here's the announcement

http://mydogmagazine.com/blog/dog-breed-health-campaigner-launches-new-website/

And here's the site.  Best check your breed information.  As far as I can see there is no information regarding the relevant sources of information given.  The figures for our breed are questionable to say the least!

http://www.dogbreedhealth.com/

Re the GSD:

The more old fashioned type (previously known as the Alsatian) is more natural looking and somewhat heavier.  The modern working GSD is super athletic dog but because of his high working drive, probably would not make a suitable pet dog.  Bear this in mind when choosing your breeder and puppy.


!!!!!

the boxer information is a load of rubbish to say the least.

I didn't even recognise the picture of my breed, debatable pedigree!!!!
When has having hair over the eyes been a welfare problem?

My breed doesn't appear to exist.

The author of the site is Carol Fowler - 'Cavalier campaigner' and major contributor to PDE1. She appeared on the programme and was instrumental in gaining access to Parliament through her association with the quoted MP.

I read through the Cavalier section and found it pretty fair.

>DNA tests available
>Parents should be tested for:

>Urolithiasis (urate stones)

Unless your pup is one of the very few backcross dalmatians in the country there's no point in DNA testing for the condition because they all have it.

> the boxer information is a load of rubbish to say the least.

I had to chuckle at the Mastiff info "should have plenty of exercise", LOL. This is a breed that can easily turn into a couch potato if you don't walk them, the lack of need for lots of excersice is one of the reasons I chose the breed!!

Can't find my breed either.

What a lot of misinformation in one place...!!
I particularly liked the information about the shiba inu with Richard Gere, "dogs with curly tails find it difficult to communicate",cos they cant wag their tails......
As a Tibetan Spaniel owner I can vouch for the fact that she is more than capable of  showing her approval.
In fact I find it very attractive how dogs with tails over their backs wag them from side to side.

er...thing it's wrong information , over generalised ....rough collies get pyometra ....dearie me !

I can agree with most of the posts on this thread however the site is a start although they breed info on the Champdogs breed pages is as good a place as any to start. Hopefully the administrators of this other site will be open to editing the breed info as and when they get good, reasoned, polite requests to do so.
Jeff.

I've only looked at the Bernese but from the testing they mention it appears that the information is mainly from the US?

I was reading one of the breeds and not checked to see if on all. It says ask the breeder to show you the certificates for the results from the health tests, if they haven't done them ask why not and see what they say.

> it appears that the information is mainly from the US?

It seems so.  I think you would not get far looking for the breeders of Cocker Spaniels that can show you the paper work for their DNA test for the merle gene.

> This is a breed that can easily turn into a couch potato if you don't walk them,

Is that a good thing?  Surely all dogs should be getting some cardiac exercise every day for their long term health.

My breed page is not to bad except the picture they are using for my breed is not the best they can use, the dog has 1 up ear.
Health info's okay. Though the list of other diseases seems like they have picked nearly any diseases a dog could ever possibly get rather than some that are common within the breed.

> however the site is a start although they breed info on the Champdogs breed pages is as good a place as any to start. Hopefully the administrators of this other site will be open to editing the breed info as and when they get good, reasoned, polite requests to do so.

Why she did not contact every breed health monitor and breed club secretary to write the breed pages for her I have no idea unless as I suggested on another forum it is to get another 15 minutes of fame supported by Jemima. I know this can be done, years ago I helped Kay White and Jim Evans (authors of the book of the Bitch), by contacting all the breed clubs and talking to members of those clubs to get the right information to put into a book they produced, which was a guide to buying a puppy. It covered everything this web site covers and most importantly it was accurate. All information was run by vets via Jim and breed clubs and members by Kay and myself.

My breed having won at Crufts has enough woolly headed folk wanting a puppy with out the inaccurate description and incorrect health info on this website.

It is about wanting five minutes of fame rather than doing something properly taking time to make sure it is right :-)

Why indeed? I can't answer that and don't intend to. Why not ask?
Jeff.

Apparently there are only two types of Belgian Shepherd and they both have the same write-up. While I agree that working line Malinois are unlikely to make a suitable family pet, I don't think the same applies to the Tervueren. (Which is mis-spelled, and not the American spelling either).

I haven't looked at many breeds, but is epilepsy really as rife in the Australian Shepherd, as is claimed?

How is the Border Collie a suitable family breed, but there is no mention of working sheepdogs (which are also BCs to the lay person)?

> Is that a good thing?  Surely all dogs should be getting some cardiac exercise every day for their long term health.

I never said they should not be walked everyday, of course they benefit from regular excersise, but they don't need it the same way a Malamute or Collie, for example, would. They are happy to be lounging around the house and watching over thier people. In fact, if I stand still long enough while out on a walk, Buster will lay down. It's not about physical capability, it's about preference/instinct/breed characteristics. Sedate, slow, easy-going is the usual pace - that is if lounging around is not an option! This does not mean they can't run, jump and prat around, it means they tend to choose not to and do not crave high-speed action - or much action atall! (as an adult).

And yes, IMO having a dog that does not need hours of mental & physical stimulation every day IS a good thing,  but he still has a daily walk  ;)

My point is, for those of us that just want our dog to be a companion, and haven't got several hours a day to go out on walks, a Mastiff is a great choice - the 'information' on that site that states they require lots of excerise will be put people of from considering them, when it is not true.

From reading the Mastiff, St. Bernard & Great Dane 'infomation' it seems as if the writer(s) is not trying to paint a true picture of the breeds, but rather put people off of them alltogether :(

> it seems as if the writer(s) is not trying to paint a true picture of the breeds, but rather put people off of them alltogether

To be fair to the website's creator, Ms Fowler has never hidden the fact that she feels some breeds should be 'phased out' - presumably through lack of demand.

Well it seems mine already has.

:-)

So has the King Charles Spaniel.

The website has actually been around for a while, although I don't think many people were aware of it. It is to be fair, a reasonable basis to start from, although I do agree with a lot of the comments here and that some 'information' is rather biased. Carol has said she is happy to update/correct/add information so I suggest people contact her if something needs ammending, especially now the site is recieving wider promotion. Increasing the amount of accurate information that is publically available can only be beneficial at this point in time, so don't leave it to someone else. I think the idea to have contact details for the breed health coordinator for each breed - or at least someone who is experienced and willing to assist potential buyers is a very good idea.

It is also worth a few people mentioning that conditions like pyometra can affect any breed and shouldn't be highlighted as a breed specific condition. :-)  As with anything of this nature, simply providing a list of conditions which at least one individual of the breed may have suffered from gives no indication as to prevelance or whether it is a serious issue.

I've already contacted her about the misleading information that dalmatian 'parents' should be DNA tested for a condition that 99.9999% of the breed has.

Yes things like that definitly need pointing out! :-)

Schips have diseases listed I've never heard of in 20 yrs in the breed!  Daily grooming - hell no lmao I could go on but don't see the point another wanna be not doing their research properly.

> so I suggest people contact her if something needs ammending, especially now the site is recieving wider promotion.

Why don't we just point people towards the Kennel Club website where you will find all about each breed and the information is accurate too!

That too, but why not ensure where possible that information 'out there' is correct, especially in view of the fact that post PDE, some people may not entirely trust what they read on the KC website. Permitting inaccuracies to persist and permeate is not a good idea. Exprienced breeders may disregard or shrug off incorrect claims but potential puppy buyers are going to be steered in the direction of this website by some quarters and they will believe what they read, knowing no better.

I think some of the  information appears to have been based on incorrect assumptions for certain breeds, including my own, which isn't good enough. If advice and information is to be placed in the public domain, it needs to be backed with proper evidence to support it.

> but why not ensure where possible that information 'out there' is correct,

You could go mad trying to correct the internet :) 
There is no reason for people to mistrust the Kennel Club website so perhaps it would be better to address that.
I can't think of any other organisation with the resources they have to ensure information is as accurate and as up to date as it is, so much simpler to continue to direct people there which will also have the benefit of more people seeing what the Kennel Club is all about.

>Well it seems mine already has.

So have the Buhunds and Valhunds, so we are in good company.

I find it sad that is some breed lists we don't even exist, including the computer list at one vets practise they wanted to list my whelping bitch as a crossbreed) when they have been in this country since the 1870's (yes 19th century).

> There is no reason for people to mistrust the Kennel Club website so perhaps it would be better to address that.
>

Those were my thoughts, they could expand on their breed pages to include more health info, but they point you to the breed clubs which is another reliable source of info.

the various articles on the KC site re purchasing puppies (why puppy farms, and buying from pet shops is bad), breeding etc are excellent.

Looking at the info on that site for Cocker spaniels it says that English cocker spaniels had a test for the Merle gene????
Thought that was mainly Collies???

Im sure This was circulated on the yahoo group....fortheloveofflatcoats..

I'm not impressed - I don't know where they have got their data from but it's not very accurate. I have noticed that they have made changes to the website recently though, one comment on my breed was that 'owners have to be physically strong' which has now been removed. I also notice I should be getting mine professionally groomed once or twice a year lol

>>I haven't looked at many breeds, but is epilepsy really as rife in the Australian Shepherd, as is claimed?

Unfortunately yes, there are very few lines now that have not been touched by Epilepsy :(

> Looking at the info on that site for Cocker spaniels it says that English cocker spaniels had a test for the Merle gene????
> Thought that was mainly Collies???

Think this has been picked up from a site in the USA - there is an ongoing problem with breeders registering Merles Cockers(American Cocker to us) as Roans  - Merle could not be registered, Roan could.  The obvious problem was that the lethal gene was "hidden" in the wrong colour description.  A Z registry has been created, but a big disucssion is still ongoing.  Of course it would be available to American Cockers from the UK, but not relevant as we don't have any roans, let alone Merles!  So a case of wrong breed, wrong country.

Pomeranian picture isn't a great one and in 30 years of living with the breed haven't come across about 95% of the health problems mentioned on there.  Again seems to be from America sites and the American Pomeranians that you see frequently are nothing like ones here, except for the badly bred ones.

> Unfortunately yes, there are very few lines now that have not been touched by Epilepsy :-(

Fair do's then. :)

But in view of the known epilepsy in BCs and WSDs, no such warning there on the BC page... so in that respect it is unbalanced especially as more people in the UK will be looking up BC, rather than ASD.

I get the feeling that in the USA the ASD is more numerous than BCs - hence the DNA crossbreed testing frequently brings up ASD as a possible ancestor, also for tested dogs in the UK where they are fairly uncommon!

Hmm, apparantly both Corgi breeds are short-stuffs because they all have Dwarfism....right!!

I haven't looked at many breeds, but is epilepsy really as rife in the Australian Shepherd, as is claimed?

It is in Australian Shepherds and can be found in all pedigrees... no one has genetically clean lines, although some people in this country do insist that they have :-(
I wouldn't say it was the absolute worst breed for epilepsy... good breeders will have the knowledge to know where it is and try and breed away from it. Unfortunately since the Aussie won BIS at Crufts in 2006 we have an influx of 'know it alls' who just breed with no thought for the consequences...

Where they site in question have got the co-efficient for breeding of just over 2% I have no idea !!!

The UK breed clubs are trying to make sure all club members do all the health tests available (there is no test for epilepsy as yet)...

Gabrielle

> Hmm, apparantly both Corgi breeds are short-stuffs because they all have Dwarfism....right!!

Well yes actually all short legged dog breeds have achondoroplatic (the most common form in people too) of dwarfism.  This results primarily in shortened limbs but normal size head and trunk.

Gabrielle - can't do quotes as I am on phone, but 2% is likely KC skewed figure, they don't include imports. There have been discussions on here about the KC COI before.

Buhunds and Valhunds, so we are in good company
I find it mystifying that the Akita isn't included and yet the Japanese Akita Inu is.
Japanese Spitz is also missing .. must be all those "non-communicating" curly tails.

God she really don't like my breed!!!  needs garden and access to open countryside on top of endless list of diseases- amazed there any left.  
I freely admit weimaraners aren't for every situation but I don't see how being in countryside would help at all- strangly enough most farmers aren't keen on mad dogs rampaging loose...and as for needs a garden- huh sorry actually the garden is of no use- its the walks that do the exersise.

Ohhh what fun..

So looking at my breeds.. the Deerhound is unsuited to be a family pet as it is too large and requires a countryside home and a large house and garden.

I must immediately rehome mine, shes spent 4 years in a suburban home with a medium sized garden and a 2 bed semi, and now shes moved with me to a 3 bed terrace with a yard, though admittedly in the country. 

How we function at ALL with her being so unsuitably large I just don't know...

As for my Tibby boy, well he's NEVER been to a professional groomer, he gets brushed every other day, full groom through once a week and then bath, blowdry etc once a month. I like how the site manages to NOT give a full picture of the grooming requirements of the Tibetan Terrier.. in er, both directions at once. The adult doesn't need brushing daily, though you can if you like, but does need a thorough groom once a week and regular baths. Someone expecting to whizz through each day and just visit a groomer every six months would find they had a horribly matted dog that had to be shaved off!

She really needs to learn about dog behaviour or just shuttup on the subject...

Here's the bit about staffies

"He can get cross with other dogs, so needs firm handling when out and about.  However, the Staffie has recently been unfairly criticised for being aggressive.  With the wrong owner, he can be, but treated well he will behave well and reward his owner with total devotion."

He can get cross?? Thats a well known behavioural state of mind that, 'cross'...

Staffies,  like a lot of terriers, need excellent socialisation from a young age, lots of positive reinforcement (not 'firm handling' whatever that may be!) and you'd need to do more than just be nice and treat him well to have him behave well (I know plenty of staffies who are treated well and behave like utter nutters with no self control!).

How very misleading this is!

I hope everybody's contacting her with the corrections. :-)