Fame - or Notoriety

Deccydiva

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Tonight on BBC1 - UK main television channel - there was a controversial documentary about how pedigree dogs are being "ruined" due to "interbreeding for the show ring" and veterinary problems are on the increase. (Quotation marks reflect the message of the documentary, not necessarily my views but I'm not getting into that).
Anyway, about halfway through there was a really lovely close-up head shot of a liver spotted Dalmatian. Guess who? Yep, it's Deccy, the one in my avatar!! :scared:
It was taken at Crufts 2007 which was one of only two British shows I went to over the two year period of the documentary research and shooting. Members of the UK breed clubs are already online asking who the dogs were so I have put my hand up - but also pointed out I knew nothing about it.:Shrug:
Fame eh? Pity it was in what will be a highly controversial programme. Still, the shot of Deccy was excellent so I've emailed the production company to see if I can get a copy!:Ssh:
 
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kristie911

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I was under the impression the chocolate (or liver, I guess) spotted ones were either born deaf or blind. I don't know if that's true though.

I had a friend whose chocolate spotted Dalmation was deaf though...
 

JLCwrites

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That is very cool, Deccydiva. Congrats!
 
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Deccydiva

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They have a problem with deafness for sure, but so do 42 other breeds of dog which have the gene that produces a white or partially white coat. (Source: Animal Health Trust website though it might be more now) The responsible breeders only breed hearing normal dogs as it is hereditary and in recent years we have been seeing many more 100% hearing perfect litters in the UK, so using perfect hearing stock for breeding is reducing the incidence of deafness. Unfortunately, when I lived in the UK I heard that only 15% of breeders were members of a breed club where testing is part of the code of ethics. That leaves 85% who are not, including the backyard breeders who were very prolific especially after the Disney film and they don't do the testing. Eats into the profit, you see... :rant:
 

Deccydiva

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I was under the impression the chocolate (or liver, I guess) spotted ones were either born deaf or blind. I don't know if that's true though.

I had a friend whose chocolate spotted Dalmation was deaf though...

The brown version is known as liver. ALL puppies of every breed are born without the ear canals being fully formed which is why testing for deafness cannot be done before around six weeks of age when this process is complete.
Deafness is not influenced by colour of spots, it is influenced to an extent by lack of pigmentation which is why it is often accompanied by one or two blue eyes.
 

Ol' Fashioned Girl

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We had the same problem here in the US after the Dalmation movies, and 'backyard breeders' are a problem, too. I've had more than one woman at Curves gush about showing their children the 'miracle of birth'. I always ask them when they're going to take the kids down to the pound on Euthanasia Day to show them the 'miracle of death'.
 

chevbrock

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Deccy, your dog is beautiful.

Nearly every breed of dog has a tendency to some form of congenital problems. I have an English Bull Terrier. His breeds' potential problems are deafness, luxating patella and kidney problems. Large breeds like Labs and Dobes can be candidates for hip dysplasia.

The way to avoid these painful, unnecesary and tragic problems is to always buy from a registered breeder. NEVER buy any animal from a pet store. Not only should the breeder be registered, they should be very interested in finding out everything about you and your family. They should be happy to show you their dogs - the dogs should be in clean enclosures, and look happy to see you. More often than not they will have their retired champion who has been granted the freedom to spend his or her retirement on the lounge in the living room. Price should one of the last things they talk about, even with your first contact on the phone to enquire.

These breeders have been very careful in choosing the parents of your new baby, looking not just at them, but several generations back.

Certainly, make sure you do your homework, too. Know what to look for. If you ask for the dogs' hip scores and they say, "Err, twenty five" - then thank them politely and leave.
 

Deccydiva

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Mine's half deaf, that's because he's half dalmatian.
Errr... no. It's because he has the gene causing a white base coat. He looks a lovely boy. Deafness can occur in one or both ears, all my puppies are BAER tested which shows the hearing status of each ear individually.