Re: Prong Collars
I have stayed out of this discussion so far as my experience with prong collars is only second hand. However when we were in Germany in 1990 we watched two good Rottie friends (very experienced trainers) trying to deprogramme a German Shepherd that had been trained on a prong collar. The owner had been told this was the way to go but I think he was very inexperienced and the dog had suffered quite a lot. A great deal of patience and love used to try and get him right again. I was also shocked to see a 6 month old Rottie pup wearing a prong collar at his home. I must say that the training of Rotties that we saw generally was very motivational and kind. Here in S Africa prongs are not allowed by our Kennel Union, although some of the private training groups do use them. In all our training of Rottweilers and now Bernese we have never found it necessary to use such equipment, but I accept the comments of others with perhaps more experience that us that sometimes there are dogs that might benefit from the correct use of them. By the way I am just over 5 feet tall and weight about 53kgs :-) Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson) - Original Message - From: "THOMAS SLIDER" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Bernese Mountain Dog Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, August 03, 2003 9:06 PM Subject: Re: Prong Collars > I use a prong collar on my 130# berner-boy, Ian if we are going places that he might lunge or pull my arm off! Normally he is good on a round leather collar and will stay by my side. > I feel it is better than choking him on a choke collar which can do damage to his throat area. He behaves better and it is a gentle pressure all around his neck area, if used properly. > I once left the prong collar on him when I put him in his car crate and could not understand why he would not get out when we got home. He had gotten it caught at the far end of the crate and I had to crawl in with him to release it. Talk about a TIGHT > squeeze for both of us!! > But he forgave me.. :-)) > > Carol Slider in NC > > >
Silla
I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and caring that has come through from the Bernese fraternity. Please be patient I will respond to you all privately in time but I am still reeling from the shock of a diagnosis that came less than two weeks ago. Marion Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
What a beautiful dog . . .
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Re: Move over Dog!!
Rose I know exactly how you feel! A few weeks ago our house was struck by lightening. One of the concrete parapets on the roof was thrown onto the driveway, right where I had been standing a couple of minutes before as I got the dogs into the "safety" of the house. I was left a trembling wreck at the thought of what might have been! The dogs actually handled it better than I did and, of course, my husband was out at the time and all I could do was call him and tell him to get back home as quickly as possible. All is quiet now as it is winter and we don't expect rain until September/October. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
And the good news is . . .
Had to share this with all of you. Stormie (Zanzebern Victuri of Teversal) today had his hips/elbows x-rayed and he has come through CLEAR!!! Good Boy! He is now sleeping it off ready for a good dinner this evening. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: prong/pinch collars is forbidden to use in our country
Margareta Same applies in S Africa except that it is KUSA (our official Kennel Club) that bans prong, spike or electric collars for use at any affiliated club. However, they are not unknown in private training clubs! We have never used anything but positive training on our own dogs, be they Rotties or Bernese. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Avocadoes??
Dear Kaethy When we lived in Queensland, Australia we also had access to marvellous avocadoes and hte Dobie we had then loved them. Her favourite treat was licking out the avos with some of the Queen Prawn shells. Avos with prawns was pretty much our favourite treat too! Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Do Berners ever die of old age?
Oh yes!!! Rikki (Ch Glanzberg's Franzi) went to the Bridge at 12.3 years Dolli (Ch Dolli vom Schwyzerhof) to the Bridge at 12 Zen (Ch Zenith de Savora) at 10 Amboss and Astor from my A litter are going well at 11 (there may be more from this litter) Cosaque and Csar from the C litter are 9 (the other pup died at 7) Xamba v Kleinholz is 9 Dom, Dolli and Daisy will be 9 in October These are only my dogs and there are hundreds more Senior Berners around the world who are still giving Berner nudges, Berner bumps and cheerfully slobbering all over their humans. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: War Dog
I saw this dog on television (Sky News) and he really looked as though he loved what he was doing. Almost like a Bernese in the way he was trying to please his Dad! Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Ticks and other nasties
Interestingly, Frontline can only be bought from the vet here in S Africa and I have not seen Ex-Spot on sale. I am hoping that someone can come up with a natural product (ie without any toxins in it) and so far garlic products seem to be the best bet. Thanks to everyone who has helped with advice on this. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Ticks and other nasties was Your Breeder - Your Friend
Dear Deb Just to pick up on something you say about not giving toxic chemicals. This is the route I go as well but last weekend one of my girls, Emily, was obviously not well and when I checked her I found a large "wound" in her side. I suspected a bont tick (don't know whether you would recognise that name in the US) which is a tick that gets under the skin and then necrophies (right word?) the tissue leaving a large gaping wound. The vet has treated this with antibiotics and a liquid to pour onto the wound. My question is, what do you give the dogs to prevent ticks? We live in a country area and in many years of having dogs as companions I have only ever seen this kind of tick bite once before when we lived in a different place. The vet said that a bont tick carries Ehrlichia. In the meantime Emily now sports a "natural" tick collar. Any advice is welcome. Marion Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Innate behaviours : was retrieving
Within a breed there will be found often quite a wide variation in a particular trait. Even in breeds where retrieving is bred for this will happen and there is no doubt that as with other innate behaviours the ability to retrieve has to be selected for in a breeding programme. Malcolm Willis, in his book "the Bernese Mountain Dog Today", quotes Falt et al (1982) who suggested that tests undertaken on eight-week old German Shepherd puppies revealed that : Fetch (the ability to chase a ball and pick it up) was highly inherited at 73%, whereas the willingness to Retrieve (bring it back) was only 19% heritable. This indicates that it is easier to train a dog to chase than to bring back. At the end of the day when we train our dog we are modifying innate behaviours! Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Climbing the walls
***apparently there is a 30 day waiting periord after the actual mating to determine pregnancy?*** I wish it were that easy! What tests will your breeder be doing to establish that in fact there are pups there? I am the kind of breeder who will wait patiently to what arrives at the end of the day, preferring not to take any actions that may compromise the litter, an exception being if I thought the bitch might be having a problem. Normally by about 5 weeks a change in the size of the bitch can be seen but this is not always the case as there may only be one puppy there (!) or she is carrying a small litter high up under the ribs. Some breeders will ask a vet to palpate but this is not always 100% accurate and other breeders may do a scan, but some believe that this can sometimes be a factor in puppies being resorbed. Any x-rays, if deemed necessary, should only be done in the last few days before the bitch is due to whelp. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Whelping Box plans
Our boxes are a bit different in that they are quite large but divided into two parts, one where mum and the pups are housed and the other part becomes a "potty box" when the pups are able to crawl through the hole into the sub-division. I suppose the nursing box part is about 1 m x 75 cms (+- 40 inches by 30 inches) and an important thing is that the potty box has different floor covering to encourage the pups to "go" there. The nursing box has its pet bed (vet bed) covering and the potty box has its newspapers. It is surprising how quickly they learn to go and do their business in the potty box! When the litter has left home the whelping box (which is made of chipboard) is cleaned and sanitised and when it is dry it is left to air, and finally when another litter is due we coat the box with linseed oil which helps to waterproof it against all those little accidents. The plans for this box are to be found in a book on Rottweilers by that wonderful lady Muriel Freeman Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Cruciate injuries?
So sorry to hear that Cooper is not 100%. Cruciate problems occur in the hind legs where the knees are! These are two ligaments that cross the knee joint area hence the name "cruciate". Possibly he has hurt himself whilst playing the snow or he may be suffering from panoesteitis which sometimes happens in growing dogs and can affect any of the limbs. This is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the bones and should improve with rest for the puppy. In any case he should be diagnosed by the vet so the proper treatment can be given. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Uschi goes missing
Yesterday evening we experienced one of the horrors that we all dread. Uschi (aka Houdini), the youngest girl, went missing at dinner time, but as she often chases after hares and things we didn't worry as she always comes home again, especially when she smells the dinner cooking! However, we searched and called her from time to time with no effect and finally at 9.30 pm we decided that there wasn't much more to be done as we can't see in the dark and the mountain side is potentially full of problems at night. Then I thought I heard a dog howling quite pitifully and went to investigate. I thought she must be injured and put some proper shoes on, grabbed a torch and a lead and headed up the mountainside to where I thought the sound was coming from. About 100 metres up the slope are the water tanks plus an old cement dam which is no longer in use. Uschi had somehow got herself in the dam and as the walls on the inside are about 2 metres high she was stuck. I tried to pull her out but I was having to reach over a 1 metre wall from the outside and couldn't manage it, so back home to get Philip to help. She came over the top, full of beans and so pleased to be free again. The things I do for dogs! All's well that ends well and she is her usual self this morning. We have even more grey hairs and have aged about 10 years. It made me think, however, about dogs that go missing permanently and the possibility that they have got themselves stuck somewhere, unable to get out and am very grateful that she stays near to her home. Hope today is more tranquil. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Early Neutering Linked to Osteosarcoma
***particularly as I understand osteosarcoma is not a "big" problem in our breed overall *** According to Dr Padgett in a study of 848 tumours the percentage of osteosarcomas found was 1.7%. Within the Rottweiler breed I would surmise from personal experience that osteo is significant as it caused by far the highest rate of cause of death in my dogs. I still get phone calls for puppies and as often as not people have just lost a dog to bone cancer so my own feeling is that in Rotties it is probably genetic. Just a note. Here in S Africa the Rotties are not neutered early and dogs are mostly left entire for the duration of their lives. Bitches would be spayed after maternal duties are completed at around 7 - 8 years of age. Average age is between 9 - 10 and in our experience the youngest Rottie we had with osteo was 5 (a bitch) and the oldest 10 (a bitch spayed at 8 because of pyo). Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: shots
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Re: glucosamine supplement
Dear Tambi As I understand things if a dog is put onto glucosamine/chondroitin for medical reasons then if the supplement is stopped, after about 4 - 6 months the symptoms are likely to be seen again. I would imagine if a pup is given these supplements just as a precaution then perhaps they can be withdrawn when the pup is mature without ill effects as there were none there to start with (if you see what I mean). I believe that human versions of these products can be given but the ones designed for dogs are better absorbed into the system. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Attracting aggression from other dogs?
Dear Martin Just a comment on how to deal with two fighting dogs and it requires two people present. One person stands behind each of the dogs and lifts the back legs off the ground. This means that neither of the dogs can turn on a person and bite (if the dog tries to it will fall over!). Keep the dogs at full stretch by pulling back firmly, but without risking more damage to a dog. When you see one of the dogs take a breath then VERY quickly move backwards pulling the dog by his back legs so he has to walk only his front legs. Keep pulling the dogs away (still holding the back legs up in the air) from each other until you can safely get hold of the lead (don't try grabbing the collar as it may slip over the head) and both dogs are under control and then get the hell out of it!!! This method was used at the Rottweiler Club which I ran for many years and it works. Dogs like Staffies, Bullies, Rotties etc have very strong bites and you are wasting your time trying to prise open the jaws, not to mention risking your face, hands and arms. If there are other dogs nearby yell at the owners to get them out of the way and under control or you could find them joining into this "fun activity". >From my experience Bernese do not seem to be as tenacious as many other breeds and often do not even seem able to try and defend themselves. Your dog is still very young and less confident than many other dogs that you will meet. Also from experience I avoid dogs such as Rotties, Dobes, Bullies, Staffies, Bull Mastiffs and I have even seen a Saint Bernard go for a Newfie in the ring so they have my attention too. Hope this helps. Kind regards, Marion Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Introducting our new Berner Puppy.....
Dear Joye I am so pleased that you have a "little bit of sunshine" running around in the snow! I wish you lots of happy times with Nick. I too have a Nicky. He is Teversal Niklas and is from the "N" litter of 11 pups, although he is now 3.5 years old. He had the most terrible start in life. Wasn't breathing and it took me about half an hour to get him going. He was tiny only about 200 grammes and couldn't suckle so he was fed for the first few days from a syringe. When he actually managed to drink from a bottle there was real cause for celebration. He was such a lot smaller than the other pups that he was always pushed away from mum so I continued to hand raise him, putting him in the nest to snuggle with the others and eventually to learn how to play. When he was 6 weeks old he picked up some kind of infection and we nearly lost him again, but he pulled through and when it was time for the litter to go he was so much smaller than the others that I wouldn't sell him, even though a vet begged for him. (She had a puppy from the "O" litter eventually). Nicky is still with me and I think that because of all the handling he had as a baby he is extremely attached to me and, I think, would protect me with his life. What makes him particularly special is that he is the son of my beloved Rikki who left us just over 1 year ago. So Nicky is a VERY special name and if your Nicky gives you as much happiness as mine does then you will be a very blessed lady! Marion Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Rottie pup house training
Poor little Rottie! I think the first thing to check out is that there are no health issues with this puppy which are causing the problems with potty training. As a long time breeder/owner of Rotties I know they are capable of being house trained at a very young age and from what you are saying I believe there are possibly either health and/or psychological factors at work here. Has the owner of the puppy contacted the breeder for advice? The breeder would be aware whether in the lines there are problems with house training. Also the breeder should be able to put the owner in touch with a GOOD training school. It is essential that a Rottie receives appropriate (ie motivational based training) training and should already have attended puppy socialisation classes. There are Rottweiler Clubs all around England where advice should be available. Does the owner play with the puppy when it is taken outside? Take it for a walk? Is the pup just expected to know somehow what it is supposed to do? Is it rewarded for doing the right thing? I suspect the pup is a very confused little dog. Rottweilers are amongst the most wonderful howlers in the dog world and desperately need companionship and love and I wonder if the situation with a baby due shortly is preventing the owner from giving the time and attention and love that the puppy needs. If this is the case then I can only see the problem exacerbating when the baby arrives and the pup gets even less attention. As a former breeder of Rottweilers I would urge this family to get help quickly for this puppy. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Nutrience
Nutrience dog food is being introduced here in S Africa and I wonder if any of the L'ers have any information about it. Apparently it is manufactured by Rolf C Hagen in Canada and it is also available in the UK. Thank you Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: shots
Sorry I can't remember who it was but a few weeks ago someone posted a letter from their vet discussing the why's and wherefore's of how and when we should vaccinate. I think they were going to follow it up with the vet and let us know more. Anyone remember this? Thank you Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: weird things dogs have eaten
Not a Berner but a Rottweiler. He ate a mouse. Not normally a problem except that this was attached to my computer! Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Challenger
Remembering the families, colleagues and friends of those whose lives were given in the quest for science and a better future for all of us. RIP Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: guard dog?
In German the Berner is described as a "Wachhund" - watch dog - and it is my understanding that such a dog would raise the alarm at something unusual (stranger, funny noise, etc) by barking. I would also expect such a dog to calm down when the stranger is recognised or the funny noise investigated and found to be nothing for concern. A guard dog (such as a Rottweiler) would not necessarily sound an alarm, but they often do. They also tend to assess a situation for themselves and sort out the problem accordingly. However, the Rottie Standard requires a self assured dog and as such they will be wonderful companions that do not fly off the handle, but if push comes to shove you can rely on their protective instincts towards their family. Having said all that we have one Berner who is not only a very good watch dog, but who is also very protective towards me and I think he would come to the party if ever required. He is a dog that was hand fed and reared by me and I think that as a result he has bonded particularly closely with me. Definately nurture has triumphed over nature! Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: intact female and bonding
Dear Emma 6.5 months is VERY your for a Bernese to come into heat and you should check her with your vet. It could be that she has a vaginal infection that needs treatment and this could give off the funny smell. Also if she is on heat then most vets are very unwilling to spay until she has finished as excess bleeding can occur during operations at this time. Today I take my Rottie girl for spaying as she has developed a mammary tumour and I have had to wait until the heat was finished before the vet would operate. Hope otherwise Tatty is doing well now after your early worries with her. Kind regards, Marion Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
'Tis better to have loved and lost . . .
'Tis better to have loved and lost, than never loved at all A time to remember with love all those who have gone to the Rainbow Bridge during this year, and to celebrate those who are still with us. May 2003 be a truly wonderful year for you all, your families and your Big Fluffies. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Rawhide
I don't give any of these kind of things to the dogs to play with. I seem to remember some discussion a while ago about Nylabones having bits broken off that subsequently got swallowed. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Happy Christmas
Happy Christmas to all the L'ers wherever they may be around the world, and Berner hugs to their furry companions. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: cancer advice
Dear Jordan I would agree from my own personal experience that the consensus is right. We have owned and bred Rottweilers for many years and although we do not breed them any longer, we still get calls for puppies and by far the majority of the callers report just having lost a dog to cancer. In Rotties it seems to be mostly to osteosarcoma. Again from personal experience, of the Bernese we have owned to date only one of six deaths can be attributed to cancer (ovarian which was operated on and then it was found to have migrated to the lungs). This dog was 7 years old and gives me a death rate from cancer of just under 17%. Some of the dogs were imported and some bred by me. We were lucky in that our imported foundation bitch lived to over 12 and she has at least two sons still alive at 10.5 years from her A litter and two from her C litter at 8.5 years. The B litter from another dam did not survive from totally unrelated reasons. I went to the Breed Symposium in Lenzburg and the following is quoted from the notes by Dr George Padgett. "Forty four separate tumour types have been reported in Berners. However, 7 types account for 81.6% of all tumours reported. They are Malignant/Systemic Histiocytosis 30.4%, Lymphosracoma/Lymphoma 15%, Mastosarcoma/Mast Cell Tumour 12.7%, Hair Follicle Tumours 6.8%, Synovial Cell Tumours 6.6%, Hemangiosarcoma/Hemangioma 6.4%, and Fibrosarcoma/Fibroma 3.7%. Osteosarcomas, a tumour which is of concern to some Berner breeders makes up 1.7% of the 848 tumours studied." Dr Padgett states "Of the 7 tumours listed above, Malignant Histiocytomas and Mastosarcomas have been reported to be inherited, both as polygenic traits. Lymphosarcomas and Fibrosarcomas have been reported to be not inherited. Pedigree studies on Hemangiosarcomas strongly suggest that this neoplasm is also inherited. Studies of the families of dogs with this timour are underway to confirm the pedigree data. Data will be presented that supports the conclusion about the inheritance of these 5 tumours and on the general status of Berners in relationship to cancer." Dr Padgett's telephone number is listed as 001 517 347 3279 and his address is 3866 New Salem, Okemos, MI48864, US. Perhaps if you contact the Berner Garde they can give you stats regarding the percentage of cancer deaths vis a vis the total population of Berners. Nancy Stewart (Director in Berner Garde Foundation) is at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hope you can find what you need to help you to understand what Hesse is suffering from. I happen to be amongst the people who are optimistic about the breed and feel that all the work that is being done worldwide on health issues will bear fruit over the next few years. Kind regards, Marion Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Couch Gene!
I would suggest that leather is not the way to go! We have a leather suite which had one corner of the sofa chewed during the night (that tasted really good, mom). We also try to keep the dogs from sitting/lying on the sofa because of the risk of the leather tearing. If your dogs have longish nails and/or dewclaws this might be a consideration. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Champion Budman
Dear Maria Whilst sincere congratulations are in order for Mom, Handler and Breeder the greatest influence in Buddy's life has been forgotten. Despite the fact that Daisy has long held the opinion that her little "brother" is one bellyrub short of a Bernese, she has nevertheless cherished upon him all of her life skills and guided him towards this ultimate destiny. Like the Miss World competition it would seem that beauty will win over brains, and it takes all sorts to make up our world. Congratulations Daisy, you have succeeded where many might have quailed at the prospect! Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
The dogs on the mountain in Switzerland
If you want to see dogs on a mountain then head for sunny South Africa! Our mob regularly heads off into them thar hills and it is wonderful to see them actually running up the hillsides, and then down again, chasing imaginery rabbits, tracking whatever (optimistically) they think can find. Luckily the mountain sides are covered with a kind of bush and not woodlands so we can always keep track of those white tips to the tails. (Now we know why the white tip is "desirable" in the Standard). Are they fit? Yes!!! Am I fit? Well, getting there! And I am so glad (and very fortunate) that my dogs are able to run as nature intended them to. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Solar Eclipse
Today in South Africa we had a Solar Eclipse which would have been great, except that it was the only cloudy day for months! The Kruger Park was one of the better places to see it and we watched on TV to see what will be the last one until 2030 again in S Africa. Stormie and the others were around but he seemed quite subdued and usually would try repeatedly to get on my lap whilst we watch the telly. Today he was quiet and laid at my feet, just wanting constant stroking. We live about 400 miles from the Kruger but nevertheless the sky darkened during the eclipse just as it would in the early evening. It never got to be anywhere near dark but I am wondering if this affected Stormie and would be interested to hear of any other experiences. He was fine within a short while and he seems to be healthy so I don't think he is sickening for something. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Ehrlichia
A recent post asked about ehrlichia and although I cannot help with ideas for treatment etc I though the List might be interested to hear that apparently a case has been diagnosed here in South Africa in a lady who works her Goldens. She was hospitalised with an unknown diagnosis and little was achieved in finding out what was wrong. She complained of feeling "like my dog with biliary" (tick bite fever) and one her friends who is a Vet Nurse said her symptoms sounded like ehrlichia. A test was sent from the States and confirmed the diagnosis and she was treated with a fairly low-key antibiotic which has done the trick. This is the first case recorded in humans here. I have seen it over the years in a couple of my dogs who recovered without any problems after treatment by the vet. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Fw: Celebrating Seniors -- How I wish I could participate
I am with you here. I lost my Rikki (Ch Glanzberg's Franzi of Teversal) in February to old age at 12 years and 2 months. Rikki's wonderful legacy is (so far) at least two from her first litter are still around at 10.5 years and two from her second litter (out of 3) at age 8.5 years. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Understanding HD/ED Ratings
This is my understanding of the Swiss system, and I am open to correction! Since 1st January 1992 : HD A = Clear, HD B = Transitional, HD C = Mild, HD D & E = Severe and not permitted for breeding. ED 0 = Free (Clear), ED 1 = Light, ED 2 & 3 = Severe and not permitted for breeding. I think that the FCI system if it is applied by more countries will be a very useful guideline for us to work with. The system used in Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and Germany (and maybe others) where a breeding value for each dog is assessed and used to work out whether potentially a dog will be likely to be beneficial to the breed is, I believe, very useful. It seems that the countries where the Breed Club has most control over what happens to their breed are being more effective in achieving their objectives. Just mho Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Trembling puppy......
Dear Valerie The disease you are thinking of is called Hypomyelinogenesis and is a condition in which the normal myelin sheath-axon relationship is not properly formed. It has been concluded that this condition is brought about by the absence of myelin on the nerve fibres. It is believed to be a simple recessive. It has been reported in a number of different breeds and is not present at birth but usually develops from about 2.5 weeks of age and is usually complete by about 12-16 weeks of age. Affected puppies tremble constantly except when sleeping. In the UK it was seen in the early 80's and suggested that one particular dog (an import from Sweden) was a common ancestor of the affected pups. As I remember the Brits solved the problem radically by removing from the breeding programme any dogs/bitches that produced the condition. Hope this helps although it does sound as though Chiara may be rather older than the UK pups when it was seen there. I have seen Rottweilers that tremble in the rear legs and I understand that there is a genetic condition in this breed that causes it. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: introducing new pup
Hi there I have bred Rotties for a number of years and would never sell a male dog (Rottie or Berner) to a home where there is already a male Rottie. Although occasionally male Rotties will run together it is by no means certain and will depend entirely on the temperaments of the two dogs and the skill of the owners. To achieve equilibrium can take a good deal of experience and management on your part and at the end of the day if it doesn't work out you will be faced with the prospect of keeping the two boys separate with all that entails. My advice would be to get yourself a nice girl puppy as the Rottie will no doubt love his new girlfriend! Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
Re: Euoropean/ American breeders
According to the handout for the Symposium there were nine people representing the States. One was Dr Padgett who gave the main address, five were connected with the Berner Garde, one from the Public Education Committee, one (I think a Club member), and one from the Draft Working committee. I did not see anyone taking minutes as this was not a Board or committee meeting and the handout did not contain detail from the discussions. However, perhaps someone made notes and would be able to give a reportback to you. There were about one hundred participants who represented 21 countries. Dr Padgett reported that 44 separate tumour types have been reported in Berners but 7 types accounted for 81.6% of all tumours reported. These are Malignant/Systemic Histiocytosis 30.4% Lymphosarcoma/Lymphoma 15% Mastosarcoma/Mast Cell Tumour 12.7% Hair Follicle Tumours 6.8% Synovial Cell Tumours 6.6% Hemangiosarcoma/Hermangioma 6.4% Fibrosarcoma/Fibroma 3.7%. Osteosarcomas make up 1.7% of the 848 tumours studied. According to Dr Padgett, Malignant Histiocytomas and Mastosarcomas have been reported to be inherited, both as polygenic traits. He believes from studies on Hemangiosarcomas that this may also be inherited. Lymphosarcopmas and Fibrosarcomas have been reported not to be inherited. Marion Brown Teversal Bernese Mountain Dogs South Africa Dogs Never Lie About Love (Jeffrey Masson)
