks. If a male is nice, and meets the standard, but I can only feel one testicle, I may keep him until 10 weeks of age. If he is really, really nice I might keep him until 12 weeks of age. Testicles have been known to descend as late as 6 months, but I don't want to keep dogs that keep me guessing that long.

4th criteria: Do they have virtues? Do they have a temperament I want to live with? So maybe they don't have obvious faults, but do they have virtues? I like to photograph them between 6-8wks to get a different perspective on how they look. The picture above of Liza is the type of picture we take. I want to get a sense of overall structure and build. I find these pictures to be very helpful and I usually see them in a different way than I do when they are just playing. With temperament, what I want to live with might be different than what someone else would like to live with in terms of temperament and personality. It is in my best interest, and the best interest of the puppy, to try and ensure that each puppy gets to live the type of life that will make it happy and where it can be successful.

Evaluation is a process. We are constantly evaluating our puppies. We get to see how their reactions to new things change, we get to see how their bodies change. By the time a litter is 8 weeks we usually know a lot and most puppies go to their new homes at that age.

Of the puppies that stay here, there are still things that can render them "pets" and not "show dogs".

6-7 month criteria: Teeth Did all of their teeth come in straight and are they all there. Sometimes we have puppies available in this age range because of teeth issues.

Statistics say that of "show" breeders, only 1 in 8 shelties ever becomes a champion (that number is different in different breeds). When they are born, they all look like champions, but as the weeks go by- they begin to weed themselves out. By 8 weeks of age I may be down to one or two that I want to keep longer.

Height is always a factor. Pipi is a good example of that. She was tracking up the growth chart just fine- and she was very pretty- so I kept her. She quite growing at 6 months of age and didn't reach 13"- so she can not be shown.
Temperment is also always a factor. Not all dogs want to be "show dogs". It is difficult to win with a dog that doesn't enjoy the shows. It can be done, but it is not as fun for me either. I do this as a hobby and a way to enjoy my time with the dogs. I want them to enjoy it too.
So- the answer is be patient- they are changing and I am observing!!

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Trait Selection and Domestication

The front cover of this month’s National Geographic pictures a fox and the teaser line, “designing the perfect pet.” The opening paragraph tells the reader of two Russian brothers, Nikolay and Dmitry Belyaev, in the mid-20th century who risked their lives and their careers to continue research on genetics when it has been outlawed by Joseph Stalin. For Nikolay, the price he paid was his life. Dmitry only lost his job as director of the Department of Fur Breeding, but he secretly continued his quest, consumed with the question, how did such a diversity of dogs result from man’s relationship with the wolf?

To study the answer, Dmitry Belyaev chose to reproduce history himself, and he selected the silver fox, a cousin of the dog that had never been domesticated, as his subject. National Geographic outlines his work, the politics, the struggles, the findings, and in an interesting read, lets us know that the answers are far from easy. His work continues in Russia today- 53 years after he obtained his first generation of silver foxes. The answer is; it’s complicated.

Over the generations, the foxes in Belyaev’s study changed more than their attitudes towards humans, they changed their appearance as well. It seems that the genetics in silver foxes linked with ”Tameness” , are also linked with floppy ears and white body spots called piebald. Of course there is more research occurring on the subject of domestication than just the fox project in Russia- Leif Andersson (a fellow Swede!) studies genetics of farm animals. Andersson believes that human selection for “cute” traits were allowed to persists just because humans liked them. These traits, which may have just been random mutations, may have been detrimental to a wild animal and therefore would have been weeded out. He feels that humans have a greater role in selection. Personally, I tend to agree with Andersson. How else can we explain a Pug?

I highly recommend reading this article in full. Click Here to read it. The practical question that I have to answer with each generation is how do I select for the whole package- a sheltie that retains it’s appearance as a sheltie, but “improves” in one area without causing undesirable changes in another. Maybe we breeders and these researchers share some genetic traits that cause us to seek the answers, while the other side of the coin, the “anti-breeders” share a different set of genetic traits. Maybe there is a genetic propensity to understand one’s role in shaping who we are - and it is in direct opposition to those who fear the answers. Maybe genetic research and experimentation is just in my genes.

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puppies are almost 6 weeks

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on the lighter side of Life- and death-

On the lighter side- Eden, who had been bred to Brother (Ch. Grandgables the Frat Boy) was due to deliver the same week that my father died. When my sister called and said, "get home now-" I loaded Eden into the car too. When I got to the hospital, my father was already gone, but I wanted to stay with him a while. Of course the rest of the family had been there for most of the day. About an hour after I arrived my mom was ready to leave, so my sister said, "I will go home with Cadie." To which I said, "as long as you don't mind sitting next to Eden- who is pregnant." The nurse who had been caring for my dad said, "you have a pregnant dog with you?" I said, "yes, and I am thinking that she could deliver tonight." "Well I have never heard THAT one before!" she said. Eden waited until that Wednesday- and had 4 girls.

Her sister, Cassia had also been bred to Brother. She had 2 girls and 1 boy. This picture is of all 7 puppies. As you can see, one of them is a mis-mark. I have never had a white-factored, mis-marked puppy before. She can not be shown in conformation, so she will be available to a pet home.

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