ACDSpotlight Spring Issue

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Austrax Breeder Spotlight Glaucoma Spotlight on Rescue Deafness Re-visited Spotlight on an Old Timer Lost Your Dog, What to do Herding Stats and how they are calculated, back by request The Expert Who Knows Everything Top Ten Cattle Dogs Results of ACD Longevity Study Sportsmanship Toys Toys Toys for our Cattle Kids And Thank you to all of our Advertisers

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CD Spotlight, a FREE online magazine, provides you with two wonderful attributes.....

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Heather Bacon Editor Deb Casey

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enefits: All preceding issues remain online indefinitely, making them totally accessible to the search engines for constant traffic.

Even years after you've placed an ad, it still exists in that issue of the magazine and it will draw people into your site. Each ad is linked to your web site, which provides you with additional traffic.

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ubmissions ACD Spotlight Magazine currently accepts submissions of ar-

ticles, poetry, classifieds, press releases, paintings and photographs, sculptures and most other forms of art.

We are your vehicle to world recognition, or at the very least, a totally cool method to show off your kennel.

Publish your material here!

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ubmision Tips and Deadlines

Summer- - deadline will be August 1 If you desire an item to appear in a specific issue, be sure to submit the information before the deadline.

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rerequisites

We accept article submissions, poetry submissions and art submissions.

Tell Us About Yourself - We need a picture, graphic or representation of yourself and a third person bio about you.

The bio only needs to be a paragraph or two long. Keep it short and to the point.

Provide Photos - Every article within the ACD Spotlight should have at least one photo. It is vital that you provide a photo that goes along with the concept of your submission. Minimum picture size

is 250px x 350px.

Please ask for a photo release, no photo will be used without a photo release. All photos will become the property of the ACD Spotlight and will be used as the editor deem suitable.

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All submissions are sent via e-mail.

ACDSpotlight is for entertainment only.

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We accept art submissions. There are many ways in which your art can be used within the ACD Spotlight. You determine when and where we can use your art. Be specific when submitting your art as to what either is or is not an acceptable use of your work.

In any and all circumstances where we would use an artists work, the image will be linked to your site or e-mail address.

We reserve the right to edit or disapprove any article. All information is the copyright of the owner, and may NOT be re-printed without approval of the author.

Submissions are the opinion of the author, and are not necessarily in agreement with the editor, publisher, owner of the ACDSpotlight, Deb Casey.

While creating articles for the Spotlight there are many occasions where the author does not provide graphics or photographs that would help convey the message of the article. This is when we go hunting through our CD collections and through the art collections made available to us from artists like yourself.

The bottom line is that we will always provide a link back to your web site or e-mail address for every occasion your work is displayed. If you agree to the methods above as to how we can use your artwork, then send us your pictures or links to your pictures already online.

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hat's New?

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Created a new service? WELL, if it has anything to do with dogs or anything remotely connected to dogs, Tell Us About It! We accept online submissions of press releases and other information that our readers may have an interest in.

Send your information as e-mail or as e-mail attachments in .doc, .rtf, .txt, html, or formats. Send graphics as e-mail attachments in .psp, .tif, .gif or .jpg formats.

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Art J. Quinn, DVM • Diplomat, American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists

Glaucoma is an elevation in the intraocular pressure (IOP) beyond the limits compatible with the health and function of the eye. The elevation of intraocular pressure leads to the optic nerve degeneration and vision loss. It is not one disease entity, but Is the result of many different diseases; therefore, the veterinarian is challenged to find the cause of the elevated pressure.

The aqueous humor fluid is continually produced by the ciliary body located behind the iris. Once secreted into the posterior chamber (the space behind the iris and in front of the lens), it passes through the pupil circulates the anterior chamber (the fluid filled space between the posterior surface of the cornea, and the iris and pupil).

The poorly understood function of the filtration angle mechanism formed at the base of the iris and peripheral cornea, allows the

aqueous humor to exit the eye.

The capillaries and veins in the area also play a role in the outflow of the aqueous humor.

Glaucoma is observed most frequently in dogs of the domestic species. The common cause of the elevated intraocular pressure is due to an obstruction to the aqueous humor outflow from the eye, and not an increased rate of aqueous humor production. Canine glaucoma usually develops as a slow and gradual increase of intraocular pressure. It is not recognized by the subtle pain or discomfort of uncomplicated glaucoma, but related to temperament or activity changes and general well-being and not from ocular pain or discomfort as compared to humans who report radiating headache or brow ache associated with acute increase of IOP. Occasionally, in the sudden remarkable surges of increased in-

traocular pressure will the animal manifest ocular pain of sufficient intensity to cause alarm.

Glaucoma can be a painful condition. The signs of ocular pain include blepharospasm (squinting), tearing and elevated third eyelid.

Vascular congestion (redness of the sclera of the eye) and corneal edema (bluish or grayish appearance) may be noted. Vision may be absent in the involved eye. A dilated pupil may be observed.

Prolonged increased intraocular pressure results in stretching of the fibrous tunics (cornea and sclera) and enlargement of the eye. The enlargement results in the ability of the eyelids to properly cover the cornea and distribute the tears.

The improper eyelid closure contributes to additional corneal changes such vascular and pigment invasion as well as predisposition to ulceration. The increased intraocular pressure reduces perfusion of the retina and optic nerve leading to degeneration of those structures.

Other secondary intraocular changes include iris changes and cataracts as well as lens luxation.

Elevated IOP is the only specific sign of glaucoma. The tonometer is used to measure the intraocular pressure with normal range of 1525. A slight variation may occur between the two eyes, in general is less than four.

Examination (gonioscopy) of the filtration angle is performed with use of a goniolens. A special lens is placed onto the cornea to allow magnified examination of the angle. The procedure is used to determine abnormalities in the angle for classification of the glaucoma type.

Classifications of canine glaucoma include congenital, primary, and secondary causes.

Congenital glaucoma is uncommon in dogs. It occurs in young animals, generally, under 6 months of age, with an acute onset associated with other ocular abnormalities or inflammation. Primary glaucoma is considered to have hereditary potential in several breeds. It is thought to result from changes in the iris-corneal filtration angle. Similar changes in the filtration angle are present in both eyes. Secondary glaucoma is the result of some other condition which causes disruption of the normal flow of the aqueous humor.

Some disease conditions which contribute to secondary glaucoma are cataract, lens luxation, neoplasia, and ocular inflammation.

Breeds of dogs, which the Australian Cattle Dog is included, that have a genetic basis to cataract and lens luxation are predisposed to secondary glaucoma when these conditions occur.

Glaucoma represent a complex of ophthalmic diseases and is one of the leading causes of blindness in dogs. Primary glaucoma has a genetic basis in several breeds of dogs including the Australian Cattle Dog. The mode of inheritance is not defined at this time in the Australian Cattle Dog, but as with other breeds, direct DNA will become available to diagnose hereditary primary glaucoma.

Reprint from ACD Extreme Juniors Newsletter

Newly developed early canine glaucoma tests AMES, Iowa - Researchers at Iowa State University have developed two new methods to detect glaucoma in dogs at an early age, long before the dogs show any signs of the disease.

The early detection should allow dog owners to make better breeding decisions and allow for earlier treatment of the disease.

Dr. Sinisa Grozdanic, assistant professor of veterinary clinical sciences at Iowa State's College of Veterinary Medicine, developed both novel High-Frequency Ultrasound (HFU) and Pattern Electroretinography (pERG) testing routines that allow for early diagnosis of glaucoma in dogs.

Both tests can be performed during normal clinic visits without injuring the dogs.

The HFU test allows doctors to look inside the eye, much like an X-ray.

While examining HFU images from

dogs with glaucoma, Grozdanic noticed that drainage tracts that normally drain fluid from the eye are collapsing in dogs with hereditary glaucoma.

"Dogs usually develop glaucoma by the time they are 6 years old," he added. "By that age, they may have had three or four litters, if they are breeding dogs."

Fluid in eyeballs constantly circulates as fresh fluid enters and older fluid is drained. The eyeball has a normal intra-ocular pressure (IOP) of 15 to 20 mm of mercury.

In dogs with the most common type of glaucoma, drainage tracts collapse and don't allow fluid to drain. As a result, IOP can reach 30 to 35 mm of mercury, or even higher, according to Grozdanic.

The litters born before the parents show signs of glaucoma will likely inherit the possibility of getting the disease.

This can cause the eye to be "overinflated" which starts to destroy vision processing cells in the eye and can ultimately lead to blindness.

"We always considered that optic nerve function starts to decline as intraocular pressure starts to rise," said Grozdanic. "But it seems the optic nerve function starts to decline much earlier that we thought in dogs with hereditary predisposition to develop glaucoma."

Grozdanic then looked at dogs that he suspected would get the disease, but had shown no signs of onset.

"One of the things we found using HFU is that these dogs' drainage tracts will start to collapse months or even years before any change in IOP occurs," said Grozdanic.

The other test developed by Grozdanic, the pERG test, examines whether or not the optic nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain is functioning correctly as the IOP increases.

This test can also be done in the years before a dog shows the symptoms of glaucoma.

Both tests are designed to recognize the glaucoma before the dogs are bred.

Grozdanic's research is published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

Several different dog breeds seem to be more susceptible to glaucoma than others, according to Grozdanic.

"In some breeds (glaucoma) is very prevalent," he said. "Bassets, American cocker spaniels -- there are about 50 breeds that regularly get hereditary glaucoma.

"Obviously if you have a breed that is considered high risk, it is probably a good idea to have the glaucoma screening done at some time as a part of general wellness examination.

"And especially for breeding dogs.

You really want to be sure for a breeding dog, that after you put all the work and effort into it, then it does not transmit the disease to the offspring. Well, glaucoma doesn't make happy owners, breeders or buyers," he said.

Dogs that are not for breeding can be helped by the screening also.

If owners get their dogs screened

early, Grozdanic says, they can start treatment early and delay the symptoms from the normal age of 5 or 6 -- when the symptoms become obvious -- to the age of 9 or 10.

Treatments, including eye drops, pills or surgery, will delay the onset of the disease, but they will not prevent it, he said.

Currently, Iowa State University is the only clinic that offers both types of screening in dogs, according to Grozdanic.

Grozdanic's research is supported by the Iowa State biotechnology funds and the Basset Hound Club of America.

Contacts: Sinisa Grozdanic, College of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, (515) 294-4389, sgrozdan@iastate.edu Dan Kuester, News Service, (515) 294-0704, kuester@iastate.edu http:// www.news.iastate.edu/ news/2010/mar/ grozglaucoma

Thank you to judge Mr. Charles Olvis.

Caught Ya Red Handed Goes Winners Bitch over 18 bitches for 5pt major at 6 months old!!!

AKC HIas, HSac, CKC HI HTD II, HRD II, OSDs PRA - CLEAR PennHip 0.45/0.32 • 90th percentile BAER normal

Buck was a special dog to my, now over the bridge, hubby Stan and myself. His dam was Stan’s favorite girl CH Get Go’s Austlyn Peaches N Cream PT (AKA Sara…Sara was awarded by the ACDCA, top producing dam of performance venue get FIVE YEARS IN A ROW.) His sire was CH Redwing’s Ain’t It the Truth CD HSAsc ROM. Sara and Buck’s littersister, Lessa, are the foundation of my performance dogs. Read more about Buck at www.downriver.org/buck.php

Buck is shown with owner/trainer Lynn Leach. That weekend they won 4 HIT’s

Mom To Be is Austlyn’s Life’s a Song (MORA). She is named in honor of her sire Am/Can CH Austlyn’s Life Is Good. I bred her sire, “Rohan”, and he passed away much too young. She is just lovely in many ways…good looks, nicely put together, wonderful temperment. OptiGen tested PRA - B, hips x-rays available. Mora is out of Rohan and a Lessa daughter.

Australian Cattle Dog Rescue of IL has several nice cattle dogs for adoption. Some play ball and/or frisbee, Some have the drive needed for rally, obedience, search and rescue, detection work, agility, disc and more. We do get in dogs that will work cattle and then we get dogs in that have no interest in herding cows. Come take a look, you will surely take one home !

The dogs receive training in social skills, farm life (around machinery, farm animals. behaving off leash, and around farm cats and scenarios), Many of the dogs can receive training in herding to some degree. Dogs can be evaluated for ability to compete in agility, obedience, herding, flyball, and other dog sports. Hip x-rays prior to adoption can be arranged for those interested in a dog for performance events. Some specialized training for dogs is also available.

Check out our website : http://www.australiancattledogrescue.net/ To find out about our organization.

We have some Happy Tails we would like to share: Packer - a 1yr old blue male was adopted as a service dog. Way to go Packer !

Mama - a 3 yr old blue female was adopted by the rescue to be our Mascot. Mama came from an Eastern KY kill shelter. She can work cattle while you are on horse back, on 4-H wheeler, or if you are on foot. She is that good. We might even show her in a few herding trials.

Several cattle dogs have been adopted out for agility, detection work, and to become therapy dogs.

Up for Adoption: Kit- (photos) is a beautiful blue speckled @ 2yrs old, she was caught in a live trap. Kits has personality plus. She is all about people and doesn't care about playing with other dogs. Kit has been to TSC farm store and does great with strangers. Kit loves to go for walks. She is crate trained and appears house broke. Kit does not bother my cats, chickens or livestock. Kit takes food gently. She is fine with older children.

http://www.australiancattledogrescue.net/

Working Dogs are the backbone of farming life in Australia. A good working dog can save a farmer thousands of dollars every year as they do the work of two men, are relatively cheap to feed and don’t claim medical expenses or overtime.

Australian working breeds such as Kelpies, Border Collies and Australian Cattle Dogs are well known for their intelligence, endurance and temerity. Bred for a variety of conditions, their adaptability also makes them wonderful pets……..sometimes.

Alarmingly, a large number of these dogs find their way into pounds and animal shelters for a variety of reasons. Irresponsible breeding programs, lack of available work or exercise, inappropriate or insufficient training at the appropriate stages in their lives will often be the reason so many of them are being abandoned.

Australian Working Dog Rescue Inc, a non-profit organization, was founded in 2010 by Di and Carey Edwards of Cairns, Queensland. They recognized a need to provide these dogs with an opportunity to be spared from euthanasia and given a chance to adapt to a new life.

Rising from a lifelong love of cattle dogs and their derivatives and her involvement with AuCaDo, an online, USA based forum for lovers of Cattle Dogs; Di formed the organization – Australian Working Dog Rescue Inc in January 2010. AWDRI, being the acronym of choice for her newly founded group, has gone from strength to strength since its inception. Combining a user friendly website with links to social networking site, Facebook – AWDRI now boasts some 2600 followers and a record of some 250 rescues. The majority of these dogs have been rehomed and the balance remain in foster care awaiting adoption.

Dogs are rescued from pounds and kill shelters, vetted, microchipped and surgically sterilized before being placed in care and subsequently being made available for adoption. Adoptive homes are screened for suitability and the ability of the applicant to provide the animal with care that will address its needs.

There has been many triumphs and tribulations along the way. The Organization has grown rapidly, many a sad and miserable face on a skin and bones body in the pound has been transformed into a dog, comfortable in its forever home, smiling and running on a beach or just snoozing on a couch.

Tyrone

One such triumph was Tyrone, a stunning ACD boy who was surrendered for being “too loyal”. Minutes away from euthanasia, he was saved at the 11th hour by a generous donation of $70 from an AWDRI supporter in the UK. Tyrone is now a beloved pet in Qld. Two days after his arrival at his new home, he was bitten by a brown snake and very nearly died.

Cody, a kelpie x, trod a very similar path to Tyrone. Rescued by AWDRI, he was placed in foster care. Not only did he survive one snakebite, but two! He was relocated down South to Victoria in the belief that he was a snake attractant. Following a number of unsuccessful adoption trials, he was the subject of a nationwide media release that eventually saw him homed with a lovely family in NSW. He is now known as Australia’s Littlest Hobo.

Cody

Charity, the ACD pup who was found living in a drain with her two sisters, Faith and Hope; is now living with her adoptive family in Victoria. Charity now works as a reading assistance dog for students with disabilities.

Charity

Maisy, a stumpy-tailed cattledog, was dumped in the pound because she was discovered to be deaf at 8 weeks of age. Now living with Charity in Victoria, she is being trained to respond to sign language and will soon be working as a settling aid for students with autism.

Maisy

Setbacks? There have been many. Money or the lack thereof continues to hamper the efforts of Di, her Co-Coordinating Team and the Volunteers of AWDRI. Vetting and transport costs money and without the support of a Corporate Sponsor, the task of fundraising has been laborious and somewhat limiting.

We have 2 dogs in boarding in Sydney that have been there since June last year. Nobody wants to foster or adopt either of them. The bill from that alone is a constant drain on the finances of the Organization. With this debt overhead, we are prevented from rescuing as many dogs as we would like. In total we have 4 dogs in boarding kennels in NSW and Qld, without so much as a sponsor. Our search for Corporate support has been relentless as well as fruitless thus far.

Earlier this year, Di Edwards was awarded “Best Canine Rescuer of the Year” at the Master Dog Breeder’s Association Awards. A fitting tribute to a compassionate and proactive woman who dared to put her dreams into action. The growth and recognition of AWDRI within Australia is testament to her determination to save as many working dogs in Australia as possible from unnecessary death.

Di’s commitment to the cause is an inspiration to her team, all of whom volunteer their time and talents to assist her in fulfilling AWDRI’s motto – “Giving Working Dogs a New Start”.

By Annie Fenby

Looking Back A Year Later As breeders the dreaded words of “ deaf “ is something we never want to hear in tiny babies. I was unfortunately forced to deal with that issue last spring when two puppies were pronounced with that dreaded word. I had already pretty much come to that conclusion; anyone that spends a great deal of time around their puppies will have an idea of who is sleeping through the pan banging, etc. I fully intended to do the “ right thing “ and put the puppies to sleep. BUT, after living with these puppies for 8 weeks, I could hardly see a difference in the pups. They acted very normal, didn’t startle, came running with the rest of the pups, etc.

Right or wrong, I decided I would find the right homes instead of putting them to sleep. It takes a bit more time to find the perfect home, but you can do it, and that baby will be the light in someone eye’s.

Would I do it again ? You bet I would. I hope not to have any deaf pups again, once in 20 years is enough, but if and when it happens, I would not hesitate to find homes for the pup.

Here are some stories that might change your mind too………..

Deb Casey

By M,ary Boltz.

What can I say about the last year with Zhaan, my congenitally deaf cattle dog, other then complicated? Well satisfying would work, inspirational would fit in a small way, frustrating also comes to mind but probably the one word that would fit the whole picture would be communion.

Living with a deaf anything provides challenging opportunities that are completely absent in a hearing environment. The simple act of calling a deaf dog changes to an aerobic event of body and arm motions. Thankfully Zhaan is a complete member of my dog pack and she takes her cues from her mates, which means when I make an appearance at the kitchen door everyone hustles up to garner head pats or cookies, Zhaan front and center.

Cookie. Now there is a word Zhann knows well. The ASL finger position for the letter ‘c’ brings a delighted wiggle to her little cattle dog body as she patiently waits for her signed treat. Recently I noted that she takes her cookie so gently and so gratefully that it brought to mind a small child taking communion, reverent.

She is a bright and beautiful little cattle dog with her own unique set of behaviors, deafness is just part of the whole package.

I learn, she teaches and then we reverse our roles for a while.

Her world, totally without sound, is fully visual and explosively scent filled. That is the world of a deaf dog. This is her language of communication.

Communion. Communication. An act of sharing or mutual participation. This is what Zhaan and I do. This is what living with a deaf dog is.

Photos by Melissa Tooley http://carolinasrescue.com/ Zhaan featured in the April 2010 issue

I've had dogs my entire life. I owned Irish Setters in Pennsylvania, a wolf dog in Texas and adopted a Gordon Setter from a California animal shelter. Of course we loved them all dearly and when our Gordon died suddenly, Deb Casey sent us a picture of Roper. Ch. SilverDust Roper, CD to be official. I'd known Deb for over 20 years and knew she bred Australian Cattle Dogs. We were sure we'd get another dog but hadn't considered an ACD. Roper was "retiring" and needed a new home. So he flew from Texas to South Carolina and joined our family. We couldn't love him any more than we do. He is a sweet, loyal and funny companion.

Nine months later Deb she sent us pictures of her last litter, born 12/25/09, of course we thought they were beautiful. She pointed out a blue girl and said she was deaf, and was reluctant to put her down. Deb was looking for the perfect home for her and the rest is history! Roper's niece Jenny flew into the Greenville, SC airport when she was 9 weeks old.

When we brought Jenny home, our first experience was potty training. It wasn't a problem as she was trained just like a hearing dog. I didn't sign during this training, I just took her outside frequently....and soon she would go to the door. Even though she can't hear, she would bark to let me know that she needed to do her business. Jenny is very food motivated. We do a hand sign for " come to me " a shssssss sign with a finger to my lips for " quiet..no bark" a palm up for stop or "wait or stay" . The palm down sign for her to "lay down" "sit " and "wait" were easy and we do this before she gets her food. I guess it's all pretty basic stuff. She is never off lead when we are outside because I wouldn't want her to be too far from me. This could change as she leaves puppyhood and we do have a porch off of the bedroom where I know she's safe. But she really doesn't want to be anywhere without us.

Some of the "training a deaf dog " books talk about startling a sleeping deaf dog. We began putting our hand up to her nose while she was asleep and she could breath in our scent. Sometimes she wouldn't even wake up and seemed happy to continue sleeping and I always stroked her head, body, legs and feet while she slept.

I'm at home with my dogs during the day so we spend a lot of time together. They do their job, they watch and herd me all day long, we move as a pack. Jenny watched Roper for guidance and he's been a great teacher but I don't think it's necessary to have a hearing dog in the house. I don't know this for a fact, but I think it may be easier to work with a deaf cattle dog simply because of their DNA, they don't want to leave your side and they watch your every move.

So what is it like to live with a deaf dog.......I think the question should be, so what's it like to live with a puppy? Because there isn't much difference...... I forget that she can't hear me because she obeys (or not) like any other puppy. But as she has gotten older, we are consistent with what she's allowed to do or not do. She gets our unspoken messages and wants to please us. We would have missed out on so much if we didn't have her. Her deafness doesn't affect our life together. Every now and again, I feel bad because she can't hear me say " I love you Jenny."

Bev. Don. Roper and Jenny Jackson Jenny was featured in our April 2010 issue.

Lucky We adopted Lucky in March '09. Since our last update, he has become even more of a shadow than he was then. He continues to captivate and charm us. He has many nicknames, Toot, Farm Dog, Shop Dog, Lucky Man, Wild Man, and Little Pig. The fact that he can't hear his nicknames does not discourage us from giving them to him.

He loves to accompany my husband to the farm each morning. We raise Angus cattle, and Lucky likes to go with his "daddy" to check on things. Not that he's a working dog, because of his deafness, but he is a great companion and good company for the chores in the morning. He loves to ride and we oftentimes have trouble getting him out of the truck. Once my husband just carried him for a quick drive around town and when they got back he hopped out.

Lucky often sees things we don't see. Because of his deafness, his eyes are even more alert than a normal dog's. He will bark at bees, butterflies, moths, and fire flies! It was magical to observe him seeing fireflies for the first time -- he had the most incredulous look on his face like he could not believe the lights were floating!

We have had a bat for a Halloween decoration for several years which we would hang in the living room from the ceiling fan. Well, with Lucky's "eagle eye" we couldn't leave it hanging in the living room because he'd bark at it. I moved it to the front porch which worked for about fifteen minutes and then he spotted it! Mama! Mama! It's out here now! I finally gave the bat to one of my coworkers.

Lucky is deaf but he is living a full life with a family who loves him. In my opinion, deafness is very easy to adjust to for the family of a deaf dog. You can flip a light switch off and on, or stomp the floor to get his attention. He responds well to hand signals and knows sit, lay down, potty, farm, up, and no. You quickly get used to the fact he just needs to be watching you so you can communicate with you. But he's very tuned in to this fact as well and he will often train his eyes on us for cues. He also watches his hearing brothers when they are outside.

We are so grateful this deaf puppy was saved from a shelter in Joshua, Texas!

Patty Gray Lucy was featured in our April 2010 issue.

I just got an amazing email! Last May, I gave a deaf red ACD puppy to a legally blind man in AZ. I was leery of doing so, but he and his family convinced me that I should do this, and so Bruce delivered a rowdy little red cattle pup to AZ and that is when the story begins.....

Matt was a former school teacher who developed some unusual disease that caused him to go blind and develop diabetes. Not yet 30, it hit him hard. Many surgeries were needed to give him back some sight. He was depressed and feeling lonely. Remembering his old red cattle dog, he suddenly decided he needed to replace her and called me. I had a litter coming up and I promised to put him on the list IF a suitable puppy should present itself.

When there ended up being a deaf red girl, Matt asked me if he could buy her. I told him I did not sell deaf puppies and anyway, she was hardly suitable for a fellow with very limited vision. She was rowdy and stubborn! But he persisted and spoke with his family about her.

They all convinced me that Matt needed this puppy and she needed him.

Now ACD puppies can be a handful and it was a challenge for this young man to raise and train a deaf dog. Besides house breaking her and teaching her normal manners, he had to train her to stay within 10 feet of him or he could not see her at all. But he sought help from deaf dog support groups all over the world thru his mother who does his computer messaging.....and he slowly trained Sadie. Soon, he decided that Sadie was going to be his Service Dog, and so additional training was started. While tough at times, he kept working with Sadie.

Sadie Sadie and Matt

And now, Sadie has proven that she is indeed a worthy Service Dog! On March 31st (my birthday) Matt was out working with Sadie in a nearby grassy area as they live in a condo....they are doing rally! It was a warm day...95F.....and Matt collapsed in a diabetic coma. Unable to revive him, Sadie ran to the police station and began barking in front of the door there. Finally, someone came out and she led them back to where Matt had collapsed. Paramedics were called and Matt was taken to hospital. He is okay and has been released now. Sadie is glad to be back home, Matt is proud of his dog, and I am proud of both of them!

It was not an easy job to train a deaf puppy to begin with, but Matt stuck with it and Sadie redeemed his faith in her by saving his life. I think this is an amazing story about a deaf dog. They have been telling me that "the ears are just ornaments"...and now I am starting to believe them!

Sadie (Wallaby Vibrant Red Vixen of Havasu) will be nominated for ACD Hero dog of 2011.

Her aunt Panda received this award in 2008 and a cousin Christos was Hero Dog in Germany in 2009! Sadie also has an uncle who is a skin cancer detection dog. Good things happen when you breed for the right reasons! And yes...she is a Bundi daughter!!!

Suzi Ironmonger

Matt and Sadie at a public demonstration for 4-H not long before the incident. He was actually training her when he had the episode. Matt is training Sadie himself. A true case of the blind leading the deaf and vice versa! What a a pair. Sadie is a very strong willed and stubborn pup, but she obviously has Matt's best interests at the top of her priority list. Training her has been a physical and mental challenge for Matt and has kept him focused on her rather then his own disabilities and the resulting depression.

Deafness Prevalence In dogs, congenital deafness has been reported in over 80 breeds (Table I). This deafness is not necessarily hereditary in all listed breeds, but must be assumed to be so in most cases. Deafness prevalence is known for several studied breeds, but is unknown for most breeds (Ref 11). For the few studied breeds, the prevalence rates are as follows:

The Dalmatian is sw, the English setter is usually sp, the English cocker spaniel (based on the American cocker spaniel) is usually sp, and the white bull terrier is sw while the colored bull terrier is si (Ref 13); the allele in the cattle dog is not known.

It is not necessarily the case that prevalence rates are lower in breeds other than these. Rather, it is often the case that breeds with deafness problems have not yet adequately addressed the problem. Few similar deafness studies have been reported for other breeds, except for the Norwegian dunkerhound, in which unilateral or bilateral deafness has been reported to occur in 75% of all white animals (Ref 20), and the dappled (merle) dachshund, where 18.2% were reported to be bilaterally deaf and 36.4% were unilaterally deaf (Ref 21). In both breeds the prevalence of deafness in colored or non-dappled dogs was not documented but is low.

Deafness prevalence in white cats has been studied by several investigators (summarized in Delack6), but the best data come from the breeding studies of Mair (Ref 7) and Bergsma and Brown (Ref 16) who examined crosses between white and non-white parents and between hearing and deaf parents. Prevalence rates among white kittens for deafness in one or both ears were 51.5% (N=66) and 42.6% (N=162) respectively. When kittens were homozygous for white (WW) the rates were 96.0% and 52.0% in the two studies; heterozygotes were 24.3% and 27.4%. In the Mair study at least one parent was always bilaterally deaf, while Bergsma and Brown included all possible hearing combinations in the parents, making it difficult to compare results between the studies.

From these complex studies it is difficult to cite a single prevalence rate, but clearly the prevalence rates are high. The authors also found a clear relationship between blue eyes and deafness: deaf-

ness was 3-5 times more common in cats with two blue eyes than cats without blue eyes, and two times more common in cats with one blue eye. Pure cat breeds carrying the W gene, potentially susceptible to deafness, are listed in Table II.

Genetics of Deafness The inheritance of the pigment genes described above does not provide a simple description of the inheritance of the deafness that is so often associated with white pigmentation. Hereditary deafness can potentially result from any of several mechanisms: autosomal dominant. autosomal recessive, X-linked, mitochondrial, or polygenic (or multifactorial). In most instances the mechanism is unknown. Incomplete penetrance, where not all aspects of a deafness syndrome are expressed in an affected individual, frequently complicates an understanding of the mode of inheritance. To complicate the topic even further, environmental factors may interact with genetic factors to trigger expression of a disease.

No known X-linked or mitochondrial deafness has been reported in dogs or cats. Although it has been a controversial subject (Ref 22), there appears to be no gender difference in deafness prevalence (Ref 11). Many literature citations report deafness in piebald-carrying breeds to be autosomal recessive, but this is incorrect: the associated pigment gene is recessive but the deafness is not. It is common to observe deaf offspring from two normal parents, ruling out an autosomal dominant mechanism. In a research breeding colony of deaf Dalmatians at LSU, bilaterally hearing puppies often resulted from breeding two bilaterally deaf parents, ruling out a simple autosomal recessive mechanism since the deaf parents should have been homozygous for the responsible gene. The result is unresolved possibilities of incomplete penetrance of a recessive gene, multiple genes, or modifier genes acting on a single recessive gene.

As terminology has evolved in genetics, and a better understanding of the molecular bases for gene actions develops, it may turn out that incomplete penetrance, polygenes, and modifier genes prove to result from the same molecular mechanism. When working to identify the physical location of a gene on a chromosome, targets are referred to as loci (singular: locus) when an approximate location on a single chromosome has been found but the specific gene is not yet identified. Because a locus consists of many genes, several of which may be involved in inheritance of the disease, it is often difficult to unequivocally explain the mode of inheritance until a single gene is identified and sequenced. A recent study with Dalmatians (Ref 23) suggests that deafness is inherited as a single locus, but one that does not follow Mendelian genetics (see below). This finding appears to be supported by other studies (Refs 24,25). Nevertheless, except for the Doberman, the mechanism(s) of inheritance of deafness in dogs and cats is not yet known. It has been stated that white in the cat is a simple dominant gene with pleiotropic effects that include blue eyes and degeneration of the inner ear;6 it might also be said that the piebald alleles of S in dogs are simple recessive genes with pleiotropic effects that include blue eyes and degeneration of the inner ear (and likewise for merle), but neither statement provides a means to describe the inheritance of deafness.

Continued‌‌..

The classic genetics of coat color in dogs is only now benefiting from molecular genetic studies, advancing toward a knowledge of which chromosome-based genes are responsible for the phenotype-based coat color genes S and M; studies in cats do not yet appear to be in progress. To date, several canine chromosomal genes have been excluded for S and M (Refs 26,27) but no promising candidates have been identified. By far, the great majority of the breeds affected by hereditary deafness are carriers of recessive alleles of the phenotype S gene, so identifying its location will be important.

Deafness in Dobermans, which do not carry the merle or piebald genes, results from direct loss of cochlear hair cells without any effects on the stria vascularis - primary sensorineural deafness (Ref 28). Vestibular system signs, including head tilt and circling, are seen, and the deafness has been reported to be transmitted by a simple autosomal recessive mechanism. A similar pathology has been described for the Shropshire Terrier.

Until a gene mutation is identified for pigment-associated deafne--ss, and a DNA-based diagnostic test developed, breeders must base breeding decisions on the hearing background of potential mates if deafness prevalence is to be reduced. Since unilateral deafness is genetically the same as bilateral deafness (but just not completely expressed), unilaterally deaf animals should not be bred - and of course bilaterally deaf animals should not be bred. Even when both parents are normal, it is unwise to repeat a breeding that produced deaf animals, although in breeds with a high prevalence rates this may be difficult. Breeding to animals with a history of producing deaf should be avoided. Breeding to blue-eyed animals should be avoided in most breeds. If deafness has been identified as a problem in a breed, the hearing status of the animals to be bred should always be known in advance. Finally, breeding decisions should always take into consideration the overall good of the breed.

George M. Strain Comparative Biomedical Sciences School of Veterinary Medicine Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803 225-578-9758 • strain@lsu.edu Submitted by Cindy Cook Bluehill Kennels 13717 Martin Road Brandywine, MD 20613 301-888-9650 • Cell 240-375-8771 www.bluehillacd.com Reprinted from The ACD Extreme Juniors Newsletter

Virtual Leash means extra safety in case your pet gets lost. Think of Virtual Leash as giving your pet a voice when it counts.

Here is how it works...

When you select the Virtual Leash option from one of our tag pages this reserves a website address JUST for your pet, which will be printed on the ID tag.

Sometimes the phone number is enough to return a lost pet. Other times phones fail. Now there is a reliable backup: the profile page.

Once a simple profile is completed, potential FINDERs will be able to see important information such as special needs or medical conditions.

In your pet's profile, you will be able to setup unlimited emergency contacts. Each will be contacted in the method you choose when your pet's FINDER visits the online profile.

When the FINDER clicks the "I found this pet" button, they enter the last 4 digits printed on the tag for security, then their name, phone number, and a simple message.

When they click submit, the FINDER's message is instantly sent to all emergency contacts by RoboCall and Text Message and we also use Email and Twitter. By using multiple methods of contact we greatly increase the chances of success during a loss event.

The FINDER is also shown a Google Map of the pet's address. You can change this as often as you like, even for weekends at the pet sitters.

Don't risk your pet's safe return on a phone number or even a microchip. Virtual Leash means smart safety and security for your pet. Visit DogTagArt.com to purchase a cool, colorful ID tag and subscribe to Virtual Leash.

http://www.dogtagart.com/virtual-leash

Senior Edition

Reprint from ACD Extreme Juniors

Newsletter

Peggy Jennings In 1996 was the year my world changed.

I changed from an empty-nester environmental consultant with few hobbies that were not career related (plants, birding, wildlife, and visiting construction sites) to a total dog fancier nut.

It all started when our old cattle dog died of old age at 16 years. We were an active family camping, carting kids around and playing sports with the family dog in tow. The family dog, since 1968 had always been an Australian Cattle Dog. I thought they were Queensland heelers and the best family dog you could hope for.

They were active, attentive, big hearted, nanny to the kids and always ready for run. I had never considered an American Kennel Club registered dog something that average folks like me did. That is until I went looking for a new family companion. Unfortunately the movie Road Warrior had come out and somehow people fell in love with snarly pick-up truck guarding dogs.

Not that any of our dogs would have let you into their car unless Mom or Dad said it was cool. continued

Fortunately through the Internet I met a wonderful breeder, Deb Casey, who understood the importance of sound temperaments and sound bodies. We shared lot of opinions, she sent photos and I put a deposit down on the seventh son of a litter of seven males.

My husband and friends teased me about my virtual puppy.

Sure enough Deb showed up and delivered to us the best bundle of fun fur possible. He had our hearts immediately. A perfect match. Deb mentioned that she might like to see him about age 6 months and maybe show him a couple of times.

Having little idea what I was agreeing to, I said "Yes." I took him to a couple of conformation classes and found that he loved to show and be a good boy.

Puppy naughtiness was left at the door as soon as we entered a dog show. I was hooked.

Since those days I have met and networked with an amazing array of the most enthusiastic dog sports people. So many people have shared their wisdom, especially my first mentor Deb Casey.

She has patiently given advise, watched me make my mistakes and follow her advise. I served on the ACDCA rescue committee (ACDRInc). Rescued and fostered many a heeler and became deeply involved in improving the welfare of homeless pets in my community.

I still stink at conformation handling and have to depend on the grace of friends. I have trained and trialed four dogs through herding titles. I learned a lot about myself through that experience. I also learned that it is not the stock, the problem is always the handler’s preparation and dumb mistakes.

Fortunately people have been kind enough to point out that I can learn from mistakes, they have all made mistakes and tomorrow is another day. I have had fun and success in obedience, rally and agility sports.

I finished Molly’s CD and RA, Ch SilverDust Cherokee Rose CD HS RA (the first 5th generation ROM) and started working with her kids. Darwin. Riverforth’s Colorado Red had 2 majors, 13 points and two CD legs. I think I had the most fun with Rosie, CH Riverforth’s Red River Rosie HS. She is such a perfectionist. I co-own her. We were working on obedience and rally when cancer struck me. My dreams of another generation of ROM with Rosie has been diverted to my health care and enjoying the companionship of my dogs.

All the competition, ribbons and recognition are great but not equal to the great friends, lessons learned and love of a good Australian Cattle Dog or two. I am a lucky, lucky girl to have found a wonderful truthful breeder and mentor who set my feet on the most fully path I can imagine.

http://www.razoo.com/story/Peggy-s-Fund?1300633684 Peggy's Fund supports dog training and agility work for the dogs at Austin Pets Alive!

Donate in honor of Peggy and support dog training and agility for the dogs at Austin Pets Alive!

Peggy Jennings is a long-time Austinite, No Kill advocate, and dog rescuer. Indeed, Peggy was a No Kill advocate before most folks in Austin knew what "No Kill" even meant, and well before the City of Austin embraced No Kill as its vision for Austin's open-admission municipal shelter. Peggy helped found, and served as the treasurer, of Austin's animal-advocacy group FixAustin.org.

She's also a national champion obedience trainer of Australian Cattle Dogs. A devoted lover of "heelers," Peggy served as the President of the national rescue group for the breed, and she has personally rescued and re-homed 87 dogs from animal shelters in Austin and surrounding rural areas.

A natural at communicating with dogs, Peggy trained her dog Molly, who took first place in a national cattle-dog beginning-obedience competition. In fact, in 2006, Molly was ranked 4th in the nation in the "novice" category for obedience by the American Kennel Club.

Although Peggy's talents are clearly instinctive, she credits her training skills to the late-Austinite Lee Mannix and the UK's John Rogerson. Peggy was born in Maryland, but came to Texas as fast as she could, having lived in Austin for the last 45 years. Peggy was married at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Austin November 1966and her daugther was born September 1967 at St David's in Austin.

Peggy's Fund supports dog training and agility work for the dogs at Austin Pets Alive!

http://www.austinpetsalive.org/ Permission granted to reprint

If your pet strays from home, it can be a devastating experience for both you and your pet. You should act immediately because the longer you wait, the further away your pet can travel and the higher probability they could get injured.

We encourage you to use our service as well as review all the important tips below and take the necessary actions. The best way to locate your lost pet is to do as much as possible, you never know exactly how you will find your pet so never give up and try as many possible things as you can think of to locate your lost pet.

First, make sure you have properly searched your OWN home to confirm your pet is not just hiding somewhere. Pets can get into some very strange and small places. Look behind, under and inside all appliances such as washing machines, stoves, refrigerators. For cats, make sure to check in attics, on the roof or roof gutters, and up in trees.

Search your neighborhood, knock on doors and talk to all your neighbors. Leave a phone number with them in case they find your pet at a later time. Walk, ride a bicycle or drive slowly through your neighborhood and make some noise while you go around the neighborhood (call the pet's name also). Animals can hear you from very long distances. Bring your pets favorite things with you, a "squeaky" toy or favorite treats and rattle them loudly while calling your pet's name. It's also important to stop regularly, be quiet, and listen to see if your pet is making any noise. Sometimes they may make a noise in reply or they may be hiding somewhere whimpering or barking.

Post signs at intersections and around your neighborhood. Place signs within a 2-mile radius of where your pet was lost. You can also post signs at grocery stores, pet stores, vet offices, and apartment complexes. Don't put your name or address on the flyer, but make sure there is contact info (Continued )

such as a phone number and/or email address. Put a color photo preferably and include the date and where the pet was lost as well as a couple distinguishing marks.

Don't include all distinguishing marks, withhold some marks and characteristics so if someone does call you can verify that they actually found your pet by telling you some distinguishing marks.

Include the breed of dog or cat, sex, age, weight and color, use bright colored paper for higher visibility. Give copies of your flier to people that walk their dogs in the area. They're more likely to spot animals than most people. If you go to the parks early, you may find people who regularly walk their dogs together as an informal group.

Go to all the local shelters within a 20-mile radius and the government agencies charged with picking up stray and lost animals and look for yourself, at least every other day. Calling the animal control department or shelter on the phone is not very effective. Your pet may not yet be listed in the records at the front desk, and the way you describe your pet may not be the way a shelter describes

your dog or pet. Any animal may become dirty, matted and neglected looking very quickly, and you must visit the shelter, even if your pet was wearing tags when it was lost. You should go to the shelters at least every other day.

Few shelters can keep animals for more than 72 hours. Sometimes it takes more than a few days for a pet to be picked up and brought to a shelter. It's important to visit all the shelters within 20 miles of where your pet was lost. In many areas stray animals are picked up by a government agency which holds them for a period and then turns them over to a shelter. If someone took your pet in for a few days hoping you would knock on their door and ask about it, they might later drop your pet off at the shelter that's most convenient for them, rather the one that's closest.

Use the Power of Scent: Place a recently worn article of clothing belonging to a family member or the lost pet's unwashed bedding in your yard or outside your front door where the breeze can carry the scent. Familiar scents can bring them home. Cats will re(Continued )

spond to an open can of tuna fish or litter box also.

Contact veterinary clinics both in your area and surrounding areas.

An animal could have been injured, rescued and taken out of the area in any direction for some distance so check them thoroughly and often.

Place an advertisement in your local and community newspapers, some will even place ads for free.

Check often columns dealing with "lost and found" and animals for at least two months. Advertise on both Sunday as well as during the week as some people on get the Sunday paper. Make sure you also check the newspaper's found section as most newspapers will provide free ads for people who have found lost pets.

ID Tags: If your pet's ID tags have an old address and phone, contact the people who now live at that address and now have that phone number - even if they are

out-of-town numbers. Let them know your pet is missing and give them your current information.

Check back with them occasionally, in case they lose your information. If your pet has current information on his ID tags, follow all these tips anyway. Collars come off very easily and he may no longer have ID on them.

Unfortunately, you must also check to find out if your pet has been fatally injured on the road.

This is very sad, but necessary as you may never know otherwise and it's best to know if they passed on. The road crews for your local and state department of transportation (DOT) are usually in charge of picking up deceased animals from the roadside and city streets. Sometimes Animal Control will also do this, so check with them. Dogs are picked up quicker than cats, usually within 24 hours, so check with them everyday to see if they have found them.

HERDING STATISTICS AND HOW THEY ARE FIGURED Several people have asked me how the club year herding statistics are figured. I thought I would give a bit of background on the whos, hows and whys. Not long after the AKC herding program went into effect in 1990, Craig Watson offered to keep a list of who was doing what and where. This gave everybody trialing an idea how they were doing against peers across the country during the club year. About 9yrs ago I took it over from Craig. I did some changes over the years like splitting off cattle when we started having sheep trials too. Then for fun I split off the ducks since there were quite a few people running on them too. This year I decided to go back to the original “all stock� totals but I put the level the dog is running and the stock type in. I do this on my own because I enjoy knowing how dogs across the country are doing in the herding arena during the club year.

ACDCA gives a high herding award at the specialty banquet every year. This is figured on the previous calendar year by the performance committee of the club. To make it clearer my statistics are figured currently during the club year which is Sept 1st through Aug 31st. The ACDCA year end award is figured Jan 1st through Dec 31st of previous calendar year i.e. the award given in Oct. 2010 is for Jan. through Dec 2009.

My statistics are taken from the AKC event results pages. I check every class at every trial in the US for ACDs owned by club members. You must be a club member for the whole club year for me to count your dog.

If there are 10 dogs(all breeds) in the class the dog wins it will get 9 points. If the dog is 2 nd 8 points, 3rd 7 points, 4th 6 points, etc.

At most trials all stock are under one event # but at a few they are under separate event #s for each kind of stock. If the dog is HIT and there are 50 dogs under the same event # the dog will get 49 points and the class points will be voided. If the dog is RHIT it will get 48 points and the class points will be voided. With separate event #s they are figured the same but with low entry stock like cattle there might only be 5 points for HIT. I hope this makes it clearer how they are done. If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

Amy Berry

Herding Statistics Sept. 1, 2010 thru Feb 28, 2011

By Amy Berry 1) Aquila’s Forbidden Koscinszko

P Murray

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2) Danbar’s Spark To Flame at Sidekick

L&J Jaquish

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3) Kylie’s Speaking in Tongues

S Helsel

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4) CH Shalimar Arkansas Traveler

S Gahm, C&R Moore

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5) CH Stock Options Cowculated Risk

K Broster

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6) Haven

I Meeks

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7) Castle Butte Bindi

L&J Hampton

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8) HC Kuawarri Pick N Th Devil’s Eye

S Gahm

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9) CH Duwest Ride A Cowboy

J Leach

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10) CH Hillhaven Journey The Rapids

L,J&A Brooks

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Photo by Kim Broster

The "Expert" Who Knows Everything

by Doris Duewel

The "expert" entered his dog to the big International Show, convinced he had the future champion on the leach. He explains his neighbors, without being asked, that he needs only one view around the entered dogs in the ring to see they all are of minor quality, have the most awful faults. Who else than him should know that, because he already bred three litters.

To make sure, the foreign judge will know about his dog's qualities, he drew the attention of the ring steward to this fact.

The judge is carefully investigating every single dog, watching the movement. Finally comes the placing. Number 4 is called to go more further, dog number three goes more in front, number two is chosen. Our "expert" is ready to receive the EX 1. But - what is this? The judge calls another dog to the top.

What a disgusting scandal! Still in the ring he shouts to his dog:"you will immediately be sold" and "this judge is incapable to see real quality".

Being back outside of the ring, where his victory was stolen, he keeps telling everyone, that this dog has won more than such a lousy class under such a lousy judge. And one thing is for sure, this judge will never see him again.

Later he is asked, who was Best of Breed? No idea. What a silly question?. Other dogs are of no interest. The judge's report stays lonely and unread on the bench next to the ring.

Our "expert" walks away to the next cafeteria and drinks some beer, being quite certain, that "he threw pearls to the pigs".

http://newacdgazette.com/

http://www.showsightonline.com/

By Gregory Alden Betor

When it comes to dog show, what is sportsmanship?

In my opinion, it is a great deal more than saying "Thank you" to the judge or giving the winner of the class a big smile and a "Congratulations."

Sportsmanship at a dog show isn't any different than "sportsmanship" in life. Dog shows and life can't be separated for dog shows are simply part of life ... just as life is part of dog shows.

The "Thank you" and the "Congratulations" are outward manifestations of sportsmanship but unless they are sincere these two terms become simply gestures, good manners if you wish, but not true sportsmanship. And don't get me wrong, good manners are part and parcel to sportsmanship but not the whole picture.

The ability and the desire to be of help to your fellow exhibitor; to encourage newcomers to the sport; to give praise and encouragement to those who need it to see the positive side of the sport all fall into the category of good sportsmanship.

The experienced breeder or handler who jumps in to help some one who has multiple entries; the junior who suddenly appears at ringside to hold dogs between classes for an exhibitor without having been asked; the steward who knows that someone is hard of hearing and so informs the judge without being asked; the judge who readily "spots" the newcomer

and takes a few extra seconds to put him/her at ease ..... all are examples of sportsmanship. And all are steps to be taken, nay, steps that are to be required if one is to partake of this marvelous sport of ours.

The rumor mongers, the naysayers, the constant complainers and whiners soon become known to most of us. They continue their negative ways even if they continue to win. The complaints may change as the wins increase but there are some folks whose very nature it is to complain and whine. You know the type...those who walk away holding the BOB ribbon complaining that the rings weren't big enough or the judge didn't give them sufficient recognition and time to "really move their dog" [I'm not sure what they think the BOB ribbon symbolizes!]

But in my opinion, sportsmanship is our dog world goes well beyond what we encounter in the ring. It deals with the entire show scene ... and the show scene begins long before one arrives at the show site.

If you know someone inexperienced in whelping a litter is expecting their first or second litter, do you offer help? Do you explain grooming to the newcomer [or even the inept old timer] and offer to help them prepare their dog for the ring? Do you mentor less experienced breeder/exhibitors?

There may be judges you think are totally incompetent [and we all have a few on our DNS lists]. Do you just write off these judges with the "I'll never

show to them again, they get a whole page in my DNS book" or do you find a way to meet the judge and take the time to explain your breed to him/her, emphasizing what the standard says, what it stresses, and WHY. Most judges are eager to learn but can become defensive when the conversations begins with "You did a really rotten job today.

Probably because you don't know or understand what our breed's all about." Not the way to influence judges.

But in a relaxing minute an approach of "Mr. Judge, may I ask what you were looking for in coat texture today. I noticed a number of dogs did not have the harshness of coat called or in the standard ... did you find the same?" I've had relative "newbies" [a term I personally hate!] come to me after judging and in the questions they have asked, I have learned much about both my judging and my breed.

Remember, judges are human beings with the same feelings and defense mechanisms each of us as exhibitors have.

None of us, judge or exhibitor, like to be criticized in public. All of us, judge or exhibitor, like to think we are doing a good job and are appreciative when we are told. If you did not win but think the judge did a good job in the ring, what's to stop you from after judging telling him/her that you liked what they did even though you didn't win .... that's not sucking up to the judge, that's being a good sport if you are sincere.

If you're in the ring and the exhibitor in front of you runs up on the novice in front of him what do you do about it? Do you assume that the judge will notice and say something? Do you ignore it and think to yourself, "Well, that person's new, he'll just have to learn and he will in time". Or do you step forward and quietly say to the person committing the bad play, "Hey, cut it out. It doesn't do you any great ser-

vice to act like a jerk." Perhaps you would want to use slightly less inflammatory language, but you get the idea.

Do you share information on the judge with your fellow exhibitors? No, I don't mean on the list, I mean at the show. If the judge insists on a loose lead, do you share that information with your fellow exhibitors or do you figure they'll find out in the ring? Or do you figure that if you tell them, you're giving them an "unfair advantage"? If the judge obviously dislikes squeaky toys in the ring, do you tell the competitor that you know uses a squeaky toy and may be in a later class?

If a strange face appears in your grooming area and is obviously unsure of themselves do you take a few seconds to introduce yourself and welcome them .... or are you too busy brushing to make sure that you win (or think you will win as the case may be)?

Corny as it may sound, sportsmanship at the dog show (and in life in general) is simply following the Golden Rule ... do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It's a tried and tested, principle that has been around for centuries.

On the other hand, many of our poorer sports have their own rule .... do unto others before they have a chance to do it to you!

Enjoy the shows, enjoy the people, but by all means do it in a manner that would have made your mother proud of you!

Continued,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sportsmanship Revisited by Gregory Alden Betor After my blurb on sportsmanship recently, I received a couple of e-mails that asked specifically, "What part does the judge play in the sportsmanship in pure bred dogs?"

A valid question and one that I think should be looked at carefully.

We all know, and most of us accept, that the judge is the "king" of his ring. He/She is the absolute arbitrator; he/she dictates how the ring is run and how the exhibitors are to perform to permit the evaluation of their exhibits. He/she may excuse any exhibitor from the ring for whatever reason he/she deems necessary. This ranges from disqualifying an exhibit that has a disqualifying fault according to the breed standard to excusing for poor sportsmanship. No other opinion is required, just that of the judge.

In view of this, sportsmanship on the part of the judge is at least as important as that of the exhibitor both inside and outside the ring.

I'm not sure which is more important, the need for the judge to be totally impartial or the need for the judge to be knowledgeable about the breed he/she is judging. If there is not an in depth knowledge of the breed, frankly, the judge should not be in the ring for he/she does the breed a disservice by adjudicating in ignorance. The ring remains a proving ground for breeding stock in the eyes of most of us ... a judge who is not totally familiar with the

breed and the breed standard cannot properly evaluate breeding stock.

The need for impartiality is the keystone of the dog show. A judge who fails to maintain that impartiality; who favors one or more exhibitors for whatever reason is, bluntly, dishonest. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Either each exhibitor who enters the ring is given a fair shot or the judge is not only violating his/her position but is exhibiting the essence of poor sportsmanship.

At times the appearance of impartiality is as important as impartiality itself. Both good sportsmanship and good manners require that if an exhibitor says, "Good Morning" to a judge upon meeting him/her outside the ring, the judge should return the greeting. That's called common courtesy.

What is not common courtesy is the visiting with friends, be they old time friends with whom the judge used to compete, old time friends who became handlers and shared many a show with all its trials and tribulations, or the show chair who hired the judge. Time for such visits at the end of the day when the judging is complete and there are no more exhibitors to enter the ring.

Sportsmanship relies on actions but it also relies on appearances! The dog show judge must be as Caesar's wife ... above suspicion. Sportsmanship does not demand that one ignore old friends ... only that the old friends renew or continue the friendships at the appropriate time and place. And the appropriate time and place is not in the ring while one is adjudicating the classes nor at the gate to the ring immediately before the judging is to begin!!!

Good sportsmanship on the part of the judge requires that he/she be aware of what is going on in his/her ring. If some new to the sport is in the ring

and the newness is shown by their actions, the judge should be aware of the situation. No time limit is so inflexible that a few seconds can't be taken to put the person at ease; to explain clearly what is required at that particular time, as well as the best way to perform the required action.

I remember well at one of the first of my shows, I had not the foggiest notion of what to do in the ring. The judge quietly came to me and said, "Your puppy has one of the strongest rears I have seen, but I need to see the rest of him. Turn him so he faces into the center of the ring and not away from it." Embarrassed beyond belief, I turned the puppy ... and she came to me again, this time saying, "That's too pretty a face not to let the judge see it." All said with a smile. That was the day I became hooked on dog shows! That day I took fourth in a class of twelve. There's not a BIS that equals the pride as I said, "Thank you" when I accepted that ribbon. And for many years, that fourth place ribbon held the place of honor in my ribbon collection ... it was the centerpiece of a quilt made for me by a friend using all the ribbons won over the years.

In going out of her way to put me at ease and instruct me at the same time, that judge showed true sportsmanship. She gained a "convert" to the sport which is one of the jobs of a judge in my opinion.

How many time have you been at a show where ringside loudly applauded and cheered for a particular entry ... only to be stone silent for every other entry. Or the cheers move around the ring with each little group cheering and being boisterously impolite to the other exhibits? A notable example on the part of ringside. And what should the judge do about such situations? Good sportsmanship on the part of the judge requires that he/she notify ringside such partisanship is not acceptable. I watched the late Roy Ayers, turn to ringside and an-

nounce that judging would continue only when ringside could act as adults! It goes without saying that any judge in the ring should not be influenced by such cheering on the part of an exhibit any more than they should be influenced by the lack of such cheers for an exhibit. The judge's job is to evaluate the exhibit presented to him/her, not evaluate the popularity of the exhibit.

Just as the principal of a school sets the tenor of his/her school so, too, does the judge set the tenor of his/her ring. If he/she is courteous, impartial, and knowledgeable the exhibitors will reflect this. Seldom do you see "dirty tricks" played in a ring where the judge runs a "tight ship" and watches over "his charges" ... and each and every exhibitor is a "charge" of the judge, just as each student in a school is a "charge" of the principal of that school.

Good sportsmanship is contagious. If the judge is infected with good sportsmanship it soon spreads, infecting each and every exhibitor who comes in contact with that judge.

Poor sportsmanship is also contagious ... and judges who permit it to flourish do no service to our sport.

The judge who permits an exhibitor to show discourtesy to the judge or other exhibitors; the judge who permits ringside to make loud, rude comments at ringside about either the judging or specific entries; the judge who shows favoritism of any kind; the judge who does not respect his/her ring steward are all examples of poor sportsmanship. And the judge who exhibits such has not only made a fool of him/ herself but has lessened the nobility of our sport .... and that is an unforgivable sin.

Reprinted with permission from the author. http://www.letsdiscussjudging.com/contents.html

Sherri Swanton • Sanger, TX www.straightarrowacds.com meeuwswan@hotmail.com

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Austrax Preamble – I feel I should introduce myself first as many readers will wonder “who is this person?”. I am based in Queensland, Australia where I have lived for most of my life, so some of my comments should probably be interpreted with this in mind. My lifestyle and family commitments these days pretty much preclude me from competing with my dogs, although I hope that will change in a few years time. I don’t breed often, having bred 5 litters in the past 10 years. The bulk of people who buy pups from me are getting their second, or third, Austrax ACD and I try to place at least 1 pup per litter in a working home. Being aware of the time constraints of my other commitments I would consider it unfair to have any more than 4 ACDs. Presently, I have a dog Austrax Sequel and a bitch Bluereserve Upsa Daisy, both blues and am waiting for the right pup to come along.

How long have you been in dogs?

The first registered dog was purchased in 1987 from Iris Heale of Glen Iris kennels and I pretty much went straight into the conformation ring with him. So that’s 22 years of owning registered ACDs. How long have you had ACDs? All my life! I grew up in a large noisy family and there was always a “Bluey” around, right from my very first memories. This succession of ACDs were superb babysitters, went running with Dad, kept Mum company through the day, played dress ups and hid in our cubbies with us, shared their kibble with whoever was the current toddler (one for you, one for Blue!), kept all the neighbourhood dogs in check, escorted us on our bikes as we roamed around, and sometimes even made sure we got to school.

Why did you choose the ACD? Given my early family life, for me there was not really a choice! An ACD is a given.

How did you decide this was the breed for you?

Due to my being very accustomed and comfortable with the breed, I never really looked at any other.

How did you first get involved in ACDs? When we bought Glen Iris Boundary Rider (Aust Ch Tallawong The Drover x Glen Iris Daybreak), his breeder Iris Heale asked if I would consider showing him. That was my first exposure to involvement with registered ACDs. What do you do with your dogs?

Live with them! They are first and foremost companions and valued family members.

They come camping with us when we are able to take them along and visiting family & friends. They are, as most would know, great at security detail! I have participated in conformation, agility and obedience in the past.

What titles have you or your puppy buyers put on dogs you have bred?

Australian Champion, CD, American Champion, HIC. What made you decide to start breeding?

There was a great amount of interest from some other breeders about the dog I was showing, plus we were already heavily involved in breeding parrots …. So it just evolved, with decent results from the very start.

Later we added breeding and racing Standardbreds, also with good success.

What caused you to pick the particular dog / bloodlines that you did to start your breeding program?

With a robust connection with Iris & Les Heale, it was a logical starting point to use bloodlines strongly based on Glen Iris breeding. I had the run of the place and was fortunate to see the bulk of her stock and get an idea of what I was looking at and looking for, plus greatly expand my knowledge. Then at a dog show one day a friend pointed out a red dog she was interested in …. I wasn’t fussed on the dog my friend liked but the 12 month old red dog alongside him was to die for. That was Baiamul Bushmans Book.

What dog / bitch to date is your best produced and why?

Austrax Sequel. He is the complete overall package for me.

Lovely overall conformation, extremely sound (although old age has caught up with him) and the most loyal, easy going temperament I could ever wish for. If I could have looked for improvement anywhere it would he could be a little stronger in the loins.

The overall quality and consistency of his progeny, whilst limited in numbers, has been terrific too. It really is a pity my recent lifestyle has prevented me from exhibiting him. He did get to one show at 7months old, and won Dog CC, BOB and Puppy in Group.

When deciding on a breeding do you outcross, linebreed or inbreed, or a combination of all?

I have used all to varying degrees, but in order of emphasis I would say linebreeding then outcrossing and the least focus on inbreeding. The one that gets discounted the most seems to be outcrossing – while you run the risk of losing uniformity of type, hybrid vigour is an essential requirement for breeding. We are in the situation here in Queensland that a large portion of the current breeding pool all has one particular dog in the first 3 generations of their pedigrees. While this dog was a standout of the breed in recent years, I believe this is not a good position for any breed that has such a large population as the ACD has here.

Do you breed to outside females and if so, what is your criteria?

Yes. Each bitch is assessed individually. Bitch owners who are endeavouring to do right by the breed are also part of my mandate.

Who influenced your breeding choices the most and why?

Iris & Les Heale (Glen Iris) initially. Later, Noreen Clark’s (Tirlta) input has been invaluable and most welcome.

Obviously by having my first registered dog from Iris and her subsequently encouraging me to show made me a regular assistant at both her kennels and at the showring. Les however helped me learn to identify type and what attributes were best suited to a heeling breed of working dog. Noreen’s general guidance on a variety of breed related issues and specifically on deafness and PRA has been most welcome.

What dog has made the biggest impact on your breeding programme to date?

Aust Ch Baiamul Bushmans Book (Yeldir Radar x Baiamul Red Bindy).

What bitch has made the biggest impact on your breeding programme to date?

Austrax Trademark (Baiamul Bushmans Book x Warratrax Wattle). Sadly a fatal accident at 3yo meant she only produced a small number of pups.

She nearly had enough points for her Aust Ch title too and had just put together a string of 5 Bitch CCs (4 x BOB) in a row. I have just bred my bitch to her grandson.

Which dog and bitch in your breeding program was most successful? or that you feel contributed the most to the breed. Why? Baiamul Bushmans Book x Warratrax Wattle (Glen Iris Boundary Rider x Blueaurora Wilga Queen). For outstanding temperament, soundness and consistently throwing typey pups with the same fabulous temperament. Generations on, you can still see their influence. My aim with breeding is that every generation should be better than the last. While turning this theory into actuality can be far more difficult than talking about it, the fact that you can still “see� Bushy and Tilley generations later would attest to this impact.

How do you raise your puppies?

Where they can see and receive plenty of stimulation and exposure to various events, household noises and activities. Socialisation, gentle handling and a fairly regular routine are musts.

What do you feed your dogs, puppies, etc?

Weaning commences with goats milk and finely ground beef before softened kibble is introduced.

With a breed that was de-

veloped to go twice the distance on half the food of other breeds, I am always cautious not to use a kibble with an excessively high protein / fat content. Adults eat beef mince or pre-packaged rolls, chicken necks, kibble around 20% protein, any suitable table leftovers such as vegetables, toast, fish, pasta etc plus regular brisket and marrow bones.

How did you come up with your kennel name?

Austrax is a playful abbreviation of Australian Tracks (paw prints) and was first registered in 1989.

Do you believe you have a distinguishable line?

Yes, reasonably recognisable. Consistent type is something I try to always achieve, with varying degrees of success.

If you were going to rate type, temperament and soundness in order of importance, what would be the order and why?

In the past I would have always rated all three of equal importance in this breed, however my views have changed somewhat. With the ACD now fulfilling a variety of roles in society, temperament has become the most important in my opinion. Whilst an ACD can be of lesser type and/or not 100% sound and still be able to meet some of the requirements of companion, herder, sports, obedience or conformation animal, without a steady, biddable temperament he cannot. Being intended to control (control, not chase!) the movement of cattle, this breed can adapt readily to controlling the movement of other livestock such as goats, horses, sheep, ducks, etc. Whilst biting and heeling is an integral part of the breed's working ability, it is not always needed. For example in the case of quiet dairy cattle or some other livestock, biting can be unnecessary. The ACD should be clever enough to learn not to use his teeth. I cringe and worry for the future of the breed when I see or hear of adult ACDs heeling or nipping their owners, and of this behaviour being accepted because it is a “biting� breed. In the same vein, no stockman wants a dog that can’t differentiate between the horse he is riding and the beast he is trying to move.

What do you think are the most serious faults in the breed today?

Excessive height and poor shoulder angulation (straight fronts). To a lesser degree poor feet, round eyes, large ears or lack of ear leather or poor ear placement, domed heads or head planes not parallel. Toplines, pre-molars, tail sets and hindquarter angulation would have to be the big improvers.

What would you say are the biggest problems facing the breed today?

I think the ACD is in pretty good shape. There are many, many people doing exceptionally good things with this breed. Deafness remains a problem however researchers are slowly making inroads. While dogs that are too coarse don’t seem to be as much of a problem as in earlier decades, dogs that mature over height appear regularly, leading me to wonder how many measure their dogs, (and how many judges know where 20� is relative to their own body)? The golden ratio 10:9 (length to height) also needs watching.

However, with society evolving and human populations ever expanding there are less of what I term livestock breeders and more pet breeders. Livestock breeders are those that can objectively evaluate their stock, understand that problems and defects will occur and will require addressing and strive to produce the best animal they possibly can, using all tools at their disposal. Then there are the people who purchase a pet quality animal, treat it like their child and consequently don’t or chose not to see the faults therein, tend to anthropomorphisms and elect to breed without due consideration, undertaking any research or seeking advice. The spectrum of all dog breeders obviously extends from one end of this range to the other, so it is not a breed specific problem but still one we must be aware of.

Breeders should never overlook the temperament requirements stated in the Standard - "alert, intelligent, courageous, trustworthy, loyalty" - and select for these attributes in all their breeding programmes. Lack of attention in this area can produce a dog with a temperament foreign to a working dog with frightening results aggression, hostility and little or no respect for the owner. In such a powerfully built animal, these serious faults can combine into a potentially lethal animal.

Do you consider yourself a mentor to others just coming into the breed?

Not especially as I don’t have a great deal of external breed involvement at present. I do enjoy talking about the breed and if asked for input am happy to try to help. I used to enjoy writing about ACDs too but those nasty time constraints and some minor disillusionment after being plagiarised by someone in the fraternity has been discouraging.

What advice would you give them in starting out on the right road?

First, get a copy of the current standard and if possible the judges training notes issued by the ACDS of NSW. Second, read them and try to interpret them based on what dogs you are looking at. Third, ask others for their interpretation of the standard.

Talk to as many people as possible, read as much as possible. The Internet has made things so much easier to research various lines, types and information. But remember the Internet is a bit like newspapers so don’t believe everything you read! Go to shows, trials, visit breeders in your area. Look at pups, then go back and look at the same dog or similar breeding as an adult. Oh, and it helps if you have a good bullsh*t detector!

It’s also useful to look at dogs from past generations to see how the breed has evolved, especially those that have been consistent achievers over the decades.

I doubt anyone has ever said it better than Dr Harry Spira, who described the ACD as "... designed entirely within the concept of moderation and orientated towards maximum exercise tolerance without physical exaggerations." Moderation without physical exaggerations – that is at first glance you should see the entire dog. If something stands out, for example head, ears, or height, it’s usually because it’s exaggerated, or over emphasised.

Describe an average day living with your dogs: Being companions first and foremost, our dogs will be involved with whatever is going around the house on the day, from feeding horses, playing with children, following the mower (and dropping kongs in front of it!), supervising yards projects. At night they come in after dinner for a few hours quiet time.

I have heard them referred to as “Velcro” dogs, that is, they stick to their owners at all times. Mental and physical stimulation is a must with ACDs, so they spend as much time as possible with us, doing whatever it is we are doing.

What should people who are interested in this breed know before they bring one of these dogs into their homes?

They are strong willed, clever comedians! They can be prone to barking, especially if excited so if your neighbours live close by you may want to look for a more laid back dog. The most important thing in their lives is YOU and they want to spend as much time as possible with you. Left to their own devices, destruction is assured.

Disregarding or ignoring strangers when the dog is in unfamiliar surroundings is common (such as in the show ring) and is a well known breed characteristic. On their home turf however, it is not uncommon for a more forward approach being taken to strangers and they can tend to hassle visitors you have welcomed into your home!

Is there anything interesting that the breeding community is collectively working on?

Many breeders here, particularly those based in south east Qld and northern NSW, are supporting Dr Sue Sommerlad in her work on deafness. It would be more than interesting if we could eradicate deafness, or at least be able to ascertain how it inherits.

Do you feel the current AKC/UKC standard is adequate?

I think the ANKC standard is pretty clear in it’s present form. It is up to the breed custodians to strive to achieve the ideal ACD as described.

Thanks to Deb for asking me to contribute and I hope I haven’t waffled on, talking about my favourite canine companion!

Kath Williamson Austrax ACDs Int ph 61-7-54328737 knanj52@gmail.com

Congratulations Matilda‌ BOW & 3 point major, pulled from the puppy class!

1-14-11 • Manatee Kennel Club

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Longevity of the Australian Cattle Dog: Results of a 100-Dog Survey Pascal Lee, Ph.D. Owner of Ping Pong, an Australian Cattle Dog Santa Clara, CA, USA. E-mail: pascal.lee@yahoo.com

Abstract There is anecdotal evidence that the two longest living dogs on record, all breeds combined, lived 29.5 and 32 years. Because both were Australian Cattle Dogs (AuCaDos), an intriguing question is raised: Do AuCaDos enjoy unusual longevity? Following a worldwide web survey, a statistical study was conducted on a population of 100 AuCaDos deceased of natural causes. A mean longevity of 13.41 years was found, with a standard deviation of 2.36 years. This mean value is significantly higher than the mean longevity of 11.67 years reported in the only previously published study [1]. The present result is likely more robust, as the sample size is an order of magnitude larger, the standard deviation found is small, and the mean value shows little dependency on either gender (male vs female), reproductive state (neutered or spayed vs intact), life setting (rural vs suburban vs urban), or country (Australia vs UK vs USA-Canada). The present study also suggests that mixed breed Australian Cattle Dogs might enjoy a slightly longer life expectancy of 14.49 years than “purebred” AuCaDos. A mean AuCaDo longevity of 13.41 years, while not exceptionally high, is significantly greater than 12 years, which is commonly considered an old age for most dog breeds. AuCaDos are also found to live on average almost a year longer than most dogs of other breeds in the same weight class. Even by AuCaDo standards, however, the two dogs that lived around 30 years should be viewed more as uncharacteristic exceptions than as indicators of common exceptional longevity for the entire breed.

Citation Lee, P. (2011). Longevity of the Australian Cattle Dog: Results of a 100-dog survey. ACD Spotlight, Spring 2011. 11 pp. © Pascal Lee 2011

1

Introduction There is anecdotal evidence that the two longest-living dogs on record, all breeds combined, were both Australian Cattle Dogs. One of them, Bluey (born 7 June 1910 – died 14 November 1939), owned by Les and Esma Hall of Rochester, Victoria, Australia, is reported to have lived to the age of 29 years 5 months and 7 days [2, 3]. Bluey worked as a herding dog for much of his life and retired after 20 years of service. He was put to sleep in 1939. The other dog, an Australian Cattle Dog–Labrador mix, died in 1984 and is reported to have lived to the record age of 32 years and 3 days [4].

These reports are not well documented, and even if true, they might not pertain strictly to Australian Cattle Dogs as they exist today. Bluey was born only eight years after the first Australian Cattle Dog standard was established. It is therefore unclear to what extent Bluey’s longevity applies directly to modern AuCaDos. There is even less information on the AuCaDo-Labrador-mix dog.

Official or not, the appearance of the Australian Cattle Dog at the two topmost positions in the list of longest-living dogs is intriguing. It raises the reasonable question of whether Australian Cattle Dogs might somehow enjoy a longer life expectancy than other breeds of dogs. And if so, why?

The only systematic study of the longevity of Australian Cattle Dogs previously published is based on a sample of only 11 dogs [1]. In that Kennel Club study, the median longevity of dogs in the breed was found to be 11.67 years, with the shortest-living dog in the population sample having died at the age of 1.5 years only, and the longest-living one at the age of 15.9 years. While the study appears to have been conducted rigorously, the sample set was too small to produce a reliable result applicable to the entire breed. According to this earlier study, Australian Cattle Dogs would have a life expectancy essentially identical to what is commonly considered an old age for most dog breeds: about 12 years.

The present study reports the results of a new survey, conducted by the author between 15 November 2009 and 15 January 2010, on a population of 100 Australian Cattle Dogs deceased from natural causes. The data were collected from responses to an open solicitation to the international readership of ACD Spotlight, the online magazine of www.AustralianCattleDog.com [5]. Owners and friends of deceased Australian Cattle Dogs willing to participate in the survey were requested to fill out a short questionnaire and return it directly to the author by electronic mail. The key items of information requested are described in the next section. The questionnaire used in the original announcement is reproduced in Appendix A. The survey was based on the honor system, in that participants were requested to provide only information that they knew was true. For the purpose of this study, it was also important not to seek out, and thereby favor, exceptional records of longevity. Instead, to limit biases and help ensure that data would be collected not just for long-lived Australian Cattle Dogs, but for all AuCaDos regardless of how long they lived, participants were encouraged to submit entries even if they felt that their AuCaDo(s) did not live a particularly long life [5].

© Pascal Lee 2011

2

The Data The following items of information were requested for each Australian Cattle Dog entered into the survey: 1) Name of the dog; 2) Gender (male or female); 3) Purebred or mixed breed?; 4) In the latter case, specify the mix; 5) Neutered/spayed? (Y/N); 6) Date of birth; 7) Date of death; 8) Age of death; 9) Cause of death; 10) Put to sleep? (Y/N); 11) Life setting? (Rural, Suburban, or Urban); and 12) Country. In addition, participants were invited to provide comments on diet, lifestyle, or any unusual traits.

A total of 110 entries were received, each corresponding to an individual Australian Cattle Dog. All entries were screened to ensure that only deceased dogs would be included in the survey, and among these, only dogs that died of natural causes. Dogs that died within one year of a serious accident, or from an attack by another animal, or from possible exposure to a toxic environment, were not included. For instance, entries were not included in the case of six dogs from a single litter, that all died of cancer at a young age (4 to 10 yrs) while reportedly living near a nuclear power plant.

Of the 110 entries received, 100 entries were validated and retained for the present study. The study population includes 44 males and 56 females.

Most entries (93%) are of “purebred” Australian Cattle Dogs, as identified by their owners. The seven mixed breed dogs were described as AuCaDos mixed with, in each case, one other breed of dog. The mixing breeds represented were identified by owners as: Akita, Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Kelpie, McNiven’s Dog (not technically a breed), Pinscher, and Staffordshire Terrier.

65% of the dogs surveyed were neutered or spayed, some only late in life.

The life setting of each dog was characterized as rural, suburban, or urban. In case a dog lived in more than one setting, the assigned setting was “suburban”. 57% of the population surveyed lived in a rural setting; 22% in a setting described as suburban or mixed; and 21% in an urban setting.

Contributions to the survey were received from Australia (25 dogs), the United Kingdom (34 dogs), the United States of America and Canada combined (40 dogs), and Switzerland (1 dog). The UK sample set included one dog in Northern Ireland and a dog that lived in both the UK and Australia (that dog was included only in the UK sample set, with no duplication in the Australia sample set). The USA-Canada sample set included only one dog that lived in Canada; all other dogs in that set lived in the USA. Age of death was computed based on the date of birth and date of death provided for each dog, to a precision of 1 month, whenever possible.

Cause of death information was collected mainly to help confirm that all dogs considered in the survey died of natural causes. The most commonly cited causes were “old age” (24 cases), cancer/tumor/leukemia (24 cases), and stroke (10 cases). The cause of death question asked and the responses provided were not detailed enough, however, to allow a statistical study of cause of death, which was beyond the scope of the present study.

Figure 1 shows the number of dogs per age of death in narrow age intervals or “bins” of 0.137 years. © Pascal Lee 2011

3

Results The mean longevity of the 100 Australian Cattle Dogs considered in this survey is 13.41 years (approx. 13 years and 5 months). The standard deviation is 2.362 years (approx. 2 years and 4 months). A majority of Australian Cattle Dogs are therefore expected to live between about 11 and 16 years of age.

Figure 2 uses exactly the same data as Figure 1, but presents them with a larger age interval or bin size of 1.23 years to help smooth out the dispersion in ages in the sample set, and reveal a more meaningful, normal distribution (bell curve) in ages around the mean value.

The mean longevity value found here is significantly higher than the average of 11.67 years reported in the previously published Kennel Club study [1]. The present result is likely more meaningful, as the present sample size is an order of magnitude larger, and the standard deviation found here is small.

While not exceptionally high, a mean value of 13.41 years is greater than 12 years, which is commonly considered an old age for most dog breeds.

Although mean longevities for dog breeds published in the literature were often not determined consistently and are not always reliable, the higher mean longevity found in this study for AuCaDos relative to most other dog breeds appears significant. More than 50% of dog breeds have longevities between 10 and 13 years, and about 50% of breeds have longevities between 11 and 13 years [6]. There is also a rough correlation between longevity in a breed and weight in the breed, with caveats [6]. To first order, most of the longest-lived breeds are of small dogs, and most of the short-lived breeds are of large dogs [6]. Dog breeds in the 30-50 lbs weight range, appropriate for Australian Cattle Dogs [7, 8], typically enjoy a longevity of about 12.5 years [6]. Our study suggests that AuCaDos live on average almost a year longer than most dogs of other breeds in the same weight class.

Even by AuCaDo standards, however, the two AuCaDos that lived to 30 years or so should be viewed more as uncharacteristic exceptions than as indicators of common exceptional longevity for the entire breed.

The data collected for this survey also allows the potential influence of several natural, environmental, and health factors to be evaluated. Findings about these factors are presented below and summarized in Table 1: Effect of Gender. The mean longevity of male AuCaDos is 13.15 years, while that of females is 13.62 years. The difference is small: less than 6 months.

Effect of Lineage. The mean longevity of the 93 “purebred” AuCaDos is 13.33 years, while that of the seven mixed-breed dogs included in the survey is 14.49 years. The difference exceeds a year. However, this difference may not be significant, as a sample set of 7 dogs is small.

Effect of Reproductive State. The mean longevity of the 65 neutered or spayed dogs in the study population is 13.54 years; that of the 35 intact dogs 13.18 years. The difference observed is small: less than 5 months.

Effect of Setting. The mean longevity of the 57 dogs that lived in a rural setting is 13.45 years. That of the 22 dogs that lived in a setting identified as © Pascal Lee 2011

4

suburban or mixed is 13.36 years. That of the 21 dogs that lived in an urban setting is 13.35 years. The maximum difference observed remains extremely small: less than 2 months.

Effect of Country. Some breeds of dogs appear to vary significantly in longevity by country, notably Manchester Terriers [6]. In the present AuCaDo survey, the mean longevity of the 25 dogs that lived in Australia is 13.70 years.

That of the 34 dogs that lived in the UK is 13.22 years. That of the 40 dogs that lived in the USA or Canada is 13.36 years. The one dog from Switzerland included in the survey lived to the age of 15. Setting aside this isolated case from Switzerland which likely does not represent the mean value of a larger population, differences in AuCaDo mean longevity between countries are small: less than 6 months.

Conclusion This study reports a mean longevity for Australian Cattle Dogs of 13.41 years, with a standard deviation of 2.36 years. AuCaDos live on average almost a year longer than most dogs of other breeds in the same weight class. AuCaDos should indeed be regarded as a remarkably hardy and healthy breed of canines.

Cases of AuCaDos living to 30 years of age, however, should be viewed as extraordinary exceptions, not indicators of common extraordinary longevity for the entire breed.

Based on our survey, it is clear that beyond age 10, most AuCaDos enter a period in their life in which their health has a significantly increased chance of failing. While this is not news for dog owners, it does confirm that AuCaDos should not be considered exceptions to the rule. While regular health check-ups with veterinarians are recommended at every age, past age 10, visits to the vet at least once every 6 months are highly recommended, to catch illnesses early.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank all the Australian Cattle Dog owners and friends who participated in the present study. Special thanks are owed to Deb Casey, owner of www.AustralianCattleDog.com, who agreed to post the survey announcement in her online magazine, www.ACDSpotlight.com. Deb was instrumental in helping reach out to an international network of Australian Cattle Dog owners and friends worldwide who are members of her fine organization.

This study is dedicated to each one of the 110 Australian Cattle Dogs whose data were submitted to this survey, to Bluey and to the record-holding AuCaDo-Lab mix, and to my own AuCaDo, Ping Pong, who just turned 8.

Š Pascal Lee 2011

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Figures

Figure 1. Histogram showing the number of Australian Cattle Dogs vs their Age of Death, in age intervals of 0.137 years. The difference in gray shading between the different columns is intended as a visual aid and has no other meaning. The shortest-living dog in the survey lived 4.08 years. Three dogs lived to 17.75 years, the greatest age entered in the survey.

Š Pascal Lee 2011

6 Â

Figure 2. Histogram showing the number of Australian Cattle Dogs vs their Age of Death, in age intervals of 1.23 years. The difference in gray shading between the different columns is intended as a visual aid and has no other meaning. A bell curve distribution is clearly evident when the data is presented at this interval size. The mean longevity of the Australian Cattle Dog is 13.41 years, with a standard deviation of 2.36 years.

Š Pascal Lee 2011

7 Â

Tables

Table 1. Australian Cattle Dog 100-Dog Longevity Survey Mean Longevity Per Population Category Category

(Lee 2011)

Population Size (Number of Dogs)

Mean Longevity (Years)

100

13.41

Males Females

44 56

13.15 13.62

Purebred Mixed Breed

93 7

13.33 14.49

65 35

13.54 13.18

57 22 21

13.45 13.36 13.35

25 34 40 1

13.70 13.22 13.36 15.00

All Dogs in the Survey Gender

Lineage

Reproductive State Neutered or Spayed Intact Setting Rural Suburban or Mixed Urban Country Australia UK USA + Canada Other (Switzerland)

© Pascal Lee 2011

8

References [1] `

Kennel Club / British Small Animal Veterinary Association Scientific Committee (2004). Summary results of the purebred dog health survey for Australian Cattle Dogs. http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/570

[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluey_%28Australian_cattle_dog%29

[3]

AnAge entry for canis familiaris. AnAge: The animal ageing and longevity database. Human Ageing Genomic Resources. http://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Canis_familiaris

[4]

http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0209/articles/020918a.htm

[5]

Lee, P. 2009. A survey of the longevity of the Australian Cattle Dog. ACD Spotlight, Vol. 2, Issue 4, Dec 2009, 108-109. http://62.128.151.219/Library/A1jhv1/ACDSpotlightWinterIs/resources/inde x.htm?referrerUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.australiancattledog.com%2Facd _spotlight_v2%2Farchives.html

[6]

Cassidy, K. M. (2007-2008). Breed weight and lifespan. Dog Longevity website. http://users.pullman.com/lostriver/weight_and_lifespan.htm

[7]

Australian Cattle Dog. Breeder Retriever website. http://www.breederretriever.com/dog-breeds/79/australian-cattle-dog.php

[8]

Holmes, J. and M. Holmes (1993). The Complete Australian Cattle Dog. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Š Pascal Lee 2011

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Appendix A: Questionnaire Used in This Survey The data used in the present Australian Cattle Dog Longevity Survey were collected by soliciting responses to the following questionnaire (Lee 2009).

Items in bold were considered key information for the survey.

Name of Australian Cattle Dog Gender (M/F) Purebred or Mix? Specify Mix Neutered/Spayed? (Y/N) Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy) Date of Death (mm/dd/yyyy) Age at Death Cause of Death Put to Sleep? (Y/N) Life Setting ?

(Rural/Suburban/Urban) Country Additional Comments (Diet, Lifestyle, Any unusual traits?)

Š Pascal Lee 2011

10 Â

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All new Cattle Dog toys should be used with supervision until you can determine your dog will play with then in a safe manner.

Certain toys, for example those with fabric or rope parts should only be used with supervision due to possible ingestion risk.

Ball looks like Earth, hollow as well but thicker material then SPORT balls. Can be gotten with or with rope. Sizes from 2.25 through 4.25 inches.

JW Pet

All toys should receive a regular inspection and be removed with too damaged to be played with safely.

Giggler Ball Sizes 3.5 and 4 inches Basic ball with giggling sound rather than squeaker. Best for supervised play.

West Paw Design

Hayward the Hedgehog Dog Toy Rubber body with fake fur attached to top. Best of rubber and soft toys. Supervise due to possibility of removing fake fur. Three sizes.

Hurley Vaguely dumbbell shaped toy, for chewing and throwing.

Huck Solid ball with carved out middle to cause unexpected bouncing.

Bumi S shaped tug toy, lots of bounce when thrown. Not for chewing.

Zisc Throwing disk, soft enough not to hurt, tough enough for fetching. Not for chewing.

Planet Dog

The Other Cuz Sizes at 2, 3 and 5 inches. Ball with loud squeaker like original Cuz but has thick/stumpy legs rather than feet, so one less thing to remove.

Hol-ee Roller Ball Rubber mesh ball, can be shook, tugged with, etc. Mesh is pretty thick, but devoted chewers can destroy so for them it may be a supervised toy. Sized 3.5, 5, 6.5, and 8 inches.

Ruffians Dog Toy Animal shaped rubber toy with squeaker. Bounces unpredictably, holds up to limited tugging. Sizes 4.5, 6, 7 inches.

Orbee-Tuff SPORT Tennis Ball Sized at 2.5 inches like normal tennis ball, hollow for dogs that like to chomp and easy to clean. Fits in tennis ball throwing devices.

Cuz Tail Dog Toy Cuz ball with fake fur tail attached. For supervised play due to likelihood of tail removal

Orbee-Tuff SPORT Baseball Sizes at 3.25 inches for dogs who need or want a larger ball. Also hollow and fits into oversize ball throwers.

Bopperoo Dog Toy Solid rubber 'jack' shaped toy. Bounces oddly when thrown, can withstand some chewing.

Orbee-Tuff速 Orbee Ball with or without rope

Kong Kong Red/Back toys Various names depending on where you look. Look like snowmen and are hollow. Can be used for fetch and/or chew toys. Popular to stuff with food/treats and allow dog to work how to get them out. New versions for puppies and senior dogs of are made of softer rubber.

Kong Wubba / Kong Water Wubba Two balls, a small and large covered in fabric with 'tails' for fetch games, regular is nylon covered and water version is covered in neoprene. Supervised fetch play.

Aqua Kong Floating Retriever Toy Kong toy attached to rope designed to float in water, Supervised fetch play/ Kong Tails Dog Toy Red Kong toy with nylon fabric handle and 'tails' plus squeaker added. Fun for fetching and tug, supervised play only.

Kong Wobbler Dog Toy Food dispensing toy. Weighted bottom keeps toy up upright, dog needs to push with nose/feet to get food out opening on side of toy. Dishwasher safe.

Kong Rocket Dog Toy Ball launcher, adjustable for balls 2"-3.5"

Jolly Pets Bounce And Play Ball Dog Toy Ever popular Jolly ball without the handle. Pliable enough to grip but not as easy to start chewing as the on with the handle.

Jolly Egg Dog Toy Hard plastic, egg shaped to allow dog to herd and push around yard. Egg shape means it moves unpredictably for more of challenge. Supervised play only as some dogs will not stop herding and or trying to grab toy.

Star Mark Everlasting Fun Ball Very tough rubber/plastic toy, soft and yielding but hold up well to rough chewing and playing. Hollow middle can have treats put in for dog to work out how to remove. There are rawhide pieces sold to use with the ball but other kibble or small treat placed inside will work. Large is 4" and small is 2.75".

Bob-A-Lot Dog Toy Roughly tear drop shaped toy that moves around but allows pops upright. Put kibble and/or treats in the top and they fall into the bottom for dispensing. Two adjustable settings (top and bottom) allow you to control how easy or hard it is for your dog to get it all out.

Tuffies/Tuffy Toys (Name varies) Mega line is the Tuffies toys highest durability rating of 10 their description: "MEGA CONSTRUCTION: Seven Rows of Stitching.

Each toy’s seven layers of material are sewn together with two rows of linear stitching and two rows of cross stitching. The four rows of stitching are protected with an industrial grade luggage material that is sewn 3 more times. Seven Layers of Material.

Three layers of 600 Denier industrial grade material, three layers of plastic coating and finally one layer of soft fleece. All seven layers are rolled together and then sewn with a one inch cross pattern to prevent

layer separation. Protective Webbing. Additional industrial grade luggage material is sewn around the outside edge with three rows of stitching to cover and protect the first four rows of stitching. Squeaker Safety Pockets. Each Squeaker is safe and quiet because they are sewn into a nylon safety pocket beneath seven layers of material."

Nuts will replace your toy free of charge. Dogs that are capable of getting through the toy may be asked to be tracked for GoughNuts plan for continuous improvement."

Mega Bone Meg Bowmerang Mega Ring and Jr Ring Mega Oddball (vaguely football shaped) Meg Squareball Mega Gear Ring Mega Creatures (octopus shaped) Mega Tug Oval

GoughNuts Ring Ring toy for extreme chewers.

Generally simpler shapes seem to hold up longer as the more complex ones have small detailed parts that seem to allow the dog to chew them. So between the ring shape and the gear ring (with edges that jut out) normally the ring holds up longer. Of course, as always, your experience may vary.

Also worth considering for some dogs are their 'Ultimate Toys' they are a little less sturdy construction but will hold up to dog play for many dogs especially those less bent on disemboweling soft toys.

All come in black and green varieties. Green is the original and black is the for more extreme chewers.

GoughNuts Ball Ball for interactive play.

GoughNuts The Stick Stick shape, can be combined with the ring to make a puzzle toy.

Chewber Tug 'n Toss Rubber disk reinforced with nylon for throwing and tugging use. Supervised toy.

Sport disk Rubber reinforced disk with nylon more for throwing and flying far. Supervised toy.

Chuckit

GoughNuts Have a red center to indicate when the dog has chewed enough so the toy needs to be removed for safety and returned to the manufacturer for replacement.

Ball launcher Allows a tennis or other similar sized ball to fly much further than most people throw normally. Various sizes including one for oversized balls for those who use a ball bigger than a standard tennis ball.

From the website: "Every GoughNuts toy has been designed by Mechanical and Polymer Engineers. Understanding leverages that are present in the jaws of a dogs mouth and relying on 60 years of rubber technology has resulted in an indestructible toy. If your pet can chew through the Green to expose the Red, Gough-

Balls A large variety including sturdier tennis balls, rubber balls that whistle, glow in the dark, etc.

Bumper, Ring and Boomerang Rubber and fabric toys with foam core that floats for water play. Easy to see on surface of water and

easy to grip. Supervised toy.

in, comes in large and small sizes. Supervise play only.

Ruff Dawg The Stick Hollow rubber 'stick' hold up well to chomping, tugging, throwing, etc. Possibly dedicated chewers could destroy so it may need supervision for them.

Super Tug Shaped vaguely like a clover leaf, easy to grip for you and your dog, plenty of give for a good tugging.

Supervised toy.

Jakes Tugs Benefits Carolina ACD R&R. Big Tugs Made of thick, tightly braided fleece, handle at one end and knot at the other. Supervised toy.

Small Tugs Made of thinner, tightly braided fleece, knots at both ends. Supervised toy Itty Bitty Tugs Similar to small tug, but for smaller dogs. Supervised toy.

Helping Udders Part of proceeds help rescue, allows you to choose rescue including ACD rescues.

Udder Tugs Lots of variety in sizes, shapes, handles, etc. Made of used rubber parts from cow milking machines, have an attractive cow scent dogs love. Supervised toy.

Genuine Dog Gear Ram Tuffy Braided fleece tug toy with real sheep skin braided

Rabbit Tuffy Braided fleece tug toy with real rabbit skin braided in, comes in large and small sizes. Supervise play only.

Sheepy Tug Nylon handle tug, sheepskin bite bar, tasseled end comes in large and small sizes. Supervised play only.

Buffalo Bar Nylon handle tug, buffalo skin bite bar, one size.

Supervised play only.

Bison Tail Nylon handle tug, buffalo kin bite bar, tasseled end, one size. Supervised play only.

Sheepy Bar Nylon handle tug, sheepskin bite bar, one size.

Supervised play only.

Two Handled Sheepy Tug Heavy rope tug covered with sheep skin, one size.

Supervised play only.

Sheepy Ice Nylon handled tug, long haired Icelandic sheep skin bite bar, one size. May be too delicate for heavy tuggers, but just the thing to entice puppies or more timid dogs to tug. Supervised play only.

Beastie Tug Nylon handled tug with a fleece pouch containing a raccoon tail. Supervised play only.

Google will find distributors for all the toys listed here.

We had a ball.

See you next time.

Photo by Jonas M책rtensson

http://www.acattledog.se