To spay, or not to spay? That is the question.
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of animal rights activists Or to take arms against a sea of troubles…
(With apologies to The Bard)
(Originally posted May 13, 2020 – Updated July 15, 2022)
Many people would have you believe the spay/neuter decision is easy. “Yes!” and “Right away!” they’ll say. “We have to prevent pet overpopulation and animal suffering!”
But it’s not that straight forward. Not every intact animal contributes to overpopulation. Nor is spaying and neutering without pain and suffering.
RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS
As a country, I think we’ve made great strides in controlling pet overpopulation. Are there still animals in need? Certainly. Is spay/neuter the answer in every case? No.
I believe our rescue organizations are desperately needed and deserve thanks from every pet owner. However there are still animals who wind up in shelters and never leave. I’ve been there. I’ve seen the piles of animals that had been “put to sleep.” It’s heart wrenching.
But spay/neuter and rescue programs have contributed greatly to a decrease in the number of animals in the shelters. In some cases the programs have worked so well the shelters now need to import strays for local people to adopt. USA Today ran a story that an organization in Puerto Rico had shipped over 14,000 strays to the US for adoption.
Spay and neutering campaigns have been so successful in much of the USA — especially the Northeast and Northwest — that shelters need to look elsewhere if they want dogs to offer for adoption.
We shouldn’t be importing pets – and potential diseases – just to keep rescue organizations in business. Canine brucellosis was almost eradicated in the United States, but rescue groups in Wisconsin recently had two dogs imported from South Korea test positive. This is a zoonotic disease which means it can spread to people as well as other dogs.
Several other imported dogs had rabies. At least one dog had been adopted by a family in Pennsylvania before they discovered he was infected. At that point, at least a dozen people may have been exposed.
HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF SPAY/NEUTER
Spaying and neutering has been good in some ways for society. But what about for the individual animal? There are many health consequences from these surgeries and plenty of misinformation.
“It’s a routine procedure.”
It may be routine for some animal hospitals, but it’s still surgery and, in the case of spaying, major surgery. There are risks from the surgery itself, from anesthesia, and from infection.
“It will reduce behavioral problems such as aggression and wandering.”
It may or it may not. Generally behavioral problems are better corrected through training.
“It can significantly prolong your pet’s life.”
Again, it may or it may not. There are several studies pointing to increased risk of various cancers and orthopedic issues due to spaying and neutering. There is also a study that showed female dogs lived longer if they were not spayed until at least six years of age.
“Spay/neuter can make your dog friendlier and less likely to bite.”
Surgery doesn’t generally affect a dog’s temperament, although there are studies that suggest spaying/neutering can actually lead to more aggression.
“Irresponsible breeding is the root cause of most vicious dog bites and attacks.”
Poor temperament can certainly be inherited, but many dog bites are due to a training issue – either a lack of training that allows a dog to assume an alpha position or training specifically designed to make a dog vicious.
“Spaying and neutering makes happier and healthier pets.”
A study found that “spayed female dogs tend to be more aggressive toward their owners and to strangers than intact females” and there wasn’t much evidence that neutering would stop aggressive behavior in male dogs. I don’t think that sounds happier.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE “SPAYING” AND “NEUTERING”?
Spaying is surgery to remove a female dog’s reproductive organs.
Before the surgery, the veterinarian should draw a blood sample to check the dog’s liver and kidney function because these organs break down and remove anesthesia after the surgery.
If all is well, a female dog is sedated and the belly shaved and cleaned. The veterinarian cuts into the dog’s belly and removes the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. Then the incision is closed with sutures or glue and the dog is monitored as she recovers from anesthesia. Often she will remain at the hospital overnight.
After the dog goes home she will need to be kept quiet and prevented from licking or chewing on the incision.
Neutering is surgery to remove a male dog’s testicles.
As with female dogs, the veterinarian should draw blood to check for liver and kidney function.
Then the dog is sedated and cleaned before the veterinarian cuts into the scrotum. Each testicle is removed and the blood supply tied off, the incision is closed and the dog is monitored as he recovers. The dog should be kept quiet and prevented from licking or chewing on the incision.
Occasionally one or both testicles may be retained inside the body. In these cases the surgery is more involved and can be higher risk. These testicles are at risk of developing cancer so they should be removed or at least monitored via ultrasound.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SPAYING AND NEUTERING?
- Prevents pregnancy and its risks
- Prevents females from coming in heat every 6-12 months
- Reduces or eliminates the chance of some cancers
- Reduces the risks of non-cancerous prostate disorders and perianal fistulas
- May reduce leg-lifting / marking by males
- May reduce the cost of licensing and/or HOA fees
WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES OF SPAYING AND NEUTERING?
- Costs of the surgery
- Risks of surgery, anesthesia and complications. Studies show about 20% of spay or neuter surgeries have at least one complication. Your dog may die due to the surgery. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s pretty devastating when it happens to YOUR pet.
- Increased risk of other deadly cancers
- “Increased likelihood of hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, mast cell tumors, and canine cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture in neutered dogs.”
SHOULD YOU SPAY OR NEUTER YOUR DOG?
I think it should be up to you, based on complete and accurate information and the needs of you and your dog. I also believe you shouldn’t be pressured into a decision either way. Make an informed choice!
A big problem is that alleged health benefits are discussed, but rarely any evidence supporting that viewpoint. Also rarely discussed are the health risks of spaying and neutering.
Risks vs Benefits For Male Dogs
For males, the risks of prostate or testicular problems are fairly low and, if any do occur, the solution generally is to neuter. On the other hand, there are increased health risks due to neutering.
“On the negative side, neutering male dogs
- if done before 1 year of age, significantly INCREASES the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in medium/large and larger breeds with a poor prognosis.
- Increases the risk of cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 1.6
- Triples the risk of hypothyroidism
- Increases the risk of progressive geriatric cognitive impairment
- Triples the risk of obesity, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
- Quadruples the small risk (<0.6%) of prostate cancer
- Doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract cancers
- Increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
- Increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations.”
Overall it seems the negatives associated with neutering are higher than not neutering. The exception being a dog with retained testicles who should be neutered.
If you choose to neuter, you might reduce some of the negatives by waiting until the dog is mature – perhaps a year old for smaller breeds and two years old or more in large breeds.
Risks vs Benefits For Female Dogs
The decision for females is not so easy.
Uterian cancer, mammary tumors and pyometra can all be life-threatening. Pregnancy complications can also be deadly. Spaying can reduce, and in some cases nearly eliminate, these risks.
Also results can be different depending on WHEN they are spayed with early spaying having higher risks of various problems. A longevity study suggests females may live longer if they’re not spayed until they’re at least 4-6 years old. But each heat cycle increases the chance of pyometra and breast cancer.
“On the negative side, spaying female dogs
- If done before 1 year of age, significantly increases the risk of osteosarcoma (bone cancer); this is a common cancer in larger breeds with a poor prognosis
- Increases the risk of splenic hemangiosarcoma by a factor of 2.2 and cardiac hemangiosarcoma by a factor of >5; this is a common cancer and major cause of death in some breeds
- Triples the risk of hypothyroidism
- Increases the risk of obesity by a factor of 1.6-2, a common health problem in dogs with many associated health problems
- Causes urinary “spay incontinence” in 4-20% of female dogs
- Increases the risk of persistent or recurring urinary tract infections by a factor of 3-4
- Increases the risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis, especially for female dogs spayed before puberty
- Doubles the small risk (<1%) of urinary tract tumors
- Increases the risk of orthopedic disorders
- Increases the risk of adverse reactions to vaccinations.”
For a little more insight on spaying females, there is a study that concluded shorter lifespan was associated with spaying. They looked at Rottweilers that had an average lifespan of about 9-1/2 years compared with Rotties who lived to at least 13 years old.
Females tend to live longer than males, but it didn’t hold true for females that were spayed before 4 years old.
As they dug deeper, their results showed that how long females kept their ovaries affected how long they lived. If they were at least six years old before being spayed they were 4.6 times more likely to live an exceptionally long life. When they excluded all deaths due to cancer, they found “females that kept their ovaries the longest were 9 times more likely to reach exceptional longevity than females with shortest ovary exposure.”
If you don’t plan to breed your female, spaying would probably be the better choice, particularly if you delay the surgery until your dog is mature.
If you do have a breeding-quality female and plan to breed her, puppies nursing may provide some protection against the risks to unspayed females. Another option for unspayed females is postponing her heat cycles with a steroid, mibolerone.
Each time a female has a heat cycle her body produces increased levels of progesterone which is inflammatory to her uterus. Several heat cycles with this inflammation, particularly if she is not bred, can lead to endometritis, a uterine infection. Mibolerone can delay her heat cycle for up to two years, but must not be used before she’s cycled once naturally.
Once a female’s breeding career is over, spaying would be a good choice. Based on the Rottweiler study, waiting to spay until she is over six years old may help to extend her life.
OTHER OPTIONS
With all the potential health issues caused by spaying and neutering, another option you might consider is hormone-sparing sterilization. These are more like a hysterectomy or vasectomy in people.
A female dog would have her uterus removed, but not her ovaries. She would still have heat cycles due to her hormones, but bleeding is eliminated. Ovarian and breast cancer are still possible, but the risk of ovarian cancer is small. Regularly rubbing her belly – particularly after she reaches middle age – can alert you to any suspicious lumps that could develop into cancer.
For males dogs, your veterinarian would sever the vas deferens – the tube that transports semen. There would still be a chance of testicular cancer or an enlarged prostate, generally later in his life. However these can usually be treated by neutering. In the meantime, he would have benefited by retaining his natural hormones until then.
The problem is that few veterinarians are trained in these procedures. Hopefully that will eventually change.
There are also some non-surgical options. Zeuterin (also labeled EsterilSol in some countries) is an injection that sterilizes male dogs. Unfortunately it’s not currently available from the manufacturer. Suprelorin is an implant for male dogs to prevent fertility. It takes about 2-3 weeks to reduce testosterone and 6 weeks to infertility. It lasts about 6-12 months. Unfortunately it is only available in a few countries, but not in the US or Canada.
Of course, another option is responsible pet ownership. In some countries, neutering is very uncommon or even outlawed. However it does take more effort, especially with an intact female.
CONCLUSION
Spaying / neutering can have profound effects on your dog’s health and longevity. Consider the pros and cons. Don’t let anyone push you into a decision. If you do decide to spay/neuter, wait at least until your dog is fully mature. This may be about one year old for small dogs and two years (or more) for large dogs.
Listed below are some websites with more information:
Gonadectomy – Rethinking Long-Held Beliefs
https://caninesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CSP-Gonadectomy-Rethinking.pdf
Long-Term Health Risks and Benefits Associated with Spay / Neuter in Dogs
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdf
Aggression toward Familiar People, Strangers, and Conspecifics in Gonadectomized and Intact Dogs.
http://1vv.ba6.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Gonadectomy-and-Aggression-Frontiers.pdf
Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for Mixed Breed Dogs of Five Weight Categories: Associated Joint Disorders and Cancers
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00472/full
Rottweiler study links ovaries with exceptional longevity
https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/100301g.aspx
Determining the optimal age for gonadectomy of dogs and cats
https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/231/11/javma.231.11.1665.xml
Alternatives to traditional spay and neuter – evolving best practices in dog sterilization
https://ivcjournal.com/spay-neuter-alternatives/
Norway bans pet sterilization without a medical reason
http://www.eurofawc.com/home/19
The Labrador Retriever was reintroduced to America in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The breed quickly became popular here thanks to early Labrador kennels such as Jay Carlisle of Wingan, W Averell Harriman of Arden, Franklin Lord of Blake, Marshall Field of Caumsett, Paul Bakewell III of Deer Creek, Dr Samuel Milbank of Earlsmoor, Mr and Mrs Frederick of Timber Town and many others.
Below is an alphabetical list of early kennels in America.
Early Lab Kennels
| Kennel Name | Owner | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Aldenholme | Mrs Barbara Barty-King | Massachusetts |
| Alvaleigh | JHL Fisher, Mrs Alva S Robinson | Maryland |
| Arden | Hon W Averell Harriman | New York |
| Ashur | Mrs Johnson Smith | New York |
| Bankhurst | Dr George D Patton | Colorado |
| Barnegat | Alfred E Johnson Jr | New Jersey |
| Barn Hill | Richard B Ross | New York |
| Bay Shore | Mrs Russell G Merriman | Vermont |
| Bellota | Mr and Mrs Richard Reeve | Arizona |
| Bergee | Mr and Mrs MJ Leclerc | Illinois |
| Big Talk | EP Landwehr | Michigan |
| Bijiminy | Mr and Mrs JB Deuel | California |
| Black Point | Mr and Mrs Daniel E Pomeroy | New Jersey |
| Blake | Franklin B Lord | New York |
| Bluefield | Hiram BD Blauvelt | New Jersey |
| Broadfen | Mr and Mrs Gaylord Donnelley | Illinois |
| Caniston | Mrs John Griswold | Pennsylvania |
| Casa Audlon | Mr and Mrs MB Wallace Jr | Missouri |
| Caumsett | Marshall Field | New York |
| Cheam | Col Andrew M Naismith | British Columbia |
| Chidley | Mrs Curtis Read | New York |
| Cinar | E Roland Harriman | New York |
| Coaltown | Robert D Cowen | Ohio |
| Cutbank | Mrs Curtis Munson | District of Columbia |
| Dairy Hill | Mr and Mrs AA Jones | California |
| Deer Creek | Mr and Mrs Paul Bakewell III | Missouri |
| Dela-Winn | Mr and Mrs Harley A Butler | Wisconsin |
| Del Monte Sol | Mrs LT Konopak | New Mexico |
| Dolobran | Clement A Griscom III | Pennsylvania |
| Ducklore | Arthur C Storz | Nebraska |
| Duckwind | A Wells Wilbor | Minnesota |
| Dunottar | Mr and Mrs Henry S Morgan | New York |
| Earlsmoor | Dr and Mrs Samuel Milbank | New York |
| Elsted | Edwin M Bulkley Jr | Connecticut |
| Fairmount | Karl F Bruch | Ohio |
| Freehaven | James L Free | California |
| Giralda Farms | Mrs M Hartley Dodge | New Jersey |
| Glennspey | Cpt John L Graham | New Jersey |
| Grangemead | Mr and Mrs TW Merritt | Illinois |
| Greeymar | Stephen M Greey | Toronto |
| Harpersbrook Shadow | Palmer K Leberman | New York |
| Holly Bank | Mr and Mrs CL Roberts | Pennsylvania |
| How-Hi | Mr and Mrs Howes Burton | New York |
| Hurricane | Mr and Mrs Wm L Austin | New York |
| Inkstone | Mrs Robert E Smith Jr | California |
| Invail | Mr and Mrs CV Brokaw Jr | New York |
| Jibodad | James W Bryan Jr | Washington |
| Kidwell | John McKenney | Maryland |
| Kilsyth | Mrs Gerald M Livingston | New York |
| Labappy | Dr George D Massey | Oregon |
| Lallinden | Mr and Mrs Albert P Loening | New York |
| Land Fall | Rear-Adm and Mrs CL Andrews Jr | Rhode Island |
| Larchmont | Dr HBK Willis | California |
| Latch-up | Arthur M Lewis | New York |
| Lockerbie | Mr and Mrs James Warwick | New Jersey |
| Lonely Acres | Roland H Simmon | New York |
| Macopin | Mr and Mrs George Murnane | New York |
| Mae-Don | Mr and Mrs Don P Smith | California |
| Manzanal | Edward R Spaulding | California |
| Marvadel | Mr and Mrs J Gould Remick | New York |
| Maryland | Mrs Theodore Gould | Maryland |
| Mill Cove | Arthur Gwynne | New York |
| Money Bogge | DeWitt Peterkin | New York |
| Moongate | HVP Lewis | Toronto |
| Mortime | Mrs Carl Mortimer | Connecticut |
| Nelgard | Dr and Mrs GH Gardner | Illinois |
| Newry | Mrs Joseph J Haggerty | New York |
| Nic-O-Bet | Hugh Nichols | California |
| Nilo | John M Olin | Illinois |
| Niskayuma | Mr and Mrs LS Greenleaf Jr | Connecticut |
| Nissequogue | Alden S Blodget | New York |
| Nogero | Alfred H Schmidt | Oregon |
| Norias | Walter C Teagle | Connecticut |
| Oakwood | AE Jolivet | Victoria |
| Odd’s Fury | Albert Winslow | New York |
| Paumanok | Mrs Gerald M Thompson | Florida |
| Point of View | Horace K Horner | New Jersey |
| Port Fortune | Miss Jean G Hinkle | Massachusetts |
| Rupert-Mt | Mrs Carleton Howe | Vermont |
| St George | Henry Root Stern | New York |
| Sanfray | John Fraser Jr | Wisconsin |
| Semloh | George W Holmes | Nebraska |
| Shoremeadow | Mrs LJ Proby | Washington |
| Snikeb | Claude Bekins | Washington |
| Stodford | Mr and Mrs Alfred E Bissell | Delaware |
| Strawberry Hill | Mr and Mrs Fraser M Horn | New York |
| Sugar Valley | JA Stockwell | Nebraska |
| Sumpawams | Marshall W Picken | New York |
| Squirrel Run | Mrs S Hallock du Pont | Delaware |
| Swinomish | WJ Dahl | Washington |
| Taramar | Theodore A Rehm | Massachusetts |
| Tarblood | Harold Ruth | Montana |
| Timber Town | Mr and Mrs Halsey H Frederick Jr | Pennsylvania |
| Tip Tree | Marvin Chase | New Jersey |
| Triever Point | Mr and Mrs Sandy F MacKay | California |
| Vigloma | Mrs J Vincent O’Shea | New York |
| Wardwyn | Mrs Donald Curran | New York |
| Warily | Mrs Reginald M Lewis | Maryland |
| Wells Point | Mr and Mrs Alex J Cassatt | Pennsylvania |
| Westcoast | Dr Harry E Shoot | Oregon |
| West Island | Mr and Mrs Junius S Morgan | New York |
| Whichway | Mrs WH Howell | New York |
| Whilaway | Richard T Wharton | Connecticut |
| Wildfield | Mrs Eric Wood | New York |
| Willoughby | Mr and Mrs Dan R Hanna | Ohio |
| Winford | Mr and Mrs Emory M Ford | Michigan |
| Winthrop House | Sherburne, Prescott | Connecticut |
| Wyan Dot | Lewis E Pierson Jr | New York |
| Wyndham | Theo. P Grosvenor | Rhode Island |
Some Labs Bred By Early Breeders
Dual Champion Gorse of Arden
Champion Lockerbie Stanwood Granada
Dual Champion Canadian Field Champion Little Pierre of Deer Creek
Dual Champion Grangemead Precocious
1956 Officers
President William K Laughlin
Vice President- Eastern Clifford V Brokaw Jr
Vice President-Mid-West Dr George H Gardner
Vice President-Pacific Coast Sandy F MacKay
Secretary/Treasurer CA Griscom III
Director Paul Bakewell III
Director Claude Bekins
Director Guthrie Bicknell
Director JH Lee Fisher
Director AA Jones
Director TW Merritt
Director Dr Samuel Milbank
Director Junius S Morgan
Director Lewis E Pierson Jr
Director J Gould Remick
Director A Wells Wilbor
and all the officers
Information courtesy of:
The Labrador Retriever Club
25th Edition
1931-1956
Studying the pedigrees of chocolate Labrador Retrievers, you often wonder where the chocs are coming from. All of a sudden they are there, out of the blue. I studied the files in the LabradorNet database, which contains the pedigrees of more than 90,000 Labradors, and came to the conclusion that there are roughly 8 routes to the origin of chocolate Labs.
One of the reasons that you’ll find no chocolate Labs in the older files, is that they weren’t in fashion for many decades, so they just weren’t registered. However, the blacks and the yellows carrying the choc gene kept reproducing, and that’s why we’re able to trace them all the way back to the late 1800s.
Note: This article was written by Jack Vanderwyk. After his death his domain name was usurped by someone else. Fortunately I had a copy of his work and it’s shared here in a tribute to the research he did on Labrador Retriever pedigrees.
ORIGINS OF THE CHOCOLATE GENE
According to the studbook of Buccleuch Kennels, the chocolates in that kennel came through FTW Peter of Faskally (1908). However, Peter of Faskally was a descendant of Buccleuch Avon (1885).
Peter of Faskally
Buccleuch Avon
The Earl of Feversham had some typical specimen of chocolates, his Nawton Pruna (who produced yellow offspring) did well at field trials in the years preceding the First World War.
One of the chief supporters of chocolates was the Hon. Lady Ward of Chiltonfoliat, near Hungerford, the dogs from her kennel being very typical with particularly good tails and coats. Her chocolate bitch FTW Darry of Chiltonfoliat (Braeroy Darkie) (1930) was sired by an unregistered chocolate dog called Jimmy, while her dam descended from the chocolate Flatcoat Clyde (see further down).
Mr. J.G. Severn of Tibshelf Kennels wrote: “My first experience of the chocolate Labradors was in February, 1938, when I visited Dr. Montgomery of Sutton Ashfield, about three miles from Tibshelf. We had mated his black bitch Shelagh of Brasidonia to my black dog Danilo of Tibshelf. Result: 4 blacks, 2 chocolate dogs, 1 cream bitch. I later bought Shelagh and mated her again to Danilo. Result just the same.”
Miss Wills of Metesford Kennels produced several chocolates in the late 1940s, early 1950s, but their descendance is not known.
CROSSES IN THE EARLY BREED
Further more we should keep in mind that there are a lot of missing links in our database, and sometimes the reasons for this are rather obvious. I found 21 interbred or fullbred Flatcoats or Chesapeake Bay retrievers in our Labrador retriever database, all born in the U.K. between 1914 and 1933.
Of all the 21 interbred or fullbred Flatcoats or Chesapeake Bay retrievers, most of them being Field Trial champions, we could only track the ancestors for more than two generations of two dogs. The information about the ancestors of the other 19 interbred dogs was simply removed from the files in the 1930s. It seems that some well known Labrador breeders didn’t want the public to know that their successful dogs were partly the offspring of interbred dogs.
Two well known Chesapeake Bay retrievers were a dog called Jolly, who sired the male Labrador retriever Jolly Sam, born before 1933, and the bitch Corydalys, who was the dam of the female Labrador retriever Micklefield Juno, born before 1925.
Clyde, born before 1923, was the “liver” (chocolate) Flatcoat retriever who sired the male yellow Labrador FTW Folkingham Bexter (1925), who in turn sired the yellow bitch FTW Limekiln Rhoda (1927). She and the yellow dog FTW Golden Morn (1926) had a litter that was registered as “half Golden Retriever and half Labradors”. The separation was by coat length, because all puppies were yellow. Apparently the third generation showed some traits of the original breed involved.
The chocolate Labrador may not have been very popular prior to the 1960s, but they were mentioned as early as 1927, in The Book of Dogs, published by the National Geographic Society in 1927: “This Labrador dog, crossed probably with the English setter, and perhaps with other breeds, produced the Retriever, which may be either black or liver-brown.” (The yellow Labrador was organized in The Yellow Labrador Retriever Club, in 1924.)
ROUTES TO THE EARLY CHOCOLATE GENE
Route 1 (version 1):
– Morningtown Tobla (f, choc, < 1976)
– Brentville Ebony (f, black, <1974)
– Knavery Mistress Meg (f, black < 1972)
– Sandylands Mark (m, black, 1965)
– Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder (m, black, 1960)
– Mallardhurn Pat (f, yellow, < 1958)
– Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949)
– Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947)
– Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940)
– Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934)
– Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932)
– Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
Sandylands Mark
Route 1 (version 2):
– Morningtown Tobla (f, choc, < 1976)
– Brentville Ebony (f, black, <1974)
– Knavery Mistress Meg (f, black < 1972)
– Sandylands Mark (m, black, 1965)
– Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder (m, black, 1960)
– Mallardhurn Pat (f, yellow, < 1958)
– Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949)
– Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947)
– Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940)
– Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934)
– Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932)
– Boris de Main (f, yellow, < 1930), child of:
Sceptre (m, colour unknown, not registered, < 1928) and
Countess (f, colour unknown, not registered, < 1928).
However, Buccleuch Avon, born in 1885, so almost 40 years before, is known to have produced some chocolate offspring, so it’s more likely that either his sire Malmesbury Tramp, or his dam Malmesbury June (f, black, 1880), or both, already carried the chocolate gene.
Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder
Route 2:
– Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer (m, black, 1969)
– Sandylands Tandy (m, yellow, 1961)
– Sandylands Shadow (f, black, 1959)
– Diant Pride (f, yellow, < 1957)
– Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949)
– Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947)
– Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940)
– Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934)
– Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932)
– Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer
Route 3:
– Fabracken Comedy Star (m, black, 1979)
– Martin of Mardas (m, black, 1975)
– Ballyduff Marketeer (m, black, 1974)
– Sandylands Mark (m, black, 1965)
– Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder (m, black, 1960)
– Mallardhurn Pat (f, yellow, < 1958)
– Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949)
– Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947)
– Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940)
– Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934)
– Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932)
– Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
Fabracken Comedy Star
Route 4:
– Olivia of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1954)
– Lawrie of Blaircourt (m, black, < 1952)
– Fiona of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1950)
– Treesholme Thunder (m, black, < 1948)
– Triumph of Treesholme (m, yellow, < 1946)
– Poppleton Golden Sherry (f, yellow, < 1944)
– Poppleton Golden Gleam (f, yellow, < 1942)
– Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940)
– Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934)
– Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932)
– Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
Martin of Mardas
Route 5:
– Pride of Craigavon (m, chocolate, < 1974)
– Taffy of Keithray (m, black, 1965)
– Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt (m, black, 1958)
– Ruler of Blaircourt (m, black, 1956)
– Olivia of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1954)
– Lawrie of Blaircourt (m, black, < 1952)
– Fiona of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1950)
– Treesholme Thunder (m, black, < 1948)
– Triumph of Treesholme (m, yellow, < 1946)
– Poppleton Golden Sherry (f, yellow, < 1944)
– Poppleton Golden Gleam (f, yellow, < 1942)
– Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940)
– Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934)
– Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932)
– Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt
Route 6:
– Cookridge Oscar (m, chocolate, < 1960)
– Bickerton Salmon Prince (m, yellow, < 1958)
– Blondie of Gloamin (f, yellow, < 1956)
– Raider of Gloamin (m, colour unknown, < 1954)
– Marquis of Gloamin (m, yellow, < 1944)
– Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940)
– Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934)
– Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932)
– Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
Munden Sentry
Route 7:
– Chocolate Lady (f, chocolate, < 1954)
– Harehope Bliss (m, black, 1936)
– Weston Bunty (f, black, < 1934)
– Adderley Tyke (m, black, 1929)
– Adderley Trim (f, black, 1927)
– Beningbrough Tanco (m, black, 1924)
– Banchory Corbie (m, black, 1921)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
Route 8:
– Hiwood Mike (m, black, 1935), via Pettistree Dan (m, black, 1934)
– Quest of Wilbury (f, black, 1930)
– Muntham Raven (f, black, 1924)
– Banchory Corbie (m, black, 1921)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878),
AND
via Pettistree Poppet (f, colour unknown, < 1933)
– Cransford Flapper (f, colour unknown, < 1931)
– Peter of Bircham (m, colour unknown, < 1930)
– Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923)
– Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
– Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913)
– Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911)
– Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909)
– Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
– Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
– Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
– Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
– Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).
MORE RESEARCH
I researched some 30 well known chocolate Labrador Retrievers without any known chocolate ancestors, and their pedigrees all fit in with one (or several) of the routes above. Please keep in mind that famous Labradors like Boothgates Headliner, Lindall Mollie Malone, Morningtown Stormette etc all descend from Morningtown Tobla (route 1).
Aroscas Chocolate Surprise: route 1, via Sandylands Mark.
Bradking Cassandra: route 2, directly and via Ardmargha Mad Hatter and Sandylands Mark.
Brendale Brown Betty: route 2 and 5.
Brentwoods Sweet Molly Brown: route 2, via Mardas Brandlesholme Sam’s Song.
Captain Kirk of Rangeways: route 1 and 2.
Castlemore Bramble: route 1 via Sandylands Mark, route 5 via Pride of Craigavon.
Charway Mattie Brown: route 3.
Charway Sally Brown: route 2.
Chocolate Lady: route 7, via Harehope Bliss.
Cookridge Oscar: route 6, via Bickerton Salmon Price.
Cookridge Tango: route 5, via Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt.
Could Be’s Chestnut Wrangler: route 4, via Could Be’s Rusty Rock, Could Be’s Haven Rock, Indian Valley Rob Roy, Bart of Blaircourt and Rush of Blaircourt.
Follytower Brownthorn: route 2, via Charway Blackthorn of Follytower.
Castlemore Bramble
Gunfield’s Super Charger: route 8, via Shamrock Acres Super Drive, Super Chief, Paha Sapa Chief II, Freehaven Muscles, Grangemead Sharon.
Gunotter’s Chocolate Nip: route 5, via Harris Tweed of Ide and Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt.
Haverhill’s Brown Belle: route 1, via Dickendall Flip Flop, Sandylands Midas and Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder.
Ironwood Cocoa Mocha: route 8, via Del Tone Colvin, Cork of Oakwood Lane, Coastal Charger of Deer Creek, Little Pierre of Deer Creek.
Lawnwoods Chocolate Fudge: directly via route 2, and route 1 via Lawnwoods Tapestry and Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder.
Gunfield’s Super Charger
Lawnwoods Hot Chocolate: route 2.
Lenches Chocolate Liquor: Route 1 via Lasgarn Ludovic and Sandylands Mark.
Loughderg Fiona: route 4, via Ruler of Blaircourt.
Marbra Leprechaun: route 2.
Pride of Craigavon: route 5.
Lawnwoods Hot Chocolate
Pumerang Connection With Stormley: route 2, the easy way via Harrop Black Jack, or take the detour via Stormley Lynx with Pumerang, Ravenshall Charmer at Stormley, Clayford Music At Midnight At Stormley, Lawnwoods Midnight Folly and Lawnwoods Fandango.
Roydwood Rowntree at Ravenshall: route 1 and 2, via Keithray Lucinda, Contessa of Keithray and Sandylands Tandy.
Simandem Sam Browne of Balrion: route 2, via Charway Blackthorn of Follytower.
Sorbus Brown Jay: route 5, via Alvgardens Sam, Alvgardens Jet, Alvgardens Flap, Sandylands Twanah and Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt.
Tracers Sweet Georgia Brown: route 2, via Follytower Chevalier of Ranfurly and Follytower Augusta.
Waltham Galaxy of Condor: route 1, via Jayncourt Stormer and Sandylands Mark.
Whisky Creek Brown Buina: route 4, via Indian Valley Raed Wulf and Bart of Blaircourt.
Pumerang Connection With Stormley
Williston Brown Smith: route 1, via Sebastian of Anderscroft, Sandylands Midas and Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder.
Williston Brown Smith
I’m pretty sure that at least 99% of all chocolate Labradors can be categorized using one of the 8 routes above.
Several routes can be taken to track the origin of chocolate Labs.
Wetherlam Nutcracker, ancestor of most of my chocs.
Jack Vanderwyk,
LabradorNet
May 5, 2003
HNPK in Labrador Retrievers is a genetic disorder that results in the formation of crusty skin on the nose. This disorder can lead to discomfort and other complications. Although it’s not life-threatening, it can affect your dog’s quality of life.
This article will explore HNPK, its symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
What Is HNPK in Labrador Retrievers?
Hereditary nasal parakeratosis is quite a mouthful. Let’s break it down:
- hereditary = transmitted genetically from parent to offspring
- nasal = of, in, or relating to the nose
- para = prefix denoting a departure from the normal
- keratin = key structural material making up hair, nails, claws, and the outer layer of skin
- …osis = often implies an abnormal or diseased condition
So HNPK is an inherited skin disorder affecting the nose and has been found only (so far) in Labrador Retrievers and Lab crosses such as doodles and dilutes.
To avoid producing it, at least one parent should be tested clear before breeding.
Symptoms
Affected dogs have dry, rough, brown, or grey crusts that develop on the surface and along the edges of the nose. It’s often described as a “dry, crusty nose.”
There may also be some bumps and/or a loss of pigment in the nose. Affected areas are also prone to bacterial infections that can become chronic. Dogs are otherwise healthy.
Although it’s not a fatal condition, affected dogs suffer discomfort and pain if symptoms are not treated. In extreme cases, the dog’s nose will crack which leads to inflammation and continuous irritation.
Causes of HNPK
HNPK is a hereditary condition, meaning it is passed down from parents to their puppies. It’s caused by a gene mutation that causes keratinization of the nose.
A puppy with two copies of the mutated gene will likely develop symptoms between six months to one year of age.
Diagnosis of HNPK
Your veterinarian will first perform a thorough physical examination, focusing on the condition of your dog’s nose.
If HNPK is suspected, a genetic test can confirm the diagnosis. Often this is just a swab inside your dog’s cheek to collect a DNA sample.
Cheek swabs
Owners can do the cheek swab themselves. The swabs are like Q-tips, except they are sterile and have a long wooden handle. Your veterinarian may give you some swabs, or you can order some when you order the test. You will need three swabs.
Make sure your dog has not had anything to eat or drink for at least an hour before you collect samples. Slide the swab between your dog’s cheek and gum, then twirl it approximately ten times. Return it to the plastic envelope and repeat with a clean swab. Take a sample from your dog’s other cheek with the third swab.
Put the plastic envelope with the three swabs into a paper envelope and seal it. Write your name plus your dog’s name and breed on the outside of the envelope. Then put that envelope into a larger envelope. I use a 5×7″ manila envelope. Address and mail to the laboratory. I like DDC because they’re relatively fast and inexpensive. I also like that I can call to ask questions and place my order.
Treatment and management of HNPK
Unfortunately, there is no cure for HNPK. Treatment can help your dog feel better and improve his quality of life. This can include:
- Regular application of moisturizing creams or ointments to the nose
- Antibiotics or anti-fungal medications if an infection is present
- Using a plastic cone to prevent rubbing
- Regular check-ups to monitor the condition
Preventing HNPK
It’s a genetic disorder that requires two copies of the mutated gene – one from the father and one from the mother. The only prevention is to avoid breeding two dogs that carry the mutated gene.
A puppy with one copy of the mutated gene will appear normal and won’t develop symptoms.
To be sure puppies won’t develop symptoms at least one parent must be clear of the mutated gene. One or both parents can be tested as detailed above. Another option is if one parent is “clear by parentage.” In this case both the mother and father of one of the parents must be tested clear.
A dog with no symptoms but DNA testing shows he is a carrier of HNPK should only be bred to a clear dog. None of these puppies will develop symptoms, but some may carry the mutated gene.
An affected dog can also be bred, but it should only be to a dog tested clear. In this case, all of the puppies will be carriers but not affected.
In conclusion, although HNPK can’t be cured, it can be managed with proper care and treatment. If you’re a Labrador Retriever owner, it’s important to be aware of this condition and check with your veterinarian if you notice any signs of HNPK in your dog.
“Dynamite uses only natural ingredients, made in the United States for better quality control. Throughout its history of making natural dog food, it has always looked at alternatives to animal by-products, antibiotics, chemical preservatives, fumigants, artificial coloring and other additives that have later caused dog allergies and other health problems.
“Its manufacturing processes are so stringently controlled that Dynamite has a separate mill to produce feed for herbivores, such as horses and poultry that are especially sensitive to contamination from meat needed by other species such as dogs and cats.”
I’m proud to be a Dynamite distributor for over 20 years!
I’ve had great results for both my animals and me. But because governmental regulations won’t allow us to make therapeutic claims, we can only tell you how we’ve used the products and share some stories from other people.
Covid-19 update:
According to the National Institutes of Health, “interest in dietary supplement ingredients that might enhance immune function and reduce inflammation to help prevent COVID-19 or manage its signs and symptoms remains high. Many of these ingredients have not been studied in people with COVID-19, but research suggests that they might improve immune function and help prevent or reduce symptoms of the common cold, influenza, and other respiratory tract infections.”
Although “…dietary supplements are not allowed to be marketed as a treatment, prevention, or cure for any disease” some studies suggest supplements may lower the risk of severe cases of Covid-19. These include vitamins C and D, zinc and Quercetin. Other studies also suggest magnesium, zinc and probiotics.
Some Dynamite products you may want to consider include:
- DM Plus contains “highly absorbable forms of vitamins and minerals” plus a “proprietary blend of phytonutrients, amino acids, and enzymes to improve digestion, absorption, and utilization of all these nutrients. (Caution: This product contains iron. Be aware that accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6.)”
- TriMins for calcium, magnesium and potassium (DM Plus and TriMins “together provide 750% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin D. It is important to keep in mind that US RDA is based on the amount needed to remain alive. Most studies have shown that increased amounts are needed for immune benefits.)”
- SOD “contains the building blocks for the class of antioxidants called superoxide dismutase” including zinc, copper, selenium and manganese.
- Hiscorbadyne “provides a healthy dose of buffered vitamin C and a proprietary blend of herbs and antioxidants that specifically target immune system health.”
- Solace – “Research indicates silver may boost antibiotic effectiveness. Dynamite Solace is made of pure colloidal silver.”
Here are some of the products I’ve used and swear by:
Solace
If I could only have one of the Dynamite products it would be a toss up between Solace and DynaPro. We’ve used Solace (200 ppm colloidal silver) topically and internally, usually diluted with distilled water, but occasionally full strength. As an example, we used it combined with a homeopathic for cough when our dogs came in contact with kennel cough. They finished coughing within 24 hours, but a neighbor’s dogs continued coughing for two weeks.
DynaPro
I wouldn’t be without it! Anytime the dogs get stressed they get a couple of drops in their mouths or on their food. Weather changes, competition, breeding can all cause stress. By the way, we get the DynaPro for horses – same formula, bigger bottle, better price.
Miracle Clay
We’ve used Miracle Clay on all sorts of minor problems from bee stings, to bug bites, to rashes, to other swellings. We have wasps who give a nasty sting, but using a dab of activated Miracle Clay has stopped the stinging within seconds. It’s been called a “Healing Gift from Mother Earth.”
Release
We’ve used it on sore muscles, blisters, and wounds. I even spray some on my face when I’ve been staring at the computer screen for too long.
Relax
We don’t use this product too often anymore, but it’s been helpful for stressful situations such as the first trailer ride or a farrier visit. My Labs are conditioned to gun fire from puppyhood so July 4th fireworks don’t bother them at all, but not so for some dogs. Relax has helped other dogs get through that stressful day and adding Tranquil can provide additional help. If your dog is stressed by fireworks, here’s a video that talks more about Dynamite’s Relax and Tranquil.
Tea Tree Oil
Cuts, scrapes and other booboos get topped with TTO. We’ve used it on us and the horses, but only when VERY diluted on the dogs.
Trace Minerals Concentrate
Whenever we need to stop minor bleeding, we use Trace Minerals Concentrate.
Wound Salve
We use Wound Salve on open wounds, usually with Solace and/or Tea Tree Oil.
Balm
We’ve had great results using Balm on bruises, old scar tissue and even dry heels (to get ready for sandal season). By the way, Balm is used on closed wounds, while Wound Salve can be used on open wounds.
Showdown for Dogs / Showdown Pro
We started our Dynamite journey using Showdown and noticed quite an improvement in our dogs’ health. Coats became thicker and, in the case of chocolate Labs, a darker color. We supplement breeding females with Showdown Pro, starting before breeding and continuing through weaning the puppies. The girls have maintained better condition and puppies get off to a great start.
Free & Easy for Dogs
Our older dogs get Free & Easy six days a week. One of our dogs was diagnosed with a partially torn ACL and the vet recommended immediate surgery. We chose instead to try conservative management (straight to rehab, skipping the surgery). It took awhile, but he went back to competing in hunt tests, obedience and rally trials thanks in part to Free & Easy and Izmine.
Izmine
“Izmine™ is an unusually effective mineral food containing more than 70 naturally-occurring minerals, enzymes, electrolytes and bio-nutrients in a readily-assimilated form. Its natural acidity contributes to its high degree of assimilation.” It has helped my dog recover after an ACL tear and my mom’s arthritis in her hands and back – they both also took Free & Easy. Here’s a story about how Izmine was used to help dolphins who lived in chlorinated water and used to help a penguin that developed a large goiter.
Herbal Tonic
Twice a year we give our dogs Herbal Tonic to avoid having to use harsh chemical wormers. To be safe, we also test for heartworm. For tips on how to use Herbal Tonic (and some supporting products), check out Parasite Control: Balance vs. Eradication by Judy Sinner.
Hiscorbadyne
We keep Hiscorbadyne on hand for times when the dogs get stressed or need an extra boost to their immune systems such as during a recent outbreak of kennel cough.
Dyna Shield
Love summer, but hate the bugs? Me too. Mosquitos, biting flies and those awful ticks when we’re running the dogs in the fields. Ugh. I’ve tried all sorts of products to keep bugs at bay, not only because they’re annoying, but also because they transmit diseases. Can’t say I’ve ever liked the stickiness and horrible smell – especially so for my dogs when they need a good sense of smell to find some of their birds. Then I tried Dyna Shield – “a natural horse spray containing a blend of natural, proven, botanical oils that can be applied directly to your horse with peace of mind.” It’s a concentrate that can be diluted at various levels to be used on horses, dogs and people. It does have a smell, but more herbal than chemical. And it works well for my animals and me. Learn more about the harmful effects of chemical sprays.
DynaCoat
For show dogs, we’ve found DynaCoat has helped put on that extra bit of coat. We also gave it to a dog that generally had a rather sparse coat and within a few weeks she developed a nice plush coat and even grew hair along her belly and inner thighs where she never had hair before.
Super Premium Dog Food
I’ve tried several premium brands of dog food and this one has given us great results. It’s made with fresh, hand-trimmed USDA chicken, plus fish meal and salmon oil with only minimal processing to help preserve the natural goodness of the ingredients. NO corn or wheat. 24% protein, 16% fat. It comes in 8-pound and 40-pound bags.
DM Plus
Yep, I take my vitamins too! Why take chances? I certainly don’t have the time to eat as well as I should, and I know with Dynamite I’m doing something good for the only body I will ever have.
Tri-Mins
As part of the Dynamite basic program, we take Tri-Mins for the additional minerals. Some people have asked why Tri-Mins is separate from DM Plus. It’s because we each have different needs for the minerals in Tri-Mins (calcium, potassium, magnesium) and this allows you to adjust the amounts as needed.
Elixir
I started the Dynamite program by taking Elixir mixed with water every day for 60 days. Now I take it whenever I feel a bout of heartburn coming on which, thankfully, isn’t very often.
Free & Easy for Humans
I recently had to start taking Free & Easy for my joints. A hand injury left one finger rather stiff, particularly in the mornings. Now I’m much more limber.
Natural Trace Mineral Salt
Instead of using the dead iodized salt commonly sold in grocery stores, we use the Natural Trace Mineral Salt. The only downside is that you have to tap your salt shaker occasionally to make it flow freely.
PMS (Premium Magnesium Supplement)
I’ve been told emergency room doctors often give magnesium to heart attack victims. Another source told me that most women are deficient in magnesium and it’s involved in enzyme and hormonal actions to help lower blood pressure. With all that in mind, I take a couple PMS every day.
180
Worried about packing on the pounds during the holidays?
I lost 30 pounds in two months on this protocol and overall found it to be pretty easy.
Horse products
Although my horses are leased out to a family with several children, they also get Dynamite products. I like the Dynamite Plus for the additional coenzymes and herbs to help calm and balance the gut pH. (Regular Dynamite would be a good choice for a horse in competition.) We also offer the Free Choice Minerals so each horse can eat as much or as little as they need. When we were breeding horses we also used Breeder Pac. And, of course, they also get DynaPro and occasionally Herbal Tonic.
Here are some results and stories from other people:
DM Plus, TriMins, Free & Easy and PMS
For years my mother would tell me every day that she needed to lay down because her back hurt. Her doctors had her taking calcium pills for osteoporosis plus 800 mg Tylenol whenever she had pain. But it wasn’t until she came to live with me that I found out about the variety of medications she was taking. The years of taking inorganic calcium had given her bone spurs and the daily Tylenol was causing other problems. So we weaned her off the medications that were contraindicated, provided her with better food choices and started DM Plus, TriMins, Free & Easy and PMS and the difference was almost immediate. In the almost 4 years she lived with me, I can only remember one time she had to lay down because her back hurt.
Free & Easy for People
As an aircraft mechanic, my husband misused his hands every day. That’s on top of a bad habit of popping his knuckles. He tried soaking his hands in warm water every morning to make it easier to open and close his hands. I gave him a bottle of Free & Easy, but didn’t think he’d take them. When he did, I realized just how much he hurt. He never said anything though. That is, until a few days after he ran out and had to resort to bathing his hands in warm water again. He actually asked for more F&E!
Free & Easy for Dogs
Story in a nutshell: Have an Australian Cattle Dog who will be 11 years old this August. He injured himself, caught his rear paw when running onto the deck early on. He favored it on and off for quite some time. Got tired of meds from vet when he seemed to be favoring it from time to time. He actually got to a point, at one time, that he couldn’t go up the stairs. So, looked for a more holistic approach. Researched the internet and found a site with testimonials on Free and Easy. Then researched the best price to buy which was from you. At the time I began using Free and Easy also switched him to an organic, high quality dog food to which I add a spoon of pureed celery to each meal, as celery contains alot of water content which aids the joints in arthritic situations. The vet not convinced about this, but I find the results to be good. And the rest is history. Don’t know if it is one item or combination of all, but he has not been on meds for this condition for years now.
R Witalec
DynaCoat
Well it worked, back to back Winners Bitch (had not earned any points for the previous two years).
Sandy Nixon
Showdown
The dog’s coats are what people comment on the most. They look like they have just been bathed they are so shiny. Their gums have a nice color as well.
Captain Tim Bradbeer
Beach and Bay Charters
Showdown
Bow is doing great. Still a ball of energy at 8 years and no signs of slowing down.
Robin Thorne
14 year old Billy’s Healthy Senior Lifestyle
https://www.dynamitespecialty.com/blog/14-year-old-billys-healthy-senior-lifestyle/
Scooby Recovers from Sinus Tumor
https://www.dynamitespecialty.com/blog/dog-and-dynamite-vs-cancer/
Free and Easy Gives New Spark to 11-Year-Old Dog
https://www.dynamitespecialty.com/blog/free-and-easy-gives-new-spark-to-11-year-old-dog/
Bernese Mountain Dog, Deuce, Makes a Showy Change in 2 Months
https://www.dynamitespecialty.com/blog/bernese-mountain-dog-makes-a-showy-change/
Weight Loss – 180 & Dynalite
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U9g-S2IeBc
Trace Minerals Vs. Pocket Knife Wound
https://www.dynamitespecialty.com/blog/tracemineralspocketknife/
The Concepts of Free Choice Minerals
https://www.dynamitespecialty.com/blog/the-concepts-of-free-choice-minerals/
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, prevent or mitigate any disease. But you can always contact us if you have any questions. You can also get more information by clicking the button below.
Ticks are tiny, blood-sucking parasites that can cause serious health problems in dogs. They live in tall grass, brushy and wooded areas where they can latch onto pets and feed on their blood.
Tick-borne diseases are a growing concern for dog owners as these illnesses can be hard to diagnose and treat.
ABOUT TICKS
Ticks are related to spiders and mites. They feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and reptiles and can spread diseases to people and animals.
There are several species of ticks that can vary in size from 1mm (about the size of a pencil tip) to 6mm. When feeding, sometimes for days, they will get larger as they gorge on blood. They can be green, brown, black, or white, depending on the type and age of the tick.
Some of the most common ticks that can affect dogs in the United States include the American dog tick, lone star tick, brown dog tick. and black-legged tick.
If you find a tick crawling on you or your dog, scoop it into a small jar filled with rubbing alcohol. Don’t squish a tick because that could spread any disease it might be carrying. Not every tick is infected, but it’s better to treat them like they are.
“This is a tick that was fully engorged on a dog and fell off. It was put in a ziplock bag and we waited to see what happened to show you all. It’s been in the bag for 2 weeks with no air flow and started to lay eggs about 5 days ago, continuing to do so even still today. Imagine not knowing this was on your animal and it fell off in your house. You’d have 1000’s of baby ticks. GROSS! Please make sure your animals are currently being treated with flea and tick prevention. We know how prevalent they are in our area.”
TICK-BORNE DISEASES
Ticks spread disease by first feeding on an affected animal (or person) and later feeding on another animal (or person). When feeding, they insert their mouthparts into the host and drink the blood. Meanwhile, the tick’s saliva enters the host, potentially spreading disease.
They can transmit several diseases to dogs, some of which can be life-threatening. The most common are:
Lyme disease:
Bacteria carried by black-legged ticks cause this disease. Symptoms include fever, joint pain, headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite. In some cases, Lyme disease can cause kidney damage, heart problems, and neurological issues. Lime disease is in the upper midwestern, northeastern, and mid-Atlantic states and also on the west coast. There is a vaccine for Lyme.
Signs and symptoms: The first symptom is often a circular rash at the bite site that slowly grows to about two inches in diameter. It’s rarely itchy or painful. Other symptoms include fever, chills, and fatigue. Over time there may be additional rash sites and nerve damage that causes weakness and numbness.
Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis:
Bacteria, carried by an infected tick, cause these infections. Lone star ticks carry ehrlichiosis, black-legged ticks carry anaplasmosis. Symptoms are similar and include fever, headache, chills, fatigue, loss of appetite, and joint pain. In severe cases, ehrlichiosis can cause anemia and bleeding disorders, and anaplasmosis can cause respiratory distress and neurological issues. Ehrlichiosis is in the southeastern and south-central states. Anaplasmosis is in the upper Midwest and northeastern states.
Signs and symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever:
RMSF is a bacterial disease spread by an infected tick. Early symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, stomach pain, and loss of appetite. RMSF is most common in North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and along the US-Mexico border, but it does occur in every state.
Signs and symptoms: rash, fever, fatigue, swelling around the eyes and hands, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Later there may be necrosis, trouble breathing, brain swelling, and coma.
If you think your dog may have a tick-borne disease, check with your veterinarian immediately.
Life Stages
Each row shows an adult female, adult male, nymph, and larva of a species.
Top row: American dog tick
Middle row: Black legged tick
Bottom row: Lone star tick
Image courtesy Cornell University
PROTECTING YOUR DOG
Take preventive measures to protect your dog.
Avoid Tick-Infested Areas:
Ticks are found in tall grass and wooded areas. To reduce your dog’s risk of tick bites, avoid taking them to places where ticks are known to be present.
Keep Your Yard Clean:
To reduce your dog’s risk of tick bites, keep your yard clean and well-maintained. Mow your lawn regularly and remove any leaf litter or debris that may provide a hiding place for ticks.
Use Tick Preventatives:
Several tick preventatives are available for dogs, including sprays, collars, tablets, and chews. These products kill ticks before they can attach to your dog’s skin. Talk to your veterinarian about the best tick preventative for your dog.
Consider vaccinations:
There are vaccines for some tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme disease. Talk to your veterinarian about vaccinations recommended for your dog.
Check Your Dog For Ticks:
After spending time outdoors, thoroughly check your dog for ticks. Start by running your hands all over your dog. If you feel a bump, spread his fur to see if it’s a tick. Be sure to check all the nooks and crannies – in and around his ears, eyelids, facial wrinkles, under collars, “armpits”, groin area, and between his toes. Sometimes they’ll even feed on your dog’s gums. Another option is using a special tick comb to pull off ticks.
You can see a special comb used in this video.
If you find a tick, remove it using tweezers or a tick remover:
- Protect your skin with latex gloves.
- Using tweezers, pinch the tick close to your dog’s skin and pull away from the skin in a steady motion. Don’t twist or squeeze the tick because the head could break off.
- If you use a tick remover, slide it along your dog’s skin until you catch it in the notch. Pull away in a steady motion.
- Place the tick(s) in a small jar and cover it with rubbing alcohol. Ask your veterinarian if you need to bring it in for identification.
- Wipe a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic over the bite area.
- Then keep looking because there may be more.
Check Yourself For Ticks:
Ticks can also latch on to people, so check yourself for ticks after spending time outdoors. You probably won’t feel them on your skin or even when they bite and start feeding because they inject an anesthetic. If you find a tick, remove it immediately using tweezers or a tick remover detailed above.
If you live in, or are visiting, an area with lots of ticks, check your dog and yourself daily.
CONCLUSION
Tick-borne diseases are a threat to your dog’s health. Taking preventative measures can reduce the risk of tick bites and tick-borne diseases.
Talk to your veterinarian about which tick preventatives are best for your dog.
Header image courtesy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The first championship stake was held in Southampton, Long Island on November 20-21, 1938. Twenty-two of the best retrievers in the US came to compete. They retrieved pheasants shot in the field and ducks shot over water. The dogs saw some birds shot while other birds were planted out of sight. Dogs had to be guided by their handlers to find these birds.
In the header image, you can see the judges, owners, handlers, spectators and dogs trudging across the field trial grounds.
THE WINNER
One dog, Field Champion (FC) Blind of Arden did the work without a mistake. He clinched the win with the final blind retrieve described as follows:
“…a dead duck, unseen by the dogs, was planted on an island. At a signal from his handler, Blind jumped into the water and swam to the island. There he scented the bird, looked back only twice to the handler, who with his arm waved him in the right direction. Quickly finding the duck, Blind picked it up with a firm mouth, started swimming back to his handler.”
Blind retrieving a duck to his handler, Jasper Briggs.
Life Magazine featured Blind on the magazine’s cover on December 12, 1938. This was the first time a dog had ever been on the cover. (Note: You can see a copy of the cover here.)
US FIELD TRIALS
The Labrador Retriever breed was just getting started in the United States and had only been officially recognized by the America Kennel Club five years earlier.
The first retriever field trial was held in 1931. In 1935, Field and Stream Magazine provided a perpetual trophy that would be awarded each year to the dog that earned the most points in Open All-Age stakes. Blind of Arden won it the first year and his half-sister, FC Tar of Arden, won it a few years later. It was 1941 before the National Retriever Field Trial Club was formed.
(left) A handler controls the dog using whistle and arm signals.
(center) Three retriever breeds – a Curly coated retriever, a Labrador and a Chesapeake Bay retriever.
(right) Judges inspect a retrieved bird. Dogs must hold them firmly, but gently so as not to break the skin or crush the bird. After the trial, the birds are sold.
At that time, retriever trials were the realm of the very rich. Owners imported dogs from England, enticed dog trainers from Scotland and set up amazing hunting estates on the east coast. To have a chance of winning the Field and Stream trophy, dogs had to run in many trials throughout the East and Mid West.
Blind’s owner was W. Averell Harriman of New York. He was the son of a railroad baron and, in his own career, he served as Secretary of Commerce under President Truman, served as a diplomat in relations with the Soviet Union during World War II and later served as governor of New York.
Blind of Arden training with a live pheasant.
BLIND’S BLOODLINES
| Odds On FTW | The Favorite FTW | The Limit |
| Cache Of The Rhins FTW | ||
| Jest | Mansel’s Timothy | |
| Bess | ||
| Peggy of Shipton FTW | Ronald of Candahar | Eng FTCh Rag Tag |
| June | ||
| Gehta of Sigeforda | Eng FTCh Banchory Bluff | |
| Eng CH Balbeardie FTW |
Although Blind didn’t seem to produce any titled dogs himself, he did pass on his genetics to future generations. Some dogs that descend from him include:
- CNFC FC AFC Ardyn’s Ace of Merwalfin
- FTC AFTC Slo-Poke Smokey Of Dairy Hill
- FC AFC Jet of Zenith
- CNFC FC Rip of Holly Hill
Jet of Zenith’s pedigree is interesting.
Starting at the bottom of the pedigree, Blind’s daughter, Graysmarsh Middy, was bred to her cousin, 3xNFC CFC DUAL CH Shed of Arden, thus doubling up on Peggy of Shipton.
A female from that litter, Graysmarsh Christmas, was bred to CNFC FC Rip of Holly Hill. Rip was a great great grandson of Blind through Okanagan Molly, thus doubling up on Blind.
A female from the Rip x Christmas litter, Thornwood Rhea, was bred to NFC AFC Massie’s Sassy Boots. Boot’s mother, Penney of Wingan, had several lines back to Eng DUAL CH Banchory Bolo and other dogs owned or bred by Lorna, Countess Howe.
Then there’s Blind’s full sister – FC Decoy of Arden – who was an outstanding producer. She was the mother of:
- 3xNFC CFC DUAL CH Shed of Arden,
- DUAL CH Braes of Arden,
- DUAL CH Gorse of Arden,
- CH Earlsmoor Moor of Arden,
- CH Earlsmoor Marlin of Arden (all by CH Raffles of Earlsmoor) and
- FC Gun of Arden (by Toff of Hamyax FTW)
And Blind’s half-sister – NFC Tar of Arden (by Hiwood Risk) – who was the mother of Dual CH CFC Little Pierre Of Deer Creek.
(Click for help understanding the various titles dogs have earned)
Bringing your new puppy home is such an exciting time, but are you ready? Puppies need care and a lot of attention. It’s up to you to provide a safe environment. Check your house and buy your supplies before you bring your puppy home.
Here’s a checklist to help you get started!
PREPARATION
Schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a day or so after you’re scheduled to pick up your puppy.
Identify an emergency veterinarian as not all vets are available at night or on weekends.
If needed, find a reputable day care, puppy class and/or trainer.
Determine where the puppy will sleep, preferably in a crate to start.
Determine who will be primarily responsible for feeding and caring for the puppy. As the puppy starts to learn commands, be sure everyone uses the same command to not confuse the puppy.
GETTING YOUR HOUSE AND GARAGE READY
Safety first! Get down at your puppy’s level and search for everything that could be potentially dangerous and for anything you don’t want chewed. Also be aware of anything your puppy could jump or climb on to reach higher.
Check every room in your house plus the yard, garage and any other buildings your puppy might be able to access.
In the house:
Check behind any furniture where your puppy could hide and block it off. Block access to under beds.
Protect electrical cords, TV and computer cables and electrical outlets. It’s very common for puppies to chew on wires, but it can be deadly. Don’t forget about remote controls.
Keep shoes and clothing picked up or behind closed closet doors.
Place all medication and supplements inside a cupboard well out of reach of your puppy’s best efforts. Those bottles might be “child proof”, but they won’t last long against puppy teeth.
Store all cleaning supplies in a cabinet secured with a cable or in a high cabinet that the puppy can’t climb. Don’t forget to put bars of soap, bottles of shampoo, makeup, razors, cotton balls, tissues, aftershave, perfume, etc out of reach.
Secure all trash containers with a puppy-proof lid or inside a cabinet.
Store decorations, candles, plug-in scented sprays out of reach or in a secured cabinet.
Store office supplies such as rubber bands, staples and paperclips in drawers or a secure cupboard.
Keep cigarettes, cigars and loose tobacco out of reach of puppies.
Check for toxic plants inside – and outside – of the house. Move them safely out of the puppy’s reach. Check for plants are poisonous for dogs.
If you have cats or other pets, move the litter box where the puppy can’t get to it.
Don’t forget to check every closet or cubbyhole.
If there is an area that just can’t be puppy proofed, use a quality baby gate and/or an exercise pen to keep him out.
Be vigilant about keeping everything put away, out of puppy’s reach.
Garage and yard:
Check for holes in or under your fencing and anything your puppy could climb in, on or under.
If you have a deck, place a barrier so the puppy can’t fall off or down the stairs.
Move all paint, pesticides, rodent poisons, cleaners, chemicals, bug spray, fertilizers, etc out of puppy’s reach – at least five feet off the floor – or in a secured cabinet.
Store tools and power equipment out of puppy’s reach.
Do the same with antifreeze, fuel and other car fluids. These may taste sweet to a puppy, but they are deadly.
If any trash cans don’t have a secure lid, place the can in a secure cupboard or out of puppy’s reach.
Check for plants that could be potentially toxic to your puppy using the link above. These items are also toxic:
- pit fruits such as apricots, cherries, peaches, plums and avocados
- garlic, onion and chives
- grapes and currants
- chili peppers
- lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit
- potatoes and tomatoes
- rhubarb
- tobacco
- coffee grounds and tea bags
Move or place a puppy-proof barrier around any toxic plants.
Check everything a second time a day or so before you welcome your puppy home.
SAFETY PRODUCTS
Now that you’ve found potential trouble spots, here are some products that might help.
Electrical:
For some reason, puppies are attracted to power cords. They’re small enough to fit in their mouths, easy to chew and potentially deadly.
Clear Electrical Wire Protector (Total 30 Feet)
Wire Loom Tubing To Protect Wires from Pets
Outlet Covers 38-Pack White Child Proof Electrical Plug Covers
Electrical Outlet Cover Box Childproof Large Plug Cover (Transparent)
Dual Fit Outlet Plug Cover White 2 Count
Securing cabinets and other areas:
Child Safety Strap Locks (10 Pack) White/Gray
Under Bed Couch Blocker for Pets 8 Pack 4.7″ High 126″ Long
Mom’s Choice Award – Metal Baby Gate, 29-48″ Extra Wide Pressure Mounted
Banister Guard Child Safety Net – 15ft x 3ft tall (white)
Outdoor Deck Rail Safety Net – 16ft x 38″ tall (black)
PUPPY SUPPLIES
Now that your house is safe, what do you need for puppy?
Health:
Pet Thermometer Waterproof Fast and Accurate Measurements
Disposable Probe Covers for Thermometer, 50 Count
Pet Infrared Ear Thermometer for Dogs and Cats, Rechargeable ℃/℉
Collars and leashes:
If you must add tags to your puppy’s collar, tape them flat to the collar. Dangling tags can be caught in heat/AC vents, openings in crates and many other narrow openings. When that happens dogs will often fight against it and may twist to the point of strangulation.
Also, if you have more than one dog and they like to play – especially if they grab each other by the neck – remove the collars. Too many dogs have died of strangulation when they caught their lower jaw in another dog’s collar. Both will struggle and twist. And it happens fast. I had it happen. Both dogs wore quick-release collars, but one twist and one dog was choking while the other dog fought to get free. Had I not been 15 feet away when it happened, at least one dog would probably have died. My dogs no longer wear collars except when competing, however they are all microchipped.
Unless you have a short nose dog like a Pug or a dog with a slender head like a Greyhound, avoid using a harness. Harnesses can be hard to fit and a poorly-fitted harness can cause chafing or allow the dog to slip out. It should also be taken off when the dog doesn’t need to be on leash.
Reflective Multi-Colored Stripe Adjustable Dog Collar, Violet and River Blue, Medium, Neck 14.5″-20″
Avoid retractable leashes – “flexi-leads” – especially for puppies. More accidents seem to happen with these leashes. Even a small dog running toward an attraction can hit the end of the cord and snap the clasp or collar. When that happens the cord will quickly retract and possibly hit you or bystanders causing “broken teeth, due to the collar or metal clasp breaking and swinging back into your face.” Grabbing the cord or having it wrap around a hand or leg can lead to deep cuts and even amputation.
This is a better option than a flexi-lead. It adjusts to 3 lengths: 4, 5 and 7-1/2 feet. Clip it around your chest, waist or shoulder to free your hands. It’s available in a variety of colors.
Adjustable Dog Training Leash | Secure & Non-Slip Rubberized Nylon Grip Hands Free Dog Leash (Black)
Bowls:
I have some of these bowls. They’re almost indestructible, dishwasher safe and don’t move around like regular stainless steel bowls.
Deep Stainless Steel Anti-Slip Dog Bowls, Set of 2, Each Holds Up to 6 Cups
Another option if you have a fast eater is this slow feeder bowl. There are several design, color and size choices.
Outward Hound Fun Feeder Slo Bowl, Slow Feeder Dog Bowl, Medium/Mini, Orange
Beds:
Reasonably priced washable dog beds, sized to fit in crates. Medium for puppies and smaller Labs 30x20x3″. Large for an adult Lab 36x24x3″. Extra Large for a big, adult male Lab 48x24x3″.
Waterproof Dog Bed, Reversible, Removable Washable Cover & Waterproof Inner Lining – Medium
Probably best to wait on introducing a quality dog bed until your puppy is house-trained and past the teething stage. Otherwise these are outstanding dog beds.
Best Friends by Sheri The Original Calming Donut Cat and Dog Bed in Shag Fur Taupe, Extra Large 45×45 – big enough for adult dog
Grooming:
This is my go-to brush for Labs. It’s great for removing dirt and dead hair and the dogs love the attention.
Zoom Groom Dog Brush, Groom and Massage While Removing Loose Hair and Dead Skin – Blue
If your dog grows a thicker coat than the Zoom Groom can get through, this rake can go deeper to remove dead hair. Just use it gently.
Ergonomic Undercoat Pets Rake, Dog Dematting Brush
For young puppies you can use fingernail clippers to just cut the sharp hook off the end of each nail. Remember to do this every couple of weeks. Be careful of cutting too deep and making the nail bleed. As your puppy matures, switch to a dog nail clipper.
Dog Nail Clippers Safety Guard and Nail File
For some dogs who have learned to fear nail trimming, here is a smooth and quiet clipper.
Dog Nail Trimmer for Anxiety Sensitive Dog, Quiet Sharpest Smoothest Dog Nail Clippers
4 Pack Dog Toothbrush for Dog Teeth Cleaning Dog Finger Toothbrush
The cleanest teeth I’ve ever seen belonged to dogs fed a raw meat and bones diet. This is likely due to the chewing involved, but also because of the enzymes in the meat. Another option is brushing their teeth with an enzymatic toothpaste.
Enzymatic Toothpaste for Dogs and Cats (Poultry)
Burt’s Bees for Puppies Natural Tearless 2 in 1 Shampoo and Conditioner
Containment:
Don’t skip crate training! It makes house training easier and will help in an emergency, such as a fire, tornado or flooding especially if you have to transport your dog or place him in a boarding kennel.
For a puppy, set up a wire crate with the divider panel positioned so he can stand up, lie down, turn around, and stretch. Don’t make it any bigger because he will likely potty in one end and sleep in the other. Gradually move the divider to give the puppy more space as he grows.
To help with crate training, place the crate close enough so the puppy can see you, but not in a busy area. Watch for when he’s starting to tire and place him in the crate so there’s less resistance. Add a puppy blanket and a toy in the crate with him.
You can get a plastic airline-type crate instead, but they don’t generally have a divider. Instead you will have to block off part of a bigger crate or buy a few crates in different sizes. There are generally used ones for sale on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, just be sure to clean a used crate well.
For people who cannot take their new puppy out to potty every 2-3 hours, you can set up an area with access to the outside or to a litter box or doggy lawn. Surround the area with an exercise pen and clip it to a crate to help keep it from moving around. Or use a baby gate to partition a room.
This is an excellent exercise pen for occasional use such as while traveling or attending competitions. However it’s probably not suitable for a puppy without supervision as it can be tipped over. It folds to about 24 x 30 x 3″
Foldable Metal Dog Exercise Pen / Pet Playpen, 24″W x 30″H
After a bit of training, this pen could be used for a puppy left alone for awhile. It is made of heavier construction with additional features:
- automatic gravity lock design ensures you can open and close the door smoothly and reduce the chance of your dog unlocking it
- Muffler Tube installed on the rings can minimize any noise caused by the rattling of the rods or panels
- Anti-slip silicone pads installed on the stakes and the bottom of the panels provide friction to reduce the possibility of the pen being pushed down and can prevent the stakes from scratching your floors
HomePlus Playpen Designed for Indoor Use 32″H 8 panels
Here’s a waterproof tarp for under an exercise pen – indoors or outdoors.
Heavy Duty Poly Tarp – 8′ x 10′ – 10 Mil Thick Waterproof
Puppies seem to like these grass mats more than pee pads, however they require cleaning while the pee pads can be thrown away.
Puppy Pad Holder Tray – Silicone, 24 x 24″
Super Absorbent Pee Pads for Dogs, Leak-Proof
Clean up:
Time-tested style of pooper scooper. Metal. Requires two hands – one to hold the tray and one to use the scraper or rake.
Pooper Scooper, Extra Large with Long Handle, Metal Poop Tray and Rake Set
Newer style with one-handed operation and spring-loaded clam shell pickup. Handle folds in half.
Pet Pooper Scooper for Dogs and Cats with Long Handle
Zero Odor – Pet Odor Eliminator – Permanently Eliminate Air & Surface Odors
Go Here Attractant Indoor and Outdoor Dog Training Spray
TREATS & TOYS
First off, here are several treats and toys to avoid:
- Rope toys can be dangerous – if they’re too small, the dog might swallow it whole, ropes labeled as indestructible or cotton-blend likely contain indigestible nylon and/or polyester and, unlike other things puppies might swallow, long strands of rope can get tangled in your dog’s stomach or intestines.
- Toys small enough to get stuck in their throat are a choking hazard.
- Rawhide treats are not digestible and, if your dog swallows a large piece whole it could cause choking or an obstruction. Also they are often coated with toxic chemicals.
- Cooked bones are usually very hard and brittle. They can cause a broken tooth, cuts or obstructions in the dog’s mouth, throat and digestive system, and round bones can get stuck around the lower jaw.
- Although some people swear by Greenies, they do pose a risk of intestinal blockage and possible death despite the claim of being “highly digestible.” Instead you might try a single-ingredient chew such as pig, cow or lamb ears, duck or chicken feet, beef trachea or tendon or bullysticks. Because of their natural origins, you may want to give them as outdoor treats.
- Avoid tennis balls as the fuzz will wear down teeth, they can get stuck in your dog’s throat and strong chewers may swallow the fuzz and/or parts of a split ball which can lead to an obstruction. It’s better to give your dog a ball specifically designed for dogs and big enough to prevent a choking hazard.
Here are a few treats and chews we like:
N-Bone Puppy Teething Rings Chicken Flavor Dog Treat, 6 count bag, 7.2-oz
KONG – Puppy Toy Natural Teething Rubber – Fun to Chew, Chase and Fetch – for Medium Puppies – Pink
Multipet Plush Dog Toy, Lambchop, 10″, White/Tan, Small
iHeartDogs Heartbeat Puppy Toy – Comfort Cuddler Pillow – Dog Anxiety Toy
BoniVet Bully Stick Holder for Dogs, Chew Holder, Prevent Choking Safety Device
FOOD
Several years ago, factories in China added wheat gluten adulterated with melamine to pet food and treats as a cheap way to boost the protein percent. Many animals died after eating these foods. Since then other products from China, including milk, ice cream and canned coffee drinks, have tested positive for melamine. It’s probably best to avoid any food products made in China.
For other things to avoid, check out People Foods Dogs Shouldn’t Eat.
We feed Dynamite Super Premium dog food.
From their website at DynamiteSpecialty.com:
“A superior kibble free of the common allergens corn and wheat is made with fresh, hand-trimmed USDA chicken. It also contains chicken cartilage that is rich in natural glucosamine. On top of that our Super Premium contains prebiotics and probiotics to aid digestion.
“Made with minimal processing to help preserve the natural goodness of the ingredients, our small-batch recipe is not baked. Instead, we use state-of-the-art technology that utilizes a low-temperature, high-moisture extrusion. This method assures all starch is cooked and minimal damage occurs to the proteins.”
We also give DynaPro:
“Canine health depends on a thriving population of beneficial gut microbes. Factors such as stress, diet changes, chemical wormers, vaccinations, and antibiotics will cause a dog’s gut to become an unfriendly environment and will force microbes to go dormant. Dyna Pro is designed to create the ideal conditions for good microbes to come out of dormancy, multiply, and thrive so your dog gets optimal utilization of food and supplements, resulting in a vibrant animal!”
An alternative food is Purina Pro Plan High Protein Puppy Food.
SECURITY
Kasa Indoor Pan/Tilt Smart Security Camera, 1080p HD Dog Camera 2.4GHz with Night Vision, Motion Detection for Baby and Pet Monitor, Cloud & SD Card Storage, Works with Alexa & Google Home (EC70)
Petcube Cam Indoor Wi-Fi Pet and Security Camera with Phone App, Pet Monitor with 2-Way Audio and Video, Night Vision, 1080p HD Video and Smart Alerts for Ultimate Home Security
BRINGING PUPPY HOME
Take a towel or a small blanket to wrap puppy in for the drive home. Also a roll of paper towels, a plastic bag and a spray cleaner for any accidents on the way.
Take puppy’s new collar and leash. Buy them before going to pick up your puppy. You shouldn’t be taking him into any stores or to any parks or other public places until he has at least his second set of vaccines. Check with the breeder for correct size.
Put out a fresh bowl of water. Feed your puppy three times a day for the first couple of months. Pick up the food bowl after 15 minutes, whether he’s finished eating or not. Allowing your puppy to nibble any time of day will start a bad habit. One cup of food at each meal should be about the right amount for a Labrador or similar size dog. Check with your breeder if you have questions.
Keep the toilet lid closed if you use any cleaners.
Don’t use a flea collar, sprays or any other pesticides except on your veterinarian’s advice and preferably not until your puppy is at least four months old.
Don’t have other dogs over to meet your puppy until his vaccinations are completed.
Lastly, be sure to have your veterinarian’s phone number posted by the phone!
As pet owners, we always want to give our dogs the best possible care. We take them on long walks, feed them nutritious meals, and make sure they get plenty of exercise. However, sometimes even our best efforts can’t protect them from hidden dangers. One such danger that’s becoming more common is blue-green algae, which produces toxins that are deadly to dogs.
What is Blue-Green algae?
They are a type of bacteria found in various bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes, rivers, and even saltwater. It’s found throughout the world, generally when the weather is warm and sunny (or has been recently).
Usually blue-green in color, it can form dense mats, called blooms, on the water’s surface, ranging in size from small patches to covering entire lakes. Or it can look shiny, oily, or like paint floating on the water.
Even short-term exposure can cause acute illnesses in people and dogs. Playing in contaminated water can cause hay fever-like symptoms, skin rashes, and respiratory and digestive distress. Drinking water contaminated with a high concentration of blue-green algae could cause liver and kidney damage. Symptoms often begin within hours.
The dangers of blue-green algae for dogs
Dogs are generally more at risk, as they like to play and swim in the water and even drink it. Symptoms can appear within minutes of exposure, and can include:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- weakness
- difficulty breathing
- seizures
- death
If you suspect that your dog has been exposed to blue-green algae, it’s important to act quickly. Immediately speak with your vet and describe the symptoms your dog is exhibiting. If possible, bring a sample of the water with you to the vet to help with diagnosis and treatment.
Identifying blue-green algae
Although it can sometimes be difficult to identify, tell-tale signs include:
- water that looks like pea soup, green paint, or blue-green scum
- foam or bubbles on the surface of the water
- clumps or mats on the water or along the shoreline
- a musty or earthy smell
If you suspect that there may be blue-green algae present in a body of water, keep your dog away from the water.
Test kits are available that can be done on-site, with results in about 15 minutes. Be sure to use waterproof gloves when collecting a sample. Nitrile exam gloves are readily available online or at a local pharmacy.
Protect your dog from exposure.
The best way to protect your dog from blue-green algae is to prevent exposure in the first place. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Check for local advisories.
Many states have websites that post advisories about blue-green algae outbreaks in local bodies of water. Check out these advisories before heading out with your dog.
Keep your dog on a leash.
If you’re not sure about the safety of a body of water, keep your dog on a leash and away from the water. This can help prevent him from drinking potentially contaminated water.
Avoid stagnant water.
Blue-green algae thrive in stagnant water, so it’s best to avoid ponds or lakes that don’t have a lot of circulation.
Be vigilant.
Watch your dog closely for any symptoms when they are swimming or playing in the water. If you see any of the symptoms listed above, contact your veterinarian immediately.
Click for a Test Kit available on Amazon
Quick Reminder
Blue-green algae often grows in ponds and lakes when the weather has been warm and sunny. The toxins it produces can be deadly to dogs.
Check for clumps of blue-green algae in the water or along the shoreline. Sometimes it will look shiny, oily, or like paint floating on the water. If you’re not sure, keep your dog out of the water.
Test kits are available and only take about 15 minutes for results.
If your dog goes in or drinks any water that you suspect has blue-green algae, contact your veterinarian immediately for advice.
Be aware of the health risks and take precautions to reduce your dog’s exposure to contaminated water. Keep your dog safe and healthy so they can enjoy the outdoors.
Header image courtesy California Waterboards – https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) is an inherited disease that affects eyesight in Labrador Retrievers and several other breeds. It causes degeneration of the retina which is where light is changed into electrical signals and sent to the brain.
PRA is not painful but affected dogs will go blind.
ABOUT PRA
There are several forms of PRA in dogs, and Labs have the prcd-PRA form. The PRCD part stands for progressive rod-cone degeneration and is caused by a mutation in the PRCD gene.
Affected puppies are born with normal retinas, but over time the cells break down which causes the blindness. When that happens varies however it often starts when they’re about three to five years old.
The rod cells – helpful with night vision and motion detection – generally break down first. The cone cells – helpful with color detection – will break down next, ending with complete blindness.
You may not notice it right away because dogs adjust very well. It is more noticeable after dark or when the dog is away from home. Some signs include:
- bumping into things
- hesitating to use stairs
- seeming disoriented
- reluctant to go outside after dark
- dilated pupils
PREVENTION
PRA is a preventable genetic problem.
Annual eye exams by a veterinary ophthalmologist can detect a variety of eye problems. Early detection may make a difference in some diseases.
However, you can have your dog tested with a simple test. Get a few sterile swabs (they look like a long q-tip). Wait an hour after your dog has eaten, then wash your hands and position the swab between his cheek and gums. Swirl it ten times and place the swab back in the packaging. Repeat with another swab inside the other cheek. Package and mail the swabs to a laboratory that does genetic testing for dogs.
I use DDC and like that they’re polite, fast, and reasonably priced. They offer a variety of genetic tests, and you can do several tests or just one at a time. They’ll also send you a packet of swabs if needed.
About two weeks later, you’ll get an email with the results. Dogs that are clear of the mutated gene are not at risk and will pass clear genes to their puppies. Labs having one copy of the mutated gene are not at risk but may pass that gene to puppies. Labs having two copies of the mutated gene will gradually go blind, and all of their puppies will have at least one copy of that gene. There is no cure.
If you plan to breed your dog, this is one of the tests you should do. Finding out whether your dog is clear, a carrier, or affected will help avoid producing puppies with prcd-PRA. An exception would be if both of your dog’s parents were tested clear AND you have copies of those results.
Prevention is as easy as choosing at least one parent tested clear of PRA.
HELPING A BLIND DOG
If your dog has two copies of the mutated gene, he will gradually go blind. Dogs generally accept it much better than people do, but you’ll want to help him cope anyway.
Be aware that blind dogs may become disoriented and anxious. Losing sight can also reduce his quality of life if he can’t do some of the things he enjoyed doing.
Start helping him by fencing off potentially dangerous areas, such as:
- long flights of stairs, indoors and outdoors
- holes and steep slopes
- cactus and other similar plants
If you have any remodeling plans, try to finish that while your dog can still see. Do the same with rearranging furniture.
You may notice he doesn’t see as well in dim light. If so, provide additional lighting if you can.
Keep your dog’s bowls and crate or bed in the same spots.
Add tactile and/or scent clues so he can find his way. For example, add throw rugs in front of furniture and gravel or wood chips in front of bushes. Spray a particular scent near his bowls and another scent on his bed. Always use those same scents in each location.
If he likes toys, get some that make sounds. A giggle ball can be particularly fun.
And best of all, talk to your dog. He may jump if he doesn’t know you’re about to touch him, so talk or make some noise first. When calling him to come to you, don’t just say it once, continue speaking so he can find you. He can also learn cue words, such as “watch out” and “step”, to help him navigate.
OPHTHALMOLOGIST EXAMS
Even if your dog has been tested for PRA, an annual eye exam is a good idea. Other conditions can affect vision and overall eye health.
Some of the most common eye problems in Labs include:
- Cataracts: a clouding of the lens in the eye, which can cause vision problems or blindness. Labs are prone to developing juvenile cataracts, which appear before the dog is a year old.
- Retinal Dysplasia: a developmental disorder that affects the retina, and can cause vision problems or blindness. This is another hereditary condition in Labs.
- Corneal Dystrophy: a group of genetic disorders that affect the cornea, which can cause vision problems or corneal ulcers. Labs can be affected by epithelial/stromal corneal dystrophy.
- Glaucoma: a condition that causes increased pressure within the eye, which can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness. Labs are prone to developing glaucoma.
- Entropion: a condition where the eyelashes rub against the eye and cause irritation. Labs are prone to developing entropion.
Dr. Becker Discusses Blindness in Pets
SUMMARY
PRA is a significant health concern in Labs. There is currently no cure for PRA, but genetic testing is quick and easy.
If you’re planning to breed your dog, have him or her tested. Ensure at least one potential parent is clear of PRA.
If you’re considering buying a puppy, check if the parents have been tested clear. Check for proof, not just that they’ve been cleared by the local vet.
No dog should go blind because of PRA.
When my chocolate Lab was about 13 years old I noticed his bark was sounding a bit hoarse. I thought he had a cold but after checking with my veterinarian I learned it was laryngeal paralysis. I made some changes to his care and lifestyle that helped him live to 17. That’s quite old for a Labrador.
The hoarse bark is a telltale sign of Laryngeal paralysis. Some dogs might have noisy or labored breathing. Others might faint from a lack of oxygen.
Read on to learn what dog owners should know about laryngeal paralysis.
Understanding Laryngeal paralysis in older dogs
The Larynx: Gateway to Breathing and Sound.
The larynx – or voice box – is at the top of your dog’s throat. It regulates his breathing and includes vocal cords that make it possible for him to bark, growl, and whine.
Flaps inside the larynx cover the airway when your dog swallows to keep food or liquid from entering his windpipe.
The flaps open to allow your dog to breathe.
At least that’s what happens in a healthy dog.
What is Laryngeal Paralysis?
Sometimes because of age or injury, the larynx might not open completely. This can restrict your dog’s breathing, especially when excited or playing hard. He might also become anxious, pant excessively, cough, or gag.
Laryngeal paralysis is common in middle-aged and older dogs of medium and large breeds. The sign most owners notice first is a change in the sound of their dog’s voice.
It can also be part of a neurologic condition called Geriatric Onset Laryngeal Paralysis Polyneuropathy (GOLPP). Owners often notice symptoms of laryngeal paralysis first because they’re the most obvious.
A related condition – mega-esophagus – happens when food piles up in the esophagus instead of continuing into the stomach. If there’s too much food stuck in the esophagus, your dog might vomit. These dogs are at risk of aspiration pneumonia because of laryngeal paralysis.
Another related condition causes weakness in the rear legs. Often mistaken for arthritis, it’s actually caused by the same nerve problem.
Causes of Laryngeal Paralysis
“Laryngeal paralysis can be a genetic condition, especially in Siberian Huskies, Bull Terriers, Bouvier de Flanders, Great Pyrenees, and Dalmatians.”
Or it can be caused by trauma, such as surgery, tumors or bite wounds to the neck. Understanding the underlying cause is important as it helps guide treatment and care options.
Symptoms of Laryngeal Paralysis
Changes in Breathing Patterns
A change in the way your dog breathes is one of the most common signs of laryngeal paralysis. You may notice an increased effort to breathe, a raspy sound while inhaling or exhaling, and sometimes breathing difficulty. When your dog’s breathing is restricted it can cause him to tire easily, faint or in severe cases, to die. Let your veterinarian know if you notice any changes in your dog’s breathing.
Altered Bark and Vocalization
Your dog’s ability to bark normally can be affected by laryngeal paralysis. It might become hoarse, weak, or even completely silenced. This change in the ability to make himself heard can be troubling for both you and your dog.
Exercise and Heat Intolerance
Dogs with laryngeal paralysis may have trouble working or playing and might tire more easily. They might need frequent breaks even during regular walks.
They may also have trouble regulating their body temperature which can make heat stroke more likely. Be sure to provide plenty of cool water and shade on hot days.
Other Potential Symptoms
For some dogs, symptoms include gagging, difficulty swallowing, noisy breathing, extreme panting, and exercise intolerance. If the larynx can’t close completely, food or liquid might “go down the wrong pipe” causing him to cough.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Veterinary Evaluation
If you notice potential symptoms of laryngeal paralysis, make an appointment with your veterinarian. The visit should include a medical history and a thorough physical examination. To check the diagnosis and evaluate the extent of the problem, your veterinarian might use X-rays or a scope with a camera. Sometimes even more tests are needed.
The treatment options available can depend on the severity of your dog’s symptoms and his state of health. In mild cases, medical management may be enough to relieve symptoms.
You might need to make some changes such as taking walks in the cooler part of the day. Managing his weight may help. Also, your veterinarian might prescribe medications.
Surgical Interventions
In more severe cases surgery could be considered. This procedure – often called “tie-back surgery” – permanently tacks open one side of the larynx. Unfortunately, this increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia and choking.
Be sure to check with your veterinarian about the potential benefits and risks to your dog.
Personalized Treatment Plans
A treatment plan should be tailored to your dog’s individual needs to improve quality of life and manage symptoms.
Managing Life with a Dog with Laryngeal Paralysis
Home Care Tips
Some things you can do at home to help your dog include:
- Providing a calm and stress-free environment to reduce breathing difficulties.
- Having plenty of fresh water available and a cool place to relax, especially during hot weather.
- If your dog has had the surgery or has a mega-esophagus, buy some elevated bowls to reduce the risk of aspiration.
Also schedule regular check-ups with your veterinarian. These follow-up visits will give him a chance to check your dog’s breathing, overall health, and response to treatment.
Recognizing and Responding to Emergencies
For a dog with laryngeal paralysis, problems can quickly become critical.
If you notice severe breathing difficulties, pale gums, excessive panting, or collapse, it can be a life-threatening situation. It’s important to act quickly. Be prepared to seek emergency veterinary care.
In Conclusion
All dogs with laryngeal paralysis need extra monitoring, some more than others. Learning about the symptoms and treatment options available can help you provide the best possible care.
Work closely with your veterinarian and don’t hesitate to seek their guidance when needed. Your care and support can help your dog continue leading a happy life.
Can you tell which is a purebred Weimaraner and which is a ‘Silver Lab’?
Years ago it was really hard to tell a silver from a Weimaraner. Unless you looked at the tail. In the US, Weimaraners have their tails docked to six inches. Other countries have outlawed cropping ears and docking tails, so looking at the tail in those locations is not helpful.
Over time, silver breeders have bred their dogs to purebred Labs so the silvers are looking more Lab-like. And they decided to lie and declare their mixed-breed dog are purebred Labradors. This is the silver Lab myth.
EARLY LABRADOR RETRIEVERS
The Labrador Retriever originated in Newfoundland and the early dogs were black. Some had white markings from the St John’s dog.
Several of these dogs were imported to England and Scotland during 1800s. Impressed by their retrieving desire and overall work in the field, wealthy sportsmen imported more dogs and began breeding them.
The majority of these dogs were black, but breeders documented an occasional brown or yellow puppy. But black was – and still is – the most common color.
ORIGIN OF THE “SILVER LAB MYTH”
According to the Factual Review by Margaret Wilson, “There was never any mention in the meticulous and exhaustive breeding records, whelping logs, descriptions of markings colors, etc., and stud books kept by gentlemen of unimpeachable integrity of any dog being produced that was, in fact or in fantasy, a dilute. Not in ANY of the retriever breeds developed from the St. John’s dog during that time in Great Britain. The dilute allele was introduced after the establishment of the recognized breeds. In the case of the Labrador this introduction occurred in the USA during the latter part of the 20th century.”
Because a variety of breeds were crossed with Labs early in their history, occasionally a mismark will pop up. Some have tan markings like a Doberman, some are brindle like a Great Dane, some are splashed with white. These mismarks are rare, but they do still occur. Unlike the ‘silver Labs’ these dogs are considered purebred Labs.
Interestingly there was no mention of ‘silver Labs’ until the mid-1900s. And for years after that they were only found in the US. There were none in the United Kingdom until 2006 when some silvers were exported from the US. If these dogs really were purebred Labradors they should have appeared a long time ago in the breed’s home country.
So where did this color come from?
Most likely from the Weimaraner which comes “in shades of mouse-gray to silver-gray” per the breed standard. Every dog of this breed has two copies of the recessive dilution gene (“dd”) which gives them the silvery color.
Labs, however, do not have the dilution gene. A purebred Lab is “DD” which means they have two copies of the dominant, non-dilute gene.
Breeding Labs with Weimaraners will produce dogs with normal Lab colors, however they will all carry the dilute gene (“Dd”). Breeding these dogs together can produce dogs that don’t carry the dilute gene and dogs that carry one copy of that gene. These dogs will have normal Lab colors. However that cross can also produce dogs that have two copies of the dilute gene (“dd”) with diluted colors.
The dilute colors have been named “charcoal”, “silver” and “champagne.” These dogs often have a lavender cast to the coat and light greenish eyes, both traits from the Weimaraner.
When and how did ‘silver Labs’ appear?
Just about every ‘silver Lab’ can be traced back to two breeders – Crist Culo Kennels and Beaver Creek Labradors. They gained notoriety in the mid-1980s. Neither has a current website. There is also mention of a magazine advertisement for “rare gray Labradors” that appeared sometime in the 1950s. Although it’s mentioned over and over again, no one has been able to produce a copy. They can’t even even agree on which magazine it appeared in. Perhaps it’s just a legend like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.
In 1987 the American Kennel Club (“AKC”) investigated a litter of silver puppies. After looking at the puppies and paperwork they decided “there was no reason to doubt that the dogs were purebred Labrador Retrievers.” That statement is not the same as saying the dogs were purebred. Rather it meant they had no proof the dogs were of mixed parentage. Genetic testing would likely have proven the records were falsified, but without it they relied on the breeder’s word. Read on to learn about his veracity.
Crist Culo Kennels
Dean Crist appears to be the first person to market ‘silver Labs’ and was adamant that they were purebred Labs. He even boasted that he “offered $100,000 to anyone who could simply prove” he was cross-breeding to produce ‘silver Labs.’ It was a safe bet without genetic testing. When testing did become available, it could only show whether a particular dog was a parent of a specific puppy. It couldn’t prove anything about the first cross-breeding.
The dogs at Crist Culo Kennels were intensely inbred – mother to son, father to daughter, brother to sister. This was most likely done to increase the number of dogs carrying the dilute gene and thus his profit margin.
Half-truths, at best
On his website this breeder claimed “… there is also little doubt AKC will eventually have to concede to the growing public pressure to make Silver a recognized color for Labs in America.” I guess he didn’t know that AKC doesn’t have the power to make silver a recognized color of Labradors. The Labrador Retriever Club (“LRC”), as the parent club for Labs in the US, is in control of the breed standard and does not recognize any dog with a dilute color as a purebred Lab.
He also claimed that “…kennel clubs around the world (who do not have the political pressure from mercenary American breeders of ‘normal’ color Labs) already accept Silver Labs without all the political fuss and pressure being applied to AKC.” The truth is, except for AKC, no kennel club, anywhere, accepts “silver Labs” as purebred.
And despite numerous breedings of ‘silver Labs’, he claimed “Genetically speaking, Charcoal Labs are silver factored Yellow Labs.” When in fact dilute yellow Labs are a pale yellow with a lavender cast to their coat and “charcoal Labs” are diluted black Labs.
In more hyperbole, he claimed “Chocolate Labs were both controversial and rare in the U.S. in the early ‘80s.” Although not as common as black Labs, they were not controversial nor rare and many champions were chocolate:
- Am Mex CH Gunfields Super Charger CD WC (born 1969),
- CH Wingmasters Cobe of Mandigo CD (born 1972),
- CH Shamrock Acres Coco Bo (born 1974),
- CH Mallards Brown Spinner (born 1974, great great grandmother of NFC AFC Storm’s Riptide Star),
- CH Shamrock Acres Pot of Fudge CDX (born 1975),
- CH Wingmaster’s Swiss Ms CD (born 1977),
- CH Wingmasters Chisim Trail (born 1979),
- FC Mueller’s Stormy Canada (born 1980),
- CH Marshview’s Danick Big Bang CD (born 1980),
- CH Simerdowns Charley Brown CD (born 1980),
- CH Fantasy’s O’Malley CD (born 1983).
Saddest of all is that he claimed “sensitive skin or allergies … occur at the same frequency in Silver Labs as they occur in Chocolate Labs” and blamed puppy buyers for feeding a poor diet. In fact ‘silver Labs’ are commonly afflicted with color dilution alopecia, a genetic disorder in which the dog loses most or all of its hair. It’s not curable and is associated with the dilute color.
Although he has retired from breeding, other breeders of ‘silver Labs’ continue to spread his false information.
Beaver Creek Labradors
This kennel showed up in the 1990s – about 10 years after Crist Culo. They practiced less intense line breeding – using distant relatives – compared with the inbreeding done at Crist Culo Kennels. According to Crist, this kennel culled silver puppies until they saw him advertising ‘silver Labs’ for sale. He volunteered to sell the puppies for them so they could, apparently, avoid the backlash of cross breeding. Eventually they chose to market their own puppies.
Other breeders fell to the ‘shiny object syndrome.’ Some sourced their first dogs from early breeders, while others decided to breed their own ‘silver Labs.’ At least one was caught falsifying records and was suspended from AKC.
“EXPLAINING” SILVERS
There are a variety of stories told to explain the sudden appearance of “silver Labs” in the 1980s.
Some silver breeders point to gray puppies noted by Mary Roslin-Williams, however they only included the part that makes it seem like ‘silver Labs’ have been around for many years. What they didn’t share is that when those puppies shed their puppy coat they were black. Not silver, not charcoal.
A Dutch researcher created a database of Labs and traced most silver pedigrees back to two dogs from a large mid-western kennel. However he failed to mention that to register Labrador x Weimaraner puppies with the AKC, a false name and registration number from a Lab had to be used in place of the actual Weimaraner parent as noted in the recipe below. The dogs he pointed to were likely the “parents” only on paper.
Another oft-repeated myth is that the level of inbreeding at the Culo kennel resulted in the silver color. Rather the tremendous amount of inbreeding in these early silvers suggests producing the silver color was deliberate.
It only took one fraudulent breeding to introduce the dilution gene to the Lab breed and then lots of inbreeding to develop a line of ‘silver Labs.’ Since then there have been many more fraudulent registrations of Labrador x Weimaraner crosses registered as purebred Labs.
Interesting how there were no ‘silver Labs’ until the mid-1900s. And for years after that they were only found in the US. There were none in the UK until many years later. The silvers there were all imported from the US or descended from imports. You would think if these dogs really are purebred Labradors that they would have shown up a long time ago in the breed’s home country.
RECIPE FOR ‘SILVER LABS’*
It’s not hard to make your own ‘silver Lab’ bloodline, but it will take at least three dogs and two generations. Oh, and if the AKC catches you, plan on at least a lengthy suspension.
Step One:
If you have full registration for a Lab male and a Lab female plus access to a male Weimaraner, you could breed the Weimaraner to the Lab female and fraudulently claim the puppies’ father is the Lab male. With the vast number of puppies registered every year, AKC can’t check each and every litter.
Every puppy in this cross-bred litter will carry the dilute gene, but won’t have the dilute-colored coat.
Step Two:
When the puppies are old enough, breed them together. Yes, brother to sister. Just like the Crist Culo Kennels did. Statistically, their litters should be about 25% dd (dilute color), 25% DD (non-dilute) and 50% Dd (dilute carriers). The colors you get will depend on the color of the Lab grandmother. If she was a chocolate, you should have some ‘silvers.’
Step Three:
To “prove” these dogs are purebred Labs, buy AKC DNA kits and test the parents and puppies of this second generation. AKC is a registration body and will register any puppy when both parents are AKC registered and of the same breed. They don’t care if the puppy is pink with purple polka dots. The DNA is only to check whether a particular puppy could have been sired by a particular male and out of a particular female. They don’t check any farther back.
Congratulations! You have now committed fraud and potentially introduced additional health issues to the Labrador Retriever breed.
* Note: I do not condone fraud. This “recipe” is only to show how easy it is for crossbred dogs to contaminate a breed. And it is happening in many breeds, not just the Labrador Retriever.
However, not all crossbreeding is bad. In the Dalmation there is a problem with high levels of uric acid in their urine which can cause an obstruction. This problem is called hyperuricosuria (HU). Dalmations around the world were tested and all had HU, although it is rare in other breeds.
The Dalmatian/Pointer Backcross Project started by crossbreeding to a Pointer, a breed that does not have HU. After several generations of breeding back into Dalmations, the AKC accepted these dogs into the registry as Dalmatians. However it was another 30 years before a genetic test was available to determine which dogs carried the recessive HU gene and which were clear.
Why provide such a recipe?
To prove a point. Many people rely on the findings of that Dutch man who collected Labrador pedigrees. Developing the database was a wonderful undertaking. Tracing the dilute gene in his database and claiming it came from two dogs that were bred by a mid-western kennel was not.
As in the recipe above, the Lab males contributed NO genes to the puppies and grandpuppies. They were only listed as the fathers so the first-generation puppies could be AKC registered as purebred Labs. The male Weimaraner actually provided the genes.
Claiming those two dogs were the source of the dilute gene has cast doubt on the hundreds of actual descendants of those dogs.
HEALTH ISSUES
‘Silver Labs’ are prone to color dilution alopecia which is a painful and chronic condition linked to the dilute gene. Dogs appear normal as puppies, but at about six months begin to lose their hair. Some dogs may only have bald spots while others may lose all of their hair. Affected dogs may develop infections and granulomas which are the body’s attempt to wall off foreign bodies. There is no cure.
Read about a lady who believed the hype that the dilute gene was “inherent in the Lab gene pool” and that silvers didn’t have any health issues. Sadly her experience (and the experience of many others) was very different from what she was told. Her dog didn’t lose some hair; she was hairless. Not knowing any better back then, the lady bred her silver and produced puppies with allergy and coat problems.
SILVER LABS AROUND THE WORLD
“The overwhelming consensus among breed experts from legitimate Labrador clubs, the position of these accredited Labrador clubs, and a growing number of recognized purebred dog registries, is that the dilutes are the result of a cross breeding, with Weimaraner being the source of the dilute allele, and are therefore not registerable in a purebred registry.” LRC_News_Spring2018.pdf
In addition, the breed standards for Labrador Retrievers around the world only recognize the colors of black, chocolate and yellow. AKC lists any other color as a disqualification. Labs with the diluted color cannot be shown. Some countries do not allow them to be bred.
The Labrador Retriever Club (US)
The Labrador Retriever Club Inc is the parent club for the breed in the US and they are the liaison to the AKC. They do not condone the breeding of ‘silver Labs’ and have “good evidence in scientific literature indicating that the Labrador has never been identified as carrying the dilute gene…”
In other words, these dogs are not purebred Labradors.
The United Kennel Club and Hunting Retriever Club
The UKC standard is clear. Any color or combination of colors other than yellow, black, or chocolate is a disqualification. UKC does not recognize any form of silver coloration as a variation of the chocolate color and UKC does not and has not knowingly accepted registrations for Labradors that have a silver coat coloring.
Further they are not eligible to run in HRC hunt tests because the tests are only open to ‘gun dog’ breeds and dilutes are not considered purebred Labradors. They can participate in other UKC performance events, but must be neutered.
Great Britain
Dilute colors in Labradors are not recognized
Canada
Not a breed standard recognized color for Labrador Retrievers
The Netherlands
Dilute colors are not naturally occurring in Labradors. Breeding dilute Labs is banned.
New Zealand
At least one parent must be clear of the dilute allele.
Australia
Dilute Labradors may not be registered.
American Kennel Club
On the other hand, the AKC is a registration body. It’s position is if two dogs have full registration and are ‘registered’ as the same breed, they will register their puppies.
CONCLUSION
Had the early silver breeders been truthful about what they were doing there would probably have been some backlash, but not to the extent caused by the lies. What I – and most Labrador breeders – object to is calling these dogs ‘silver Labradors’ when they clearly have Weimaraner characteristics above and beyond the silver color. It’s particularly noticeable in the head, ear shape and eye color. Many ‘silver Lab’ breeders are now trying to breed to better quality Labradors to improve the look of their dogs. I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen.
Too many lies have been told and too much false information has been spread by these ‘silver Lab’ breeders. It’s time to ferret out every one of these cross bred dogs and stop calling them Labrador Retrievers. The LRC has offered to help them set up their own breed, but the silver breeders have refused. If they don’t want to have their own breed, so be it. Strip the AKC registration of every one of these crossbred dogs and see the breeders’ profits plummet.
