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Links
| This list of links makes no attempt to
be comprehensive. In no particular order, it is just a list of websites that I have found
useful or interesting, and that I hope will be useful for Sheltie
fanciers. |
Health Registries
These registries
record the results of health screenings for genetic diseases that
are known to occur in Shelties. |
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Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)
The original registry for hips and
elbows, now also certifies thyroids and a collection of
other disorders. Three veterinary radiologists
evaluate each set of films.
LIMITATION: The OFA hip positioning is based on older
human positions and some researchers and veterinarians think it can hide subluxation. -
PennHip
A newer registry for hips based on the work of Dr. Gail
Smith at the University of Pennsylvania. This system
grades hips on the degree of subluxation present on xrays
taken in special positions. It does not grade on a
pass/fail basis, but assigns each hip a number called a
distraction index which give the relative amount of
looseness of the joint. The distraction index is compared
with those of other dogs of the same breed to estimate the
likelihood that the dog will develop hip dysplasia.
LIMITATION: Although these radiographs are very sensitive in identifying subluxation, there are almost certainly other factors
involved in dysplasia. -
Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF)
Certifies eyes based on examination by Board certified
veterinary ophthalmalogists.
LIMITATION: Different ophthalmalogists may vary
occasionally in their evaluation of the same dog. The
examination gives no information about the genetic status of
a normal-eyed dog. -
VetGen
DNA based certification for Type III von Willebrand's
Disease, that can identify genetic carriers of the disease.
LIMITATION: It gives no information about type I von
Willebrand's disease, which may also occur in Shelties. -
Washington State University
A new DNA mutation-based test for
MDR1, the gene that causes Ivermectin and other drug
sensitivites in collie-related breeds. The test has
been validated for Shelties. If you live in Canada,
the test can be run by
Health Gene (which will not accept samples from the US
for this test).
LIMITATION: Like all DNA based tests, it tests only for this
one gene. If any other gene causes drug sensitivity in
the dog, this test cannot detect it. -
OptiGen
A DNA based test that can detect
genetic carriers of Sheltie Eye Anomaly, thus allowing a
breeder to avoid producing affected puppies.
LIMITATION: Some research which examined 8024 rough
collies in Sweden before the age of ten week suggests that
the disease may be polygenic. The American researchers
who developed the test concluded that the Swedish results
can be accounted for by the "go-normal" phenomenon.
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HealthGene
This Canadian company has a DNA
based test for Cyclic Neutropenia (Gray Collie Syndrome),
which is also present with small frequency in the Shetland
Sheepdog.
LIMITATION: Although the same gene most likely causes
the defect in Shelties, the test has not been validated for
the Sheltie at this time. |
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Dog Coat Color |
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Dog
Coat Color
This comprehensive site from the
University of Saskatchewan is maintained by a researcher who
is actively involved in research on coat color genetics.
It is the most accurate and up-to-date site I am aware of
that discusses the inheritance of dog coat color. -
Sheltie Coat Color Calculator
For those who want to keep it simple, this site has
some basic information about the major Sheltie colors. -
2006 Article on the Identification of the Merle Gene
OK, so this is pretty heavy reading, but
it's also fascinating if you have any interest in genetics.
Download the pdf file and read it at your convenience. It seems that merle coloring results from the insertion of a
decent sized sequence of DNA into a gene. Most non-merle Shelties do not have this insertion at all.
Occasionally the insertion gets shortened during the cell
duplication process, and the resulting damaged insertion can
no longer produce merle. These are also non-merle Shelties.
This may be the explanation of the occasional tricolor
produced by a double merle. Of interest to our
Great Dane friends is that some of the normal appearing
harlequins have turned out to be unsuspected double merles! -
Genetic Testing For
Coat Color
This Canadian company has a DNA based test for the genes at
the agouti locus, based on the research of Dr. Schmutz.
Translation: It can identify the sable (ay),
tricolor (at) and bicolor (a) genes, to tell you
whether your sable is tri-factored or bi-factored, and
whether your tricolor is bi-factored.
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GenMark
This company has recently made available a
DNA test for the merle gene, based on the recently published
research which identified the merle gene. For most
merles, the genotype is obvious, but the test might be
useful for a few cryptic merles, or for a blue merle with a
bit more white than usual, who just might be homozygous.
CAUTION: GenMark identifies as a "cryptic merle" a dog
who carries one or both copies of the shortened form of the
merle gene. This shortened form cannot produce merle
coloring. This is a different usage of the term
"cryptic merle" than is commonly used by Sheltie and
Australian Shepherd breeders, who use the term to refer to a
merle who is mostly black (or red in Aussies) with very
little merling. Cryptic merles, in the breeder's
usage, are capable of passing the merle pattern to their
offspring. Cryptic merles, in the sense used by
GenMark, are NOT capable of passing the merle pattern to
their offspring. Totally confusing.
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Dog Genetics & Breeding
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The Canine Diversity Project
This website has a whole series of
articles about canine genetic diversity and the need to
preserve it. It includes such topics as the founder
effect and the popular sire syndrome. -
Ancestry of the British Herding Breeds
A one page article by Iris
Combe & Pat Hutchinson on the relationships bewteen the
various herding breeding originating in the British Isles -
Breeding Better Dogs
A site that features the on-line articles
of Dr. Carmen Battaglia, author of the book, Breeding Better
Dogs. Most of these have appeared in print elsewhere,
but they are collected here together. Print out a few
and read them at your convenience. -
Tufts University Breeding And Genetics Conferences 2003,
2005, 2007
Conference proceedings to print and
read |
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Dog Health
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ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
PHONE HOTLINE:
(888) 426-4435 The $55
phone consultation fee
may be applied to your credit card. The website has
lots of
information about sources of poisons for pets.-
Veterinary Partner
This site is the public site of the
subscription website, Veterinary Information Network,
available to veterinarians. It has a whole library of
articles about health care, diseases, drugs and behavior. -
Vaccination Guidelines
This pdf file from the American Animal Hospital
Association website that gives the updated AAHA vaccination recommendations
for dogs and cats. It's
aimed at veterinarians, but anyone can understand the charts
that list the recommended vaccines and recommended frequency
of vaccination. -
Veterinary
Perinatal Specialties
The company that provides the
WhelpWise uterine monitoring service. This can be of
great assistance in continuously evaluating high risk
pregnancies.
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International Canine Semen Bank
Reproductive service that specializes in
collecting, evaluating and freezing canine semen. -
Dermatomyositis
This site gives information from the Texas A&M Dermatomyositis
researchers. Good information about the current state
of research on the genetics and treatment of the disease. -
Canine Epilepsy Resource Center
This site bills itself as "All
you ever wanted to know about Canine Epilepsy ",
and comes pretty close to meeting that claim. Click on the logo for a large list of epilepsy related
articles -
Dental Vet
A site maintained by a private veterinary
dental specialist. Lots of information and photographs
about many dental conditions -
Canine Influenza
Coming soon to a dog near you! The equine
influenza virus has made the jump to dogs. No single
website gives a comprehensive view of
this emerging disease,
which was identified in 2004 in racing greyhounds in
Florida. It has now been found in some 27 states.
The sites below all give useful information:
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The University of Florida
Information from the researcher who first identified the disease. Click on
News Releases to read other releases about the canine influenza virus. -
American Veterinary Medical Association
FAQ and interim guidelines for control of the disease -
Cornell
University
Updated information from the University that developed the commercially
available test for canine influenza. Follow the October 6, 2005 link to
find canine influenza statistics listed by state. -
The Centers For Disease Control
CDC is very interested in canine influenza, because of their interest in any
influenza virus that jumps from one species to another. This is a
transcript of a news conference from September 2005.
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Other Great Dog Sites
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The
Dogpatch Doghouse
One of the best dog sites around, with a
large section on Shelties, which is the author's breed. -
Working Dogs
This site is aimed at owner's of the large
working breeds, but is has tons of information and links on
just about every canine subject–training, genetics,
diseases, behavior. If you can't find it anywhere
else, you might find it here. -
Dr. P's Dog Training
This site, sponsored by University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point contains lots of articles and links
to articles on canine behavior and training. -
Hike With Your Dog
What a great idea for a site! This has lots articles
on dog-friendly hiking and how to keep it that way. |
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Herding
There's lots of info on the web about herding, but these
sites address the needs of the loose-eyed breeds like Shelties.
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Tracking
Ok, so Shelties aren't the best known
tracking dogs, but they can be darned good at it. I'm
providing these links because most Sheltie owners wouldn't know
where to go for information about tracking.
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Tracking The Tracking Shelties
This is a set of lists of Shelties who
have achieved various tracking titles. I started them
when I was writing an article about tracking with Shelties
for the 2001 Handbook of the American Shetland Sheepdog
Association. I recently put these lists on the
Internet at the request of another handler of tracking
Shelties. There are almost certainly errors and
omissions–which I would like to hear about. None
of the links to individual dogs have been published,
because much of that information is from copyrighted
publications.
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Craig Green's Tracking Articles
A great set of articles on tracking on a
Basset Hound website
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Allison Platt's Tracking Articles
Allison Platt has written some very good articles on
starting a beginning tracking dog. The two below are
available on the Internet.
Serpentine Tracks: A New Method of Introducing Dogs to
Tracking
Four Essential Skills and
Common Problems with Beginning Trackers
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Scent In A Bottle
An article about a different approach to beginning tracking
on a Malinois website |
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The International Sheltie Scene
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Sheltie Publications
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Sheltie
Pacesetter
A quarterly magazine for Sheltie
fanciers
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Sheltie International
Another quarterly magazine for Sheltie
fanciers -
Sheltie Talk
Sheltie Talk is arguably the best book on
the breed, but this link to the publisher has a number of
other great Sheltie books |
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