by Fred Lanting

I was sitting down to write an article for the Los Angeles County GSDC so they might be a little better prepared for my judging their show, but then realized most exhibitors will not be members and would not see the newsletter.  Thus, I am offering this to any and all.  If you want to put it on a website or use it in any other way (wrap fish, line puppy pen) feel free to do so.

Have you looked through the GSD magazines with any idea of comparing the pictures to those of other breeds, or even to the way this breed was presented in the 1960s and before? Have you noticed how different the American AKC GSD looks compared to others in the world? Or perhaps you have not looked beyond our borders at all.  If some of what I will say here is “old hat” to you, please forgive me and understand that I hope to reach a broad cross-section of exhibitors, and the GSD fancy is overwhelmingly composed of novices to whom this will be new.

If you intend to show a GSD under me, you should be prepared to show it in the manner that suits me the best, and thus you will insure the best possible chance of your dog living up to its potential.  If you show a dirty dog with inch-thick tartar on its teeth to a judge who doesn’t appreciate the apparent lack of care (believe me, it happens everyday), you shouldn’t be surprised if a lesser dog beats yours under some of those judges.  Likewise, if you set up a dog in a pose that detracts from its qualities and exaggerates other features, you will probably not do very well in close competition.

What I am saying here is the same thing your mother said to you the night of your first date, or your dad or school counselor might have stressed before your first job interview: “First impressions count!” A handler who gives the judge an unfavorable first impression is starting off with a handicap, and he might not be able to entirely overcome it later; this is especially true when there is close competition in quality, and when it is an all-breed show where the judge is more tightly constrained by time limits and another judge is scheduled for his ring at a particular time.

So, how should the dog look when it enters my ring and I get the first looks at it? While I am famous for saying “Character is number one”, in this article I shall assume all entrants are of equally good temperament, and concentrate on structure and appearance.  Later we can look at movement.  I use the international style of examining individuals, recording them on a notepad as being excellent, very good, good, less than promising, etc.  If the class is very small, very little note-taking is needed.

If large, I would divide the SG (very good) into SG+, SG, and SG- and do the same with the V (excellent) dogs; the G and lesser-quality groups seldom have enough to subdivide them.  Since the 1994 National, when some people complained or questioned my extensive note-taking and rating, I modify the amount based on the club’s desires for detail in the critique.  I felt it important to rate every dog from first to last in the National, and in many shows now, I will critique only those placing.  However, while I’m on that subject, if you want a critique, stay in line and ask before you leave the ring.

The very first impression of dogs in a class will be one of general attitude, proportions, size, and pigment.  A dog with assurance, bearing, expression, and joy will standout, especially if it has correct structure.  If I see such standouts, I will usually note their armband/catalog numbers and double check my first picture when I do “the individuals”.  A class is usually given a single trip around the ring after all are in, for a few reasons.

Any lame dogs might be quickly obvious (in AKC shows, excusal or dismissal from the ring is mandatory), the best gaits can often be seen right away, the younger dogs get an idea of where they are to turn, and the picture of relative quality and proportions can be cursorily assessed.  If your dog limps in my ring, though, and you’d still like a complete critique, let me know, and we can do that before it must retire for the day.
Read the rest of this entry »

by Fred Lanting

A disorder sometimes easily mistaken for hip dysplasia is Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, perhaps more frequently referred to by the dog fancier as “Legg-Perthes”. This is an aseptic (not infected), developmental necrosis (dying of tissue) of the femoral head and neck, found almost entirely in toy or other small breeds. On radiographs, it often looks as if the bone is “rotting away”, and lameness is the major or only symptom. It has a history in human medicine, too. In fact, that’s where it was first discovered in 1910 by three researchers working independently. Legg, Calvé, and Perthes each saw a flattening of the femoral head (coxa plana) in affected youngsters and thought that trauma was at the heart of its etiology.

Schnelle in the 1930s first saw the disorder in the canine in Wirehaired Fox Terriers, and Moltzen-Nielsen in Germany about the same time saw it mostly in the Wires but also in a few other breeds Since then puppies between 3 and 10 months, of many other small, toy, and miniature breeds have been affected.

German Shepherd World is an online community for German Shepherd Dog owners, breeders, trainers, handlers, and judges. The free site features member profiles, individual dog profiles, photo and video albums, forums, articles, blogs, live chat, groups, events, polls, news, and breed information. Visit www.germanshepherdworld.org.

Radiographic (“X-ray”) signs of Legg-Perthes are usually gross and the course and outcome discouraging, since many cases are not referred to the vet or the specialist for diagnosis until the dog has been limping for a long time or the disease has progressed to the point that it becomes a more real problem to the owner. These small dogs put so little weight on their tiny hip joints that they almost can compensate for discomfort by “walking on their forelimbs instead of their four limbs”. Many are “couch potatoes” or spend much time being carried, but even then, picking up an affected dog in a certain manner can put more pressure on the joint than does normal locomotion, so pain at that time is often the stimulus to do something about it. Owners have reported “incredible pain” and constant, progressive discomfort, inability to stay long in any one position, and bone lysis (loss through a process akin to dissolving or consuming) at other areas in the limb distal to the hip (further away, the opposite of proximal).

The earliest radiographic signs, should you look for them before they change, include an increased radiodensity (opacity as seen on the radiograph) in the lateral part of the epiphysis of the femoral header Lateral means the part away from the mid-line or medial; the “outside”. Resorption of necrotic (dying, rotting or decomposing) trabecular bone cells is next accompanied by a lysis (dissolving or being consumed) of bone. These are replacement attempts by the body, similar to the attempt to replace bone that takes place during HD remodeling; eventually there is fracture or collapse, like a frame house riddled by termites. As HD may or may not be concurrent, the congruity of the ball-and-socket coxofemoral joint might still be maintained until collapse.

Cause

The most probable cause is a genetic weakness that allows abnormal or inadequate blood supply to the ossifying epiphyses. Those are the ends or caps of long bones that are changing from cartilage in the embryo to bone in the adult. Depending upon breed and particular bone portion, ossification is usually complete by 12 months of age. Compression/pinching of the blood vessels in that area leads to the necrosis (death) of cartilage and bone tissue. One unproven idea was that some of these little dogs have excess and premature levels of androgen and estrogen hormones that influence this process.

Treatment

Various treatments have been suggested but the usual one is excision (surgical removal) of the femoral head and neck, again with a similarity to one of the HD operations performed on dogs.

Conservative treatment (as opposed to “heroic measures” such as surgery) has been suggested for those unilaterally limping dogs (lame on only one side and supported well by the other limb) with good congruity and no collapse or deterioration. The dog’s worse limb is put into an Ehmer sling for a time, perhaps as much as a couple of months, then the dog is kept in a crate to minimize activity for another few weeks perhaps, during which time the dog is periodically radiographed. If this approach is successful, the resorbed bone is replaced in a normal manner and radiopacity returns, indicating normal bone cells and regained strength. In such cases, aseptic necrosis is halted and then reversed by keeping the dog’s weight off the limb. Lameness has been reported to cease in perhaps a quarter of dogs treated conservatively, but much of this estimate depends on owners’ reports rather than always being followed up by veterinary examination.

A syndicated column called “To Your Good Health” in the Clarksburg (WV) Telegram of June 30, 1994 included a brief discussion by Paul Donohue, M.D., responding to a reader’s request for advice. Her 8-year old child had recently been diagnosed with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and she had seen no improvement after 3 months in a brace. By the way, human infants with HD are put into slings or casts which keep the legs spread apart until the joint begins to strengthen; did you know that people get HD, too? Anyway, Dr. Donohue told her that the Legg-Calvé-Perthes disorder involved a cutting off of the blood supply to the epiphysis (top part of the femur) and that it might take more than a year for the brace to rest the hip enough so that restoration of blood supply can help restore bone there. If unsuccessful after that long a wait, surgery may be needed, he advised. So you see, your dogs are not the only ones at risk for this problem.

Some of us may not have heard of any of our specific breeds diagnosed with Legg-Perthes yet, but that may be because, to many veterinarians, the radiograph looks like hip dysplasia, and it is not sent in to experts for diagnosis and recording of data. If you come across a case of Legg-Perthes in your breed, please report it (accurately, with name and address of person diagnosing it) to the health committee and/or magazine editor of your club.

General info on The Sieger Show Experience with tour guide Fred Lanting

The SV Bundessieger-Zuchtschau (BSZS or Sieger Show) in Germany is generally held in the last week of August or first week in September at a different location each year, depending on stadiums available. (The cost of stadium for this one-weekend event, and the competition with soccer/football events that sign contracts for many per year, determine the choice.) For the past 20 years or so, I have offered my non-profit 6-7-day guided tour of the show and sightseeing, including visits to kennels and training clubs. Get an SV judge’s perspective of the bloodlines and procedures, along with experienced introductions to Germany’s culture and beauty. My groups come from all parts of the globe, so even just the companionship is like a world-travel experience. We usually arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday before the show, and return the following Wednesday.

Looking for a great dog-related experience combined with seeing a different part of the world? Whatever your breed or activity in dogs, the annual Lanting guided show-and-sightseeing tour could be the experience of a lifetime. Read my annual “Impressions” articles on various websites for an idea of what we’ve seen in recent years. Tours centered on other countries’ Sieger Shows, the BSP, and world Schutzhund trials are also available if enough people sign up.

None of “my people” have ever been sorry, and all have wished they had done it earlier! You will see the best of the breed, meet important GSD people, sometimes see another country or two, and have the over-all greatest dog show experience of your life. I also include, if you decide to join us, a variety of travel tips. I offer an SV conformation judge’s perspective of the show (I also have AKC, UKC, and foreign judging experience). One year, when a travel-agency tour leader again deserted his group, they came to where my group was sitting and asked me questions. References available from previous tour participants. Testimonials are numerous. I hope you will join us and recommend this tour to your friends and acquaintances. As a judge with much experience in Schutzhund training and competition, and being very familiar with Western Europe, I am able to give the best tour possible. People going it on their own cannot see the important parts of the country (sometimes we tour adjacent countries, too), and paying for your rental car is more than chipping in to pay for the van and my expenses. Read my “Impressions” on various websites for an idea of what we’ve seen in recent years.

There will be 3 long days of the big show, and about 3 to 4 days of sightseeing and visits. Please let me know as soon as you can, with a $400 (US) deposit, so I can start putting my notification list together and finalize (hold) hotel reservations for you. There is a lot of work involved in putting together such a tour! I will make the hotel plans based on your deposits, & arrange the visits and van(s). Easy, fun, educational and, for most — the unique trip of a lifetime. You will not be any younger next year, and if you don’t make the decision to get out there and smell the roses NOW, while you think of it, you’re more likely than not to lose the opportunity and desire. Join the group! Tell others about it, too. Fred

Contact me at Mr.GSD[at]netscape.com and tell your friends and Internet contacts.
Postal mail: 3565 Parches Cove, Union Grove, AL 35175-8422 USA

Editor’s Note: A well-respected and frequent GSD specialty and all-breed judge for many clubs around the world, with KC and other-country credentials, Mr. Lanting since 1966 has lectured on Gait-and-Structure, Canine Orthopedic Disorders, and other topics, and has judged in about 30 countries, including the prestigious FCI Asian Shows hosted by Japan Kennel Club and the KC of India, the Scottish Kennel Club, and many National Specialties in the USA and elsewhere. He has been described by a former OFA director as the world’s leading non-veterinarian authority on hip dysplasia. A dog breeder since 1945, a GSD owner since 1947, and a show judge since 1979, he has lectured at numerous veterinary schools in the USA and abroad. He is the author of “must read” books for the dog owner (see below for ordering info). Curriculum Vitae available upon request.

Announcing the new “Canine HD and Other Orthopedics Disorders” book: The expanded revision is a comprehensive (nearly 600-page), amply illustrated, annotated, monumental work that is suitable as a coffee-table book, a reference work for breeders and veterinarians, and a study adjunct for veterinary students. It is equally valuable for the owner of any breed. It covers every aspect of HD and other orthopedic, bone, or spinal disorders, and includes genetics, diagnostic methods, treatment options, and the role of environment. Your autographed copy will be mailed from the USA as soon as the appropriate amount is received and is processed. Pricing: US $68, plus $5 postage in the U.S., or ask about mail overseas. Combine orders with “The Total German Shepherd Dog” by the same author ($50 plus postage). 17 of the 20 chapters are suitable for owners of any breed.

by Fred Lanting

While I am a German Shepherd Dog breeder, I have much all-breed experience in handling, judging, and consulting; as a scientist I also have been drawn to certain medical aspects of cynology (dog science). This said, we proceed to the subject; viz., the fairly common occurrence of impaired health that is traceable to, or at least suspected of coming from, a defective hormone production and regulatory system — specifically involving the thyroid gland.

Incidentally, some readers may already know that Greyhounds, GSDs, Chow-Chows, and other breeds have greater incidence of low thyroid activity than the general or average dog population. Some breeds of dogs do better (have less “need” of as much of the hormones) than others, but enough breeds do not, especially in the low normal range. If your vet picks up a textbook that tells him your dog must be healthy because it is within that range of “low-normal”, sing to him or her from the Gershwin song, “It ain’t necessarily so!”

Also, remember that the base ranges that are now considered the norm were established on Beagles, and that breeds do indeed differ in regard to their hormone needs. The list of “exceptions to the rule” has grown so much that any reliance on the old normal range must now be considered foolish for that growing number of breeds.

All endocrine glands are connected; i.e., they can influence each other’s action and efficiency. If any part of the endocrine system is out if kilter, so will be the rest. If the endocrine system is not running properly for any length of time, damage could become permanent (adrenal failure, pancreas failure, etc). Two of the most important glands in this discussion will be the pituitary and the thyroid. For a detailed discussion of the pituitary dwarfism in the GSD and related breeds, see www.siriusdog.com/articles/ or use a search engine [such as Google] to find my articles elsewhere on the Internet. Also, you probably should order my book on the GSD. I recommend you get the Orthopedics book at the same time.
Read the rest of this entry »

by Fred Lanting

Anniversaries are devices used to commemorate events such as birthdates and weddings, or other specific and meaningful dates on History’s calendar. My first tour of Europe was 20 years prior to this report being written; for most of the years since, I have been attending the annual Sieger Show (Bundessiegerzuchtschau) in Germany.

After the first, I found that there were many people who wanted to go, but were afraid to try because they spoke no German and the territory was unfamiliar.

It became my happy custom to act as guide and translator (although my German is rudimentary and self-taught, I get by quite well) and in the succeeding years I became very familiar with the geography, culture, and points of interest.

As an SV judge and schutzhund trainer, I also developed friendships with both the Zucht- (breed) and Leistungs- (trial) judges, and have been able to line up visits with them and many other breeders and clubs. So it developed, rather quickly, that I was leading tours that included historic and scenic sights, training clubs, and breeders’ and judges’ homes.

This year, with the show in Oberhausen, not very far from Germany’s western border, I offered a tour of the fascinating Netherlands (Holland) with its windmills, wooden shoes, canals, boats, bicycles, and unique culture. As usual, I would be away during my wife’s birthday anniversary, and this year also during the 5th anniversary of the infamous 9-11 attack on America by Islamist extremists.
Read the rest of this entry »

by Fred Lanting

As most of you know, I have been involved with the German Shepherd Dog since 1947 as a trainer, breeder, judge, author, and teacher.  My love for the breed is unquestionable and I count it an honor to have fought for its welfare and preservation for all these years.  In my zeal for one of God’s great gifts to man, namely, the companionship and utility of dogs, I may step on some toes once in a while.

But it never from spite or greed or self-aggrandizement that I call a spade a spade, and wish to correct error.  Lately I have been railing against the deterioration of character in the show dog and the unwillingness of the working-only faction in the sport to make peace and use “gentle persuasion” in bringing the two communities back together.

For my usual show-and-tour description, look at Impressions of the 2006 Sieger Show and Tour.  In this companion piece, I want to extend those remarks and expand a bit on what the trends are in the world of the German Shepherd Dog.

First, I’d like to give my modified definitions of the words type and style.  The former word, especially when I capitalize it, refers to those essential, central characteristics that describe or illustrate the breed or an especially good representative of the Standard.  The latter connotes the variation within and diverging a little from that ideal.  Where the boundary line is between these words, is a matter of individual opinion.

We have already seen the loss of Type in the AKC dog and the old Alsatian GSD’s.  In England and its satellite colony-countries, this was caused almost entirely by the unfortunate quarantine system.  When a species becomes isolated, it develops in such a way as to accentuate certain recessive traits and, by such inbreeding, fix a new type or style.  My book, The Total German Shepherd, gives a good genetic explanation for this phenomenon.  We cannot blame the rabies quarantine in the U.S., but isolation there is partly a matter of distance and cost.

The great percentage of dogs do not go back and forth across the ocean for breeding and or competition, so the effect of isolation is just as bad.  Maybe worse, since England’s proximity to the Continent and, later, the relaxing of those burdensome quarantine times, has allowed the international type to gain a position of prominence there.  In North America, the home-bred AKC-style GSD is mostly a dog that very few people want.  Instead of being Number One as it is in the rest of the world, it hovers closer to the bottom of the Top Ten in popularity.  Canada might as well be considered another state in the USA, as bloodlines and clubs are almost indistinguishable.

In the other major quarantine region, Austral asia, body style is still largely in the 1970s and `80s rut of the broken or banana-back topline that came about as a side-effect of the emphasis the Martin brothers put on rear drive, and (following their lead) the neglect by many top SV judges of the normal canine topline.  It is improving, but the problem that remains is the Australian National Kennel Club, which is their all-breed registry and 1,000-kilo gorilla.  The sport and proofing tool of Schutzhund has been banned by the all-breed club and the government, and the GSD Club of Australia has meekly gone along with them.

German Shepherd World is an online community for German Shepherd Dog owners, breeders, trainers, handlers, and judges.  The free site features member profiles, individual dog profiles, photo and video albums, forums, articles, blogs, live chat, groups, events, polls, news, and breed information.  Visit www.germanshepherdworld.org.

So, what happens when the powers-that-be in Austral asia, the AKC and CKC, The Kennel Club (UK), and smaller national dog registries have all that power to inhibit the training and competing with protection dogs? They make old Max von Stephanitz spin madly in his grave, for one thing.  The breed was developed for the twin purposes of herding and protecting sheep, and protecting their owners and property.  This expanded early into using their natural abilities for police and military work as well as Search and Rescue, and guides for the blind.  The herding use has become an anachronism in this day of city growth and Border Collie replacement.  Guide dogs are more likely to be Retrievers.  Even the military and police dog jobs are being given to Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, and mixed breeds.

In the first 65 or 70 years of the breed, the German Shepherd Dog was one breed.  The working qualities were stressed almost as much as the aesthetics were.  Breeders put almost as much emphasis on training as on conformation.  America still relied on imports to keep them reminded about what the GSD was supposed to look like and act like.  About the same time that Americans were linebreeding extremely heavily on one dog with weak temperament (the mid-1960s), Germans were beginning to put all their eggs in the one “beauty basket”, at least those who wanted the prestige of a good rating at the Sieger Show.

For me, 1967 marked the biggest pot-hole and detour in the road the GSD had been traveling.  In the USA, character was being ignored.  The (U.S.) GSDCA’s Grand Victor of 1966 and 1968 produced a large percentage of “spooky” offspring.  The 1967 Grand Victor also had a temperament problem and passed it along, notably to such weak dogs as his son the 1971 Grand Victor, as well as structural problems that became intensified due to unwise excessive linebreeding on him.  One of the last German Siegers with really super breed character was 1967’s Bodo Lierberg, and he was passed over when he only got as far as Winners Dog (the chief non-champion class) at the American National Specialty that same year.  That decision irrevocably skewed the course of the breed in the United States and Canada.  After 1967, emphasis in Germany increasingly favored the exciting, driving gait over courage, and several dogs of questionable character strength (or at least, poor character in a large number of offspring) were rewarded with high placing’s, even Sieger, such as one notable choice in the mid-1990s.  The gap was widening rapidly between working-dog and show-dog Type in this all-important feature.

And that gap kept widening.  Despite new SV President Peter Messler’s stated desire to make it one breed again, we began to see many conformation-VA dogs with character weaknesses, and high-ranking Leistungs (schutzhund-trial) dogs with weak heads, extremely short croups, and upright fore-assemblies.  These are OK for galloping, but not suited for endurance herding and therefore not representative of the historic body construction of the breed.

This trend is short-sighted, even suicidal.  In Europe and elsewhere, there is a growing bias against the sport of schutzhund (protection and utility proofing) and the civilian and military/police jobs that this activity was designed to simulate.  Why? Many causes.  Population growth and career evolution has increased city residence and decreased locations to rear and train your dogs, even though Germany still has a club in easy driving distance in most regions.  People elect politicians who are city-dwelling, non-dog-owners: in fact, many of them turn out to be actively anti-dog or easily swayed by the dog-haters such as in the Green Party and other pressure groups.  Of course, long ago, the need for sheep-herding all-purpose guard dogs like the GSD started to wither and die, with less demand for wool than for synthetic fibers, and not much demand for lamb versus “factory animals” such as pigs, that demand less land.  Besides, the wolves had disappeared and with no need to double as protection dogs, Border Collies are cheaper to maintain, and work at least as hard.

Even in the historic, almost sacrosanct use that gave the other nickname to the breed, “German Police Dog”, that job is being filled more and more by the Belgian Malinois and cross-breeds of that lithe, agile, and speedy dog.  They have much lower incidence of hip dysplasia, which is extremely important when one realizes the great expense of training and the shortened useful life span that HD brings.  Police schools used to depend mostly on donated dogs and purchases at reasonable prices, but GSD breeders generally were not willing to give away their best dogs nor sell them for less than a show-dog or sport-dog buyer would pay.  Those schools that do not breed their own, can get good prospects from Malinois breeders at much lower prices than GSD’s demand.  Therefore, because of the SV’s famous slow (or no) recent progress in hip quality (in spite of more than two decades of PennHIP data), the inherently better hips and longer useful life of the average Malinois, maintenance costs, effete politicians who are more afraid of voters’ bites than that of the breeds they hate, the image of the brave GSD as a police and personal protection dog has been suffering mortal wounds.

That leaves only one small reclusive refuge for the aficionado of the “working dog”: the shrinking world of Schutzhund.  As a rule, most of these people are primarily trainers, not breeders; they spend their time and energies in the tracking field, working obedience routines, and building confidence and technique in the bite work.  A much smaller percentage or total number of this group breeds litters than we find in the world of the show dog and pet market.  The size of the BSP and WUSV performance trials, when compared to the Sieger Show, attest to this.  As inflation, living in cities, dog-hating politicians, television (yes, this brain-numbing scourge even exists in Europe) and other factors continue to attack the breed and the sport, the true working dog will suffer.

Shows and breeding of show dogs are also down.  Attendance at Sieger shows, of both dogs and people, seems to be less in most recent years, so that even the small stadiums (the only ones available in these days of football schedules booking most dates) look relatively empty.  BSP attendance is also down.  A few years ago, top VA dogs were getting the maximum allowed number of matings, and now they are not reaching that limit.  The situation in the sport dog is at least as bad, and since Schutzhund is the “little brother” in the GSD family, this sub-family in the breed will be hurt even more.

The only way out, the only hope of saving the breed, is to re-unite it.  Bring back the two wings as they were in the days of Alfred Hahn and Rummel and yes, even von Stephanitz.  How? Well, one step would be to require the conformation judges of the so-called “working dog” classes (Gebrauchshund) to watch the courage tests, perhaps scheduled earlier in the week, and have Leistungsrichters advise them when deciding on the choices of the VA dogs, as these are the ones that get the most breedings.

Dogs with high IP scores should be spotlighted and these accomplishments taken into account.  Maybe have the BSP before the Sieger Show instead of two weeks later as now occurs, with the judges of the Sieger Show required to watch every dog’s performance.  Other innovative ideas should be employed that would encourage the sport dog to enter the conformation shows.  Dogs should be moved up quite a few placing’s if they do good work at the courage test that is currently held on Friday of the Sieger Show weekend.  It is a real shame that perhaps the best-working female at the 2006 Sieger Show, the Swedish bitch “Space Geanie”, was only given an SG; perhaps if the judge had seen her courage test, she would have been awarded the V she deserved.  In males, the tremendous work of dogs like Nando Haus Vortkamp, a very dark sable sired by Buster Adelmannsfelder, should have been rewarded, not hidden from the conformation judge.

Each year, in the tour that I conduct prior to and following the Sieger Show, we visit a variety of kennels and training clubs: some show dog-oriented, some strictly competition performance.  Most of my tour participants hold “the total dog” as their ideal, but all of them appreciate seeing both styles or specialties in the breed.  As an SV conformation judge (Zuchtrichter) as well as having put schutzhund titles on numerous dogs, I want to see probable functionality reflected in the anatomy of a beautiful dog, but I also demand that character be the number-one trait for dogs allowed to breed.

In 2006, we were fortunate to meet with the breeders and trainers at Tiekerhook, Karthago, Pfalzerheide, Willems’ Reptrade, and a KNPV (Dutch Police Dog) club close to Amsterdam.  Some of my group bought pups from a couple of these, as often happens.  You can read about the whole tour on sites such as those listed above, but in this article, I’d like to give, as an example, a kennel that specializes in the working dog.  That is, the work that would be suitable for police as well as personal protection and enjoyment.  Koos Haasing of Tiekerhook, in the southeast corner of the Netherlands near Eindhoven and the German border, discussed his philosophies and methods over lunch and at his home, where we saw his latest litter and his super dog, Max.  Later, he joined us at the training demonstration and practice at the Limburg club about an hour away, where his top dog was one of those demonstrating their abilities.

Koos is a semi-retired police officer, and the principal leader of a club where very difficult challenges are given to dogs in training, so that they would be prepared for anything they might encounter on the competition field and in real life.  I have selected several photos of his Max v.  Tiekerhook to accompany this article, as well as a couple of examples of poor performance by “show dogs” in the so-called “working” classes at the Sieger show we saw a few days after the visit with Koos.

Editors Note: A companion article, entitled “The Gap Widens” has more emphasis on the historical perspective.

General info on The Sieger Show Experience with tour guide Fred Lanting

The  SV Bundessieger-Zuchtschau (BSZS or Sieger Show) in Germany is generally held in the last week of August or first week in September at a different location each year, depending on stadiums available.  (The cost of stadium for this one-weekend event, and the competition with soccer/football events that sign contracts for many per year, determine the choice.) For the past 20 years or so, I have offered my non-profit 6-7-day guided tour of the show and sightseeing, including visits to kennels and training clubs.  Get an SV judge’s perspective of the bloodlines and procedures, along with experienced introductions to Germany’s culture and beauty.  My groups come from all parts of the globe, so even just the companionship is like a world-travel experience.  We usually arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday before the show, and return the following Wednesday.

Looking for a great dog-related experience combined with seeing a different part of the world? Whatever your breed or activity in dogs, the annual Lanting guided show-and-sightseeing tour could be the experience of a lifetime.  Read my annual “Impressions” articles on various websites for an idea of what we’ve seen in recent years.  Tours centered on other countries’ Sieger Shows, the BSP, and world Schutzhund trials are also available if enough people sign up.

None of “my people” have ever been sorry, and all have wished they had done it earlier! You will see the best of the breed, meet important GSD people, sometimes see another country or two, and have the over-all greatest dog show experience of your life.  I also include, if you decide to join us, a variety of travel tips.  I offer an SV conformation judge’s perspective of the show (I also have AKC, UKC, and foreign judging experience).  One year, when a travel-agency tour leader again deserted his group, they came to where my group was sitting and asked me questions.  References available from previous tour participants.  Testimonials are numerous.  I hope you will join us and recommend this tour to your friends and acquaintances.  As a judge with much experience in Schutzhund training and competition, and being very familiar with Western Europe, I am able to give the best tour possible.  People going it on their own cannot see the important parts of the country (sometimes we tour adjacent countries, too), and paying for your rental car is more than chipping in to pay for the van and my expenses.  Read my “Impressions” on various websites for an idea of what we’ve seen in recent years.

There will be 3 long days of the big show, and about 3 to 4 days of sightseeing and visits.  Please let me know as soon as you can, with a $400 (US) deposit, so I can start putting my notification list together and finalize (hold) hotel reservations for you.  There is a lot of work involved in putting together such a tour! I will make the hotel plans based on your deposits, & arrange the visits and van(s).  Easy, fun, educational and, for most — the unique trip of a lifetime.  You will not be any younger next year, and if you don’t make the decision to get out there and smell the roses NOW, while you think of it, you’re more likely than not to lose the opportunity and desire.   Join the group! Tell others about it, too.  Fred

Contact me at  Mr.GSD[at]netscape.com and tell your friends and Internet contacts.
Postal mail: 3565 Parches Cove, Union Grove, AL  35175-8422 USA

Editor’s Note:  A well-respected and frequent GSD specialty and all-breed judge for many clubs around the world, with KC and other-country credentials, Mr.  Lanting since 1966 has lectured on Gait-and-Structure, Canine Orthopedic Disorders, and other topics, and has judged in about 30 countries, including the prestigious FCI Asian Shows hosted by Japan Kennel Club and the KC of India, the Scottish Kennel Club, and many National Specialties in the USA and elsewhere.  He has been described by a former OFA director as the world’s leading non-veterinarian authority on hip dysplasia.  A dog breeder since 1945, a GSD owner since 1947, and a show judge since 1979, he has lectured at numerous veterinary schools in the USA and abroad.  He is the author of “must read” books for the dog owner (see below for ordering info).   Curriculum Vitae available upon request.

Announcing the new “Canine HD and Other Orthopedics Disorders” book: The expanded revision is a comprehensive (nearly 600-page), amply illustrated, annotated, monumental work that is suitable as a coffee-table book, a reference work for breeders and veterinarians, and a study adjunct for veterinary students.  It is equally valuable for the owner of any breed.  It covers every aspect of HD and other orthopedic, bone, or spinal disorders, and includes genetics, diagnostic methods, treatment options, and the role of environment.  Your autographed copy will be mailed from the USA as soon as the appropriate amount is received and is processed.  Pricing: US $68, plus $5 postage in the U.S., or ask about mail overseas.  Combine orders with “The Total German Shepherd Dog” by the same author ($50 plus postage).  17 of the 20 chapters are suitable for owners of any breed.

by Alarico Sgroi

Editor’s Note: Mr. Sgroi is a top breeder of German Shepherds and Neapolitan Mastiffs and owner of Kennel Fossombrone.

The possibility of selecting a subject with excellent morphological attributes (structure and form) coexisting with an equally high quality of character, is presented these days as not attainable. The dichotomy between the various (genetic) selection pressures seems to generate a more and more obvious division between the developing types in regard to selection for training and/or anatomy.

Many of the big powerful trotters in the show ring, with their ample length of stride and notable size, seem less suitable for producing strong nerves, “middle tonicity” (body firmness/dryness), unexaggerated form, and the ability to be outstanding in training. In some of these dogs, their character attributes do not sufficiently satisfy the expectations of training enthusiasts. On the other hand, rarely does a “champion of training” display the anatomical traits necessary to attract the breeders’ attention.

By the way, it is opportune here to remember than the one and only prerequisite to take part in the tests of training [SchH, IPO, Agility, Herding, etc.] in Germany is the possession of a certificate of origin (pedigree statement) recognized by the FCI without another limitation. It is a concept that, certainly, does not favor the possibility to develop and expand breeding lines in a useful sense (except through the good intentions of individual breeders). An absurd case we can give could be that of a BSP Sieger that is not usable in breeding. [For the novice reader, the BSP is the German national schutzhund championship event, and the BSZS is the conformation “Sieger Show”.]

Is this an inevitable and irreversible tendency? Or is it not perhaps that in the quest for the extremes, (as much in one camp as the other), the breed degenerates into “hyper” or “hypo” types (too much or too little of specific traits) whether they be morphologic (body style) or temperament?

The Standard, the chosen instrument for the selection of the breed and its expression, if it is correctly applied, resolves a great part of the problems in such a debate.

A deep culture of canine science and clear objectives must be required of those who must apply the standards of such selection, and the great teachers have demonstrated to what level the breed can arrive if it is well managed. A brief excursion into the split during the 1960s set down in clear proof that, in the face of very demanding requests on the part of those responsible for verification (judging), the breeders and the breed know how to respond and make it happen. Medium size, solid character, pigment, variety of bloodlines were obtained and rewarded in abundance.

An analysis, although superficial, of the most recent BSP bloodlines shows how great an influence the winners of the [early] Bundessiegerhauptzuchtschau (Sieger Shows) are in the foundations of the working lines.

Note the case of Sieger Alf Nordfelsen through VA2 Mutz Pelztierfarm (much used in the Vello Sieben Faulen line), and of Nico von Haus Beck.

Vello’s children 1967 Sieger Bodo Lierberg and his brother VA3 Bernd Lierberg (also in 1967) and other brothers have very positively influenced GSD breeding as a whole. In the VA (excellent select) classification, the two brothers presented the following parameters: Bodo 63 cms, 41 kgs (90lbs); Bernd was 64 cms, and 43 kgs (95 lbs). In the critique of Bernd by the judge Dr. Funk, we read: “….although I see a little defect in him: with some centimeter less he would look better”. This line notably through Erich Orschler’s Boss Amalienhof, has given the gray (sable) Wanko Maaraue (VA, 1981), whose bloodline is present at the BSP of 2003.

Another Sieger, 1972’s Marko Cellerland (64 cms, 40 kgs), son of the exemplary HGH dog Kondor Golmkauer Krug, has been used amply in BSP lines, and is still present, as well as the black VA Frei Gugge (63 cms, 39 kgs/86 lbs), whose attack work in the 1969 BSZS the public applauded with a standing ovation. Both specimens came from Erwin Bork’s property. Frei, “the black devil”, as he was described by Piero Alquati, has given, among many interesting participants in the BSZS, the female Freia Steinbockfelsen on whom it is possible to bestow or ascribe present-day genealogical relevance. Furthermore, a son of his, the BSP Sieger Enno Antrefftal, was also the father of Roland Wohrabrücke (1979, 63.5 cms, 34 kgs/75 lbs), and of the BSP Sieger Drigon Fuhrmannshof.

VA2 (1971) Quanto Wienerau also has generated lines utilized in BSP examples such as the 2003 BSP Sieger Attaque Adelegg.

Another Quanto W. son, Ali Katzenbuckel, has given good specimens used in training, and through the daughter Otti Trienzbachtal, he has characterized the products of Leopold Bucher’s breeding program.

Kennels such as Busecker Schloss of Alfred Hahn, and Kirschental of Karl Fuller, still active, have demonstrated how it is possible to combine working abilities and morphologic (beauty) traits on a high level. [Fred’s added note: Hahn is no longer. The kennel name is owned by someone who bought the business.]

Busecker Schloss, several times winner of Sieger Show Kennel Groups and having several in the VA group, has influenced many lines with both factors, overall through the descendants of the brothers 1966 JHKL Sieger Sirk and VA Seffe Busecker Schloss, both having sired litters of 12 pups. Sirk and Seffe were sons of VA Bernd Lierberg.

Kirschental, well-known for the 1988 BSZS Sieger Eiko Kirschental (63.5 cms, 31 kgs/68 lbs) through the years has attained the highest prestige from such offspring as: 1967 VA2 Senta, 1967 VA3 Perle, 1974 VA Xanta, 1976 VA Nanni, and 1981 VA Xitta HGH.

Memorable is the N-litter Kirschental of 11 pups of Asslan Klämmle x Isa Kirschental, a daughter of Eros Busecker-Schloss (Mike Bungalow x Seffe Busecker-Schloss), where in addition to the above-cited VA Nanni, there were five other VA dogs, such as Nimi, mother of Lasso di val Sole, from the VA Xitta who was, in turn, mother of the Sieger Uran Wildsteiger Land son, Sieger Eiko Kirschental.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Fred Lanting

Editor’s Note: this article first appeared as “Cryptorchidism in the German Shepherd Dog”, but is applicable to all breeds.

The most common congenital* anomaly of the scrotum and testicles is the apparent absence of one or both gonads. I use the word “apparent” because the missing testicle(s) usually are actually present inside the body cavity of the dog. The Greek kryptos means hidden, secret, or covered, and the Greek orchi- is a combining form referring to the testicles. The condition is therefore called cryptorchidism and the dog so afflicted is called a cryptorchid. If one testicle is retained, he is a unilateral (one-sided) cryptorchid and if both, a bilateral cryptorchid. A word commonly applied to the former is monorchid but this is a misnomer, as monorchidism would mean the presence of only one testicle anywhere in the body, not just in the scrotum. True monorchids are quite rare, as are anorchids (males with no testicles), and either condition can be verified only be extensive surgery.

A dog whose testicles have been removed is commonly but inaccurately referred to as having been “neutered”, but more accurately he is called a castrate. Such a dog generally has no (or greatly reduced) response to sexual stimuli, while a sterile bilateral cryptorchid may have normal sex urge, and a unilateral cryptorchid is usually both virile and fertile.

Show Rules

The AKC and almost every other club require every dog competing in shows to have two normal testicles in the scrotum. Judges are supposed to examine the scrotum, and usually a quick pass of the hand between the thighs will let them know if one is too spongy, hard, or abnormally small, indicating the possibility of disease or chicanery. In some countries testicle abnormalities are more severely penalized and in some places less is demanded of the judge than is the case in the United States. I have excused, placed at the end of a class, or disqualified dogs (depending on the Standard and country’s rules) with unequal testes, in spite of the fact that they have been given awards or not penalized by previous judges. But I have also seen the same thing in regard to dentition — I have disqualified dogs for DQ faults listed in their Standard that had already amassed championship points from judges who either did not understand the Standard or gave the typical AKC cursory look at incisors and little else.

Examining the Pups

A tube called the vaginal process runs from the parietal peritoneum (the inner lining of the abdomen) to the scrotum which that lining encloses. Inside this tube are the spermatic cord, artery, vein, nerves, vas deferens, and the cremaster muscle. It is the function of this muscle to pull the testicle closer to the body in cold environs, and to allow the scrotum to hang lower in warmer conditions. In the abdominal wall, there is a ring-like passageway through which the testicles move sometime soon after birth; in cryptorchidism, one or both stay inside that wall while the opening gets too small for later passage. It may be a genetic defect in the length of the spermatic cord that is the most important reason. In puppies under eight weeks of age, the cremaster muscle also may function to keep the testicles in the tubes but still outside that “vaginal ring” of the abdominal wall, instead of allowing them to descend all the way to the scrotum. Perhaps a defect in this muscle is responsible for the fairly common “elevator testicle” in certain family lines: in this phenomenon, one goes up, comes down, and goes back up again. Usually this is outgrown rather early, but I knew of one pup that still exhibited this condition at the age of five months. In some breeds, such as Toy Fox Terriers, it is not uncommon to find testicles absent from any scrotum, but present just outside the vaginal ring, very hard to palpate.

People who can’t find the testicles in young puppies may be holding the little shoelace-tuggers in the wrong position. The testicles should descend before birth, but are so small and mobile they may be nearly impossible to find on a wriggling pup that doesn’t want to be constrained. But if you cradle the pup’s upper body in the bend of your arm and let his bottom half hang, you should be able to feel them, especially if thumb and index finger are run down the prepuce, one on each side of the penile sheath, pushing the tiny gonads toward the scrotum. You can use the middle finger to feel for them while the other two fingers slide downward and push in that direction. It’s a little like squeezing toothpaste from one end toward the opening of the tube. In some pups, they simply will have to be pushed into the scrotum this way in order to be noticed. Some folks panic when only one can be found; they run to the veterinarian for some magic shot of hormone to make the other appear. While the synthetic hormone APL (anterior pituitary-like) has had some success in humans, its efficacy is probably zero in dogs. First, it definitely is of no benefit once the testicle has grown too large to squeeze through the vaginal ring, and therefore the need would have to be discovered at or soon after the time of birth, which is all but impossible even if one has the most sensitive fingers in the world. Then, if the other testicle does appear in the scrotum, it’s probably coincidental and not due to the APL: the testicle was going to drop anyway, or it was in the inguinal canal outside of the abdominal wall and held up by a tight cremaster which loosened as the pup aged. (There is no evidence that APL works as a relaxant on the cremaster.) Even if APL were a successful way to induce testicles to drop, the pup’s genetic makeup would remain the same and he would pass the defect along to many of his offspring. As a responsible breeder you would find a pet (non-breeding) home for him.

Inheritance

In Germany for a short while, unilateral cryptorchids were eligible for showing and breeding, as the fault seemed to have no effect on utility or beauty in the GSD and other working breeds. By 1930, the SV prohibited not only showing, but registration as well. For a long time, one could still show unilateral cryptorchids in many countries… I remember it was allowed in Canada during my early years as a handler. By 1956 the AKC applied the disqualification to all breeds. Even today some feel that cryptorchidism is an imported or German bloodline problem, forgetting that most working breeds derived from Germany, and not knowing that the SV, and later other breed clubs, really led the way in prohibiting the fault. In fact, cryptorchidism is as common in one country as another, and has about the same incidence in one breed as any other. For those who are considering a sport/working life for such a dog, there should be no deterrent.

The most recent studies on the subject of missing or hidden testicles indicate that there can be several genetic causes. Retractile testicles, a feature of the dog with an overactive or short cremaster, may be due to a genetic determinant quite different from that which causes classic unilateral cryptorchidism, as I have indicated and observed from personal observation. Bilateral cryptorchidism may also be genetically slightly different, since both testes are usually found in almost the same ovarian position as they are in the early fetal life of normal males. It seems that this phenomenon may be caused by two or more genes. Such may be the case in unilateral cases too, although there is reliable data to suggest the possibility of a simple Mendelian recessive in the case of classic unilateral cryptorchidism. If two normal-phenotype dogs actually carry the recessive, on an average one might expect 25 percent of the litter to show the condition. But since about half of each litter is female, the average would only be 12½ percent. With such breedings that produce one-apparent-testicle dogs not being often repeated, it’s difficult to find meaningful statistics. I have observed that when unilateral cryptorchids are bred, there is a high probability of them siring both unilateral and bilateral cryptorchids.
According to one researcher, it is the right testicle that is most often retained, being the more cranial (more toward the head) of the two in the early embryonic stage. The retained testicle in unilaterally affected dogs is usually found near the bladder or at the entrance to the inguinal canal on the inside of the abdominal wall, as if it had been arrested on its way to join its mate. In Angora goats, it is also the right testicle that is commonly retained, though this is not hard evidence that all species have the same genetic cause for the same effect. Similarly, the right ovary of females and the right kidney in both sexes are further forward than the left organs. In the normal male, the left testicle in the scrotum is usually carried slightly higher and behind the right one. (Not always, so don’t write me correction letters on that!) I have checked that out in many a show ring when judging Rotties, American Pit Bull Terriers, and other sizeable, not-heavily-coated breeds.

As mentioned, unilateral cryptorchidism often seems as if it were a simple, recessive, one-gene Mendelian trait, though possibly it is not. If the problem of unilateral cryptorchidism is indeed simply recessive, the occurrence of bilateral cryptorchids might have to be explained by the action of other, modifying genes, and many geneticists today do not find that idea appealing. But for the purpose of explanation, let’s use it as an example. If the pup inherits one gene for the trait from one parent and one normal allele from the other parent, he will not show the disorder but will be a carrier. If the normal gene is represented by the capital letter C, and the defective gene is identified by the lowercase c, his genetic constitution on that chromosome is Cc. On the other hand, if a dog is a cryptorchid, his genetic constitution at that locus on that chromosome is cc (two defective genes). If this dog is bred to a bitch that also inherited two such genes, (she is also a cc), all of their offspring will either be cryptorchids like the sire or homozygous carriers like their dam. It is possible that a testicle found in the scrotum of some very young pups from such a union may later retract and be trapped inside the peritoneum. In some breeds this happens fairly frequently, and some believe it is caused by the same set of genes that cause more typical cryptorchidism. The difference between unilateral and bilateral cryptorchids may also be due to the presence of certain modifier genes”.

In addition, some breeds with brachiocephalic skulls seem to have a much greater than 25 percent incidence of orchidism when “supposed” (phenotypically) normal dogs (who are actually carriers) are bred. Knowing what we do about such breeds and their pituitary defects, would it not be reasonable to say that maybe many breeds and species have in their population a very slight hereditary pituitary defect that acts not only on the development of the spermatic cord and other structures in the genital system, but other traits as well? Breeds that have been selected by fancy to be what Noah would have considered grotesque include the (“English”) Bulldog, said to be a compilation of all the disqualifying and serious faults of most other breeds. The reason for these “defects” stems from genetic defect s in the hypophysis or pituitary gland, the “master gland” deep in the base of the brain. It is the master of the other endocrine glands including those others with functions related to growth of various and all parts of the body. In the GSD, for example, we have a particular defect that results in pituitary dwarfism (see pictures in “The Total German Shepherd Dog”, www.Hoflin.com and other sources) and such dogs, while nearly perfect in proportions, often have serious thyroid gland problems with resultant loss of hair that makes some of them look like Chinese Crested hairless dogs. Remember what I said about the interconnection between endocrine glands. Other defects produce the Bullmastiff face, the Cocker or Corgi dwarf legs, etc.

I believe it is safe to say that cryptorchidism is genetic, that it is in some way recessive, and that there is some sort of connection between bilateral cryptorchids and unilateral ones. Perhaps there is also a connection between the pituitary and floating testicles. At any rate, the unilateral condition at least is so widespread in many families and breeds that an all-out effort to combat it would take our minds and efforts away from more serious disorders, which would consequently increase. It’s just a minor thing we have to put up with. Simply remove the affected ones from the gene pool, and shift your preference away from breeding any (including females) that come from litters in which the defect occurred.

German Shepherd World is an online community for German Shepherd Dog owners, breeders, trainers, handlers, and judges. The free site features member profiles, individual dog profiles, photo and video albums, forums, articles, blogs, live chat, groups, events, polls, news, and breed information. Visit www.germanshepherdworld.org.

Since cryptorchidism is sex-limited (only affected males, not carrier females, show it) it is likely to persist at about the same prevalence in the breed for a long, long time. In Germany and many other countries, where registration is denied cryptorchids and sanctions are made against their parents, more than half of the “VA” (top show) GSDs in a 20-year period sired cryptorchids and hence were carriers. In England, the prevalence is higher, and probably that’s because for a long time such dogs were not penalized in the show ring.

Effects on the Dog

It is fairly common for retained testicles to give a dog a grouchy, sour, or miserable personality, and the condition also seems to be associated with a higher than normal percentage of testicular cancers or tumors on the retained gonad. For both reasons, many veterinarians recommend castration even if the testicles are undescended. That can be a difficult operation; sometimes the vet gives up without ever finding the little undescended bugger. The vets who operate make some money as they do on any surgery, but there are many such cases when they cannot even find it. The question of whether to have a vet open him up and look for it is a personal one, based on many factors. A third possible effect is cryptorchidism’s reported connection with early fetal death of females in litters with affected males, with these females either resorbed or, in some cases, mummified. The gene or genes may be semi-lethal ones which are only sometimes expressed in the death of the female embryo, and which sometimes cause the surviving bitch pups to be sterile if they are homozygous (cc). Mummy puppies can cause great difficulties in abortions of later pregnancies, lack of or decreased contractions, and stillborn pups in subsequent litters. So if there is a connection with cryptorchidism, that’s another reason to avoid families in which it appears.

Dogs that are castrated early in life do not have the same development of bulk and other attributes of masculinity that intact males do. This is primarily because the primary source of testosterone and other “male hormones” has been cut off — literally. Remember that all the endocrine glands (those producing hormones) and “connected” in a way analogous to a network of businessmen, electricity generator grids, etc. When one is affected, almost all the others “feel” it. Many hormones are required to make endocrine glands in another part of the body function optimally. Sometimes the hormones normally generated by a specialist gland can be produced in small quantities by other glands when the principal supplier is lost. Still, for normal development of the various organs, all the endocrine glands should be present and healthy.

Partial castration (removal of only the retained testis) or complete castration produces very few other noticeable effects if the dog is allowed to mature before the operation. By then, the testosterone and other hormones have had their intended effect and the dog has developed into a large enough, masculine enough dog suitable for anything an intact dog would be used for. Perhaps those wishing to have an impressive dog that could take down a Schutzhund helper might want to postpone such an operation until the dog is older and fully developed.

On the other hand, many (perhaps most) dogs never have any adverse reactions to leaving the undescended testicle in. Some (few?) dogs with no surgical correction have that attitude I described, and there is a slightly increased risk of testicular cancer, as I said, but I really don’t think the risk is great. It’s up to you to research, ask, and decide.

Ethics

Veterinarians are sometimes asked to surgically correct cryptorchidism by moving the testicle(s) down into the scrotum, but this is an extremely difficult and delicate operation with very little chance of success because of the length of the spermatic cord, the effect on attached tissues and blood vessels, and other technical reasons. An easier alternative is to implant a synthetic testicle — glass, silicone, or whatever — and veterinarians are quite often asked to do this. However, nine times out of ten the owner’s motives are questionable at best. Usually he wants the surgery so his dog can compete in shows, or so he can fool owners of bitches into paying for stud service from what is supposedly a normal dog. Best to keep cryptorchidism in perspective, and be above-board in your data and honest in your statements and dealings. Educate your puppy buyers if you are a breeder, and they will acknowledge that such recessive traits will always be in the breed. They will also learn that if you do the selective breeding I recommended, your kennel’s incidence will be lower than the average in the general population.

*  Webster’s Dictionary is by necessity succinct and does not always tell the whole story. In the world of Biology/Genetics, the word “congenital” (literally, “with birth”) means that the condition existed some time before and at parturition (delivery, whether Caesarian or natural birth), and a secondary meaning is that even if not detected then, it is considered as dating from parturition. In common usage, congenital defects can include both genetic and environmentally-caused conditions/defects… Think of the thalidomide babies of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which phenomenon was a mystery when they first appeared, puzzling medical people who scrambled to figure out why this seemingly “genetic recessive” of missing limbs etc. suddenly became so widespread. Then they tied it to the use of the drug and saw that it was congenital but not genetic.

You can consider the slight difference this way: Genetic disorders or traits are congenital (even if unseen at the time, such as eventual pattern baldness or Huntington’s chorea) but not all congenital problems or conditions are genetic (passed from one generation to the next by way of the genes). So, your “Mr. Webster” could improve his definition by adding one word, and re-stating: “Developing during gestation but not necessarily through heredity.”

Typical Reader Questions (these are from GSD owners)

Q. Consider your simplified example of Mendelian recessive unilateral cryptorchidism in two normal-phenotype dogs. What outcome (affected/carriers/clear) would you expect if you bred the following combinations?

1. (a) Carrier Cc male with a clear (CC) bitch;
2. (b) Clear (homozygous non-carrier) male with a Cc bitch;

A. First, remember that anything genetic is not as “simple” as mathematics… every chromosome and every gene is affected in some degree by others close to it as well as by various other factors. Use the Punnett Square examples in my GSD book to work out approximate percentages, however. Second, divide the figures below in half, because there will be half females and therefore no chance of knowing phenotypically whether you have C or c or combinations thereof. Regarding (a.): Assuming C is “Clear” and dominant, you would get 50% CC (homozygous clear… non-carriers) and 50% Cc heterozygous “clear” (not affected but carriers); Re (b.), What’s the difference from (a)? Unless it is a trait on the X or Y chromosome (and this isn’t), it matters not which parent has what genotype.

Question continued:
(c) a clear male with a cc bitch;

A. All will be Cc (no other combination possible… all will be carriers.
(d) a Cc male with a Cc bitch?

A. 50% Cc (carriers), 25% clear CC, 25% homozygous “affected”. Of this 25%, remember, half on average will be females, so really 12.5% of such litters will be affected (obvious) males… you just can’t SEE the homozygous “affected” females’ genes or their zero effect on their phenotype.

Q. Assume normal phenotype dogs — is it impossible to have affected puppies? How about if BOTH dam AND sire are carriers?

A. Yes. GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. You can’t get something unless the parents give it to you (them). The second part of this question is answered under (d.) above.

Q. Bilateral cryptorchidism is thought to be affected by some additional modifier genes but they are thought to be related conditions, right?

A. I agree. There may be a few genes at work, but one main type. Some may affect the shortening of the cremaster muscle or the spermatic cord to varying extents.

Q. In example (d) above, would you expect to see both unilateral AND bilateral cryptorchids in the same litter?

A. If these dogs had those additional modifier genes. Based on observation, it seems that the more recent and the more numerically the affected dogs in the pedigree, the more likely you are to find bilateral cryptorchids pop up. There are not enough statistics of litters bred for this bad trait for us to be positive, but I would guess that the likelihood of having a bilateral in a litter might increase in proportion to the number of unilateral cases in the recent ancestry.

Q. You mention that the SV prohibits registration of cryptorchids. Is there an effective way for the SV to enforce this?

A. Nobody tries to breed-survey such dogs, obviously, and registration is granted when the breed warden visits at 7-8 weeks, at which time some are not willing to be premature in their evaluation of cryptorchidism. If a dog were presented later for registration, or happened to be evaluated in a breed survey (Truly, some people never check their own dogs’ testicles until a show or survey!) and were found to be missing one, it would be recorded (and published in the Zeitung) as Einhoden, (one testis) and ineligible for registration. The papers (Ahnentafeln) are the property of the SV (though they remain in the dog-owner’s possession and care), and must be returned. Even if the paper is lost, the dog is in the records as not being allowed to have registrable offspring.

Q. What kind of “sanctions” can be brought against the parents of litters that include cryptorchids?

A. None. It happens in the best of families, and that would cause a riot and revolution.

Q. How does the SV find out about cryptorchids?

A. As I said, there really are such people here and there who enter a show (or breed survey) and have never “counted the cajones”. You will notice that although the incidence is relatively high, the number of reported cases in the Zeitung is very small. Almost all published registration revocations are for “severe HD”.

Q. The statistic that more than half the VA dogs over a 20-year period sired litters that contain cryptorchids surprised me. Was that a recent 20-year period?

A. I don’t think it was very recent. But like other studies and surveys the SV has taken, the percentages have not changed much in 100 years.

Q. How does the SV/other source track that information?

A. I can’t answer that except to say that Europeans, and especially Germans, keep almost everything in some files somewhere. That’s how the WW2 Nazis were nailed… voluminous record-keeping.

Q. Is it likely that the rate of carriage is even higher because some cryptorchids just “disappear” to protect the reputation of the VA sire?

A. Absolutely!

Q. I have a litter of puppies 11 weeks old; there is a testicle problem with ALL of the males — each one is “monorchid”. The paternal grandsire on both sides of the pedigree is the same dog. The granddam produced one unilateral cryptorchid when bred to her cousin. When bred to the dog who is the paternal grandsire of these pups, no resulting pups from the litter were affected although one was slow to descend (4 months). She did not throw any problems when bred to a male of Bxxxx kennel.

A. Your reference to the duplication of great-grandsire in the pedigree indicates the likelihood of your proving the fact again that inbreeding uncovers hidden recessives. That’s how people find out about “problems in my line” as you put it. The Bxxxx dog is probably not a carrier, but your other dogs obviously are.

Q. Her daughter — the dam of the pup’s sire, has had two litters with no testicle problems.

A. This could be coincidence; it could be she is affected (homozygous) but was bred to non-carriers, etc.

Q. However, it was her littermate in that first litter that was the unilateral cryptorchid (dam had been bred to her cousin).

I think there is a 66% chance that she is affected when she has an affected littermate. Get Dr. George Padgett’s book on genetic diseases.

Q. Another bitch in that line (a sister to that cousin, and belonging to B.H. in MD) has had multiple litters and has not thrown any testicle problems even when there was an inbreeding.

A. Could be she is not a carrier. In many or most cases, recessives do not give any hint of their presence in the genes.

Q. A brother of the sire of these pups when bred to a half-sister of these pup’s dam, had no problems.

A. Ditto.

Q. Since this trait is felt to be genetic (is, definitely! — F.L.), it would seem that there must be carriers and that it would be traced mostly to the paternal grandsire of the pups (sire of both the sire and dam of the pups). We don’t have as much information on him.

A. That’s why open registries (information sharing encouraged) are important.

Q. If these males’ other testicle does not descend, obviously they can’t be used for breeding or showing (and they are outstanding in quality and movement even with a flying trot).

A. That’s the right approach. Why breed known defects when we have enough trouble with the hidden ones?

Q. What about the females of this litter? Would they all be carriers?

A. Can’t tell unless test breedings were done, but there is a high likelihood that littermates are either homozygous or heterozygous for the defect.

Q. And could they (the bitches) be used for breeding?

A. If you have pet homes for affected offspring. Also, if she produces it, you should be willing to spay her and warn the buyers of these females and unaffected males that they probably are carriers.

Q. The genetic makeup doesn’t seem as though it could be cc X cc, as the sire himself is not a cryptorchid; in fact his testicles both descended quite early on.

A. He is not cc, but could be Cc (carrier).

Q. Is it possible that the pup’s dam is a carrier? When outcrossed, her last litter was fine. Would she be a cc?

A. Since cc or Cc females would not show the trait, you can only say “possibly, but unknown until test-bred”. If bred to a normal (unaffected and non-carrier) male, none of the F1 (first-generation) pups would show the trait.

Q. If the sire were a Cc but not himself a cryptorchid, would the dam have to be a Cc or a cc for all of the males in the litter to be cryptorchids?

A. If both are heterozygous (carriers), it is possible for them to produce a litter in which all males are affected (unilateral, bilateral, or a combination). It is also possible that any combination of “unaffected” (heterozygous-defective, or normal) & known “carrier” mates could produce all normal-phenotype male pups. They could also produce a litter of all cryptorchid, or any combination between. You really need to practice drawing those Punnett squares, but keep in mind that this will only show you statistical averages. And it usually takes some extremes to make an average.

The  SV Bundessieger-Zuchtschau (BSZS or Sieger Show) in Germany is generally held in the last week of August or first week in September at a different location each year, depending on stadiums available. (The cost of stadium for this one-weekend event, and the competition with soccer/football events that sign contracts for many per year, determine the choice.) For the past 20 years or so, I have offered my non-profit 6-7-day guided tour of the show and sightseeing, including visits to kennels and training clubs. Get an SV judge’s perspective of the bloodlines and procedures, along with experienced introductions to Germany’s culture and beauty. My groups come from all parts of the globe, so even just the companionship is like a world-travel experience. We usually arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday before the show, and return the following Wednesday.

Looking for a great dog-related experience combined with seeing a different part of the world? Whatever your breed or activity in dogs, the annual Lanting guided show-and-sightseeing tour could be the experience of a lifetime. Read my annual “Impressions” articles on various websites for an idea of what we’ve seen in recent years. Tours centered on other countries’ Sieger Shows, the BSP, and world Schutzhund trials are also available if enough people sign up.

None of “my people” have ever been sorry, and all have wished they had done it earlier! You will see the best of the breed, meet important GSD people, sometimes see another country or two, and have the over-all greatest dog show experience of your life. I also include, if you decide to join us, a variety of travel tips. I offer an SV conformation judge’s perspective of the show (I also have AKC, UKC, and foreign judging experience). One year, when a travel-agency tour leader again deserted his group, they came to where my group was sitting and asked me questions. References available from previous tour participants. Testimonials are numerous. I hope you will join us and recommend this tour to your friends and acquaintances. As a judge with much experience in Schutzhund training and competition, and being very familiar with Western Europe, I am able to give the best tour possible. People going it on their own cannot see the important parts of the country (sometimes we tour adjacent countries, too), and paying for your rental car is more than chipping in to pay for the van and my expenses. Read my “Impressions” on various websites for an idea of what we’ve seen in recent years.

There will be 3 long days of the big show, and about 3 to 4 days of sightseeing and visits. Please let me know as soon as you can, with a $400 (US) deposit, so I can start putting my notification list together and finalize (hold) hotel reservations for you. There is a lot of work involved in putting together such a tour! I will make the hotel plans based on your deposits, & arrange the visits and van(s). Easy, fun, educational and, for most — the unique trip of a lifetime. You will not be any younger next year, and if you don’t make the decision to get out there and smell the roses NOW, while you think of it, you’re more likely than not to lose the opportunity and desire.  Join the group! Tell others about it, too. Fred

Contact me at  Mr.GSD[at]netscape.com and tell your friends and Internet contacts.
Postal mail: 3565 Parches Cove, Union Grove, AL  35175-8422 USA

Editor’s Note:  A well-respected and frequent GSD specialty and all-breed judge for many clubs around the world, with KC and other-country credentials, Mr. Lanting since 1966 has lectured on Gait-and-Structure, Canine Orthopedic Disorders, and other topics, and has judged in about 30 countries, including the prestigious FCI Asian Shows hosted by Japan Kennel Club and the KC of India, the Scottish Kennel Club, and many National Specialties in the USA and elsewhere. He has been described by a former OFA director as the world’s leading non-veterinarian authority on hip dysplasia. A dog breeder since 1945, a GSD owner since 1947, and a show judge since 1979, he has lectured at numerous veterinary schools in the USA and abroad. He is the author of “must read” books for the dog owner (see below for ordering info).  Curriculum Vitae available upon request.

Announcing the new “Canine HD and Other Orthopedics Disorders” book: The expanded revision is a comprehensive (nearly 600-page), amply illustrated, annotated, monumental work that is suitable as a coffee-table book, a reference work for breeders and veterinarians, and a study adjunct for veterinary students. It is equally valuable for the owner of any breed. It covers every aspect of HD and other orthopedic, bone, or spinal disorders, and includes genetics, diagnostic methods, treatment options, and the role of environment. Your autographed copy will be mailed from the USA as soon as the appropriate amount is received and is processed. Pricing: US $68, plus $5 postage in the U.S., or ask about mail overseas. Combine orders with “The Total German Shepherd Dog” by the same author ($50 plus postage). 17 of the 20 chapters are suitable for owners of any breed.