KC Publishes Proposed Changes to French Bulldog Standard

/8 Comments/in /by

The Kennel Club (UK) has published their list of proposed changes to the French Bulldog breed standard.

Any underlined text indicates a change or addition.
Square bracketed text indicates a deletion.

French Bulldog

Characteristics Full of courage, yet with clown-like qualities. Bat ears and short [Delete ‘undocked’] tail characteristic [delete ‘essential’] features of the breed.

Head Head square in appearance and in proportion to dog’s size. Skull nearly flat between ears, domed forehead. The skin covering the skull and forehead should be supple enough to allow the dog to show facial expression. Well defined muzzle, broad, deep and set back, muscles of cheeks well developed. Stop well defined. Lower jaw deep, square, broad, slightly undershot and [delete  ‘well’] turned up. Nose black and wide, relatively short, with open nostrils and line between well defined. Lips black, thick, meeting each other in centre, completely hiding teeth. Upper lip covers lower on each side with plenty of cushion, never so exaggerated as to hang too much below level of lower jaw.

Eyes Preferably dark and matching. Moderate size, round, neither sunken nor prominent, showing no white when looking straight forward; set relatively wide apart and on the same level as the stop. [Delete ‘low down in skull’].

Ears ’Bat ears‘, of medium size, wide at base, rounded at top; set high, carried upright and parallel, a sufficient width of skull preventing them being too close together; skin soft and fine, orifice as seen from the front, showing entirely. The opening to the ear canal should be wide and open.

Neck Powerful, [delete ‘with loose skin at throat, but not exaggerated’] well arched and thick , but not too short.

Body [Delete ‘Short’] Cobby, muscular and well rounded with deep, wide brisket and ribs well sprung. Strong, gently roached back. Good ‘cut up’. The body while broader at the shoulders should narrow slightly beyond the ribs to give definition to the relatively short, thick, strong, muscular loin.

Hindquarters Legs strong, muscular and relatively longer than forelegs, with moderate angulation. [Delete ‘thus raising loins above shoulders’]. Hocks well let down.

Tail Undocked, [delete ‘very’] short, set low, thick at root, tapering quickly towards tip, preferably [delete ‘either’] straight, [delete ‘or kinked’] and long enough to cover anus. Never curling over back nor carried gaily.

For comparison purposes, here’s the complete copy of the existing standard:

General Appearance
Sturdy, compact, solid, small dog with good bone, short, smooth coat. No point exaggerated, balance essential.

Characteristics
Full of courage, yet with clown-like qualities. Bat ears and short undocked tail essential features of the breed.

Temperament
Vivacious, deeply affectionate, intelligent.

Head and Skull
Head square, large and broad but in proportion to dog’s size. Skull nearly flat between ears, domed forehead, loose skin forming symmetrical wrinkles. Muzzle broad, deep and set well back, muscles of cheeks well developed; nose and lips black. Stop well defined. Lower jaw deep, square, broad, slightly undershot and well turned up. Nose extremely short, black and wide, with open nostrils and line between well defined. Lips thick, meeting each other in centre, completely hiding teeth. Upper lip covers lower on each side with plenty of cushion, never so exaggerated as to hang too much below level of lower jaw.

Eyes
Preferably dark and matching. Moderate size, round, neither sunken nor prominent, showing no white when looking straight forward; set wide apart and low down in skull.

Ears
‘Bat ears’, of medium size, wide at base, rounded at top; set high, carried upright and parallel, a sufficient width of skull preventing them being too close together; skin soft and fine, orifice as seen from the front, showing entirely.

Mouth
Slightly undershot. Teeth sound and regular, but not visible when the mouth is closed. Tongue must not protrude.

Neck
Powerful, with loose skin at throat, but not exaggerated. Well arched and thick, but not too short.

Forequarters
Legs set wide apart, straight boned, strong, muscular and short.

Body
Short, cobby, muscular and well rounded with deep wide brisket; roach back; strong; wide at shoulders and narrowing at loins; good ‘cut up’, ribs well sprung.

Hindquarters
Legs strong, muscular and longer than forelegs thus raising loins above shoulders. Hocks well let down.

Feet
Small, compact and placed in continuation of line of leg, with absolutely sound pasterns. Hind feet rather longer than the fore-feet. Toes compact; well knuckled; nails short, thick and preferably black.

Tail
Undocked, very short, set low, thick at root, tapering quickly towards tip, either straight or kinked, never curling over back nor carried gaily.

Gait/Movement
Free and flowing.

Coat
Texture fine, smooth, lustrous, short and close.

Colour
Brindle, pied or fawn. Tan, mouse and grey/blue highly undesirable.
Brindle: a mixture of black and coloured hairs. May contain white provided brindle predominates.
Pied: white predominates over brindle. Whites are classified with pieds for show purposes; but their eyelashes and eye rims should be black. In pieds the white should be clear with definite brindle patches and no ticking or black spots.
Fawn: may contain brindle hairs but must have black eye lashes and eye rims.

Size
Ideal weight: dogs: 12.5 kgs (28 lbs); bitches: 11 kgs (24 lbs). Soundness not to be sacrificed to smallness.

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.


………………………………………………………

On a personal note, I have nine French Bulldogs here at home. Of the nine, three have tails long enough to cover anus – Have fun with that one,UK breeders, considering that the previous version of the standard called for the tail to be ‘very short’. As well, I can’t even think of a single dog I’ve owned/known whose ears weren’t already wide and open.

I get the impression that half of these changes are arbitrary, short of those intended to call for less exaggeratedly short muzzles. I believe that more could have been done to encourage the breeding of dogs with free, clear breathing – words to that effect could easily have been added. I’d also not have been adverse to a prohibition against exhibiting dogs who have had palate clips, although I’m not sure if the KC’s scope would also allow for a prohibition against the breeding of dogs who have had palate resections.

Tell me what you think of the changes to the standard – good, bad, pointless?

Treating Giardia in Dogs

/27 Comments/in /by
3D model of a Giardia protozoans

3D model of a Giardia Protozoan

Years ago, I bought an adorable little pied bitch. She arrived safe and sound, but she brought some extra friends with her – Giardia protozoans.

The Giardia parasite is a mysterious, annoying, tenacious little bug. It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can effect both pets, and humans. Children are especially at risk of contracting Giardia (likely due to their habit of putting everything they find on the ground into their mouths).
Giardia causes diarrhea, and can also cause malabsorption of vitamins and nutrients. Giardia is difficult and expensive to diagnose definitively, and until recently required a very fresh stool sample and an inventive series of testing methods, including:
  • Being sure to examine a direct smear of the fecal sample (in hope of finding swimming trophs).
  • Floating the sample in zinc sulfate, a solution that has been found superior in getting Giardia cysts to float.
  • Staining the sample with some sort of iodine under the microscope to make the Giardia show up easier.
There is now a simple ELISA test available to simplify diagnosis, but since the giardia organism only sheds intermittently, several tests over an extended period of time can sometimes be required to obtain a definitive finding of Giardia.
Treatment of Giardia was even more complicated than diagnosing it. Until recently, the most commonly prescribed treatment was Metronidazole (trade name Flagyl®). Metronidazole was required in high doses, for an extended period of time, and was still only effective in just over 60% of all cases. Additionally, Metronidazole has some side effects in high doses, including nausea, neurological symptoms including head tilting and staggering, rapid eye movements known as “nystagmus“, and seizures (particularly in cats). Metronidazole also cannot be used on pregnant animals, as it has been linked to birth defects.

Like most breeders, I routinely worm my puppies, using the standard protocol of worming them every 2 weeks, starting at 3 weeks old. I now use a broad spectrum wormer which treats Giardia in addition to intestinal worms.

The brand we us is called Safeguard, and you can get it from almost any farm supply place in the USA. I get it from my veterinarian, since she makes it up into a suspension for me.

The literature for it says it treats:

Safe-Guard Canine Dewormer will treat Roundworms, Hookworms, Whipworms, and Tapeworms.

But the active ingredient, Fenbendazole, is approved in Europe for treatment of Giardia.

From the this site:

Fenbendazole (50 mg/kg SID for 3 to 5 days) is effective in eliminating Giardia infection in dogs.  Fenbendazole is approved for Giardia treatment in dogs in Europe, and available experimental evidence suggests that it is more effective than metronidazole in treating Giardia in dogs.

From the sounds of it, fendendazole is not only available at lower cost, and over the counter, but it is considered safer and more effective in giardia treatment and precention:

Metronidazole is the most commonly used extra-label therapy; however, efficacies as low as 50% to 60% are reported. Safety concerns also limit the use of metronidazole in dogs and cats.

More on fenbendazole based anti parasitics here:

http://www.veterina rypartner. com/Content. plx?P=A&A=1596

More on fenbendazole and giardiasis on the Veterinary Information Network: http://www.vin. com/VINDBPub/ SearchPB/ Proceedings/ PR05000/PR00425. htm

Excerpt:

Fenbendazole (Panacur), well known for its effectiveness against a variety of intestinal parasites, also appears to be very effective against Giardia. In a controlled trial at Cornell 6/6 dogs were effectively treated. The same dose that is used to treat roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and the tapeworm Taenia pisiformis (22 mg/lb orally once daily for 3 consecutive days) is used to treat Giardia. If the infection is not cleared on this regimen, a longer course of therapy is used (5 to 7 days). Fenbendazole has a proven track record for being very safe and is thought to not have any teratogenic effects. Fenbendazole is therefore the drug of choice for treatment of Giardia in pregnant animals.

Ironically, it’s also the treatment of choice (in conjunction with amoxicillin) for those pesky clostridium perfrigens, the weird little pest that made my last litter so sick. If I’d just wormed them a week earlier with the exact drug I normally use anyways, I could have saved almost $600 in vet bills and lab test fees. Figures!!

Thurber and Foote – Great Writing, from Great Dog Fanciers

/in /by

I have been remiss! In the recent Pet Connection blog on best beloved animal stories of all times, I forgot to mention one of my absolute favorite dog writers, John Taintor Foote, a fact I was reminded of when I picked up my dog eared copy of “Dumb Bell of Brookfield” yesterday afternoon.

Born in 1881, Taintor Foote was something of a renaissance man – an author, a screenwriter and a playwright, he had a particular interest in the so-called ‘sporting life’ – angling, hunting, horse racing and the great outdoors. His screenwriting credits were diverse, ranging from The Mark of Zorro to the Story of Seabiscuit.

I was introduced to Foote’s writing by my rather eccentric – and recently deceased uncle. He found me in his rather well stocked library one day, reading a copy of “The Water Babies” that hindsight tells me was likely a first or so edition. He walked up, removed the book from my hands, and placed it back on the shelf, and then replaced it with a volume he selected from another shelf. The book was “The Dumb-Bell of Brookfield” – not an original edition (that came out in 1917), but one published in 1922. Dumb-Bell is the story of an under sized pointer – over looked, and under valued by his owners (a couple with the rather hackneyed mannerisms of “Mervyn Lloyd and Claudette Colbert”, in the words of Foote’s son, Timothy Foote , in the introduction to the re release of his father’s stories).

Years later, an article by Vicki Hearne mentioned some of Taintor Foote’s writing on Pit Bulls, and I immediately searched out a copy of the anthology of Taintor Foote’s dog stories. “Dumb Bell of Brookfield, Pocono Shot and Other Great Dog Stories” has some phenomenal writing about sporting dogs – even a neophyte like me can tell that – but for me, Foote shines when he’s writing about “Bulldogs” (‘Bulldogs’ of course, is used in the old sense of the world, as a vernacular for what we now call Pit Bull Terriers. To quote Thurber “An American Bull, none of your English fellows”). Foote’s most famous story, after Dumb Bell, is contained in this collection. “Trub’s Diary” is written from the view point of a troublesome white Bulldog, and is one of the funniest pieces of anthropomorphic writing ever done. Foote might have written human characters that are, by today’s standards, heavy handed, but his dogs still ring true today.

Pick up the collection of Foote’s dog stories, or grab one for the sporting fan or Pit Bull lover on your list who’s hard to buy for. Oh, and fans of great horse writing will be instantly enamored of “Hoofbeats“, his collected horse stories. His tales of track life are as evocative today as they were at the beginning of last century, although the vernacular used can be difficult to get used to (and the racial slang hard to swallow).

The Thurber DogI mentioned Thurber above, and no mention of great dog writing is complete without Thurber’s name prominent on the list. I suppose that, today, he’s better known for his downtrodden men and haughty women than he is for his dogs, but the “Thurber dog”, as it was known, was once an instantly recognizable icon. Shaggy, nondescript and not prone to the pitfalls of his people, the Thurber dog was a symbol of sanity in Thurber’s chaotic world.

Thurber’s dog stories recall some of the beloved dogs of his childhood, including the stories of Rex, the decidedly non English Bulldog. Rex, who found enjoyment in dragging home items like wardrobes, once engaged in a dog fight that lasted ‘most of the day’. Thurber reminisces about this event with nostalgia, even fondness. Thurber’s “Rex, Portrait of a Dog”, remains one of my personal favorite stories of all time, of all genres, and possibly the best story even written in homage of Pit Bulls.

Thurber seemed to relish dogs that others would describe as ‘difficult’. His story about Muggs (The Dog That Bit People), affectionately tells of his family’s irascible Airedale Terrier – a dog that did, quite literally, bite people with clock work regularity. Thurber’s encounters with Muggs, seen through the lens of nostalgia, become affectionate and humorous, but he makes it clear that Rex was a danger to almost everyone around him, and his mother’s eulogy for Rex, Cave Canem, was tellingly apt.

Also in this collection is Thurber’s bitterly humorous “Lo, the Gentle Bloodhound” – his response to the ‘dangerous dog’ hysteria his time was plagued with. Hard to believe today, but in Thurber’s time, Bloodhounds were regarded as savage man killers – a left over from their days as slave tracking dogs. It’s easy to laugh about anyone regarding the mope faced Bloodhound as a threat, but consider that, in Thurber’s day, the Pit Bull was America’s classic family pet – a sort of turn of the century Golden Retriever or Lab.  Thurber regarded fear of Bloodhounds to be as ludicrous as fear of moths, or bunny rabbits, but I have no doubt he’d have regarded fear of his beloved Bulldogs as even more ridiculous.

“Thurber’s Dogs” seems to be sadly out of print. As an alternative, pick up the (possibly even better) “Dog Department“, which contains not only the stories from “Thurber’s Dogs”, but also previously unpublished work. Thurber and his wife bred and showed Scottish Terriers and Standard Poodles, and his writing on them, and on dog shows, will stand the test of time as some of the best ever published. If Thurber begins to beguile you, move on to “The Thurber Carnival“, which replicates some of the work from the “Dog Department“, but also includes many of his best short stories (including Walter Mitty) and a selection of his best cartoons (Thurber dogs included).

Wayne Pacelle's "Aunt" Says Nephew is a Fraud

/21 Comments/in /by

The following was posted in response to an article in the Baltimore Sun Newspaper. The article, which lauded the ‘fine work’ of HSUS president Wayne Pacelle, contained several reminisces by Pacelle of the lessons learned and great accomplishments of the HSUS during Hurrican Katrina, and the Michael Vick case.

Someone writing as Pacelle’s ‘Aunt Harriet*’ took umbrage with the article, and wrote this fine, scathing rebuttal (note: added links and images are mine):

Aug 17, 2008

Interesting piece of fiction. However, it is time for a reality check. I am Wayne’s Aunt. You can call me Harriet.

I am really surprised that Wayne Pacelle, my nephew, would re-visit Michael Vick or Hurricane Katrina.

Let’s examine his request for “special donations” for Michael Vick’s dogs. And, before we do that, first you must understand that at no time … that means NEVER for the animal rights’ faithful … were these dogs in the care, custody, and control of the HSUS. They wanted these dogs dead. That was recommended by the HSUS to be their fate. HSUS had “no business” telling anyone what to do with these dogs once they were no longer considered as evidentiary.

JP John Goodwin HSUS Dog Fighting Czar in Animal Liberation Front t shirtPacelle hires criminals. Case in point is John “JP” Goodwin, the HSUS “dog fighting expert.” What exactly are his qualifications you might ask? What was Wayne hoping to find on the resumes of prospective candidates for this position… DOMESTIC TERRORIST perhaps? The FBI has Goodwin higher up the food chain than Al Qaida!

Goodwin is a high school dropout who set fires. When he couldn’t sit down in an intelligent fashion to get his point of view expressed in any other manner, he simply set another fire. Would you like to see his photograph in his ANIMAL LIBERATION FRONT t-shirt?

In a telephone conversation that I had with HSUS office last August, I asked about the credentials and qualifications for JP Goodwin. This was the quote I vividly recall from that conversation …“Are we to judge people by their past actions? We have many people working here from PETA & ALF!!”

Good God! Pass the collection plate and tell me how to apply. I actually have a few degrees that Wayne might consider useful. Oh, let me re-think that. He would have a serious problem with me. My brain is NOT pre-programmed to the Tower of (Pacelle) Babel. I am not fast tracking to buy his baloney. He can’t sell it to me. Since I was never a PETA-trained “operative”, he wouldn’t be able to flip my switch and hardwire me to his way of thinking.

Pacelle, my nephew, is an AR zealot at the controls of a cash-generating machine. No less. No more. His agenda is so clear that it is transparent. Irwin, the former Prez, was an “ordained minister.” Boy, that sure came in handy when he appealed from the animals rights’ pulpit to SEND MONEY, SEND MONEY, SEND MONEY.

Every time there is a fire, flood, or crisis in the United States, you can bet your last dollar that Wayne Pacelle and his “volunteers” will be there for a photo opportunity and, within hours, he will be pleading for more money.

Pacelle knows his ship is taking on water. His days of rhetoric spewing are numbered. There are too many eyes watching him … and … following the money!

Let’s ask it once again — Why is anyone still giving money to the HSUS?

Note: we have no idea if the author is actually Wayne’s aunt, although I do find it telling that he’s not yet spoken out to take issue with the claim of authorship.

Microchips Bring Two More Dogs Home

/2 Comments/in /by

This past Christmas eve in Bentonville, Arkansas, Police Sgt. Robert Burkhart found a hound mix mutt lying still on the side of a busy road. The dog had been hit by a car, and showed little signs of life. With no collar or tags, her fate was measured in hours. Police in Bentonville have injured dogs euthanized, if they have no identification.

But emergency veterinarian Darlene Wier has a policy –  “No dogs .. die on Christmas Eve.”

Using a scanner, she found the stray dog’s ticket home buried in the skin under her neck – a tiny microchip, no larger than a grain of rice. The chip contained the name, address and contact information of the stray – and also her name, Coaster. Coaster had been adopted by her owner, Stephanie Comstock, from a local animal shelter two years earlier. Coaster had bolted while being walked along Comstock’s other dogs, and less than hour after she went missing, she lay at the side of the road, struck down by a car. Comstock and her children searched frantically, but found no sign of the missing dog until the phone call came in telling her that Coaster was safe – if not completely sound – and waiting to come home.

Comstock is grateful her dog is implanted with a microchip.

“This is the first dog we had that had a chip in it. Before, when you lost a dog, it was just gone. So to have the chip in there and to be able to get them back is just great,” Comstock said.

The microchip planted between Coaster’s shoulders meant that Comstock could tell her kids that their dog was alive and well.

Half a country away, up in Canada, another dog was heading home to its owner – almost seven years after it went missing.

On December 25th, 2001, Don French of Jutenheim Rottweilers was the proud breeder of a gorgeous litter of Rotties. He chose his own ‘Christmas gift’ from this litter, a pick male that he hoped to eventually show in conformation and obedience. Five months later, while Don was out grocery shopping, someone stole Don’s puppy out of his fenced back yard. Months of searching proved fruitless – the dog was no where to be found. Don reported the theft to the police and the Canadian Kennel Club, but as the years passed, he gave up hope of ever getting the pup back home.

Flash forward to December 22, 2008. Don French, now living in Burlington and working and no longer breeding Rottweilers, received a call from Hamilton Animal Control. A stray Rottweiler had been found roaming the streets, and Don was listed on the dog’s microchip as a contact person. Don is now a professional dog trainer – his first thought was that one of his training clients had put his contact info on their dog’s chip registration form. When Don asked who the owner of the stray Rottweiler was, Animal Control replied “According to the CKC, you’re the owner and breeder”. Puzzled and operating on a long shot, Don looked up the registration information for the boy he’d help whelp, almost exactly seven years earlier.

The chip numbers matched – the stray dog languishing in a run at Animal Control was Don’s stolen Rottie.

Hamilton Animal Control has no idea where the dog came from, or where he’s been. The dog looks to be in good shape – well fed and well cared for – so Don speculates that perhaps the puppy was sold to a family who had no idea that they were actually harboring stolen goods. Either way, no one but Don ever turned up at Animal Control to claim him, so on Boxing Day Don picked up and brought him home. Don says that Santo – Jotunheims Kaga vom Santo – might be seven years old, but that he’s still acting like a puppy. Don is considering putting him in the conformation ring, just for fun.

With all the news stories of pets reunited with owners thanks to microchips, it’s only puzzling that more owners at willing to have their pets implanted. Doing so could possibly be the best Christmas gift you ever give – to yourself, or to your pet.

“The main benefit of having the microchip is so (veterinarians) can easily locate the owners if a dog or cat is found. With the chips, the dogs can be found and returned home,” Sugar Creek office manager Melissa Freeman said.

“Collars can get loose and fall off or if the dog is stolen, the collar can easily be taken off – but the microchip cannot be removed,” Freeman said.

“(Coaster) is a lucky dog,” Wier said, noting that all pet owners should have their dogs and cats microchipped. “We love a microchip.”

More of Coaster’s story here, or read our own microchip miracle story here.