The Frenchie Fancy 2019 - The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, images, photographs or other materials. By accepting and publishing advertising the publisher in no way recommends, guarantees or endorses the quality of the services of products within those advertisments. The information contained in this online and print magazine is for general information purpose only. The information is provided by us and our collaborators, and while every efford is made to provide information which is both current and correct, we make no representations on warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliavility, suitability or availability with respect to the online magazine or the information, products, services or related graphics contained within the online magazine for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. In no event will Frenchie Fancy be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loos or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising for loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this online and print magazine.
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Fancy Talk
Interview with breeder Stephen Miller and Robert Smith PĂŠchĂŠ Mignon Frenchies
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Fancy Details
How to read a Pedigree from a healthy perspective, by Lori Hunt DVM
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Fancy Judging
French Bulldog Club of Taiwan by judge Mr. James Dalton
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Fancy Details
The 20 principles of genes environment and breeding, by Roger Abrantes PhD 4
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Degenerative Myelopathy does not occur in French Bulldogs, by Jerold S Bell DVM
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French Bulldog National Specialty Mexico by judge Mr. Gus Sinibaldi
65 Fancy Pedigrees
A collection of French Bulldog Pedigrees relevant to the past, present and future
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Norsk Bulldog Klubb Jubileum Show by judges Mr. Luis Sosa & Mrs. Patricia Sosa
f ancy beginnings
Welcome to the latest issue of the Frenchie Fancy! We are super excited about our first ever pedigree issue. Generations of breath taking dogs that have been beautifully crafted by our artisan breeders. In addition to the wonderful Pedigree pages we have some wonderful interviews and articles for you to read.
We really hope you enjoy this special addition to our magazine and as always make sure to like us on Facebook and subscribe to our magazine in print. Go to visit our site at www.frenchiefancy.com or email us and we will be happy to assist you!
We had the rare opportunity to sit down with some American Breeder Judges that have been Globe Trotting and were happy to share their adventures with us. James Dalton, Gus Sinibaldi, and Patty & Luis Sosa told us all about the depth of quality of the dogs they had the pleasure to judge all over the world. Long time and top quality breeders of merit and health Rob Smith and Stephen Miller of famed PĂŠchĂŠ Mignon talked to us about their illustrious breeding program. This issue also boasts of some excellent insight into the world of health in our articles with veterinarians Lori Hunt and an in depth article regarding DM and its presence in our breed.
Fernanda Barlow, Matthew Dover, Vivianne Hulsey The Frenchie Fancy Team
Send us a message! info@frenchiefancy.com www.frenchiefancy.com | facebook.com/frenchiefancy
FRENCHIE FANCY Creative Director Vivianne Mello Hulsey info@frenchiefancy.com
Advertising Director Fernanda Barlow ads@frenchiefancy.com
Marketing Director Matthew Dover
Contributors Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM Dr Jerold S Bell DVM Dr. Lori Hunt, DVM Roger Abrantes PhD Photography Fernanda Barlow Gus Sinibaldi Reddogfoto Roger Barlow Svetlana Aleshina
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next issue: aug 2019 RESERVE YOUR ADS NOW!!! June 2019
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FANCY advertisers AUSTRALIA
ARUNACHALAM,Senthil (Senarabull) 106-Back Cover
BRAZIL
GUIMARÃES, Sergio & Monik (SM Cherokee) ... 58, 59 SBAMPATO, Marlon Russo (Usha-Kala) ....... 12, 13
CANADA
MAINGOT, Linda (Eltorro) .................................. 29 SHEN, Jay & Weiwei (Bluemount) ................. 10, 11 StJOHN, Shelley (Robobull) .............. 14, 15, 30, 31 TONG, Cherry .................................................. 18, 19
CHINA
LUO, Viva & Roy (Overtop) .......................... 16, 17
MEXICO
KUECHEL, Erwin (Kuvibull) ......................... 44, 45 VELEZ, Humberto ................................... 102, 103
PUERTO RICO
ARROBA, Arturo ........................................... 26, 27
SERBIA
TODOROVIC, Nikoleta & Goran (Energy House) .... 60
SPAIN
URIARTE, Leyre & Eugenio (Talauri) ....... Cover, 2, 3
UNITED STATES
BARLOW, Fernanda (Caramuru) .................. 104, 105 BROTT, Karen (Chambord) .......................... 54, 55 DALTON, James (Fabelhaft) ............ 7-9, 14, 15, 50, 51 DUDNEY, Christine (Riverhills) ..................... 46, 47 ECARIUS-HERRST, Debbie (Suirac) .................. 28 FLETCHER, Casey ........................................... 30, 31 HEARST SHAW, Patricia (Diva) ......................... 7-9 HODOLITZ, Kristy ...................................... 30, 31 HULSEY, Vivianne Mello (Vixbull) ................... 34, 35 HUDGENS, Tish (Sapphire Skies) ................ 56, 57 HUTSON, Ellyn .............................................. 50, 51 JENO, Andrea (de Lille) ..................................... 29 KOTT, Jody (Gypsy Canyon) ................................ 35 NEWCOMB, Bob & Nancy (Newcomb’s) ............. 64 PEPPERS, Kevin .................................................. 98 RAFFIO, Bill & Paulette Aviles (Sans Pareil) ..... 36-39
PEDIGREES
Pedigree Pages ............................................ 65-97
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FANCY TALK - ROBERT SMITH & STEPHEN MILLER
the ancy talk interview with stephen miller & robert smith of pĂŠchĂŠ mignon french bulldogs
How and when did you start in French Bulldogs? We started in Frenchies after Stephen happened to be driving past the local animal shelter one day. On that day a lady who was working there was walking a dog out front and caught his eye as it was not a breed he was familiar with. He stopped to ask her if the dog was available and what breed it was and she said it was her dog and so happened to be a French Bulldog. Stephen fell in love with the look of 20 frenchiefancy.com
the dog and immediately started to research the breed. That was almost 14 years ago. A few months after first seeing that Frenchie we acquired Chloe, a rescue Frenchie, who was unfortunately cursed with many, many medical issues. She managed to recoup from all those and we still have her today. She will be turning 14 this July. Amazingly she miraculously now seems to be in wonderful health and vigor and does not look anywhere near her age.
What was your first Frenchie like? What about your first dog show? Did you always show your own dogs? Our first Frenchie as mentioned was a rescue. Chloe is a brindle pied and your typical rescue… Light bone, long in the back, tubular, with lots of ticking and NO layback but sweet as honey. Our first show dog was Huxley (Encore’s Prince of Monte Carlo) who we purchased from Martha Dobbins and Shirley Knaack of Encore French Bulldogs (a huge thanks to those two for entrusting us with Huxley and helping us get started). Huxley is a double hooded brindle pied Monte Carlo son with lots of Cox and Jackpot in his pedigree. We still have Huxley and he will turn 13 this year. Although we hadn’t really planned to show, Huxley is responsible for getting us hooked. We knew a few people who showed various other breeds and they kept telling us how nice he looked so I, Rob, started going to the Louisville Kennel Club training classes to learn the ropes. Huxley and I went to our first show in the 6-9 puppy class and got the points and it was all over at that point. (Thank you Joe Caton for being such a gentleman and helping me out when I was pretty much clueless…haha). We never owned or showed dogs prior to Huxley. Stephen always had dogs from the time he was a baby, but they were all pets. He had Cocker Spaniels, Miniature Schnauzers and Golden Retrievers prior to Frenchies. Robert did not have dogs growing up so the Frenchies were his first dogs.
In all your years, what has your favorite litter been as a whole and why? Our favorite litter over the years just so happens to be our most recent. Out of our girl Juno (Péché Mignon June Bug) and Watson (AM GCHS CH Péché Mignon Elementary My Dear CGC). The puppies from this litter of 6 were very consistent in many ways: Very heavy boned (especially the brindle girls), deep chested with incredible rib spring (again, especially the brindle girls), beautiful very solid fronts with good shoulder placement, lovely expression and ears with correct size, shape, and placement, nice upsweep as well as nice top lines and good strong rears.
In your opinion, what has been the Frenchie bred by you that is the closest to the standard? It would be best to go with either of the two Top 20 dogs we bred as the dogs that were closest to the standard. Watson, AM GCHS CH Péché Mignon Elementary My Dear CGC; and Lorelei, BISS AM GCHB CH Péché Mignon Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend. Both Watson and Lorelei have very correct structure along with beautiful movement. Both were superbly presented throughout their show careers by their co-owner and friend Debra Mattingly who at the time was not a professional handler but has since become successful in that career. The fact that they did so well with an owner handler further proved to us that they were both truly outstanding dogs.
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FANCY TALK - ROBERT SMITH & STEPHEN MILLER
What is your process when choosing a show prospect to keep? Do you look at puppies as soon as they’re born? How do you evaluate your litters? Our process for show puppies is not all that complicated. We start evaluating the puppies for personality at about four weeks of age to get a feel if they have the personality for the show ring. We continue to monitor their progress for the next four weeks both with their personalities and structure as we start the stacking process and table training. At 8 weeks we will stack each and take pictures and videos to assist in our observation and study. We send the pics and videos out to trusted friends in the breed for their opinions as we realize one can easily overlook certain traits whether intentional or not (kennel blindness). We do study the pics and videos making notes for each puppy to help identify any that may stand out one way or the other. It really ends up as a process of elimination getting to the point of what we feel is the pick or two of each litter. Some are certainly easier and more quickly eliminated as potential show quality than others. We do not look at puppies as soon as they are born in regards to show or companion puppies. Our main concern the first few weeks is making sure the puppies are eating, growing and remaining happy and healthy. We evaluate our litters much in the same was as we evaluate each puppy for show or companion rating. Each puppy has photos and videos done at 8 weeks. We then take the overall ratings of all the puppies in the litter to determine if it was a successful/quality litter and we have repeated breedings on a few occasions.
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People say French Bulldogs are a head breed. Do you agree? Why (not)? We both feel it is a head breed to a certain extent as that is what anyone who recognizes the breed notices and is the identifier. In the show ring it’s the most important aspect of the dog but it cannot be the only trait or quality a judge or anyone for that matter should notice. The breed has come a long way just in the time we’ve been involved and silhouettes and breed type are extremely important as well. I would take a slightly less quality head over a dog with bad front, rear, movement, or lacking overall breed type any day.
Do you like our standard’s wording? Would you change anything about it? As with most “standards”, the Frenchie standard tends to be open to a great deal of interpretation. The recent changes were beneficial but there’s always things to reconsider. We feel that this is not always a good thing as it can lead to ideas or opinions that are not based in fact. At times unscrupulous breeders can use this vagueness to their advantage to work around faults in their lines or with a specific dog. AKC judges can also use this as a crutch when they don’t know the breed well enough to truly judge it correctly. If we could change the standard we would like for the FBDCA/ AKC to provide illustrations of the faults and positive aspects of the breed within the standard. Not photographs of actual dogs, but drawings. Also, we both feel the breed is getting too large and we all know there are overweight dogs in the show ring. However, we can blame that primarily on judges who simply will not award a smaller dog although it may be more balanced, correct, and present better breed type. Perhaps if the standard stated a minimum weight it would help judges justify using these smaller dogs when warranted.
What do you feed your Frenchies? Any supplements? We are a bit neurotic when it comes to feeding our dogs. We keep up to date on the latest information for nutrition. Our current food of choice is Natures Logic, grain free. The company has had no re-calls and produce the food in their own plant. They do not outsource production to a large manufacturer and have a 5 star rating with Dog Food Advisor. We have changed diets over the years for various reasons (recalls, ingredients suspect to negatively impact estrus, etc.). As for supplements we will add cooked chicken, turkey, pork, scrambled eggs, yogurt, pumpkin, etc. to their kibble periodically to offer a variety or simply enhanced flavor/enjoyment for them. We have 28 laying hens so fresh eggs are readily available. With the older dogs we give them a joint supplement like Synovi G4 which we’ve found to be a wonderful product and have found the Nature’s Logic dehydrated Pork Bone Broth to be beneficial as well. All the dogs get a NuVet Plus multi vitamin daily. We also have been using Estrumate and Gestamate for the girls we are planning to breed or have bred. Both supplements are available through Natures Farmacy which we all know has great products. We also occasionally provide supplements like organic unrefined virgin coconut oil or unrefined sesame seed oil.
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FANCY TALK - ROBERT SMITH & STEPHEN MILLER
What is your French Bulldog pet peeve, the one thing you could never live with in a French Bulldog? Very tough question and limiting us to just one French Bulldog peeve is going to be difficult. Both of us are movement fanatics. A French Bulldog with incorrect movement in any way is a big drawback for us. We feel that proper movement comes from proper structure and there is no reason the breed can’t or shouldn’t move cleanly and if they can’t there is something structurally wrong. A bad front is also one of our deal breakers as is having teeth or tongue show. It would be hard to decide which of the three is really the biggest turnoff.
What makes a co-ownership work? To make co-ownership work one has to deal with folks that can be trusted and unfortunately this is often a difficult thing to find. Folks tend to say all the right things when they want something but often don’t follow through when the chips are down. Having a very good contract that gives you recourse with the AKC to stop registration of any litters should the co-owner breach the contract is a must. Listen to the rumors that you hear about folks before you get involved with them and we all know people talk. Often times where there is smoke there is fire. Talk to folks who may have dealt previously with the person you are thinking of co-owning with. Judge their reputation and be guided buy it. If we had listened to the numerous folks who spoke negatively about the only two individuals we have had issues with we would never had gotten involved with them. Lesson learned. Don’t ask a co-owner to do anything that they have not agreed to do in the contract they sign with you. There should be no hidden clauses, there should be complete transparency between the co-owners. In short all parties in the co-ownership need to do what they agreed to do. If at all possible only co-own with people who have your same vision for the breed.
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Do we aspire to become a judge? For Steph that would be a HUGE NO!!! For Rob, until the last couple years I would have said no as well but my interest in this has grown a great deal. However, that will likely will not be pursued until we have decided to stop showing because personally we both feel it’s a conflict of interest and we’ll leave it at that.
If you had to give advice for people who are starting out, what would it be? If you could breed to any French Bulldog in the world, dead or alive, who would it be? Steph: I look forward at the breed and not back. I feel that while dogs in the past were wonderful in their time, the future of the breed is with the present and that outstanding dogs are a subject that is always changing. Rob: Trying to be politically correct on this question and just say that I cannot decide on one specific dog as the dog I may pick would greatly depend on the bitch that we are going to use the boy with. I would have to base my opinion on what I’ve seen in the ring as well as what they’ve produced over the past 12 or so years. It’s very difficult to narrow down to just one dog but three that come to mind I would say either “Joey” BIS BISS GCH Lucida’s Innocent Man of Kobi, “Duende” CH (uncertain of other titles) Fuhrer of Secutor, and/or “Rook” BIS BISS CH Daulokke’s Nordique Crouton CGC ROM Platinum. Again, these are based simply on what we’ve seen produced but we’ve never researched and therefore unaware of their health and what they produced in that regard except for Rook.
Our advice to folks starting out would be to find a mentor and make sure that mentor is a true lover of the breed and not in it for glory or monetary gain. Read and study the standard and know what the breed should be. Do your homework to find out what the breed needs to be happy and healthy and purchase the best puppy from good lines you absolutely can. We highly recommend getting puppies or dogs from parents who have been fully health tested. Don’t go by the owners opinion that the dog is healthy because it or it’s parents haven’t “had any issues” or “appears really healthy”. If you buy a mediocre puppy as a breeder you will always be playing catch up. As a person showing a mediocre dog you will always have disappointment and will tire of showing very quickly. One other bit of advice would be to treat others as you would yourself want to be treated and your acquired knowledge with others so they can also grow.
In all these years, what has been your most treasured win? Anyone who knows us closely knows that winning and rankings is not our priority and actually has very little importance to us. Our goal is simple...breed healthy excellent quality dogs. But, if we had to select one win that was most treasured it would be when Rob got Huxley’s AKC championship title. As mentioned earlier he was our first show dog and being new to the hobby and doing that as a new owner handler was a wonderful accomplishment that will never be forgotten. Watson has had some great wins as has Lorelei and those we will cherish but Rob wasn’t handling those so it was more of a win for Debra and Kenny and we couldn’t have been more ecstatic and excited for them. June 2019
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HOW TO READ A PEDIGREE FROM A HEALTH PERSPECTIVE
article by DR. LORI HUNT, DVM French Bulldog Breeder - Assisi French Bulldogs
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hat’s in a pedigree? Surely if you’ve been breeding for even a minute, you’ve read plenty of these. Of course, there’s the obvious information, such as sires and dams and, in turn, their sires and dams and so on. If you are attending dog shows or are on Facebook, you know the show records of many of the dogs who’s names you read. BUT, what do you know about their health records? Their siblings’ health records? And not just the things we can test for, but also the intangibles... Longevity, allergy issues, good breathing, history of intervertebral disc disease, just to name a few. Sure that dog is handsome, but what do you really know about him and his ancestry? Let’s look deeper into a pedigree looking at health tests. There is a nice feature on the Orthopedic Association for Animals’ website (www.ofa.org) that gives us a good start at understanding the testable tangibles in a pedigree. When you visit a dog’s page, you can see all of their test results (that have been done). Sometimes the absence of a test result is due to the fact the dog is too young to complete the test yet. On the other hand, it may not have been performed or perhaps it has been done but the dog didn’t pass (and the owner didn’t choose the option available to report non passing results). This gives you a talking point when researching dogs. Don’t be afraid to ask! You don’t have to walk away from anything, but you should know the answers. And stud dog owners, ask these questions of bitches inquiring about your boys.
In this article, I’ve chosen one of my own dogs, Fashion Queen d’Assisi, in order to illustrate with screenshots how this site works.. Once you’ve searched out a particular dog, click her name to go to the individual’s page. Once on her page, you can click on the button in the top right corner that says “vertical pedigree”.
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This will give you an actual pedigree of the dog and list all tests done on relatives. You can click on each test name to see a vertical pedigree based upon that test. You may also click on the ancestor name in the banner to refocus the vertical pedigree starting with that animal. Perhaps you are doing a line breeding on a certain dog and he/she will appear in the proposed pedigree several times. You can use this tool to see not only how that dog has produced but also his/her siblings. As you can see, this tool can be invaluable!
Using my own dog as an example, here is how you can read her history. I selected HIPS for this vertical pedigree. She had one sibling that tested fair, same results as her. She has 12 offspring tested through OFA, 11 who have (published) hip results. 1 excellent, 7 good, 2 fair and 1 mild. On the full screen shot, her sire, dam and grandsires and dams have the same information listed about themselves. Should you choose to look at the pedigree based on another test, simply click the orange bar and a drop down menu appears allowing you to choose which test to generate a pedigree for. OFA gives us a great way to read a pedigree based on tangible test information. The intangibles involve a lot more research, talk time and open communication with like minded breeders. Ask the questions. Ask about history of skin issues, IVDD, whether the dog is a good breather and/or has had to have
airway surgery, etc. If you don’t research, you will never know, and you will have a hole in your healthy pedigree. Hopefully answers will be honest and forthcoming. Write things down. Keep track. Store these in your vault for the next breeding and next generation. Plan your pedigrees based not only on type and temperament, but health. Knowing where a dog comes from, and where your line comes from can only help future generations. If you’ve only casually looked at the surface of a pedigree thus far, you must dig deeper. To truly be a steward of the breed, one must become a student of pedigrees. Learn them. Recite them. Memorize them. Know the ins and outs. Study each dog, not only their structure, temperament and health but the same of the dog’s siblings and ancestors and siblings of ancestors. Understand it vertically horizontally and diagonally. The French Bulldog Breed depends on on us to be knowledgeable in our choices. June 2019
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f ancy judging
KCT FORMOSA FRENCH BULLDOG CLUB TAIWAN SPECIALTY SHOW MARCH 2019 - CHANGHAW, TAIWAN
article by judge MR. JAMES DALTON pictures courtesy of FORMOSA FRENCH BULLDOG CLUB OF TAIWAN and JAMES DALTON
Best in Specialty Show - TWN.CH Baltfrid of Gao-Fung-Taiwan
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t was with great pleasure that in March 2019 I travelled to Taiwan to fulfill an invitation to judge the Specialty show of the Formosa French Bulldog Club of Taiwan. This was my second time to judge a Specialty show in Asia (the first time in Japan the previous year), so I looked forward to my return and was not disappointed. I arrived two days early to recover from the long trip and prepare for my seminar for club members on Saturday before judging the Specialty show on Sunday. After a relaxing two days sightseeing on the beautiful island it was time for my prepared seminar. I was surprised and pleased to see so many people in attendance from new exhibitors to experienced breeders packed into the room with pen and paper at the ready. Rather than the usual presentation of the breed standard which I expect most breeders should already know or be familiar with, I focused on a wide range of topics ranging from selection of foundation stock and choosing a puppy to advice on how to communicate with breeders of interest around the world. The seminar lasted all day with a break for lunch with many questions and discussions throughout the day. I hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. On Sunday morning we arrived at the show venue and I was quite amazed not only at the lovely ring but the exquisite rosettes (made locally) and trophies which were outstanding. This small club and its members could teach many larger clubs a lesson on how to put on a beautiful event. Really this was one of the loveliest shows I have ever attended. I had excellent ring stewards and all exhibitors were gracious in both
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Reserve Best in Specialty Show - KCT.CH/15 San Perng’s Hightning FCI
victory and defeat. There was a large entry and the quality varied greatly between classes but overall while there is room for improvement I was pleased with the winners. More care needs to be taken with presentation and condition with some exhibits needing a bath and nail trim and better overall conditioning. While a French Bulldog enjoys time outside to play and excercise, he also enjoys human companionship within the home and is not meant to live his life in a kennel. It makes me sad when I see dogs which show tell tale signs of this existence. Do not keep a little clown always in a cage for it will destroy his spirit. On the positive side I saw some promising youngsters, excellent handling with some quality sound moving dogs. I was very pleased with my Best In Specialty winner... A lovely brindle bitch of excellent quality and breed type and my Best of Opposite male... A stylish cream male with good balance and excellent reach and drive. After the show we attended a lovely banquet with club members. What I enjoyed most of all was the amazing hospitality from the club members and exhibitors. I want to commend all of the club and committee members who worked hard to put on a wonderful show as good as anywhere in the world but special thanks must go to Bruce Chang, Chun Hung Liao and Ho-Tai Sung as well as my good friend Michael Lin and my translator who took such great care of me and made this a trip I shall always remember. Thank you Taiwan... Until we meet again!
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THE 20 PRINCIPLES OF GENES, ENVIRONMENT AND BREEDING
by ROGER ABRANTES, PhD in Evolutionary Biology and Ethology, reprinted with permission Genes code for the traits an organism will show, physical as well as behavioral, but genes are not all. The environment of that organism also plays a crucial role in the way some of its genes will express themselves. Genes play a large role in the appearance and behavior of organisms. Phenotypes (the appearance of the organism) are determined, in various degrees, by the genotype program (the sum of all genes) and the interaction of the organism with the environment. Some traits are more modifiable by environmental factors, others less. For example, while eye color is solely determined by the genetic coding, genes determine how tall an individual may grow, but nutritional, as well as other health factors experienced by that organism, determine the outcome. In short: the environment by itself cannot create a trait, and only a few traits are solely the product of a strict gene coding. The same applies to behavior. Behavior is the result of the genetic coding and the effects of the environment on a particular organism. Learning is an adaptation to the environment. Behavioral genetics studies the role of genetics in animal (including human) behavior. Behavioral genetics is an interdisciplinary field, with contributions from biology, genetics, ethology, psychology, and statistics. The same basic genetic principles that apply to any
phenotype also apply to behavior, but it is more difficult to identify particular genes with particular behaviors than with physical traits. The most reliable assessment of an individual’s genetic contribution to behavior is through the study of twins and half-siblings. In small populations, like breeds with a limited number of individuals, the genetic contribution tends to be magnified because there is not enough variation. Therefore, it is very important that breeders pay special importance to lineages, keep impeccable records, test the individuals, and choose carefully, which mating system they will use. Failure to be strict may result in highly undesirable results in a few generations with the average population showing undesired traits, physical as well as behavioral. We breed animals for many different purposes. Breeding means combining 50% of the genes of one animal (a male) to 50% of the genes of another animal (a female) and see what happens. We can never choose single genes as we wish and combine them, so we get the perfect animal, but knowing which traits are dominant, which are recessive, and being able to read pedigrees helps us.
Litter mates share on average 50% common genes, but only on average. Each got at random 50% of its genes from the male (father) and 50% from the female (mother), but not necessarily the same 50% from each (Photo by Fernanda Barlow)
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Here are some guidelines for breeding (inspired by “20 Principles of Breeding Better Dogs” by Raymond H. Oppenheimer). [editor’s note: the article reference was printed in our last edition!] The objective of the following 20 principles is to help breeders strive for a healthy and fit animal in all aspects, physically as well as behaviorally. 1. The animals you select for breeding today will have an impact on the future population (unless you do not use any of their offspring to continue breeding). 2. Choose carefully the two animals you want to breed. If you only have a limited number of animals at your disposition, you will have to wait for the next generation to make any improvement. As a rule of thumb, you should expect the progeny to be better than the parents. 3. Statistical predictions may not hold true in a small number of animals (as in one litter of puppies). Statistical predictions show accuracy when applied to large populations. 4. A pedigree is a tool to help you learn the desirable and undesirable attributes that an animal is likely to exhibit or reproduce. 5. If you have a well-defined purpose for your breeding program, which you should, you will want to enhance specific attributes, but don’t forget that an animal is a whole. To emphasize one or two features of the animal, you may compromise the soundness and function of the whole organism. 6. Even though, in general, large litters indicate good health and breeding conditions, quantity does not mean quality. You produce quality through careful studies. Be patient and wait until the right breeding stock is available, evaluate what you have already produced and above all, have a breeding plan that is, at least, three generations ahead of the breeding you do today. 7. Skeletal defects are the most difficult to change. 8. Don’t bother with a good animal that cannot reproduce well. The fittest are those who survive and can pass their survival genes to the next generation. 9. Once you have approximately the animal you want, use out-crosses sparingly. For each desirable characteristic you acquire, you will get many undesirable traits that you will have to eliminate in succeeding generations. 10. Inbreeding is the fastest method to achieve desirable characteristics. It will bring forward the best and the worst of your breeding stock. You want to keep the desirable traits and eliminate the undesirable. Inbreeding will reveal hidden traits that you may consider undesirable, and want to eliminate. However, be careful, repeated inbreeding can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits.
11. Once you have achieved the characteristics you want, line-breeding with sporadic outcrossing seems to be the most prudent approach. 12. Breeding does not create anything new unless you run into favorable mutations (seldom). What you get is what was there to begin with. It may have been hidden for many generations, but it was there. 13. Litter mates share on average 50% common genes, but only on average. Each one got at random 50% of its genes from the male (father) and 50% from the female (mother), but not necessarily the same 50% from each. 14. Hereditary traits are inherited equally from both parents. Do not expect to solve all of your problems in one generation. 15. If the worst animal in your last litter is no better than the worst animal in your first litter, you are not making progress. 16. If the best animal in your last litter is no better than the best animal in your first litter, you are not making progress. 17. Do not choose a breeding animal by either the best or the worst that it has produced. Evaluate the total breeding value of an animal by means of averages of as many offspring as possible. 18. Keep in mind that quality is a combination of soundness and function. It is not merely the lack of undesirable traits, but also the presence of desirable traits. It is the whole animal that counts. 19. Be objective. Don’t allow personal feelings to influence your choice of breeding stock. 20. Be realistic, but strive for excellence. Always try to get the best you can. Be careful: when we breed animals for special characteristics, physical as well as behavioral, we are playing with fire, changing the genome that natural selection created and tested throughout centuries. Original Article Appears Here: http://ethology.eu/the-20-principles-of-genes-environment-and-breeding/
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f ancy health
DEGENERATIVE MYELOPATHY DOES NOT OCCUR IN FRENCH BULLDOGS
Written by JEROLD S BELL DVM - Dept. Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
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his article is written in response to the misinformation and gene pool destructive genetic testing that is currently going on in the French Bulldog breed regarding degenerative myelopathy (DM). DM is a specific genetic disease that causes fatal spinal cord degeneration in older dogs. It has a complex mode of inheritance which requires more than one gene pair having to combine to cause a clinically affected dog. Several different disorders mimic the clinical signs of DM. Therefore, a confirmed diagnosis can only be made through a pathological examination of the spinal cord. Dr. Joan Coates and her associates at the University of Missouri have conducted clinical and pathological research on DM since 2007. Due to the complex neuropathological changes observed in affected dogs, pathologists from around the world have sent spinal cord slides to UMo. for confirmation of a diagnosis. Sporadic cases have been pathologically confirmed in 34 different breeds and in mixed breed dogs, but the majority of clinical cases occur in only a handful of breeds. DM has never been pathologically confirmed in the French Bulldog. Several peer-reviewed published studies document the neurological disorders present in the French Bulldog breed. A 2017 study reviewed all French Bulldogs presenting with neurological disease to the Alfort University Veterinary Hospital in France between 2002-2016. No cases of degenerative myelopathy were diagnosed in the breed. The most common condition causing neurological signs in the breed was intervertebral disc disease at 45.5% (5% of all French Bulldogs seen) with two-thirds of the cases involving the hind legs. The rest of the neurological conditions diagnosed included spinal arachnoid diverticula (7.3%), brain tumors (7.2%), compressive spinal cord disease (5.5%), spinal tumors (2.0%) and syringomyelia (1.7%). Other conditions included infectious, toxic, metabolic and ischemic disease. A study of French Bulldogs in the UK showed similar results with zero dogs being
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confirmed with DM. The vast majority of diseases causing neurological signs in the French Bulldog cause similar clinical signs to DM and are treatable diseases. Assigning a misdiagnosis of a fatal disease such as DM prevents a proper workup and treatment that can likely save a dog’s life. I personally take some blame for the misunderstanding of whether DM exists in this breed. During the 2009 French Bulldog Club of America National Specialty health seminar, I included an analysis of a 2009 FBCA breed health survey. The survey was filled out by owners and 2.3% indicated that their dog was diagnosed with DM. (The PowerPoint with the health survey statistics and a description of DM are still present on the internet.) We now know there are no confirmed French Bulldogs with DM. There are French Bulldog owners who believe that their dogs have DM and have Facebook and other social media pages dedicated to their dogs. On several of these, serial videos of the dogs actually rule out a neurological diagnosis of DM. The most confusion concerning DM is associated with the genetic test for the sod1 mutation. In 2008, researchers at the University of Missouri and the Broad Institute identified a recessive mutation in the sod1 gene that is homozygous (carrying two copies) “at risk� in all pathologically confirmed DM affected dogs. A genetic test for the sod1 mutation is available from several dog DNA testing laboratories including the University of Missouri (OFA testing). As DM is a complexly inherited disease, dogs must have a mutation in another (yet unidentified) gene or genes in addition to
Based on the lack of confirmed cases in the French Bulldog breed, it is probable that the breed lacks other causative genes necessary to produce clinical DM.
being homozygous for the sod1 mutation to become clinically affected. Based on the lack of confirmed cases in the French Bulldog breed it is probable that the breed lacks other causative genes necessary to produce clinical DM. The sod1 mutation is an ancient mutation in the dog genome and is the most frequent mutation identified in the genetic screening of mixed-breed and purebred dogs. Mars/Genoscoper testing finds that the sod1 mutation frequency is 7.77% in all mixed-breed dogs tested, and 5.41% in all purebred dogs tested. In several breeds the frequency of the sod1 mutation is over 90%, but no members of the breed have ever been diagnosed with clinical DM. In worldwide testing of French Bulldogs, 2-5% test homozygous “at risk” for the sod1 mutation, and 1833% test as heterozygous carriers. However, the presence of the sod1 mutation is of no consequence to any French Bulldog as DM is not a clinical disease in the breed. Due to misdiagnoses, misconception and misinterpretation of sod1 testing, several national French Bulldog parent clubs call for pre-breeding sod1 testing. This erroneous call places an enormous pressure to restrict the breeding of healthy, quality French Bulldogs. It severely restricts the genetic diversity of the breed by selecting against up
to one-third of all dogs for breeding. In addition, a sod1 homozygous “at risk” test result places a significant and unnecessary emotional burden on owners who believe that their family member will develop DM and die from the disease. Unless and until DM is proven to be a significant clinical disease in the French Bulldog breed, no French Bulldog should be tested for the sod1 mutation and no breeding decisions should be made based on the results of sod1 testing. French Bulldog breeders should concentrate on selecting for quality breeding dogs that are free of validated breed-specific disease liability genes and genetic disorders. Pertinent References
Mayousse et. al. Prevalence of neurological disorders in French bulldog: a retrospective study of 343 cases (2002– 2016). BMC Vet Res. 2017;13:212. O’Neill et al. Demography and disorders of the French Bulldog population under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2013. Canine Genet Epidem. 2018;5:3 Ryan et. al. Prevalence of thoracic vertebral malformations in French bulldogs, pugs and English bulldogs with and without associated neurological deficits. Vet J. 2017;221:25–9. Inglez de Souza et. al. Evaluation of the influence of kyphosis and scoliosis on intervertebral disc extrusion in French bulldogs. BMC Vet Res. 2018;14(1):5. Donner et. al. Frequency and distribution of 152 genetic disease variants in over 100,000 mixed breed and purebred dogs. PLoS Genet. 2018;15(1):e1007938. Zeng et. al. Breed Distribution of SOD1 Alleles Previously Associated with Canine Degenerative Myelopathy. J Vet Intern Med. 2014;28:515-521.
This article was reproduced with the permission of the author.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STVE HAN
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FRENCH BULLDOG NATIONAL SPECIALTY MEXICO APRIL 2019
article by judge MR. GUS SINIBALDI pictures courtesy of GUS SINIBALDI, CRISTIHAN CERVANTES and HUGO FRANCISCO PASCUAL
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hat an honor it was to be invited back to Mexico City to judge the Federacion Canofila Mexicana French Bulldog Specialty during the National Week. To add to the excitement I was one of ten judges from different parts of the world who were honored to judge the FCM Tournament of Champions. The tournament of champions is a formal event with 100 all breed champions. The first three judges kicked things off by scoring all 100 dogs. The field is reduced to the 50 dogs with the highest scores. The next three judges score the finalist. All scores are then combined to determine the top 25 dogs who are scored by the three additional judges. The field of 25 is reduced to 12 who are then scored by the final judge. All scores are tallied for the evening to determine the top dogs. This year a beautiful Airedale Bitch “Salma” Ch Reydaleterrydale Once Upon a Time in Mexico won the prestigious event. Salma is owned, bred and handled by Gerardo Reyes. One of the breeds I would like to call out here are the Bulldogs. Mexico has Bulldogs representing the breed quite well. In fact of the 100 champions entered during the event I suspect 15 or more were Bulldogs. There were at least five that I believe would do well in any ring across the world. I then had the privilege to judge the French Bulldog Specialty with an entry of around 45 dogs. First I would love to comment on the level of professionalism I saw amongst the handlers. They were all so well
dressed, dogs presented beautifully, in good condition and win or lose they appeared appreciative of the results while congratulating each other. According to FCI standards, a dog can be 9 – 14 kg (19.8# to 30.8#) and a bitch can be 8 – 13 kg (17.6# to 28.6#). I found the dogs all to be within those ranges. Overall, I was very pleased to find competitive dogs with strong breed type. Much like the US, I found variation in quality with some opportunities around movement, toplines, bone, and bites. Best of Breed: This brindle dog had a large square head, dark eyes, bone suitable for his size, a correct topline, and a beautiful and most pleasing expression. He had great presence in the ring. Best of Opposite sex and Winners Bitch: This bitch was a real stand out and my decision came easily. A well balanced bitch with a square head, high set ears and beautiful expression. She had a nice deep chest with a straight front set wide apart and a correct topline. The only thing I would change on her would be a slightly rounder/darker eye. Winners Dog: This dog showed really well and with correct movement. He was a really balanced dog with a beautiful neck. His handler showed him flawlessly and he was a real stand out. In fact he was being considered for breed but didn’t have the maturity of the breed dog.
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Select Bitch: This is a bitch I would want in my breeding program. She had a beautiful head and expression with dark eyes and a nicely arched neck. She was well balanced and had the right amount of bone and muscle. She also had nice tight feet, a beautiful roached back, and a nice wide set and straight front with a deep chest. If I were being picky I would give her a slightly higher set ear and rounder eye. There were many more great dogs and I feel honored to have been asked to judge their specialty. Now let’s talk about hospitality. Gerardo Bernard treats judges so well thinking through every detail. I cannot tell you how many times I am invited to judge somewhere, sign a contract, and never hear from them until I show up ringside. Gerardo keeps you well informed from start to finish leaving you with no questions. The hospitality is outstanding and they are absolutely on top of every last detail. During this trip we toured the dog museum. I could have spent hours looking at the various paintings and sculptures. The dedication to the sport is incredible and I look forward to visiting Mexico again some day.
SHOW RESULTS Best of Breed Enzo Finebull Owner: Erwin Kuechel Best of Opposite KuviBull Daytona (Kuechel) Owner: Erwin Kuechel Award of Merit Tiffani del Valle della Roma Owner: Erwin Kuechel Best of Winners & Winners Dog Novizala Mating of the King Gambit Owner: Humberto Velez Winners Bitch KuviBull Daytona (Kuechel) Owner: Erwin Kuechel Best Junior of Breed KuviBull Daytona (Kuechel) Owner: Erwin Kuechel Best Puppy 6 – 9 months Levant Soleil Disney Owner: Guillermo Gonzalez Best Puppy 3 – 6 months Camila la Frenchie Owner: Giovanna Avila
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f ancy pedigrees The issue you’ve all been waiting for is finally here! So much buzz and excitement surrounding this issue. We’ve been having requests come in for years to have a pedigree issue so that fanciers could discover all of the beautiful dogs out there and what the great breeders have really done to put together both type and quality studs and bitches. Over the next several pages enjoy some exceptional dogs and the blood lines behind them that go in to making them not only beautiful show dogs but in many instances outstanding producers!
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NORSK BULLDOG KLUBB 100-ÅRS JUBILEUMSHOW MAY 2019 - TELEMARK, NORWAY
article by judges MR. LUIS SOSA & MRS. PATRICIA SOSA pictures courtesy of LUIS & PATRICIA SOSA and BITTEN OLDEREIDE
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e were honored to be asked to judge the 100th anniversary show of the Norsk Bulldog Klubb (Norwegian Bulldog Club), in May of 2019, which consists of both Bulldogs and French Bulldogs in it’s ranks. Patty judged the Frenchie puppy and dog classes, while Luis judged the bitches and Best of Breed. Bulldogs were judged by Ms. Sue Garside and Mr. Kevin Davis of the UK. The show was held in Bø, Norway, a small town about 3 hours west of Oslo. We arrived at Oslo 3 days early to take in the sights. The hotel suggested to us was centrally located and one block from the Oslo train station; a mecca of food, transportation and shops. It was also very convenient to have a Starbucks 1 block away from the hotel! We took a city wide tour of Oslo where we went to several Museums, including the Viking Ship and the Fram Polar Ship Museums, the Vigeland sculpture garden, the Holmenkollen Ski Jump and a boat tour of some of the area fjords. The following day we went to the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, which was both interesting and a bit too modern for our taste.
The following morning we were off to the show and the judging. Overall, we were pleased with the quality of the dogs we judged. As in most Countries, the quality is variable from some very good dogs to some average dogs. Overall, the dogs were quite good, healthy and sound; a credit to the breeders who are working so hard with this brachycephalic breed. We did not see any fad colors although we both disqualified pieds for lack of brindling. Unlike the AKC Standard, the FCI Standard does not have a weight disqualification, so although some of the dogs were a bit larger than what we may prefer, none were huge by any means. Many of the exhibits would do quite well if shown in the States. We were pleasantly surprised with the consistency of type within the dogs shown to us.
We were picked up on Wednesday noon by Øydis Gullikstad who drove us to Drammen where we met up with the rest of the judges and had a great lunch. From there it was off to Bø. The Bø Hotel was quite quaint, very comfortable and after dinner at the hotel restaurant, it was off to bed.
Her Best Veteran went to a 10 year old pied bitch Int Nord UCH Zecudas Forever N’ Ever; a bitch she had awarded her first CC in Sweden some 9 years earlier. She could still out-move a majority of the dogs in the ring. Luis awarded her Best Veteran and she went on to Best Veteran in Show.
Patty’s best dog and CC winner went to a lovely brindle dog, Dauløkke’s Signature Du Mon Cru, from Denmark, shown by Tove Rasmussen. Her Res CC winner went to a young black masked fawn dog, Zebrasomas Gøte.
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Luis’s Best Bitch went to a young black masked fawn class bitch, Babybull’s Karma. She went on to Best of Breed under Luis, and Best in Show under Mr. Davis. The CC dog was Best of Opposite sex. Karma was shown by her breeder/owner, Ms. Kari Bjørnsen. Beautifully headed with a great silhouette, bone and topline, and with 4 good legs; a great mover both coming and going. She was a joy to judge and would make a great addition to anyone’s breeding program. Kari is very fortunate to have bred and own such a correct and lovely bitch. Since the Breed winner was not eligible for the CC due to her young age, the CC went to a mature, lovely, brindle bitch Norheimtunets Rhianna who finished her Norwegian Championship at the show. Very correct, of beautiful size with 4 good legs. In all, many thanks to all the members who worked so hard to make this show a success; particularly our great ring stewards, Eva Lill Bratlie, Mari Aannestad, and Ms. Wenche Charlotte Skogli from the Norwegian Kennel Club. A particular Thank You to Øydis, the past Club President, Mr. Steinar Eriksen, and the new President Mr. Arne Øygarden. It’s truly encouraging to see a small Specialty Breed Club mark their 100th Anniversary show. We are truly grateful to have been asked to judge this prestigious show. We had a wonderful time and appreciated everyone’s hospitality.
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