Breed Council elects a new Secretary
The Dachshund Breed Council held its Annual General Meeting on Sunday 18th May 2014. Lesley Brown, who had been Secretary since the Council was established in 2008, retired.
Wendy Starkey (Hamoura Smooth Dachshunds) was elected as the new Secretary, to serve a 2 year term. Wendy can be contacted via e-mail at secretary@dachshundbreedcouncil.org.uk or Telephone 01233 502486.
Ian Seath was re-elected for a third term as Chairman and Anne Moore was re-elected as Vice-Chair.
At the Council meeting following the AGM, delegates discussed progress being made on its two priority health conditions; Lafora Disease in Mini Wires and Back Disease (IVDD).
Lafora: A further subsidised Lafora Screening day will be held for Mini Wire Dachshunds on Tuesday 24th June at the Poole House Veterinary Centre in Lichfield. Booking Forms are available from Sue Holt Susan.Holt@talktalk.net or Nora Price laforatesting@mypostoffice.co.uk
IVDD: Following discussions with representatives from the Royal Veterinary College who published research on Dachshund conformation in 2013, the Breed Council’s Health Sub-committee is planning a “Lifestyle Survey” with the support of the RVC, to investigate a range of factors such as diet, exercise and body condition. Other projects with the RVC are also being planned.
For further information on the work of the Dachshund Breed Council, please contact the Secretary or visit www.dachshundbreedcouncil.org.uk
Latest Lafora Screening Results have been published
The Lafora Screening Results from the testing session held in January have now been published and added to the
WHDC database.
From this latest group of dogs, 40% were Carriers and 60% were Clear of the Lafora mutation which is clearly good news for all their owners. Carriers can safely be bred from provided they are ONLY mated to Clear dogs.
There is some good news to report based on the Lafora Screening Results published in the latest KC Breed Records Supplement. As a result of more breeders adopting the test and using Clear dogs, 78% of litters (74% of puppies) bred in the first Quarter of 2014 are now in the
safe category, compared with 57% puppies last time. The total number of Mini Wires bred is lower: 143 vs. 164. Hopefully, those people breeding Clear dogs to Untested dogs are making it extremely clear to the new owners they should get them tested before breeding. Visit our
Lafora information page.
We have been asked several times why the testing takes so long and why we cannot use a different laboratory that might be able to do a quicker turnaround.
We enquired at several laboratories in Britain and overseas and all declined to take up the testing for several reasons, the main one being that it is not a cost effective test and there is insufficient demand to make it commercially viable. The laboratory we currently use is in Canada at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Kids. The team there, led by Dr Minassian, have been researching Lafora Disease in children for many years and are seen as the world’s leading experts on this genetic anomaly. They had, in the past, developed a test for Lafora Disease in dogs and therefore it made perfect sense for them to reinstate this test.
The test is extremely complex, hence it takes a long time to complete. It is also thoroughly checked to make sure results are analysed correctly. The identification of Carriers is extremely time consuming. The turnaround is roughly around 3 to 4 months, depending how busy the lab is with other things. We have to remember this is not a commercial testing laboratory, it does not have unlimited staff to divert to canine Lafora testing just when we decide to have a testing day.
The laboratory in Canada is the official place for Lafora testing; it is the only one that the Kennel Club will accept results from for inclusion on their web site and registration details. Therefore it is the one we will continue to use.
Our next testing day is 24th June and we will probably continue to hold two bulk testing sessions a year to help co-ordinate the transport to Canada and make some savings for people by doing it in bulk.
So, to bust a few myths currently doing the rounds:
There is not another laboratory offering a quicker turnaround – if somebody knows of a UK or any other, laboratory that is offering it, please let us know too.
The Canadian laboratory is not taking our money under false pretences – the costs are reflective of the work involved and it takes time to complete and carry out the quality control checks.
The Canadian laboratory will not share its testing methods – this is not true. Dr Minassian’s team shared their method and met with Centogene, which was the first laboratory that offered to work with us. The Carrier test was too complex for Centogene to develop fully and implement so, reluctantly, they gave up.
Any questions or queries, please ask us.
Sue Holt:
susan.holt@talktalk.net
Nora Price:
laforatesting@mypostoffice.co.uk
Hudson and me: children's Dachshund books
Nicola Preskett is the proud owner of a Miniature Smooth-haired Dachshund who she got two and a half years ago. She says “Since then, this little guy has brought me so much joy, and being a primary school teacher and passionate about children’s reading, I have written and published 5 books all about him! The title of the series is ‘Hudson and Me’, and each of the 5 books focuses on Hudson (the sausage dog) and a little girl, who are the best of friends.”
All books are aimed at two age groups –baby to 3 years old for story time reading, and also 4-6 year olds for those children learning to read independently. They are also available in French and Spanish.
You can buy the books from Amazon or through Hudson’s website where you can also see photos of him, download colouring and activity sheets for the children, and learn more about the fictional and real Hudson.
www.hudsonandme.com
Please do spread the word to other Dachshund lovers about these books, and let Nicola have your feedback if you have time.
Peter Purves on Dachshunds at Discover Dogs
Dog people vs. Cat people!
"Dog people" and "cat people" really do have different personalities, according to a new study.
People who said they were dog lovers in the study tended to be more lively — meaning they were more energetic and outgoing — and also tended to follow rules closely. Cat lovers, on the other hand, were more introverted, more open-minded and more sensitive than dog lovers. Cat people also tended to be non-conformists, preferring to be expedient rather than follow the rules.
Read the full article here. [Don't shoot the messenger!]
Nomora Lafora
Jenny Smith who has owned Mini Wires for 30 years sent us this design that she thought might help in our campaign to get all Mini Wires tested for Lafora Disease before being bred from. She says "With the London Pet Show coming up I wanted to aim at the large number of children that attend the show -we all know how much of an influence they have on their parents and how they embrace "the right thing to do" for their beloved pets. I also wanted to capture the fun-loving personality of the breed."
On the internet
Check Your Pet's Health On Your Smartphone
VIDEO: Simon Boulton discusses Parvo-Alert
BBC News: The strange profusion of "poos" and "doodles"
Precision animal breeding - research paper
Noel Fitzpatrick - Supervet - Radio Times interview
