www.pomworld.com
Volume 2, December 2012
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POMWORLD.COM
FRONT COVER POMERANIAN
Supreme Australian Multi
BIS Champion Welcome to the second edition
Dochlaggie Desoto
of the Global Pomeranian
'Bart becomes a Supreme Champion at 10
magazine.
years of age.'
Published online and free to all Pomeranian lovers. After sending out a basic Pomeranian Newsletter, I have now upgraded this basic ADVERTISING
newsletter to a full online Contact us for Advertising Pomeranian magazine. in The Pomeranian eMagazine. Submission of Show Results and The Pomeranian Pomeranian articles, eMagazine is news. to all Pomeranian items free of interest are very much fanciers. Available online appreciated. 24/7. Submit Show Schedules for Promote your Pomeranian, publication. kennel or business to the Our aim is for the magazine to world.
appeal to all Pomeranian lovers. Please book for Front & Back
Bred & Owned By Denise Leo
covers.
Dochlaggie Pomeranians
Free listings are available to
www.pomeranian.com.au
all Pomeranian rescue groups.
CONTACT DETAILS poms@poms.cc www.pomworld.com
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Contents Front Page………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1 Supreme Australian Champion Dochlaggie Desoto………………………………………………………………..2 Supreme Australian Champion Dochlaggie Dragon Heart………………………………………………………...3 Supreme Australian Multi BIS Champion Dochlaggie Desoto .................................................................... 4 CONTACT DETAILS ................................................................................................................................... 4 Australian Champion Dochlaggie Don’t Stop Lookin………………………………………………………………5 Australian Champion Dochlaggie Dancin Tina…………………………………………………………………….6 Jenuwane…Pomeranians……………………………………………………………………………………………7 Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 Beau-James Pomeranians…………………………………………………………………………………………...9 Paw Law – Get me to the Vet on Time…………………………………………………………………………….10 There are Dog Owners & there are dog owners………………………………………………………………….12 Pitatchua, Against All Odds………………………………………………………………………………...............14 Zeigen………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....18 Interview with Edd E. Biven ………………………………………………………………………………………..19 The Sciene of Alopecia X: shedding the myths…………………………………………………………………..27 TinyBear Pomeranians……………………………………………………………………………………………...35 Tooshay Pomeranians………………………………………………………………………………………………36 Pomeranian Grooming………………………………………………………………………………………………36 Dochlaggie …………………………………………………………………………………………………………...37 Tooshay Pomeranians……………………………………………………………………………………………….38 Queen Poms…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..39 Dochlaggie…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….40 Dochlaggie…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….41 Pomeranian Property laws…………………………………………………………………………………………..42 The Magic of Colours………………………………………………………………………………………………...43 The Pomeranian………………………………………………………………………………………………………51 The Life of Brian………………………………………………………………………………………………………53 Dochlaggie Pomeranians…………………………………………………………………………………………….56 Barkingham Pomeranians……………………………………………………………………………………..…….57 PomTeddy Pomeranians…………………………………………………………………………………………….58 PomTeddy Pomeranians………………………………………………………………………………………….....59 TinyTots Pomeranians……………………………………………………………………………………………….60 TinyTots Pomeranians……………………………………………………………………………………………….61 Bathing your Pomeranian……………………………………………………………………………………………62 Know when to Shut up……………………………………………………………………………………………….63 Son Shine Pomeranians……………………………………………………………………………………………..66 Tom Thumb Pomeranians…………………………………………………………………………………………...67 Pomeranians…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..68 Pomeranian Grooming ………………………………………………………………………………………………69 Classifieds………………………………………………………………………………………………………....70-72
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by Louise Guyton Sometimes your little doggy can drive you to drinking. One of those times is when he is obviously ill and you just do not know what is wrong. You have no idea if it is very serious, serious, kinda serious, mediocre serious or not serious. It is the middle of the night – of course We all know that all bad things occur in the middle of the night. That’s when you don’t feel you can start calling friends and asking for advice. If you call the vet, you will get advice and a bill that perhaps you would much rather avoid. But the lingering question remains, if I do not act as if this is an emergency, will Fifi make it through the night. How would you feel if you decided that this is not one of the very serious calls, it is just mediocre serious. So you give your dog some Pepcid AC and go to bed. Dumb thing to do, you are not going to sleep anyway. Here are some helpful hints that will help you make a judgment call – to the vet or not to the vet, that is the question.
First – Perform a brief exam. Feel and touch the dog all over, look for stiffening of the muscles, a cry or something that indicates he is in pain. Take the dogs temperature. Need instructions – speak up! Look at the color of the gums and the eyes. Check the buns to see if there is any sign of the runs. Do the same with the dogs bib to see if he has been vomiting. Check the dogs pulse and remember that an extreme rapid pace is just as bad as a slow one. Look for indications of a broken bone. Is the dog walking normally? Is your dog displaying any of these symptoms? * Seizures · Difficulty breathing · Non-responsive or comatose · Uncontrollable bleeding · Extreme pain · Continued vomiting, especially with blood · If your pet was struck by a car or some other vehicle · Ingesting poisonous material or improper medication · Bloody stools * Collapse
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These signs indicate that immediate care is needed. If your own vet is not available go to the closest emergency clinic. Bring the pets records with you when you go.
Other occasions when you need to make decisions: Injured animals – Call 911 to report the incident. The police will respond if the animal is blocking traffic. Call the local humane society for assistance. If you do not have the number, call your local veterinary for assistance on whom to call and numbers. Hopefully your local humane society or animal shelter has ambulatory services for animals if you are unable to transport the animal for care.
Many animal rescue services have a well-stocked first aid kit in their vehicles that are equipped to handle emergency transport of most animals. Police officers will assist if there is a risk to people – an example is an injured dog who is frightened and attacking or restricting traffic flow in the roadways. Not your pet? Contact the owner of the animal if you can identify him. Wildlife rescue service or fish and game department will usually respond to wild animals that are injured on the road. If they cannot, the sheriff’s department will respond for them.
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO: TAKE YOUR DOGS PULSE? CHECK HIS BODY TEMPERATURE? HOW TO CHECK HIS MUCOUS MEMBRANE COLOR? CHECK HIS CAPILLARY REFILL TIME? CHECK HIS HEART RATE? THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SMALL DOGS HEART RATE AND A LARGE ONES HEART RATE? CHECK RESPIRATORY RATE? CHECK RESPIRATORY PATTERN? IF YOU ANSWER NO TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS – WE NEED TO TALK!! Many thanks to Louise Guyton for this article. Louise has more articles available on her Facebook page “Everything you want to know about dog”.
The Complete Pet Travel Directory. Pet Air Travel Advice. Pet Shipping Agents, Pet Transport.
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There are DOG OWNERS and there are dog owners. By Louise Guyton Loving and owning a dog does not make a person a RESPONSIBLE pet owner! Compare an irresponsible pet owner with that of a teenager who is far too young to be a mother. She is not yet capable of caring for her newborn. But when someone says, “Your child needs to be raised by someone who can fulfill the baby’s needs!” the teenager throws a fit! “You can’t take my Baby!” (Doll in her mind as she is a child trying to raise a child). “She belongs to me! I can too take care of her!” (for a week or two maybe) “I can support her!” (as long as someone else supports me). Some kids just want their ‘toys’ to fulfill a selfish need. The actual care and responsibility of a real life child has not yet sunk in. A dog is a newborn that moves into your house. He/she will not grow up to be responsible and leave home someday, he/she will show you devotion and loyalty but will rely on you to care for him for the rest of his life. He/she will learn what you take time to teach him. He/she will not destroy what you show him is not his to destroy. He/she will remain healthy as long as you make efforts to keep him healthy. He/she will rely on you to show him what you like and don’t like and he/she will expect you to be patient and understanding while he learns his lessons properly. When a child is born into your household, the law states that you will care for this child for as long as required to raise him into a self-sufficient man or woman. You will provide him opportunities to learn and overcome challenges of the world so he will become self-reliant. It will be your job and responsibility to feed him, provide him shelter, protect him from the elements and from all dangers, teach him right from wrong, see that he gets an education that will allow him to face the future without you once he becomes an adult. You will be responsible to see that he is properly socialized so he can make friends and adapt to different situations properly. The law does not say anything about when you adopt a dog. The law does not tell you your responsibilities for the care and welfare of this dog who is becoming a member of your household in much the same way that the child did. But there is a difference. The child that was born to you becomes yours and your responsibility because you helped and participated in his creation. You had ample opportunity to learn to love that child and admire his various qualities and personality quirks. But actually, that puppy should be even closer. You SELECTED him! You CHOSE to have him join your family. You consciously planned for him. Whereas, sometimes children are just a wonderful mistake.
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Written or not, there are rules to owning and loving and caring for your dog. They are pretty simple really. All of them require just a little bit of thought and work on your part. 1. Teach your dog to speak. Okay, maybe they cannot do that but there are ways that your dog can tell someone where they live and what they require. A microchip or other identification can easily provide your name and the address. When someone calls in the microchip number, the message they receive can be that the dog needs medication for diabetes or some other disease. It can also speak up and say “Hey, if you can’t locate my Mom and Dad, call my Uncle or my Vet.” It is your responsibility to make certain that your dog “speaks” up by having the proper identification. 2. Keep your dog strong the same way you keep yourself and children strong. Physical activity – walks, agility, free style, obedience classes, rally, swimming, chasing balls or Frisbees are activities that keep your dog focused to a healthy lifestyle and all the more devoted to you. 3. Train your dog basic etiquette so your neighbors and your friends and others who meet him will appreciate knowing a well-mannered dog. Sometimes that etiquette may be what saves his life! So many times that well trained dog winds up in a dog pound and his life is spared because he was well trained. 4. Keep your dog healthy and clean. You must be a respected member of the community as well. Collect your dog’s waste and dispose of it properly. Keep your dog restrained when on a walk and keep your dog at home at other times,. Make certain that your dog does not spread disease to the neighborhood by keeping him current on vaccines, worming medication and keep him licensed where it is required. 5. If your dog is not used for a planned, breeding purpose for the betterment of the breed, have him neutered or her spayed. Do not contribute to unwanted puppies. 6. Take every opportunity to educate others in the care of animals. Make sure your kids grow up respecting the lives of all animals and with the attitude of becoming a responsible, dedicated and loyal pet owner. 7. When your pet has reached the end of his quality life, stay with him and be there for his support, Please do not let him die alone. Be responsible in all ways no matter how hard it may be. Many thanks to Louise Guyton for this article. Louise has more articles available on her Facebook page “Everything you want to know about dog”.
Visit the Pomeranian Directory – Pomeranian Breeders, Pomeranians for sale, Pomeranian Resources.
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Her story begins October 13, 2010, her birthday. A singleton puppy, unfortunately her brother did not make it that day, so we came home from the vet’s with puppy girl and a happy mom. Pikatchu grew normally, we supplemented after a few days as it seemed mom didn’t have enough milk to satisfy the little girl, and she did well on the extra formula. She was tiny, and we put off getting her puppy shots until she was ten weeks old. On December 22, 2010 we took her to the vet’s for her first puppy shot, which she got. She checked out very healthy, no problems. So home we went, and took the two Interceptor pills, which the vet advised was a new puppy worming protocol. We were advised to give her one that evening when we got home, but as she had just had a shot, I put off giving her the first pill for a few days and gave it to her after Christmas. She began to have what we thought were small hypoglycaemia spells (which is common in small breed puppies so we treated them accordingly with Nutrical). She had several, but we treated them and she came out of them with no bad after affects. Two weeks later, after the first pill, we gave her the second pill. Well, she began to have more spells, and they were more severe, and lasted longer. It took longer for her to recover. And she was beginning to not want to eat. We tried everything, she just didn’t want to eat. And she was throwing up a bit, in between feedings. January 18th, 2011 and time for her second puppy shot. We explained to the vet about the spells, and her throwing up. He concurred with our thoughts about the spells being hypoglycaemia. So she got her second puppy shot. On our way out of the clinic, I specifically asked if there was any thought about the problem being connected to liver and he advised no, because she was throwing up not just after she ate, but during the day also between feedings. Next morning the whole situation changed drastically. She was a very ill puppy. We made an appointment for blood work, nothing conclusive. A Bile Acid Test was done the next day and the levels were slightly elevated, PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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but our vet said they warranted further investigation. He made an appointment with the Specialists at Guelph Veterinary College and we were there on January 31st, 2011.
They examined her, asked if she could have ingested anything, I responded only the shots and Interceptor pills, and the intern replied “no – I mean anything toxic to her”. They wanted to keep her, however we were expecting a severe snow storm, and it was a three hour drive in good weather, so we opted to bring her home. They wanted to feed her that evening – remember this is a puppy that we could not get to eat, and these were strangers. And then they were going to “fast” her the next day for twelve hours doing a blood glucose level test hourly, to see if the problem was hypoglycaemia. If she survived that, they would do an blood ammonia test. We took her home with the Phenobarbital that they said she would need. She got worse, by this time we realized that the spells were not simple hypoglycaemia but were fullblown seizures. I was still working full time, and hubby took charge of her during the day. About a week later I got home, and he advised he had to give her the Phenobarbital as one of the seizures would not stop. Grand Mals. And she was always wrapped tightly in a heavy towel to try to keep her dry from her excessive drooling. She was never left alone. February 15th, 2011 I took her to the vet. My husband was sure it was the last time he would see her. He didn’t come with me. The vet checked her over and his prognosis was not good. He didn’t think she would live more than a couple of weeks. I took her home with the Lactulose he gave me telling me to give her about 1.5 ml two to three times a day. I don’t think he knew what else to do for her. I posted to the Pomeranian lists about her condition. The vet agreed it was vaccinosis. I had my theory that it was a combination of the vaccinosis coupled with the Interceptor pills. One of the ladies on the Pomeranian list suggested I join a couple of liver support groups on-line, which I did. The owner of the one group “Dog Liver Shunt and Disease” group offered a telephone consultation and I spoke to her for over an hour. So many things to learn, to remember. She sent me a “starter package” of some supplements, she suggested we change food to Royal Canin Hepatic which is a prescription only – have to get it from the vet’s. With the Royal Canin Hepatic kibble, we were told to feed her 6-7 times a day, very small meals comprised of 5 kibble each time. This was based on her weight of 2lbs and protein limited to a PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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specific weight in grams. Added to the kibble, we were advised to use Distilled Water only, which we did. They suggested a low-dose antibiotic to prevent kidney infections and the buildup of kidney or bladder stones. Our vet prescribed Neomycin at the rate of .5ml twice a day. By this time she was on Phenobarbital regularly twice a day. Other supplements included Pediasure which has been a life-saver over the past year and a half and I am sure by now we have shares in the company. If she didn’t eat at the regular stated times, I would syringe in 5ml of Pediasure. Sometimes she would eat the dry kibble, sometimes we had to soak it in the distilled water, and sometimes she would eat it ground up. She had to eat. So whatever we had to do – we did – she had to eat. It took a few weeks to regulate the Lactulose which acts like a laxative and it binds the toxins from the liver. But too much and the stools are very loose. So it took a while to get it so she just has 2 – 3 bowel movements daily. She also gets a smidgen (did you know they have spoons marked “smidgen”) of Dry Vitamin E, she is now up to 3 smidgens of a probiotic called VSL3 (human use), as well as 1ml of Liquid Hepato Support. I mix these three supplements in about 10ml of Pediasure and she gets this at lunch. Can’t give the probiotics within 3 hours of the antibiotics. We have gradually, very gradually, increased the number of kibble and she is now up to 15 several times a day. She gets dry kibble as well as kibble mixed with a pinch of Psyllium Husk and distilled water. We attempted to wean her off the Phenobarbital and onto Potassium Bromide but so far have not been successful, she gets .6 ml of the Potassium Bromide in the evening and .4 ml Phenobarbital in the morning. It was not simply giving her the medications and supplements, she had many seizures, many bad days and bad nights. One morning, my husband brought her up to me and said “she had a bad night and seizures most of the night”. I asked him “are we doing the right thing by trying to keep her going?” He said “we can’t just put her down, she deserves a chance to live”.
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And she was not in pain. She never cried, she looked to us to hold her and comfort her. One big lesson was learning that an ice-pack applied to the saddle area of the back will either stop or decrease the severity of a seizure. It works. Pikatchu now has her own little “Dora” ice-pack. As of this date, May 15, 2012 she has not had a seizure for several months. She is still on the supplements, and medications, and it might be that she won’t be able to come off them. She will never be bred, nor will she ever be able to be vaccinated again. We owe her life to the grand ladies of the Dog Liver Shunt and Disease group. They are truly dedicated, their research is in great detail, they have helped hundreds of dogs with this problem. But, we bred her, we chose to bring her into this world. So I firmly believe we owed her the chance to live as normal a life as possible. Special Thanks to Pikatchu’s owner, Roberta for sharing Pikatchu’s story with us. Visit Pikatchu’s website http://pondsidepoms.com/AgainstAllOdds.htm
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By Naida Coburn
Introduction: First to some who may not know Edd Bivin is a very popular and respected Judge in all the Breeds he Judges. Some of you may recall the 1999 Westminster Best In Show dog, the nine-year Old Papillion, Ch. Loteki Super Natural Being. The Judge who put him up was Edd Bivin. This was a very popular choice and may I add, the Pap asked for it all the way. Edd Bivin judges with style and finesse, quick and decisive, which are hallmarks of the finest judges. He is always very focused. The dogs seem to be drawn towards him, and as it should be, you see the judge and the dog, with a good handler fading into the background. We who have shown under him know what he likes and does not like. If you don’t know those things, you will quickly be told. Edd started in Pomeranians at age 12 years, Ch. Edwards Reddy Teddy was his first top Winning Champion. As Edd describes Teddy as a dog born before his time. This dog would be a top winner today as well. Teddy was the sire of Ch. Edwards Reddy Career. Puddin', as Joy Brewster fondly Nicknamed this winning Pomeranian, won the APC 4 times, shown by Ann Rogers Clark and Joy Brewster. Puddin' was sold to Mary S. and Joy Brewster, of Robwood Kennels in New York. He went on to sire many Champions. Keep in mind here we are speaking Of Edd as a very young man. From the time he was 12 he had a kennel with runs where his Poms were allowed to run in all types of weather and get plenty of exercise. He chose the Pomeranian because his parents said, your choice must be small, is our only requirement. Edd felt the Pomeranian breed was a little dog with a big attitude. Attitude still means a lot to Judge Bivin in the ring today, and do not be surprised if He remarks, "I would rather have THIS one pull MY sled". He believes the Pomeranian should move as a diminutive of a Northern dog. Poms should cover ground, tend to single track, and move in an efficient manner, as befits a diminutive of a much larger, very functional group of dogs. Edd's main mentor, friend and handler, with whom he travelled in his younger Years, was AKC handler (now AKC judge) Maxine Beam. Maxine taught Edd to line brush a Pomeranian (not with a comb) and do it well. With Reddy Teddy's Coat, this was no easy job, as in those days trimming was very limited. Besides, correct coats like Teddy's needed very little, if any, trimming. Edd also learned to trim feet (which he says he is VERY good at---If you need help ask!!) and ears. You trim all ears to suit each particular Pomeranian. Edd left for school, and for a college chose Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, his lifetime home. Edd never returned to breeding except he feels as a Breeder Judge he IS still breeding Poms as he puts up the very PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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best of what is at that show, and if he can, the type of Pomeranians he would want to be breeding today. As a young man being over looked by some judges because of his age, he vowed some day he would become a judge and ONLY judge the dogs. His peers voted Edd Bivin as Judging Legend 2002, a real honor. He is still at TCU, but as Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services. (He retired in May 2003) His wife Irene Bivin is a wonderful, well-known and loved Judge, in her own Right. Her daughter Teresa is a very talented handler. Irene is "the chosen One" for Best In Show 2003 Westminster Kennel Club. Edd will be judging the Exclusive Golden Gate Show in Ca. Jan. 30Feb. 2. N: This is an interview with Edd Bivin. It is September 7, 2002 By Naida Coburn. N: Back in 1996 you gave an interview for the Pomeranian Registry. I have that here. So my first question would be this: The new Pom standard went into effect January of 1997. Do you feel it has improved the understanding of what a Pomeranian should be or not? Any comments? Edd: You have to understand that I am a purist about a lot of these things, and I go back in this breed for a long time. I remember when there was tremendous pride taken in colors, in coat texture, in coat, in soundness, and in balance and proportion. And I’m sorry, while there were people who called to ask me about the standard, while it was being talked about and being considered, there were some things in it that I really feel have been detrimental to the breed. I do not like the way that it deals with coat. But it is more than that. You see, in my opinion standards have to be very strict. When standards are permissive people have liberty to do things to violate things about breeds that are basic and essential to the quality of the breed. For example, Coat: We have people who show Pomeranians today who trim all the guard hair off of them. They show them basically down to the undercoat and do not understand that that is a defiance of breed type and character. They do not understand that if you put that kind of dog, that trimmed dog, out in weather and conditions, which make the coat desirable, and necessary, they freeze because they have no protection. They have no guard hair to catch the moisture of the snow or whatever it is. Years ago you would put them outside, and they would play in the snow and the weather, you would bring them in and they would shake off and they were dry to the skin, because they had something to keep the moisture out of the short webbing, which was the undercoat down next to the skin. Traditionally Pomeranians were shown in somewhat of an oval outline. Today it’s almost become a funnel whereby they trim all the skirt off, they trim the entire bib off, and they take them straight up to their neck. So you no longer get that oval appearance. I don’t know what possesses people to trim tails like they do today. N: Speaking of tails, how are you finding the tails? Are you finding them correct tail sets, which are straight up over the back? Edd: There again, Pomeranian tails were really flat to the back and they were high set. They had long brush on them that came, in many instances, up to the ears. We’ve always had some crooked tails, dogs that did not have absolutely flat tails; but I think we had better tail sets and better croups a number of years ago than you have today. That business of a tail being on top of a back, with a very, very short back, has somewhat been lost. N: If you had a dog in the ring that was really good, had the head, had the coat, had everything but had a curled tail, and you left that tail alone and let it grow out, and the dog’s tail was curled but it was up on its back, would you still consider that dog?
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Edd: Yes, sure, but you can’t put situations of “What if you had…” “What if….” You have to be there on the day, seeing what you had to deal with, and go from there. N: Right, but you wouldn’t just disregard the dog. Edd: No-- but there again, the more coat you can grow on the tail the more you get to weight it up on top of the back, the better the look. N: OK, but why, when they have the curled tail, do they fan them out and get down there and hold them up? Edd: (with a smile) I don’t know. N: Now on the eye situation. The shape of the eyes. Are you finding that they are getting any better, or are they getting worse? Edd: Years ago we had a lot of big bugged eyes, in a lot of lines. I think that some of the eyes and expressions are better today. N: What about the size of the dogs? Edd: Size has never bothered me as much as it has some people. The old standard talked about dividing it … I think it was five to seven, or whatever it was, up to seven pounds. If you walked in today, for a lot of people, with a seven-pound dog or bitch, you wouldn’t do too much. And a seven - pound dog does not have to be a gross dog. If the dog is properly balanced and proportioned, it can be very nice. Size has never been a major factor with me. Shortness of leg has been a factor. N: How is that coming along? Is that getting any better? Edd: One of the things you have to understand is that I may not see them because they know I don’t like them and I don’t change on that kind of thing. N: You would feel that a Pom had to have some leg in order to move correctly. Edd: Yes. They have to have some leg. Certainly if you blew them up fifty pounds and put them out in the snow in a natural environment, they would have to have length of leg to get through the snow. There again, if they are very small dogs, they can do with less leg. But they have to again be in balance and proportion. You get dogs with a great big body and a little bitty short stubby leg, that’s not balance. N: You know, APC is redoing the standard again. Edd: Of course, any color is allowed in THIS standard. N: The way the standard is written, you could bring in a dog with white feet or other missmarks. Would you feel better if they corrected that? Edd: I think it’s a step in the right direction. They don’t even define the sable dog anymore. Most people do not know what a sable is. They need to go back and look at the old standard and define the colors, which are allowed.
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N: Now, I have a question for you about legs. It’s confusing to me. I raised and showed Pekingese for twenty years, and I am interested in learning. Most of us hang around you whenever you are telling something. People really are interested in learning, and they know you know. Now we would like to know your opinion of the legs, where they pull them back sort of like a Morgan horse, where they set back more like that. Edd: The Pomeranian should not be over-angulated, but he should not be straight. He should be functionally angulated. Hocks should be stood perpendicular to the ground. When you pull those hocks back so the hock is not perpendicular to the ground, you overstretch them. What they try to do in a lot of instances is to pull them back too far, to make them look shorter over the top. N: I was wondering if you think this is correct: When they do have the over-angulated leg, a little over-angulated to more of a straight leg, they find that they tend to be cow-hocked but they are very sound in the stifles. Edd: I don’t know that to be the case. I wouldn’t agree or disagree. I don’t really know. I would tell you that a lot of dogs that are over-angulated behind cannot handle the angle and they may l appear to be cow-hocked. Now again, a lot of people do not put Pomeranians out to exercise. So they never build any muscle or anything to form and to hold the leg where it is supposed to be. They put them in exercise pens and let them stand and jump all day instead of getting out and get some exercise. N: How do you feel about the new judges? How do you feel they could be best educated? APC has suggested breeders as mentors. Would not seminars be the best way, seminars with the older judges, rather than just breeders mentoring? Edd: Since I am no longer a member of the American Pomeranian Club after all these many years, I can’t really say what they should do I would tell you that the American Kennel Club has suggested in many instances that mentors be designated, that breed seminars be held, certainly in regard to national specialties and things of that nature. It is my opinion that the American Pomeranian Club has never been as proactive as it needed to be in the business of education. N: That is my opinion, also .We do need seminars on Pomeranians at The APC Nationals. Do you ever see the correct double coat in the ring today? Edd: Yes. Rarely, but you see it. There are still people who show to me dogs that are not overtrimmed, that have the correct coat, because they know what I like. N: I think the coat might be coming back a little bit, do you? Edd: The breed has always been tidied up. We operated under the premise that the best trimmed dogs were the dogs that you were least aware of their being trimmed and today they butcher them. N: When you enter a ring, and you see all these sculptured dogs, how do you really feel? Edd: Sad. It’s saddening to me because the breed was for many years a rather natural, kind of happy little sharp breed. And it saddens me to see what people do to them without any concern for the evidence, so to speak, of what they have done. They shave them under the tail. They trim all the hair out from under the tail. They ring the tail. And what they do is that when they trim the tail, they accentuate the bad set. So you go in and you deal with what you have to the best of your ability, and I guess that in those instances, you deal with the things that are less offensive to you. PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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N: So, in some instances for example, you might put up a sculptured dog, for the simple reason… Edd: Because we have nothing else. Now, knowing me, I would probably admonish them for having sculptured them to that degree. N: You mentioned that dogs are shown earlier now and finish in puppy coat. What would you think if a pup had to win that last point after one year? Like in Europe? Edd: I have advocated that for years. I am strongly in favor of no dog receiving his final point toward championship until after he is eighteen months of age. N: In the 1996 interview, you mentioned muddy color. Are they improving? Edd: There are some lovely colored dogs out right now. And there are some lovely colored top winning dogs as well as some nice Pomeranians in the classes. The thing that concerns me is that people don’t know how to use colors in the breed. They don’t know what sables do. They don’t know that a red dog or an orange dog with a black tipping is not a sable. True sable dogs are very good and strong for pigment. Cream dogs, on the other hand, were very good to clear out smutty faces in red, orange, and whatever. It’s very tough to breed a correctly colored sable dog with a clear face and bib. It’s really tough. But gosh, it’s gorgeous when they do it! (He sat back, as if he was remembering a special sable dog, and his eyes really smiled). N: In 1996, you stated that until we find the reason why or where the black skin comes from, we should not breed from these dogs. Do you still feel that way? Edd: Certainly I do. And it distresses me when people think that dogs with this condition are suitable to come into the ring. We have dogs that have early evidence of the disease. The judging of dogs is the evaluation of breeding, for breeding. If it is hereditary, which most of us think that there is a hereditary factor, but we do not know for certain? We had dogs with black skin disease fifty years ago. There were not as many of them, and they were not nearly as prevalent. N: What would be your pet peeves on judging Poms? Edd: Most of the things we’ve talked about. I am a purist about type, and I’m sorry, while I respect any standard, which is in existence today, it does bother me when you trim all the guard hair off the dog. N: For the people who have never had the privilege of reading this 1996 interview, do you think professional handlers win more under you than other handlers? Edd: No. I have long had a reputation for not caring from what class they come, or who has them, or whatever. I don’t care. It’s a process by which I elevate those things about which I feel most positive about and I keep it that way. N: Do you mind my putting in what she says in there about your not liking the baiting, or overbaiting? (Edd Bivin 1996-“It bothers me that people over-bait dogs in the ring today. You should be able to get a dogs attention, and maintain that attention with out having to stick food in its face the whole time the Judge is going over it”). PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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Edd: No, I don’t.
N: You do not like tight leads? Edd: I do not like real tight leads. I do not like dogs over-baited and overfed in the ring. And I do not like toy dogs running in the ring. They need to move without running. N: You mentioned that you look for type first. Edd: Yes. Type, balance, proportion, carriage and outline and character. N: Can you recommend for newbies any grooming tools from the past? Edd: It’s hard to beat a good pin brush on a correct, textured coat. N: You mean like the Mason Pearson Brush? Edd: Yes. N: What is your opinion on the Pomeranian’s muzzles? Edd: I think that one of the things that happened to Pomeranians is that we started getting these short muzzles then called “baby faces”. When you shorten that muzzle you shorten the strength of the jaw and the ability of the jaw to hold teeth. Or even get them. And you also do something to the sizes in the eye bed. You shorten the muzzle too much, and you pop the eye to make the eye big. So what I have always said was that if you breed those short little faces up to a dog that is fifty pounds and you put them out in the snow, they literally will freeze to death because they do not have enough muzzle to warm the air before it hits the lungs. I do NOT want a long muzzle. But I don’t want those little bitty smashed up faces. Sometimes that is all that you have. Judging is compromise, a system of compromise. N: That must be hard to do. Edd: It is part of judging dogs. N: Now, Judge Bivin, I have heard many people say that you chew people out in the ring, sometimes loudly, and you have intimidated many a person to tears. Yet most of these same people will travel many miles to show under you. Why? Edd: Well, let me say first that I hope I don’t chew them out. I do admonish them for either bad handling when they could do better or improper presentation of the breed. I hope they come to show dogs to me because they think I know what I am doing. N: Because a Pomeranian has a certain personality, one thing you like to see is that Pomeranian walk right into the ring, not carried like a Pekingese? Edd: That’s right. I mean people make them spoiled rotten. And then they come into the ring and they don’t show for you. They don’t gait. They don’t do anything. N: What’s your favorite part about judging? Edd: Being with the animals. PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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N: There are some older breeders who feel that they can’t learn new grooming tricks and a lot of newbies who want to learn them. In general conversations on the Pomeranian list, Mr. Bivin, most would prefer to learn how to groom a Pomeranian correctly without over-trimming. Do you want to respond to this question? Edd: You know I don’t really know what the question is. If the question is would I help the people learn, I have helped people for years. I am happy to help them if I can. I will give them hints or suggestions from time to time in the ring. There are places that I might trim a dog a little bit more than a lot of people do today. We were very good to trim feet. I can trim feet like you wouldn’t believe. < Smile > it’s hard to do and get it right. Ears are tough to trim. Tails are tough to trim. What you do if you want to do those things is to trim each dog per how the dog is made. You don’t trim them all alike. And you start out with a little. Look at them well ahead of a show, and then if you need to, take off a little bit more. N: In the interview that you had, Judging Legends, 2002, I really was overwhelmed and touched by what you said when you became human and not just the Pro- Judge you are. When you said you never know what that person has gone through to get to that show. They may have slept in their car, sold their lead to get home, or what they went through. (http://www.thedogplace.com). Edd: Yes. We stand in the ring, and we are a bit isolated from a lot that goes on in and around dog shows. We don’t know whose car broke down getting here. We don’t know who had a flat tire. We don’t know who didn’t have time to trim the dogs. We don’t know those things. I am very business-like in the ring and very serious about it. And as a result of that, there are a lot of people who really are kind of spooked. I don’t ever want anybody to be afraid or whatever. I want them to come in, show the dog, enjoy it, be challenged, and rise to the occasion. We are all competitive generally speaking, or we wouldn’t be here. N: So you want people not to be so intimidated that they can’t do what they know to do. Edd: But back to the question about what people go through, I learned down Through the years that people make all kinds of sacrifices, sometimes not very wise ones to come to show their dogs. I think I’ve become more cognizant of the fact that different people come to and from the dog show with different experiences, and I’ve hoped to maintain a greater understanding of what people are about in the business of showing dogs. I hope that they all love dogs. I will be frank and tell you that some love them and some do not put the dog first as much as others. Some of them are not as involved, as immersed in the business of dogs as some other people are. And sometimes that is healthier. Sometimes they have a better perspective on the SPORT of purebred dogs because of their other involvement. I have never limited my involvement and myself simply to the business of purebred dogs. My family insisted that I do some social things, that I do some cultural things, certainly be involved in education. As a result of that, I have spent a big part of my life professionally, all my life, in education. And that’s helped to keep things in balance. I have seen people make what I would call “foolish” sacrifices to show dogs. And I don’t think that is what dogs were intended for. We forget that people living in a specific locale to do a specific job or purpose in their lives created breeds. Sometimes that was pulling. Sometimes that was hunting in pack. Sometimes that was running. Sometimes it was to fetch game, or to hunt down and kill predators. And sometimes it was simply to hold, as little toy dogs are gorgeous to look at and hold on our laps. N: But you wouldn’t say that because they were little to hold, does that mean that they shouldn’t PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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have muscles? Edd: Certainly not. There was a time when miniature things were in great vogue, so miniature dogs were in great vogue and if you go back and look at things in the Renaissance and various periods of history in Europe, there were different toy breeds that were in vogue and fancy. N: Ch. Rider’s Sparklin’ Gold Nugget was very famous, bred by Lee Johnson, and was owned by Blanche Rider prior to the Washington’s purchase. Owned and shown by Porter Washington (Campaigned for about 3 years, had 159 Best of Breed, 119 Toy groups, and 41 Best In Shows). Would you like to tell the newbies why you bred to the SIRE of Sparky and not to the famous winner? (This breeding produced Ch. Edwards Reddy Teddy.) Edd: The sire of Sparky WAS BIS Champion Toppers Little Corkie, owners, Jack and Shirley Woodall. I wanted to breed to what could produce Sparky--- And I bred to him two or three times. N: Do you have any pictures of your dogs? Edd: They are all packed away. I did all of this when I was from 12 to 21 years of age. So those things I did early on. I was a kid and had a kennel house. I had other things I did, like education and whatever. So I never bred that many dogs. You have to understand that 40 years ago these things were harder than they are today. N: Yes and there was only one show each town---And you became a Judge at age 20. Edd: It was more expensive to go to dog shows, unfortunately. And I had other things I had to do. Yes, I became a Judge at 20. N: I know you and Irene went on in your life together, to breed many top Dobermans. But your love still is strong for the Pomeranian? Edd: Yes. N: I could sit here and ask questions for many days, but I know you are tired. I want to thank you for taking this time and tell you these hours have been a real learning experience for this novice breeder. For the love of the breed. I thank You Judge Bivin. Edd: You are certainly welcome. By………Naida Coburn. Visit Naida, at her website Tom Thumb Pomeranans. BIS Ch. Edwards's Reddy Career Breeder/Judge: Col. James Arima Breeder: Edd E. Bivin Handler: Joy Brewster Owner: Robwood Kennels Picture from The New Pomeranian, By Sari Tiejen
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Dr. Paul D. W. Eckford, Ph.D. (Biochemistry), B.Sc. (Hons. Biochemistry) TinyBear Pomeranians CKC Registered
paul@tinybearpoms.com
ogs may experience temporary partial coat loss as a result of normal shedding periods, infection, parasite infestation, allergic reactions, hormonal or other environmental causes including poor nutrition or a variety of underlying health concerns (1, 2). There are also variants of ‘normal’ near or complete lack of coat in such breeds as the Chinese Crested, which is hairless on the trunk of the body but possesses long hair on the legs, tail and head in its hairless variety. A long, thick covering of hair on the entire body is characteristic of the coated variety. Conversely Poodles and many double-coated Nordic breeds including Keeshounds, the Chow Chow, Elkhound, Pomeranian and others may suffer a symmetric bilateral coat loss phenotype affecting primarily the neck, trunk and tail (Figure 1), of unknown etiology, variable time of onset ranging from 9 months to >10 years that while may be punctuated by periods of re-growth, generally is permanent without intervention.
This condition has been described by a variety of names, including growth hormone responsive alopecia, castration responsive alopecia, post-clipping alopecia, follicular dysplasia, adrenal hyperplasia-like syndrome, pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome, black skin disease (BSD) or others (1-3). Alopecia X is a term that has been coined to emphasize that the cause is unknown and this “disease” may in fact be the result of a variety of causes and conditions rather than being a single, well defined syndrome.
Alopecia X typically presents as an apparent defect in the hair follicle cycle not caused by hypercortisolemia typical of Cushing’s syndrome, or by hypothyroidism. The normal hair follicle cycle consists of three distinct phases of variable length. Anagen is the phase of active growth of the hair strand, telogen is a resting phase associated with a lack of significant hair lengthening, and categen involves changes to transition from the anagen growth phase to the quiescent telogen phase (1, 4). In dogs of defined coat length (dogs that do not grow hair requiring regular trimming), the coat will be in prolonged periods of the quiescent telogen phase for months or longer without new hair growth being initiated. Typically the telogen hairs are healthy and well-anchored, and thus dogs in telogen phase are properly and fully coated.
In alopecic Pomeranians, the hair cycle is thought to have a defect in which it becomes arrested in the telogenic phase where new hair growth is unable to initiate. Hair loss typically begins by age 1.5-3 years, though its onset is variable may occur earlier or much later in life. Generally the outer guard hairs are lost first, leaving the soft undercoat and giving the appearance of a fluffy puppy coat (2). It should be noted that while the breed standard indicates that an ideal Pomeranian should possess a harsh outer coat with a soft undercoat, some variation exists from specimen to specimen in the harshness of the outer coat and the quality of the undercoat. A specimen that appears to possess primarily a softer coat does not in itself indicate a dog progressing to alopecic hairlessness. Additionally, many dogs are excessively trimmed and sculpted for aesthetic reasons. This trimming generally cuts more of the outer guard hairs and may give a similar appearance to the loss guard hairs. As the condition progresses, the soft undercoat is continually PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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lost on the main trunk of the body, the neck and often the tail, without significant re-growth. The final result is a dog that generally appears normally coated in the head, all four legs and occasionally the tail, but is completely bald or simply possesses fine wisps of diffuse hair on the trunk of the body (Figure 1). The exposure of the skin to the sun can result in damage and hyper-pigmentation, leading to the common description of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Skin Diseaseâ&#x20AC;?.
Pictured above: A
Pictured above B:
Figure 1. A) Pomeranian before coat loss due to Alopecia X. B) Same Pomeranian after Alopecic loss of coat. Note the pattern of hair loss across the body with retained coat on the head and legs. Photo courtesy of Brigitte Sovonja Š2012 http://alopezie.pomeranian-zwergspitz.de used with permission.
There are few sources of data concerning the occurrence of Alopecia X in the Pomeranian, or data that indicate whether the incidence is increasing (anecdotal accounts aside), decreasing or remaining steady. According to self-reported survey results (http://www.offa.org/surveys/ survey_pom.html [accessed May 14, 2012]), roughly 16% of dogs entered suffer Alopecia, with an equal proportion of males and females over five years of age suffering Alopecia, though a higher incidence of males than females under two years and between two and five years of age appear to display the characteristic hair loss. This is in agreement with the belief that the incidence is typically higher in males. However these results may or may not all be true cases of Alopecia X as they are simply unconfirmed and self-reported. Additionally, a self-reported health survey may be anticipated to emphasize Pomeranians with health issues, as the impetus to report problems is likely greater than to report the lack of a health concern. Reporting by our breeders of the health status of all dogs owned or produced (alive or deceased, healthy or otherwise) in this survey would help to provide an accurate picture of the health of our breed, both from an Alopecia X perspective and otherwise, though such data alone would not give an indication of whether the incidence is increasing PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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versus 20 years ago. Long-time breeders whose lines are affected by Alopecia X and who force their lines further and further inbred over time will undoubtedly claim that the rate of “BSD” is increasing, because it will do so in the highly inbred dogs they continue to produce. This is unless perhaps after they have made a conscious effort to eliminate it by ending breedings to dogs known to produce Alopecic dogs and to breed their lines to outside dogs thought not to be “carriers” and where the incidence in the general population that they begin breeding to is somewhat lower than their “BSD”-producing lines.
There have been many theories—some reasonable and others outrageous—concerning the cause of Alopecia X. There have been suggestions that poor food quality and vaccinations, toxins in the environment or other factors are the culprit (5). Most breeders and researchers suspect that there is a strong genetic component to the disease (1, 4, 6-9), for a variety of reasons, including: 1) there appear to be “carriers” who are not affected but frequently produce offspring that are affected and other dogs who are “not carriers” and never produce it; and 2) some dogs are affected while others raised in the same environment, exposed to the same food, medications and other conditions do not. It is suspected that there may be a genetic defect in one of many components of the normal hair cycle that at some point arrests the process in the telogenic phase. Normal hair growth can occur in Alopecic poms or these dogs would be born bald and remain so throughout their lives. However, at some point this growth is arrested. Alopecia X appears to be influenced by hormonal signals, and hormones are intimately involved in the control of the hair follicle cycle (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10). Cascades of hormonal signals vary through the life cycle of all mammals, including the Pomeranian. Castration and treatments with melatonin or a variety of hormones has produced temporary or apparently permanent coat re-growth in some specimens (1, 3), and the internet is littered with fallacious “BSD cure regimens” or reports of secret formulas to restore coats. However, the condition is highly variable in the age of onset, the response to castration and such re-growth regimens, suggesting that the disease may not be due solely to a single full penetrance genetic defect.
Natural selection essentially no longer exists in the breed as it would for wild animals such as a wolves or coyotes fending for themselves. Our artificial selection of the dogs that will produce the next generation could in fact contribute to the incidence of Alopecia X. Some may suggest that dogs are “carriers” of the disease or in fact sufferers before full onset may possess particular attractive attributes, such as fuller coats that we desire in show specimens and thus we could unknowingly be selecting the Alopecic dogs to breed. There has been no scientifically sound, statistically significant data to support or disprove said theory. Any anecdotal information that indicates a direct link of Alopecia X to specific coat development characteristics and progression that has been deduced in a single, highly inbred population where a multitude of genetic factors unassociated with Alopecia X would be fixed, would likely not hold statistical relevance to the broader, diverse Pomeranian population. A properly controlled scientific study may support or disprove such a theory.
Examination of pedigrees of affected dogs shows how difficult it is to make solid conclusions about a causative gene. The status of some dogs is unknown, age of onset is variable and occasionally late in life, and a reluctance to disclose the status of dogs for fear of being attacked or ostracized by fellow breeders means that there are usually gaps in the record or direct mis-information. However, Alopecia X does not appear to be a dominant characteristic, as a dominant trait in an offspring will appear somewhere in each generation behind it, but need only appear in one parent (Figure 2). There are many examples of seemingly unaffected dogs producing affected offspring which is inconsistent with a dominant, full penetrance trait. Some have suggested that Alopecia X is an X-linked recessive trait due to the higher incidence in male offspring than female offspring. Each male possesses a single X chromosome while PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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each female possesses two. A male will be affected if their single copy of such a gene were to be defective. The dog could not be an unaffected carrier. A female would only be affected if it received a defective copy from each parent but if one parent had the defective trait, the female could be an unaffected carrier producing both affected male and carrier female progeny. There appear to be unaffected male carriers of the disease which is inconsistent with an X-linked recessive trait (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Potential modes of inheritance of a defective Alopecia X gene. Under situations where a gene of interest follows a dominant pattern of inheritance, each affected offspring receives a copy of the gene from an affected parent. Affected dogs do not skip a generation. In a recessive inheritance pattern, either the mother or father can be affected or a carrier. Note t hat the parents of an affected dog are either carriers or affected, but in some generations there may be carriers who show no signs of the disease. In X-linked recessive inheritance, the gene is present on the X chromosome. Male dogs only have one X chromosome inherited from the mother. Therefore a male cannot inherit the disease from the father, but can by a carrier mother and will always inherit it from an affected mother. There are no male carriers, only female carriers and affected mal es and females, but affected males are far more common. The inheritance pattern of Alopecia X appears to be most like a recessive (non-X-linked) gene. Š 2012 Dr. Paul Eckford, TinyBear Pomeranians.
Taking these and other data into account, it is likely that Alopecia X is in fact 1) a genetic disease due to a defect in the gene for one single protein product involved in the hair follicle cycle (1, 4) or an associated hormone signaling pathway (4, 6, 7), with some genetic or environmental influence to account for the varied age of onset and response to therapy, or 2) that it is a genetic disease and the variability is due to the interplay of multiple genetic defects in one or more of several associated genes which occur in any one dog to produce the disease and the variability observed. If 1) is the cause of the disease, the variable age of onset and response could be due to hormonal signals related to some unknown external environmental PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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factor. Equally likely, the genetic makeup of the dog may influence the progression of Alopecia X due to unknown gene modifiers. Cystic Fibrosis is the most common genetic disease in humans (reviewed in (11)). It results from a mutation in a single gene that is inherited in a recessive manner and is entirely the cause of the disease (12). The mutation produces a defect in lung hydration that results in lung infection, damage, and ultimately death. However disease progression and severity vary from patient to patient, among those suffering an identical mutation. In addition to differing environmental factors, including quality of treatment, variations in other genes in the patient have been identified by genome-wide association studies and appear to influence to some extent how the disease progresses (13). All patients, if left untreated, will suffer lung damage and ultimately death, but this complement of other genes has a significant influence on how quickly the disease advances. Alopecia X onset and progression may occur analogously, being caused by a single recessive genetic change but modified by the genetic complement in each particular dog. Related dogs would likely progress similarly while unrelated Alopecic dogs would be expected to progress differently, such as with a different age of onset or response to castration.
To date there has been considerable research effort in the study of the genetic cause of Alopecia X. In an attempt to identify the associated gene, and for a lack of other clues to the location of the genetic defect, researchers have used comparisons to similar conditions in other animals as a starting point. As described earlier, â&#x20AC;&#x153;hairlessâ&#x20AC;? dogs exist that are considered normal for their breed, where an obvious example is the Chinese Crested. In fact these dogs suffer Canine Ectodermal Dysplasia (CED), which presents as both a lack of coat and defects of the teeth. This condition is a monogenic, autosomal semi-dominant trait, meaning that it is caused by a defect in a single non-X-linked gene that produces hairlessness in any dog that inherits a single copy from either parent, but the disease is lethal in the embryonic stage for dogs inheriting the trait from both parents. Hairless Chinese Crested dogs are born lacking hair in their typical hairless regions rather than losing hair at a later time. The Leeb group (14) used a technique called genome-wide association mapping to identify a short duplicated region in the sequence in hairless dogs of a gene called FOXI3, which is thought to be involved in regulating development. The duplicated sequence likely disrupts the gene and alters hair and tooth development. The characteristics of hairlessness in the Chinese Crested clearly differ significantly from Alopecia X of the Pomeranian. However, the same research group is currently conducting studies to identify the Alopecia X defect using similar techniques.
Mouse models exist for Alopecia where there is a lack of the gene Ctsl. These mice lose their coats around the age of sexual maturity, which is similar to the age of coat loss in at least some Alopecic Pomeranians. The Leeb group (9) examined the Ctsl2 gene (equivalent of the Ctsl mouse gene) in Pomeranians and found that this gene was not altered in Alopecic dogs versus control normally coated dogs, suggesting that this is not the defective gene responsible for the disease. Another mouse model of Alopecia results from the elimination of the Ptch2 gene. Mausberg et al (8) examined this gene in normally coated and affected Pomeranians as well as normally coated dogs of other breeds. They found that there was no mutation in the gene that was associated with the affected Pomeranians.
Research is continuing by a few groups to identify the Alopecia X-associated gene. One method to identify the gene is to search for mutations in other genes, or other genetic markers called SNPs (single nucleotide PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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polymorphisms) that are passed from parent to offspring in Alopecic dogs. Genes are generally considered to independently assort from a parent to their offspring. However if genes or SNPs are located close to an Alopecia X-causing gene on a particular chromosome, there will be a greater likelihood that the genetic marker will also be passed along to the offspring. If the location on the chromosome is known for such a genetic marker and it can be identified to be associated with Alopecia X inheritance, while not directly related to the disease, it could be used as a starting point to search for the gene. Researchers can begin sequencing the DNA in the region near to the genetic marker and compare sequences for affected dogs, and normally coated dogs. Differences that are consistent between affected dogs but not observed in normal dogs would be a good indication that this particular region is the one affected. This type of identification method has been used to identify the genetic causes of a variety of diseases in humans in the past.
For human diseases, we have entered the molecular era of the study of genetics. After a 13 year, $3 billion effort, the entire human genome has been sequenced. It is routine to sequence regions of DNA in patients affected by a genetic disease and comparison to the known sequences in the database to identify the cause of a disease. The gene defective in CF was identified by an exhaustive search over a decade before the genome was fully sequenced (12). Modifier genes for the disease, however, are easily being identified now by comparing the sequences in multiple patients and asking where there are common differences versus what is expected in the human genome using genome-wide association studies as described above (13). The cost to sequence the human exome: the complement of all of the genes in the genome, has dropped from billions to little more than $ 1000 in the last several years, making routine genetic studies on individual human patients within the realm of possibility.
Sequencing is being done or has been done for a variety of animals. There is an aggregate genome sequence available for the dog, and it is possible to sequence the genome of the Pomeranian breed as well. This effort requires funding contributed by the Pomeranian community, but not billions or millions of dollars as some claim, but likely thousands to tens-of-thousands of easily-achievable dollars. If the genome of an Alopecic dog can be sequenced, it can be compared directly to the aggregate dog genome or to specific breeds unaffected by Alopecia X. This will highlight differences that make the Pomeranian unique and give it its characteristic shape, size, and other features. It is expected to also highlight any genetic changes that cause Alopecia X. Researchers wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to directly identify which changes are responsible for Alopecia X, but may be able to make educated guesses if changes occur in hormonal regulation genes or genes involved in the hair follicle cycle.
The next step would be to focus on our best-guess genetic differences. Because the sequences in the area around the changes would be known, it would be an easy step to sequence these small regions in multiple Alopecic and normally coated dogs. It should be straightforward to identify which changes are due to Alopecia X. Alternately, we could sequence the entire genomes of other affected and non-affected dogs to see directly which changes are specific for Alopecia X. As the sequence would already be known, it would be simple to develop a genetic test to differentiate between a normal gene and an Alopecia X gene. Such simple and economical (typically $ 50-75 per dog) tests exist for a host of genetic diseases in dogs and other species. This is the ultimate goal in the study of Alopecia X.
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It is unlikely a “cure” will ever be developed for Alopecia X as the process of identifying a small molecule that can correct the defect and having that drug approved for use is literally a multi-billion dollar effort. There simply isn’t sufficient pay-off for a drug company to engage in such an effort. If a drug used for another condition in dogs or humans were identified that showed efficacy in treating the defect, it could however be adopted for Alopecia X. Most probably, a genetic test will be the sole tool for our use to deal with the condition. It would allow us to know the status of all dogs before breeding and avoid matings that would produce bald dogs. Care would be needed in the use of the information from such a genetic test. The desire might be for the community to “eliminate” all affected AND carrier dogs from the breeding pool. This could devastate the breed, depending on the true prevalence in the Pomeranian population. We could lose entire unique lines and much of the diversity that keeps a breed healthy. The loss of genetic diversity could in fact bring other genetic diseases into greater prevalence due to the limited rem aining breeding stock, if one or a few possess a particular defect.
There must be a concerted effort moving forward to protect genetic diversity in the breed and this should form the basis of policy at the breed club level.
However, until an Alopecia X test is developed, the main concerns are 2 fold: 1) to understand how to proceed protecting the breed but producing as few bald dogs as possible, and 2) raising the funds as a community necessary to identify the gene and get the test developed that we so badly need.
There are a few tenants that breeders concerned about Alopecia X may follow: Try to be as aware as possible about the incidence of Alopecia X in the dogs in your pedigrees, and also in what they have produced in other breedings. This is not always an easy task. Monitor closely your dogs to see if you can see any patterns that lead you to suspect dogs who will develop the disease. Such evidence would not necessarily hold for other dogs from different lines. Have your bald dogs properly diagnosed to eliminate other causes of hair loss. Share information, but realize that what you see in your dogs may not be a universal trait and only a properlycontrolled scientific study may tell us what characteristics are truly common before complete coat loss. Try to minimize early breedings before Alopecia X would become apparent. Do every breeding with a purpose, and be aware of the risks, not only for Alopecia X but other diseases as well. Does this breeding make more sense and produce less risk than another breeding? Minimize the use of dogs suspected of being carriers and certainly those affected. Inbreed and line breed carefully and with a purpose, being doubly sure of the risks versus benefits. Use judicious breedings to outside dogs that you know haven’t produced Alopecia X, particularly when you feel the incidence of Alopecia X in the general population is lower than what you are seeing in your lines. Breeding to “unknown” outside dogs could be just as risky, or even more so than using a known suspect dog. Foreign dogs don’t necessarily have a lower incidence—what you don’t know can hurt you. Donate information and time as well as DNA samples and pedigree information to legitimate scientific studies examining Alopecia X. Preserve diversity in your lines and in the population. There are rare instances where certain groups of dogs could be lost by simply eliminating all suspected carriers of Alopecia X or other diseases from the breeding pool. This would be a greater disservice to the breed moving forward. Instead in these situations, do carefully controlled breedings to dogs that have never produced Alopecia X in many breedings over a number of years.
Finally, we as the Pomeranian community need to raise funds to support the scientific research being done. We are at a point now where an Alopecia X-related gene likely can be identified at a lower cost than ever and a simple genetic test should be possible. We all must contribute to the development of this vital tool. It is up to the members of the PCOC, APC, etc. to join together and raise the funds necessary to save our breed. If we don’t care enough to do it, no one else will. Last year 790 purebred Pomeranians were PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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registered with the Canadian Kennel Club. I advocate making a donation for each Pomeranian produced or sold by each of our members to contribute to the genome sequencing effort or to Alopecia X research in general. Even a donation of 1% of the sale price of each dog sold will add up quickly. If the average dog is sold for just $ 2000, that means a small contribution of $ 20. But this adds up to $ 16 000 from the registered dogs produced last year alone. However, not all dogs registered in Canada were produced by PCOC members and not all members will care enough to contribute, which is why we need to work extra hard and donate even more. With matching funds when we donate and our APC neighbours contributing as well, we can really raise the needed funds quickly. Many of the PCOC members have already donated and are continuing to do so. Whether you have or havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t donated in the past, please visit http://www.american pomeranianclub.org/health/donate.htm now and please donate!
1.
Frank LA (2007) Hair today, gone tomorrow! PCOC Magazine June 2007:38-39.
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AltheaVetStaff (2006) Alopecia X. PCOC Magazine September 2006:28-29.
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Frank LA, Hnilica KA, Oliver JW (2004) Adrenal steroid hormone concentrations in dogs with hair cycle arrest (Alopecia X) before and during treatment with melatonin and mitotane. Vet Dermatol 15:278-284.
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Frank LA (2005) Growth hormone-responsive alopecia in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 226:1494-1497.
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Stark R (2006) "The Disease", BSD, Alopecia X or whatever you want to call it. PCOC Magazine September 2006:30-33.
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Frank LA (2007) Oestrogen receptor antagonist and hair regrowth in dogs with hair cycle arrest (alopecia X). Vet Dermatol 18:63-66.
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Frank LA, Donnell RL, Kania SA (2006) Oestrogen receptor evaluation in Pomeranian dogs with hair cycle arrest (a lopecia X) on melatonin supplementation. Vet Dermatol 17:252-258.
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Mausberg EM, Drogemuller C, Dolf G, Rufenacht S, Welle M, et al. (2008) Exclusion of patched homolog 2 (PTCH2) as a candidate gene for alopecia X in Pomeranians and Keeshonden. Vet Rec 163:121-123.
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Mausberg EM, Drogemuller C, Leeb T, Dolf G, Rufenacht S, et al. (2007) Evaluation of the CTSL2 gene as a candidate gene for a lopecia X in Pomeranians and Keeshonden. Anim Biotechnol 18:291-296.
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Frank LA, Hnilica KA, Rohrbach BW, Oliver JW (2003) Retrospective evaluation of sex hormones and steroid hormone intermediates in dogs with alopecia. Vet Dermatol 14:91-97.
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Kim Chiaw P, Eckford PD, Bear CE Insights into the mechanisms underlying CFTR channel activity, the molecular basis for cys tic fibrosis and strategies for therapy. Essays Biochem 50:233-248.
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Riordan JR, Rommens JM, Kerem B, Alon N, Rozmahel R, et al. (1989) Identification of the cystic fibrosis gene: cloning and characterization of complementary DNA. Science 245:1066-1073.
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Wright FA, Strug LJ, Doshi VK, Commander CW, Blackman SM, et al. Genome-wide association and linkage identify modifier loci of lung disease severity in cystic fibrosis at 11p13 and 20q13.2. Nat Genet 43:539-546.
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Drogemuller C, Karlsson EK, Hytonen MK, Perloski M, Dolf G, et al. (2008) A mutation in hairless dogs implicates FOXI3 in ectodermal development. Science 321:1462.
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Paul and Rick, together with their dogs, are “TinyBear Pomeranians”. Representing the breed from Toronto, Canada, this couple is working diligently toward developing a distinct line. Hand selected dogs, pedigrees and breedings from Alexandroff, Damascusroad, Babydoll, Starhaven, Firesprite, Royal Paws and Prudens Pomeranians, boasting champions from highly respected international breeding programs, sets their foundation. Rick is at home fulltime with the dogs in effort to monitor, train, groom and meet their every need. Paul is a working scientist in research at Toronto’s famous, “Hospital For Sick Children” as well as Chair of the Pomeranian Club of Canada’s, “Health and Genetics Committee”. Paul also sits on the “Medical and Genetics’ Committee” for the Canadian Kennel Club. Their love for the Pomeranian and their goal to produce healthy dogs drives their desire to learn and to contribute. This breeding program will include show specimens from orange lines as well as some less common colours and patterns allowable per the Canadian Pomeranian Standard. The challenge they look forward to is to infuse colour without losing ‘type’. TinyBear utilizes DNA testing for colour and pattern as well as medical results and pedigree research when deciding mating pairs. Paul and Rick are committed to Pomeranian good health including encouraging open and honest discussion regarding instances and/or concerns of Alopecia X. They have a desire to participate in education about this disease based on known scientific truths and direction of the official research in effort to dispel the overwhelming glut of anecdotal, unsubstantiated myths and fear mongering that has plagued our breeding community. They would like to work with their fellow breeders in unison to support the much needed research by donating to the Genome Project, as promoted by the American Pomeranian Club. Tinybear has pledged $100 for every dog sold, to the research. They have probably the best guarantee against Alopecia X offered. A full refund up to 4 years for show/breeding dogs as well as pets. Rick and Paul believe that their pets and pet owners deserve the same assurances that any breeder should demand. Tinybear is looking forward to wonderful things from the whelping pen and in contributing to a high standard of dogs in the show ring. You may find them on the web at www.tinybearpoms.com or contact Rick at info@tinybearpoms.com and Paul at paul@tinybearpoms.com Paul will be pleased to answer any questions or concerns about Pomeranian health.
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This comprehensive guide will show how you can achieve that immaculate â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Best in Showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; look on your own Pomeranian. Give you and your Pomeranian the winning edge at Dog Shows, or simply to show off your beautiful Pomeranian to your friends and family. Learn how to easily create the Teddy Bear Pomeranian look for your pet Pomeranian. Just like a professional Pomeranian groomer.
The Pomeranian Grooming & Trimming Guide PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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For over 40 years I have enjoyed watching the rainbow of colors available in the Pomeranian breed and labored to understand the complexity involved in breeding to create exotic colors. Since my time in the Pomeranian breed began in 1969 I saw orange, orange sable and red Poms exhibited in the AKC show ring. While they are gorgeous and a delight to watch-the lack of variety can become a bit boring after a while. From the first time I saw Poms of another color than orange, red or sable I was enchanted by the variety of shades, patterns and the markings that accompany those patterns. Since the logical first step to understand how to master a subject is to read articles or books written on the subject by experts in that subject I purchased a book called Inheritance of Coat Color in Dogs written by Clarence Little. Many of the basic premises outlined in that book are still believed to be true and accurate, but some of the theories have been replaced by newer research on the subject. Dr. Sheila Schmutz is one of the renowned experts of today concerning coat color in dogs. If you Google her name-you will be able to study much of what she has written online. Obtaining her reference works would be a good step toward obtaining a good working knowledge of the genetics involved in understanding and creating various coat colors in dogs. The genetic terms used are helpful in identifying certain genetic combinations involved in the PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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creation of a coat color in dogs.
Rather than express the genetic terms for the colors in this article I will speak in laymanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s terms so that a more basic understanding of concepts can be conveyed to those breeders not yet comfortable with the genetic codes or terms used to identify a gene for color. For a true study of coat color in dogs-you will need a good book that clearly illustrates the genetic codes, their locii placements, and interactions with one another in terms of dominance. You will also need a large notebook, dividers by topic, and then develop case studies of matings and results obtained by implementing the theories. Print out the articles that you find make the most sense regarding colors-and study them-as they will be your guidelines for color in your different color programs.
Divide a section for each color or pattern and add articles of interest or add your own notes of interest to the appropriate section. When you do a mating of colors-record the results both on a form that illustrates at least 3 generations of color behind the parents and pictorially. Five generations would be better if you are dealing with a recessive set of genes. Take a newborn snapshot of the litter-and print it out and add it to the notebook for each case study (litter). These results will be something you can reference years from now-and not have to rely on your memory.
One of the most important things to remember when endeavoring to create a color outcome in a mating would be ORDER OF DOMINANCE. Genes are thought to be either recessive or dominant-but even within these categories you will find an order of dominance. That is-even PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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in recessive genes, some will dominate over others. For a more complete order of dominance illustration than this article will allow please reference the links provided in this article as well as Google searches to further investigate the dominance within the various genetic series. History of dominance The concept of dominance was introduced by Gregor Mendel. Though Mendel, "The Father of Genetics", first used the term in the 1860s, it was not widely known until the early twentieth century. Mendel observed that, for a variety of traits of garden peas having to do with the appearance of seeds, seed pods, and plants, there were two discrete phenotypes, such as round versus wrinkled, yellow versus green seeds, red versus white flowers or tall versus short plants. When bred separately, the plants always produced the same phenotypes, generation after generation.
However, when lines with different phenotypes were crossed (interbred), one and only one of the parental phenotypes showed up in the offspring (green, or round, or red, or tall). However, when these hybrid plants were crossed, the offspring plants showed the two original phenotypes, in a characteristic 3:1 ratio, the more common phenotype being that of the parental hybrid plants. Mendel reasoned that each parent in the first cross was a homozygote for different alleles (one parent AA and the other parent aa), that each contributed one allele to the offspring, with the result that all of these hybrids were heterozygotes (Aa), and that one of the two alleles in the hybrid cross dominated expression of the other: A masked a. The final cross between two PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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heterozygotes (Aa X Aa) would produce AA, Aa, and aa offspring in a 1:2:1 genotype ratio with the first two classes showing the "A" phenotype, and the last showing the "a" phenotype, thereby producing the 3:1 phenotype ratio. Mendel did not use the terms gene, allele, phenotype, genotype, homozygote, and heterozygote, all of which were introduced later. He did introduce the notation of capital and lowercase letters for dominant and recessive alleles, respectively, still in use today.
Allele- Allele is an alternative form of a gene (one member of a pair) that is located at a specific position on a specific chromosome. These DNA codings determine distinct traits that can be passed on from parents to offspring. The process by which alleles are transmitted was discovered by Gregor Mendel and formulated in what is known as Mendel's law of segregation. Chromosome- A threadlike linear strand of DNA and associated proteins in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells that carries the genes and functions in the transmission of hereditary information. Coat color gene- There are currently eight known genes within the canine genome that are associated with coat color. Each of these genes occurs in at least two variants, or alleles, which accounts for the variation in coat color between animals. Each of these genes exists at a fixed location, or locus, of the animal's genome. Diploid cell- A diploid cell is a cell that contains two sets of chromosomes. One set of chromosomes is donated from each parent. PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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Polyploid cells and organisms are those containing more than two paired (homologous) sets of chromosomes. Most eukaryotic species are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one set inherited from each parent.
EpistasisEpistasis ["epi + stasis = to sit on top"] is an interaction between genotypes at two different gene loci, which sometimes resembles a dominance interaction between two different alleles at a single locus. Epistasis modifies the characteristic 9:3:3:1 ratio expected for two non-epistatic genes. Most genetic systems involve complex epistatic interactions among multiple gene loci. For two loci, 14 classes of epistatic interactions are recognized. As an example of recessive epistasis, one gene locus may determine whether a flower pigment is yellow (AA or Aa) or green (aa), while another locus determines whether the pigment is produced (BB or Bb) or not (bb). In a bb plant, the flowers will be white, irrespective of the genotype of the other locus as AA, Aa, or aa. The bb combination is not dominant to the A allele: rather, the B gene shows recessive epistasis to the A gene, because the B locus when homozygous for the recessive allele (bb) suppresses phenotypic expression of the A locus. In a cross between two Aa Bb plants, this produces a characteristic 9:3:4 ratio, in this case of yellow : green : white flowers. In dominant epistasis, one gene locus may determine yellow or green pigment as in the previous example: AA and Aa are yellow, and aa are green. A second locus determines whether a pigment precursor is produced (dd) or not (DD or Dd). Here, in a Dx plant, the flowers will be colorless irrespective of the genotype at the A locus, because of the epistatic effect of the dominant D allele. Thus, in a cross between two Aa Dd plants, 3/4 of the plants will be colorless, and the yellow and green phenotypes are expressed only in dd plants. This produces a characteristic 12:3:1ratio of white : yellow : green plants. Dominant- Dominance in genetics is a relationship between alleles of a gene, in which one allele masks the expression (phenotype) of another allele at the same locus.[1] In the simplest case, where a gene exists in two allelic forms (designated A and B), three combinations of alleles (genotypes) are possible: AA, AB, and BB. If AA and BB individuals (homozygotes) show different forms of the trait (phenotype), and AB individuals (heterozygotes) show the same phenotype as AA individuals, then allele A is said to dominate or be dominant to or show dominance to allele B, and B is said to be recessive to A. If instead AB has the same phenotype as BB, B is dominant to A. Incomplete dominance- Incomplete dominance occurs when the phenotype of the heterozygous genotype is distinct from and often intermediate to the phenotypes of the homozygous genotypes. Co-dominance- Co-dominance occurs when the contributions of both alleles are visible in the phenotype. In the ABO example, the IA and IB allele classes are co-dominant in producing PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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the AB blood group phenotype, in which both A-type and B-type antigens are made. Gene- A hereditary unit consisting of a sequence of DNA that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and determines a particular characteristic in an organism. Genes undergo mutation when their DNA sequence changes. Genotype- The genetic makeup of an individual. Gene mapping is the procession of determining the locus for a particular biological trait. Locus- Locus (plural locii) is the specific location of a gene or DNA sequence on a chromosome. A variant of the DNA sequence at a given locus is called an allele. The ordered list of locii known for a particular genome is called a genetic map. Heterozygous- Diploid and polyploid cells that have different alleles of a given gene at a locus, are called heterozygous with respect to that gene. Homozygous-Diploid and polyploid cells whose chromosomes have the same allele of a given gene at some locus are called homozygous with respect to that gene. Phenotype- The observable physical or biochemical characteristics of an organism, as determined by both genetic makeup and environmental influences.
Mutation- A gene mutation is a permanent change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene. Mutations range in size from a single DNA building block (DNA base) to a large segment of a chromosome. Gene mutations occur in two ways: they can be inherited from a parent or acquired during a dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifetime. Mutations that are passed from parent to child are called hereditary mutations or germline mutations (because they are present in the egg and sperm cells, which are also called germ cells). This type of mutation is present throughout a dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life in virtually every cell in the body. Mutations that occur only in an egg or sperm cell, or those that occur just after fertilization, are called new (de novo) mutations. De novo mutations may explain genetic disorders in which an affected offspring has a mutation in every cell, but has no family history of the disorder. Acquired (or somatic) mutations occur in the DNA of individual cells at some time during a dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. These changes can be caused by environmental factors such as ultraviolet radiation from the sun, or can occur if a mistake is made as DNA copies itself during cell division. Acquired mutations in somatic cells (cells other than sperm and egg cells) cannot be passed on to the next generation. Pattern genes for coat color- Please refer to this URL for both written and pictorial illustrations of patterns in canine coat color. http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/dogspots.html PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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Recessive- Remember that there are two copies of each gene in a genome. For a recessive trait to be expressed, you would have two have two copies of the recessive gene. If you had one recessive and one dominant, then the dominant trait would be expressed. For example, brown eyes are the dominant trait and blue is recessive. If you had a brown eye gene and a blue eye gene, brown would be expressed. You would need two blue eye genes to express that trait. So a recessive trait can be described as a trait which will not be expressed in the phenotype if two different genes are present at that locus in the genotype. With a basic knowledge of the genetic definitions of the terms associated with working to determine the coat color and pattern in your various color programs, you will be able to organize your endeavors, document them, and soon will achieve some degree of consistency in your predictions for coat appearance in your puppies. One helpful online tool you may choose to use resides at this URL http://www.tenset.co.uk /doggen/indexus.html This site will give you genetic terms and coat color predictions for any breeding you might make for both the USA and the UK. I hope this has been helpful to those of you who are endeavoring to create color in quality in the Pomeranian breed. This has been my quest for over 40 years-to see the beautiful colors that exist in this breed in the show rings throughout the world. For those of you who may want to view some of the beautiful colors I have produced please feel free to visit my website at http://www.beaujames-pomeranians.com I would like to make some suggestions regarding various color programs regarding DO’s and DON’Ts when making your matings to produce preferred coat colors. WHITE- When doing matings for white the preferred pairings are white to white, white to black-with the black having white close in the pedigree, white to cream, white to parti (preferably black parti), and white to wolf sable or cream sable. Don’ts- I would not recommend breeding white to chocolate, white to orange or red, and white to beaver.
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CHOCOLATE- When doing matings for chocolate the preferred pairings are chocolate to chocolate, chocolate to black (preferably with a chocolate close in the pedigree), chocolate to beaver, chocolate to chocolate sable, black & tan and the same colors when doing these matings for chocolate parti-color. Just remember-the spotting gene is recessive-and parti to parti is the only way to produce total parti-color litters. Don’ts-I would not recommend breeding chocolate to white or cream. BLUE- When doing matings for blue the preferred pairings are blue to white or cream, black & tan (preferably with blue or white or cream in the pedigree). BLACK & TAN- When doing matings for black & tan the preferred pairings are black & tan, orange sable (preferably with black & tan close in the pedigree), and blue & tan if you desire the blue dilution that may arise. Chocolate and tan would be a desired pairing should you desire to factor the offspring for chocolate. Don’ts- Oranges with no black & tan or heavy sable will produce oranges and sables-not black & tans. It is not a definite no-no-as often this pairing will improve quality-and the tan marking pattern will often pass to the offspring-but you will not produce black & tans from this type of mating. BLACK- When doing matings for black the desired outcome will determine your preferred pairings. If you seek to maintain the intense dark black pigment in the coat-you should not introduce dilution genes. The preferred pairings would then be intense reds, red sables, dark orange sables, and black & tans or other blacks. Don’ts- If you breed black to black for generations with no addition of sable genes-you will often lose coat texture. You will retain the intense black pigmentation-but may well lose the coat texture. ORANGE- When doing matings for orange the desired outcome will best be attained by the occasional introduction of a heavy sable or black. They will help to retain intensity of pigmentation in the coat-and improve coat texture. Don’ts- Orange to orange breedings for many generations will often result in the loss of proper nose and eye-rim pigmentation as well as loss of proper coat texture. MERLE-When doing matings for merle the desired outcome is best served by mating to dark colors-as the merle gene affects the dark colors to produce the pattern. Therefore the desired colors for pairings would be black, black & tan, chocolate, chocolate & tan, and blue or blue & tan. Merle solids can be bred to partis in any of these colors as well. Don’ts- It is not advisable to breed merle to white, cream, or extreme white piebald pattern parti-color. Additionally, since the clearly defined markings are preferred in blue merle or chocolate merle it is not advisable to bring sable genetics into merle breeding as the sable pattern tends to overlay and cloak the merle pattern. Red merles are not preferred-as often the sable genetics are present in reds and oranges in the Pomeranian breed. BRINDLE- When mating brindles there are few limitations but for the richer deeper colors I use the oranges, reds, and chocolates. You can also use these colors that have tan marking pattern-and you will sometimes get black & brindle, chocolate & brindle in the tan marking pattern. If you use whites or creams the resulting brindles may be somewhat grizzled and pale in color-but you will get an occasional cream background with defined brindle striping. This brief synopsis of some of the issues involved in color-breeding barely skims the surface of the subject, but hopefully this article has been of help to those of you in the fancy. I look forward to seeing your results on my Facebook group- Exotic Color Pomeranians of The World. By Cynthia Wallen Beau James Pomeranians http://www.beaujames-pomeranians.com PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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All you have ever wanted to know about the Pomeranian Dog. This Pomeranian Guide is a must have item for all Pomeranian dog lovers. Over 100 pages of detailed Pomeranian dog information.This wonderful book is full of colour photos and original illustrations by the author.
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The Pomeranian's Ancestry, Pomeranian Breed Standard. Pomeranian Colors and Patterns. The Pomeranian colors explained. Learn about the Pomeranian Breed, Correct movement, what is the correct Pomeranian side gait ? correct and incorrect Pomeranian heads explained, Characteristics of the Pomeranian Dog, Famous Pomeranian Owners & Interesting Pomeranian facts, Purchasing your Pomeranian, Pomeranians with small children & other pets. Pomeranians for apartment residents and working owners, Gender-Specific Pomeranian Personalities. Introducing the Pomeranian to Your Household, Hints for “Pom-Proofing” Your House Your Pomeranian’s Documentation, Thoughts on Nutrition for your Pomeranian, Learn how to read dog food labels, Rawhides, Chews and Treats. Human foods which can be dangerous to dogs, House Training & Crate Training for your Pomeranian, Coprophagia- How to cure this disgusting habit, Crates/xPens for your Pomeranian, Pomeranian Puppy Transition, Socializing your Pomeranian Puppy, Common Health Issues Affecting Pomeranians, Choosing Your Pomeranian’s Veterinarian, Should You Spay or Neuter Your Pomeranian? Breeding & Exhibiting Pomeranians, If you do decide that breeding and exhibiting Pomeranians is for you, tips to get you get started. Traveling with Your Pomeranian, Caring for Your Aging Pomeranian, Home Cooking for your Pomeranian and more.
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Brian McCue is a celebrity Pomeranian living with his doting mother and Pomeranian brother, Snoops in Perth, Western Australia. Left: Brian is pictured right as a youngster with his litter brother. Below: Brian stars on 7News after attending the RSPCA Million Paws walk with his devoted Granny.
Pictured left: Brian recently celebrated his 10th birthday. Visit Brian on his facebook page.
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Pictured above: Brian McCue enjoying his “big boy” birthday present. PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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How frequently should I wash my Pomeranian ? A pet Pomeranian should be bathed on a regular basis . Once a month during the winter months and more often during summer. The Dochlaggie Pomeranians are bathed twice weekly whilst being shown. The day prior to a show, and once again the day following the show to remove any grooming products added to the coat at the show. Whilst enjoying a break from the show ring, the show dogs are given a weekly maintenance bath. Bathing will not soften a correct Pomeranian coat. Dirt, grime and talcum powder can easily damage a Pomeranian's coat. Clean hair grows, dirty hair will dry out and break off. Pomeranian coats can vary from Pomeranian to Pomeranian. Breeders strive to produce Pomeranians with correct standoff, harsh coats. A Pomeranian's coat may also differ significantly from month to month. Ensure that your Pomeranian is completely brushed and combed through before attempting to bath. The bath water should be just warm and reach no higher than three quarters up the Pomeranian's legs. The type of Shampoo used is a minor consideration, unless this is your Best in Show Pomeranian, having his bath the day before a big show. Lather well on both sides of body. Start at the tail and wash the head last. Keeping the shampoo and conditioner out of the Pomeranian's eyes and ears. Rinse well with clean, just warm water. Conditioner is then applied to the bottom half of the Pomeranian's body, tail, feet and legs areas and the conditioner is completely rinsed out. Place towels around your Pomeranian. Blot dry, rather than vigorously rubbing. The Pomeranian's coat should then be blown dry. If you have more than one Pomeranian to groom consider purchasing a canine dryer. Please be aware that hair dryers for humans will be too hot for your Pomeranian. Set the dryer to a cool setting and do not get too close to the Pomeranian when using a human hair dryer. Blow the Pomeranian with the dryer for approximately 5 minutes, turn dryer off and brush with your pin brush. Repeat until Pomeranian is completely dry. Best results are obtained from working on one small area at a time. Start by drying the underneath, and then move to the ears, top and front of the ruff, tail area is next, finishing on the side and back areas. Ensure each section is completely dry before moving to another section of your Pomeranian. Article Copyright 2012 Denise Leo. Dochlaggie Pomeranians.
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By Louise Guyton
Everyone needs to know what to do when police officers or animal control are on their property. It is unfortunate but the laws that are being passed against ownership of dogs has made owning a dog a little more perilous – no matter what the breed. Newspapers are full of articles about children being maimed or police officers being attacked, puppy mills, dog disturbances – from barking to vicious dog complaints. It is no wonder that police officers pull a gun if your dog runs in their direction. What to do? When an officer of the law (referring to a police officer or animal control officer) approaches your home, assume – ASSUME that they are afraid of dogs and if your friendly dog rushes them, they may regard that as an attack. Anytime they feel threatened they may choose to respond with deadly force. If you have a gate, make sure that it is marked – Keep out – and place an outside buzzer to get your attention. If it is law enforcement, you have the right to stop them right there until you find out what they want. Tell them to please wait, while you restrain your dog. If they are coming to sell tickets for the policeman’s ball – restrain your dog before approaching them at your gate. Do not give them cause to think your dog could be aggressive. If you know the police are coming make sure your dog(s) are restrained in such a manner that no one can feel threatened. If this involves placing them inside a kennel or crate, do so. Two reasons for this, you do not want your dog(s) to escape and you do not want an officer to assume he is being attacked. PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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Never allow your dogs to roam the entire neighborhood, night or day. First, you are endangering the dog. Second, you are endangering other dogs or other people. Third, if you live in an area where there are dog restrictions about roaming dogs, you have just given permission for your dog to be impounded. Let the officer know your dog’s name by stating “name” come here” and then tell the officer, making sure that you are speaking loud enough for him or her to hear to Wait while I restrain my dog. I want to restrain my dog. If you place him on a retractable leash but it is clear that the officer is still not comfortable, tell him you are going to put your dog in a crate and for the officer to wait. If there are police in your vicinity and your dog is outside, bring your dog in or crate him, especially if it appears that the police are covering the neighborhood and entering peoples yards to search for something. Keep your dog restrained until the police are gone. Again, have signs on your fence about dogs on your property. Make sure it is clearly visible so the officers are not taken by surprise. Keep your dog as calm as possible. A dog that is rushing your front door and growling and barking is not conducive to an officer relaxing and making nice talk. If you react as if you are afraid or nervous, your dog is going to be on high alert. You must be calm also. Let’s assume that you have one or more dogs or even a kennel and early one morning the doorbell rings and there are two officers at your door. Both are animal control. What are your rights? Animal Control and police officers are bound by Constitution as any other government agency and you need to know your rights as a tax-paying citizen. Never resist an officer physically. That will only get you arrested legally. However, you are not under any obligation to let any officer into your home unless they have a legal warrant and present it to you. They must also give you time to read it so you know what they may or may not take or look at. If they tell you there is a warrant but do not show it, it is not a legal warrant. Do not let animal control of officers in your home. If they knock and say they want to come in, open the door enough to step outside and close the door behind you unless they appear they will push their way in. At that point tell them that they will need a warrant and close the door. Police officers have the right to enter your home under special circumstances such as a discharge of a firearm, someone screaming, a 911 call to the police and no one asked for anything - just hung up. If those circumstances do not apply, simply state that they may not come in. If you screw up and let them in, anything in sight or plain sight as they call it can be used against you. This includes trumped up charges such as a kennel that is attached to the wall without a building permit, water dishes that are almost empty, a cord showing and the danger of a puppy chewing on it and killing themselves, more pets than allowed by ordinance and so on and so forth. If they want violations – they will find some. Do not speak to them through an open doorway. Anything they can see out or in plain sight can be reason to obtain a legal search warrant. Step outside and lock your door if possible. If you make the officers feel “threatened” in any way, you have given them cause to arrest you and then they are allowed to search for weapons in your immediate area. A baseball bat behind the door qualifies as a weapon. Do not let animal control or local law enforcement intimidate you. If they do not have a warrant, you are in your legal rights to prevent them from entering. State this law simply without anger. PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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Make sure that baby-sitters, dog-sitters, visitors, housekeeper or roommate know the law as well. As long as they allow someone to enter, the officers have entered legally. If they feel that they would be too intimidated, instruct them not to answer the door at all. Again, a legal warrant is not legal or available unless they can show you a signed document by a judge in your area. Read the warrant. A warrant that allows them to look for dogs does not give them the authority to see what you have in your jewelry box. If the warrant does not include inspecting a kennel or garage or barn, they cannot venture out there or if the warrant is to search the kennel or barn but not the home, they are not allowed in your home. You are not obligated to obey them like a mindless robot, know your rights but do not be rude. Know when to shut up and not volunteer information. If you talk too much you are being Stupid and Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as fast as possible before it spreads. If you have obtained a “breeder permit” that stipulates that Animal Control has your permission to inspect at any time, they still cannot enter against your wishes. You have the right to revoke that permission. However, they may also revoke your permit. But, inspections are to be made during reasonable working hours. One last item! If your dog had been impounded and you want him back, dig out his medical records and license if required. Call around to make sure your dog was impounded and where he is being held. If they cannot identify your dog from your description, go to the shelter and ask to see the dogs in person. If he is not there, leave a photograph of your dog and your phone number. If they do have your dog, do not charge your dog and overwhelm him! Many dogs are frightened and will not respond so approach carefully and calmly and allow the dog to sniff you for recognition. You will need all your documents to prove ownership now. Registration papers, microchip registration if your dog has a chip. Vet records, rabies tag etc. The shelter will need to verify your information before releasing your dog. Pay any fees including impound fees and care for your dog. Most places will charge $25.00 to $100.00. Make sure you have the money in hand when you go to the shelter. After your dog is released, go to the vet for a checkup. Shelters can carry communicable dog diseases that your pet may have been exposed to so make sure you are bringing home a happy and healthy pet. Make sure this does not happen again. Determine where your dog got out and repair it. Do not let your dog roam uncontrolled at any time. Many thanks to Louise Guyton for this article. Louise has more articles available on her Facebook page “Everything you want to know about dog”.
Visit the Show Dog Directory for Dog Breed information, Dog breeders, & Resources. PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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Pomeranian Grooming Video and Pomeranian Grooming Booklet available for instant download
PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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PomWorld.Com. December, 2012.
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