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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.

  • 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. 

  • HealthGene
    This Canadian company has a DNA based test for Cyclic Neutropenia (Gray Collie Syndrome) in Collies.  This condition 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.


Dog Coat Color

  • 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

    • Vet-Gen
      This American 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.
       
    • HealthGene
      This Canadian company has the same DNA based test as Vet Gen for the genes at the agouti locus.
       
    • Idexx Canada
      Veterinarians in Canada can order this DNA test for the merle gene.  This can be useful for occasional inapparent cryptic merle, or for the merle Sheltie which has more white than usual so that it is not readily apparent whether or not the dog is a double merle.  Veterinarians in the USA can order the test through Idexx Laboratories.  The test code is MER, and the requisition form should specify that the test is to be sent to the Markham, Ontario Laboratory.  The test requires either an EDTA (lavender-top) blood tube or two sterile cheek swabs.  Be prepared:  neither your American veterinarian nor the customer representative at Idexx in the USA will know anything about the test!  It's not in their test directory, but the lab can send it to their Canadian lab to be run.   The test must be ordered through a veterinarian with an Idexx account.

Dog Genetics & Breeding
 
  • Canine Genetics
    This website has a whole series of articles about canine genetics, including the articles by the late Dr. John Armstrong, who for many years maintained the Canine Deversity Project website.

  • 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, 2009
    Conference proceedings to print and read


Dog Health
 
  • ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
    PHONE HOTLINE: (888) 426-4435  The $65 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. 

  • 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.

  • 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:


Other Great Dog Sites
 
  • 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.


Herding
There's lots of info on the web about herding, but these sites address the needs of the loose-eyed breeds like Shelties.
 

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.

  • Tracking The Tracking Shelties
    This is my 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.

  • Craig Green's Tracking Articles
    A great set of articles on tracking on a Basset Hound website
     
  • 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
     
  • Scent In A Bottle
    An article about a different approach to beginning tracking on a Malinois website

Our Sheltie Friends
 

The International Sheltie Scene
 
  • Gwensigor's Website
    A delightful Dutch website I happened to find.  It has many old photos on its history pages.
  • Toonie Hill Shelties
    A very pretty Norwegian site
  • Felthorn Shelties
    A British website, with a page on the history of the breed containing a number of old photos
  • Whalswick Shelties
    Another Dutch site, with about a gazzilion photos and pedigrees of Shelties going back to the foundation dogs
  • ABC of the Sheltie Past
    Part of a Hungarian website, with pedigrees and photos of many of the ancestral Shelties

Sheltie Websites
 
  • ASSA Sheltie Rescue
    The ASSA list of Sheltie Rescue Groups
  • National Sheltie Rescue
    A nationwide listing of Sheltie Rescue groups
  • New Shetland Sheepdog Titleholders
    Bob Miller's monthly list and three generation pedigrees of Shelties with new AKC titles.  You can click on a link for the same information about newly titled CKC Shelties.  Anyone interested in pedigree research needs to order his Sheltie pedigree books–all of them!
  • Sheltie Pedigree Lines
    This site has information and pedigrees (with some photos) of many Shelties.  Breeders and owners of conformation or performance Shelties can become registered users who can add their own dogs, with information and photos.
  • The Shetland Sheepdog Home Page
    Access to the SHELTIE-LIST, and a nice collection of Sheltie-related links
  • Shetland Sheepdog Pedigrees
    Pedigrees and many photos of early Shelties, British Champions and Dutch Champions, part of the Portma Zathe Shelties Dutch website
  • Sue Bowling's Sheltie Pages
    Lots of info on Sheltie history, genetics, bloodlines and ROM Shelties, through the late 1990s
  • Wickets By Mel
    A good source of ear tape and glue (including Speed-Sew), wickets of several kinds, and a few grooming products.

Sheltie Publications
 
  • Sheltie Pacesetter
    A quarterly magazine for Sheltie fanciers
  • 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

Sheltie Clubs
 

 

This site was last updated 05/24/10