and... these dogs are huge! ^^
I like the Hungarian Kuvasz dog. Independent, grand, but perhaps not really the kind of dog for me.
It sparked my interest in going to another site to do a little quiz about the dog that might best suit my criteria. I added: i am willing to groom once a month.
And, the Berger de Picard was one of them.
We had a slight discussion about the health issues that dogs were prone too - and th Picard seems to be prone to quite a few (the effects of inbreeding....)
There dogs don't seems to have that many health issues:
Chinese Chongqing Dog
Siberian Husky
Alaskan Malamute
but, i do think that the chinese dog, it's temperament and grooming needs (or, lack of!!), fit my lifestyle a little more.
They're so stubbbbbby. They're not too big. I'd like a bigger dog, but unless i breed an animal that has all those traits, i ain't gonna find one that has all the things that i want!
the chiense dog... is doable. i just don't know how i'll be able to find one in Canada....
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2 comments:
Actually, the few problems the Berger Picard is prone to is due to the fact that the breed was decimated during WW2 when its owners shot it or turned it loose to fend for itself rather than have it end up in enemy hands. After the war, it was put back together from around 5 individual dogs. Were all of these fabulous breed examples? Probably not. But beggers can't be choosers in a circumstance like that.
The efforts of these caring breed preservationist individuals resulted in a remarkably healthy breed that does have reproductive issues primarily, as its main problem.
Inbreeding has nothing to do with *causing* health problems but it can reveal them when they are doubled up in the genes.
Hip dysplasia can happen even in smaller dogs and again, is not caused by inbreeding (nothing is). Since it is polygenic AND environmental, you can test for it all you want but you will never get rid of HD by breeding away from it.
You work with problems, not against them in rare breeds.
Thanks for letting me weigh in. I am involved in 3 rare breeds (Berger Picard, Wirehaired Portuguese Podengo Medio and Wirehaired Kromfohrlander).
Myrriad,
Thanks for your comment!
Are there any particular groups of do breeds that have been found to have less diseases?
Thanks!
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