tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.comments2012-05-23T18:38:18.092-07:00Speedoggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749254715496912143noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-9573759648126101072011-12-20T09:45:45.790-08:002011-12-20T09:45:45.790-08:00I think until we know more about ETS from a scientific and study direction we need to make sure we&#39;re not jumping to any conclusions too quickly.<br /><br />I have spent the last 24 years watching and studying agility dogs. It&#39;s my job to watch how they jump and how they take off and land and how that is affected by breed (structure &amp; drive, &amp; enthusiasm), speed, footing, equipment and all the many variables that come with agility. In thinking more about this issue, there are a couple of things that come to mind. Well more than a couple honestly.<br /><br />There are some breeds that struggle with ETS more than others. It was mentioned that Norfolk (&amp; I also think Norwich) Terriers struggle with it. I see many Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers with it, Scotties, and Wire or Smooth Fox Terriers and several other breeds that have this issue more than others. In most of the cases that I&#39;m referring to with breeds, it&#39;s a structure issue in my very humble opinion. And I agree that the issue can be aggravated by training methods or lack there of.<br /><br />There have been many interesting eye structure and sight studies done at the U of WI Vet School and specifically on Border Collies. I had a chance to talk with one of the Doctors there that were involved in the study when he was CERFing some dogs for me. He was asking me for dates and sites nearby the Madison WI area for USBCHA herding trials so he could personally see the long distance vision in BCs that is required for such distant performance on the field with the sheep.<br /><br />I would find it interesting to see if dogs that are only from true herding lines that are ABCA registered and have not been bred for anything else, so no breeding for &quot;close work&quot; were to be compared with dogs that are being breed for AKC style agility and herding work with is considered &quot;close work&quot; in my way of thinking. So in BCs what are the numbers of those that are AKC and what are the numbers that are ABCA and which are early trained and which are late trained for jumping. Could breeders possibly be changing the shape and structure of the eye just enough that now they are finding that dogs are becoming of a type that their vision is being changed also?<br /><br />It&#39;s interesting that it is also mentioned that early visual stimulation and light exposure is a possible component. In some studies done with animals that were raised in a dark environment or without visual stimulation they then found physical differences in theeye, brain and nerve development in those animals. There is so much yet to learn on this subject.<br /><br />One small personal opinion on jumping of mine is that when someone starts a dog on &quot;low&quot; jumps as a very young dog and teaches their muscle memory and mind that they can leave early and still make it over the bar, they are not doing that dog any service. For me, I actually think that teaching the dog to jump in just a couple of days time while going quickly to full height from bars on the ground when the dog is old enough is the way that I like to do it.<br /><br />Many years ago, I produced two dogs with some amount of ETS. I bred them and I trained and showed them. I have not produced any more but on those 2 dogs, I was already into agility, started with early training over low jumps as was suggested in some training styles and found that I simply created a &quot;monster&quot;. Since those two (only 4 more dogs of my own and many students dogs), I have approached my jumping training differently (start later and to full height in 2 days) and have not had another ETS one since.<br /><br />There&#39;s many questions that go with this subject and it&#39;s one that I love to watch and talk about since it affects a sport that I love and live by.<br /><br />Thanks for a very well thought out post on a very volatile subject.<br /><br />Gail Stormglstormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16604764060691917396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-45622203211098196322011-12-12T08:29:29.825-08:002011-12-12T08:29:29.825-08:00&quot;The agility facility boasts brand new Max200 (www.max200.com) agility and training equipment (all rubberized contact equipment). &quot;<br /><br />All equipment is AKC/USDAA spec.Speedoggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749254715496912143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-20772084986170026582011-12-08T17:09:57.946-08:002011-12-08T17:09:57.946-08:00What kind of <a href="http://www.jumpdogagility.com" rel="nofollow">dog agility equipment</a> do you guys have?Brett Rodgershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13391749303098140147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-57107832238648103012011-10-31T10:41:49.369-07:002011-10-31T10:41:49.369-07:00As I mentioned in the article, if people are breeding dogs specifically to produce agility prospects, they may well choose to not breed certain animals until more is known about the nature of ETS, whether it has a genetic component, etc. Comparing ETS to hip dysplasia or cardiomyopathy, however seems a bit extreme. Those conditions affect the dog’s quality of life and longevity. ETS only affects one thing, a dog’s ability to compete in agility, and therefore really only affects the owner, not the dog. Is it heartbreaking to raise a dog in hopes that it will excel as an agility dog, and have the dog end up with ETS? It is certainly not ideal, and all things being equal, of course anyone would rather not have that happen, but it is not heartbreaking in the way that having a dog crippled by hip dysplasia or some other serious health issue is. <br /> <br />I have a student with an extremely talented dog who has tremendous jumping issues which have hampered his agility career. Her other dog has mitral valve disease. When asked whether she was heartbroken about her dog’s inability to compete seriously in agility she said she was certainly disappointed, but that she would reserve ‘heartbroken’ for the dog who had a real problem. <br /><br />Maybe in BCs and Shelties there is enough genetic diversity to cull dogs from the breeding pool for ETS, but that is not true of many of the other breeds in which ETS-like behavior has been observed in agility. ETS is an agility-specific issue, not a health issue or an issue that affects any breed’s ability to perform the task for which it was intended. As such, we need to think carefully before suggesting that it is a problem unless we are breeding strictly for agility. Being a responsible breeder means constantly assessing the plusses and minuses of every dog and every pedigree, taking the knowledge we have and making the best informed decision that we can, being honest with our puppy buyers about what our dogs have and have not produced, and what dogs are related to our dogs. Perhaps if a dog produced 5 dogs exhibiting ETS out of a total of 7, and one is breeding predominantly for agility, then it would be prudent to hold off breeding that dog until more is known, but where do we draw the line? A dog who produces 2 pups with ETS out of 10? How about 1 in 50? No dog is without faults. We are constantly having to evaluate and make informed decisions as to what we think is best for our dogs and our breeding program. As long as we are concerned with our dogs’ welfare and wellbeing, as long as we only produce puppies that we ourselves are proud to say are our breeding, as long as we keep asking questions and searching for answers, we will do the best we are capable of. We might make different decisions when faced with the same situation, but that does not, as a matter of course, mean that one of us is right and the other wrong.Speedoggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749254715496912143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-27486710169539286352011-10-30T11:16:01.603-07:002011-10-30T11:16:01.603-07:00From a breeders perspective I recently spayed the nicest Sheltie I&#39;ve bred because she has 5 (of 7) siblings with ETS &quot;and&quot; and aunt with ETS. I&#39;ve lived the life of raising TWO spectactular prospects only to have them develop this syndrome. I have also raised a whole family of really talented jumpers. I brought these two up the same. One of them was whelped in my home the same as all my other puppies. 5 of 8 from this one bitch have ETS in the hands of different trainers. I had never produced it before, but when I bred to the sister of my affected dog that I purchased, I suddently had 5 of 8. I&#39;ve raised litters before this and after this....no problem except with this pedigree.<br /><br />Do I understand it? NO.... Do I think maybe the unaffected girl I have could be bred without passing it...maybe. I asked the owner of one of the ETS pups if she would consider a pup out of this normal bitch who is quite incredible. And she said no. Not worth the risk.<br /><br />I have seen my puppy buyers SUFFER almost as much as with a health issue. I might have taken the chance and bred my bitch for ME....but the pups tend to come in litters, and I can not risk hurting others again.<br /><br />There is enough genetic diversity in BCs and Shelties that we can eliminate these dogs when it&#39;s an obvious &quot;pattern&quot; the same as we would if it was hip dysplasia or cardiomyopathy.<br /><br />I would LOVE reasoned research and have done what I could to be involved, but until we know more the risk is too high. I don&#39;t have a problem with someone saving semen for future use in case we figure it out, but to breed now I believe is fool hardy.<br /><br />Respectfully,<br />Jean LavalleyJeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14947073805012120252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-79894703649179363102011-10-30T09:26:48.110-07:002011-10-30T09:26:48.110-07:00Thanks Robin. I am strong supporter of hard science over well educated guesses. So crucify away people :)Speedoggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749254715496912143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-73970470412184571712011-10-30T09:15:27.167-07:002011-10-30T09:15:27.167-07:00Chris I love this article. In fact I love it so much I posted it to my FB page, where I was immediately crucified. <br /><br />I still love it. Thank you for a well-reasoned and researched look into this issue.Robinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14745547538571404846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-16000985924291544962009-12-19T05:25:54.068-08:002009-12-19T05:25:54.068-08:00What a good mommy.Amy Siegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08243610775853872002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-4580712785282503992009-08-04T08:18:17.071-07:002009-08-04T08:18:17.071-07:00Thanks! Wowwie finished his MACH on the anniversary of Cajun&#39;s death. So... it was an extremely emotional experience for me. I am working very very hard to increase the range of motion in the ankles. New workout program has doubled my ground speed! and we are going at it hard this summer to continue to increase the range of motion and strength of the ankles. its been 3 years since ive been able to run. Im starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel :)Speedoggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749254715496912143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-87851516012374043602009-08-01T06:45:05.091-07:002009-08-01T06:45:05.091-07:00Way to go! Good for you and Wowwie! You are moving SO much better than the past couple of years. That&#39;s fantastic. I love the still photo of you and Wow! Pure Joy!slbrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03374288362319762092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-66550636882375176942009-06-19T04:41:21.681-07:002009-06-19T04:41:21.681-07:00she did :) but now that they are older... she kicks his ass most of the time... he loves it :)Speedoggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14749254715496912143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-32379705464777119562009-06-18T15:38:41.051-07:002009-06-18T15:38:41.051-07:00Did she give up and let the pup win. Might be the only way to get some rest from him.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843354970298722836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-78147562024626617602009-06-18T15:35:55.458-07:002009-06-18T15:35:55.458-07:00Yes, she is the cutest female dog ever (since I have the cutest male). She should have some nice pups with Taxman.Dianehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02843354970298722836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-69642054106616131992009-06-10T19:06:26.795-07:002009-06-10T19:06:26.795-07:00Congratulations on MACH!! And Sarah and I were very sad to hear about Mayhem. He&#39;s a great dog and we loved him the first time we ever met him.<br /><br />EstebanYodahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860284562210618524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-88098755574442149422009-04-19T19:42:00.000-07:002009-04-19T19:42:00.000-07:00Well worth posting - nice work!!Life With Dogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13466234787177577152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-26998911571778177272009-02-09T21:14:00.000-08:002009-02-09T21:14:00.000-08:00We once had a Border who chewed his nails regularly. Apparently they are prone to foot fetishes.Life With Dogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13466234787177577152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-44565010041171031232009-01-29T11:05:00.000-08:002009-01-29T11:05:00.000-08:00Pretty sure Sophie stole the fun police badge from frenzy!Lorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06028049304636525089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-50415431230854000112008-12-28T03:58:00.000-08:002008-12-28T03:58:00.000-08:00Awww, I love newborn pictures. My youngest daughter's name is Olivia Grace too.<BR/><BR/>TaraTarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06370505863554386220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-48811942364341708402008-10-20T10:38:00.000-07:002008-10-20T10:38:00.000-07:00I still haven't been able to look at the memorial yet in full. It makes me too sad. Psyche so much has Mayhem's smile and serious look, while I'm happy it lives on in his pups, it makes it too hard to look at Mayhem's last happy moments. Thank goodness he had those moments with very little suffering. <BR/><BR/>He will be missed.....<BR/><BR/>-Kathy and Psychekcsk9shttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02733290338263356726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-64669835084586533692008-10-20T05:42:00.000-07:002008-10-20T05:42:00.000-07:00I'm so sorry to hear of Mayem's passing. Mayhem was one of the first great agility dogs I remember seeing (or should that be "hearing") run an agility course. It was an electrifying moment and it seemed that everything stopped while the two of you attacked that course together. Even then I knew I was witnessing an amazing display of teamwork and never missed a chance to watch you two run together.cedarfieldhttp://cedarfield.livejournal.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-60372903243076647942008-10-17T09:47:00.000-07:002008-10-17T09:47:00.000-07:00For Mayhem<BR/>Looking back on the memory of the dance we shared, beneath the stars above. For a moment all the world was right, how was I to know that you&#39;d ever say good bye? And now I&#39;m glad I didn&#39;t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I&#39;d have had to miss the dance.<BR/>Holding you, I held everything, for a moment, wasn&#39;t I the king? If I&#39;d only known how the king would fall hey who&#39;s to say, You know I might have changed it all. And now I&#39;m glad I didn&#39;t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain but I&#39;d have had to miss the dance.<BR/>By Tony Arata<BR/>In deepest sympathy and with great love, Bonnie &amp; DanielGSDBonjonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04208269571112229285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-48442013408937343432008-10-03T03:19:00.000-07:002008-10-03T03:19:00.000-07:00Cash is "all legs" EVERY WEEK! He's gonna be a biggen' I thinks!RedDogRunninhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06028049304636525089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-24446963571744678342008-09-25T17:50:00.000-07:002008-09-25T17:50:00.000-07:00Thank you for sharing!!!<BR/>Oksana.K9AgilityShophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01793407465622370122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-26842481893631602722008-09-20T11:01:00.000-07:002008-09-20T11:01:00.000-07:00Like a fine wine, you have improved with age!RedDogRunninhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06028049304636525089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8817983991172749440.post-5649245509366003042008-09-17T11:38:00.000-07:002008-09-17T11:38:00.000-07:00That kind of news really bites. Your dogs are lovely and clearly a big part of your life. I wish you the best of luck on this.AKDDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10533003137934379516noreply@blogger.com