Saber Tails
s June 2012
www.pbgv.org
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group of dogs will breed true to type, reliably displaying the
features preferred by the breeder. Once a breed is established,
fixed features are maintained by selective breeding of
registered animals. Selection can be made simply on the
basis of the phenotypes of individual prospective parents
or with additional reference to the familial traits of potential
parents’ relatives. In many breeds the former approach has
led to the relative overuse of popular sires (sometimes
called the ‘common sire effect’). Certain popular (usually
champion) stud dogs are used extensively and to the
exclusion of other registered stud males, so effectively
reducing the number of sires represented in the closed
studbook of a particular breed.”
Has the PBGV fallen victim to the ‘popular sire’ effect?
Not at this time, according to Dr. Jerold Bell, who conducted
an analysis of all available PBGV pedigrees and health
data in preparation for his health seminar at the 2010
PBGVCA national.
The study found 312 disorders that could be categorized
as not linked to conformation. The data showed that
German shepherd dogs were predisposed to the greatest
number of these disorders, followed by the golden retriever,
boxer, Labrador retriever and English springer spaniel.
The four disorders affecting the greatest number of breeds
were hypothyroidism, adult-onset cataract, progressive
retinal atrophy, and Von Willebrand’s disease. Diseases
ranked as very severe and affecting a large number of breeds
were retinal detachment/ dysplasia, portosystemic shunt,
hypoadrenocorticism/Addison’s disease, hypothyroidism,
and patent ductus arteriosus.
Summers states, “These disorders have emerged without
a link to specific physical attributes specified in the breed
standards and as such they can be seen as inherently
unpredictable mutations occurring throughout the genome.
McGreevy and Nicholas (1999) stated that in breeds with
low numbers of registrations, it is likely that inbreeding is
a causative factor behind the relatively high prevalence of
certain inherited disorders. Inbreeding may result from
repeated mating of any closed group of dogs and their
offspring. Within the pedigree dog industry the approach
taken to breeding puppies varies markedly. Producers range
from experienced, responsible breeders producing puppies
from health-screened parents, to so-called ‘puppy-farmers’
breeding puppies, often in large numbers, from unregistered
and sometimes closely related parents.”
Are PBGVs being bred at puppy farms and available at pet
shops? Here our smugness must turn to dismay because the
answer is yes. The year 2011 marks a turning point for
PBGVs as there have been multiple sightings of PBGV
puppies for sale in pet shops. You might ask, how much is
that doggie in the window? In his Spring 2012Saber Tails
editorial, PBGVCA President Bob Cohen noted that the
PBGV puppies found in pets shops are priced as high or
higher than the well-bred, socialized puppies one would
obtain from a reputable breeder.
Of note to the PBGV community, the Summers study
found that the number of the disorders to which a breed
was predisposed “was found to negatively correlate with the
percentage increase in registrations over the past decade.” As
an example, the Dogue de Bordeaux was No. 22 in popularity
in the UK in 2007 and had very few inherited disorders, but
UK registrations had increased 1,204 percent from 1998 to
2007! The authors go on say, “Initially this finding would
appear to show that traditionally popular breeds have more
associated disorders than those whose popularity has
increased only in recent years. However it is considered by
the authors that this finding is suggestive of a time lag in
reporting, i.e. a temporal delay between an increase in breed
popularity (hence population size) and the appearance,
documentation and investigation of breed-associated
conditions.” In other words, popularity increases first
and inherited health issues are only detected later.
Summers concludes, “The impression that only pedigree
dogs are at significant risk of inherited diseases likely results
from the current lack of studies looking at the cross-breed
canine population in terms of general disease prevalence.
Overall, there was an alarming lack of reliable, country-
zspecific prevalence data for inherited diseases in the canine
population as a whole, in individual breeds and in cross-
breeds for comparison to pedigree populations. Few purpose-
designed prevalence studies have been reported concerning
either the overall or breed-specific canine populations.”
If you are interested in reading either one of these articles
in full, please contact Laura at laura.liscum@tufts.edu.
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You can leave a lasting legacy to help sustain our breed through a bequest
to the PBGV Health & Rescue Foundation.
A bequest in your will may be accomplished in a variety
of ways: a specific dollar amount, a percentage of your estate or a specific asset, such as a collection, or items
of personal property may be designated as a gift. You may also designate a bequest for general use by the
Foundation, or you may direct your bequest to be used for a specific activity within the Foundation.
One may also provide a bequest in a living trust.
A living trust is effective immediately upon one’s
death. By including the PBGV Health & Rescue Foundation in your living trust or will, you promote and fund
research into the health of our breed and you provide valuable assistance for the rescue of purebred Petit Basset
Griffon Vendéens.
Your bequest to the Foundation will ensure future funding to improve
the health of our breed and to assist PBGVs in need of rescue.