Saskatchewan artist Jodi Laycock of Fur Real Pet Portraits creates hand painted, digital images of animals of any type. She has recently began to paint humans. Her specialty is in the area of realism, but also does watercolor style among many others.
If you would be interested in a lower cost option to get a custom portrait of your pet please order from this link at Fur Real Pet Portraits etsy store.
The euthanasia
of a beloved pet is a solemn time for everyone involved, but it may be
less of a strain if you are prepared for the euthanasia process.
Once you have made the difficult choice of euthanasia for your pet, it is essential to know what to expect before, during and after your dog is put to sleep.
Before the Euthanasia
First, decide if you would like to be present during the procedure. Also
decide if you would like family members or friends to be present. Talk
to your vet about your decision, and ask any questions that come to
mind. Make sure you know what will happen during the euthanasia. Also,
depending on hospital policy, there may be a consent form for you to
sign before your vet will proceed.
Next, make a decision about aftercare and notify your vet. Many veterinary
hospitals work with companies that can arrange for individual cremation
(and, in some cases, burial). Some owners will opt for community
cremation (sometimes called group or mass cremation). In both the above
cases, the company will pick up your dog's remains directly from the
hospital. Alternatively, you may wish to bring your dog's remains home
so you can handle aftercare on their own.
Your vet may prefer to have an intravenous catheter placed in
your dog. This will allow easier access to the vein and make the
injection process quick and painless for your dog.
If there will be charges, try to settle up at the front desk
first. The last thing you will want is a tearful wait in the lobby to
pay your bill after you pet is gone.
Take time to say goodbye. Talk to your dog, hug him, express your love for him. Allow friends and family members to do the same.
During the Euthanasia
In dogs and cats, euthanasia typically involves the intravenous
injection of a solution of pharmaceutical agents that will quickly stop
the heart. In most cases, this solution is predominantly made up of
pentobarbital, though some euthanasia solutions also contain phenytoin.
The solution is usually a pink or purple tint and may be slightly thick.
The most effective way to administer the solution is through a vein.
Injection into a body cavity will often work, but not as quickly.
Your vet might prefer to administer a sedative to your dog prior to
administering the actual euthanasia solution. This will allow your pet
to be extremely relaxed and sleepy before the next step.
The euthanasia solution is then injected into your pet's vein, where it
rapidly travels throughout the body. Within just a few seconds, your dog
will become unconscious, experiencing no pain or suffering. Breathing
will slow down and then stop over the next several seconds. Cardiac
arrest will soon follow, resulting in death. Typically, death occurs
within 30 seconds of intravenous administration.
After the Euthanasia
Once the solution has been administered, your vet will listen to your dog's heart to confirm
death. He or she will let you know that your dog has passed on. At this
time, your vet will probably step out of the room to give you a few
moments alone with your dog. This is an emotional time, and the
veterinary staff will provide plenty tissues and privacy. You are in a
safe environment where everyone understands what you are going through.
Stay as short or as long as you are comfortable. If you have already
made aftercare and payment arrangements, you can simply slip out when
you are ready.
Grieving the Loss of Your Pet
Now the process of grieving will begin.
Grief is a little different for everyone, and there is not right or
wrong way to do it. Remember the good times you had with your dog, and
know that he would thank you for relieving his suffering. Consider doing
something special to memorialize your unique and much-loved companion.
One idea is to make clay or ink paw print and frame it next to a photo
of your dog. You may wish to plant a tree or other plant in memory of
your dog. Another therapeutic exercise during grief is to write about
it. A poem, story or written tribute can help you say goodbye to your beloved dog in words.
Canine Influenza virus is real...and is potentially fatal.
This past year the great Dane Community lost one of our own Tank Greatdane to this terrible illness.
We do not want Tank's passing to be in vain. we want to ensure the public is educated.
Tank served his community in raising funds for other dogs in need as well as simply being a wonderful ambassador of the breed. Tank put the Gentle in Gentle Giant.
BUT WE WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT CIV...
What Is Canine Influenza Virus?
There are many causes of kennel cough, both bacterial and viral. Canine influenza virus (CIV) is one of the viral causes of kennel cough.
This highly contagious respiratory disease has affected thousands of
dogs in the United States. Because CIV is a relatively new virus, most
dogs have not been exposed to it before. Dogs of any age, breed and
vaccine status are susceptible to this infection.
How Could My Dog Catch Canine Influenza Virus?
CIV is easily transmitted between dogs through a combination of
aerosols, droplets and direct contact with respiratory secretions. The
virus does not survive for a long time in the environment, so dogs
usually get CIV when they are in close proximity to other infectious
dogs.
Which Dogs Are Prone to Canine Influenza Virus? Any dog who interacts with large numbers of dogs is at
increased risk for exposure. Pet owners should consult their
veterinarian for information about vaccination against canine influenza
virus.
What Are the General Symptoms of Canine Influenza Virus? While most dogs will show typical symptoms of kennel cough,
a small percentage of dogs will develop a more severe illness. Symptoms
of canine influenza virus include:
Coughing
Sneezing
Variable fever
Clear nasal discharge that progresses to thick, yellowish-green mucus
Rapid/difficult breathing
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Can Dogs Die From Canine Influenza Virus?
Sadly as in the case of tank....the answer is yes. Often if CIV is quickly diagnosed and treated, the fatality rate is quite
low. Deaths are usually caused by secondary complications, such as
pneumonia. It is very important that dogs with CIV receive proper
veterinary care.
How Is Canine Influenza Virus Diagnosed?
Veterinarians will typically conduct a thorough physical examination and run a series of tests to diagnose the illness.
How Is Canine Influenza Treated?
Because CIV is a virus similar to the flu in humans, there is no
specific antiviral medication available. However, supportive care and
appropriate treatment of secondary infections are important. Your
veterinarian may advise the following to soothe your dog while the
condition runs its course:
Good nutrition and supplements to raise immunity
A warm, quiet and comfortable spot to rest
Medications to treat secondary bacterial infections
Intravenous fluids to maintain hydration
Workup and treatment for pneumonia
Be advised, while most dogs will fight the infection within 10 to 30
days, secondary infections require antibiotics and, in the case of
pneumonia, hospitalization.
What Should I Do if I Think My Dog Has Canine Influenza Virus? If you think your dog has canine influenza virus, immediately isolate him from all other dogs and call your veterinarian.
Can I Catch Canine Influenza From My Dog?
No. There is no evidence that dogs can transmit CIV to humans.
How Can I Help Prevent My Dog From Spreading the Disease? Any dog infected with CIV should be kept isolated from
other for 10-14 days from the onset of symptoms. Dogs are most
infectious before symptoms are apparent, and can continue shedding the virus for around 10 days. This means that by the time symptoms are seen, other dogs may have already been exposed.
I Foster/Work With Multiple Dogs. What Advice Do You Have For Me?
The risk of CIV is always present. That’s why it’s important to
work with a veterinarian to develop a plan of action in the event of an
outbreak. You’ll want to diagnose and treat the issue promptly.
Routinely monitor animals for signs of illness and keep medical records.
Isolate sick animals from healthy animals, especially those with signs of respiratory disease.
Wash hands with soap and water after handling each animal.
Gloves should be worn when handling infected dogs or cleaning contaminated cages.
Use antibiotics with care.
Remember that CIV is generally a very treatable disease.
Update for Veterinarians
Canine Influenza Virus:
The Canine Influenza Virus subtype H3N8 was first identified in January,
2004 during an outbreak of respiratory infection amongst Florida racing
greyhounds. This virus is an Influenza A virus and is closely related to
the equine influenza virus. In fact, canine influenza is now
considered to have originated when the equine influenza virus “jumped”
species during the 1990’s. Since the first identified outbreak, there
have been reports of respiratory disease in racing dogs as well as
shelter dogs in Florida, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia,
and Colorado. More recently there have been documented reports of
additional influenza subtypes infecting dogs which include avian-origin
influenza H3N2 in South Korea in 2007, highly pathogenic avian influenza
(HPAI) H5N1 in southeast Asia in 2006 and the new North American H1N1 in
New York State in 2009.
Clinical Signs
The most well characterized subtype in the United States, H3N8, can
cause two clinical syndromes. The majority of dogs develop the milder
syndrome, involving a cough that persists for 10 to 21 days despite
therapy with antibiotics and cough suppressants. This syndrome can also
include purulent nasal discharge and a low-grade fever. The more severe
disease involves pneumonia, including a high fever (104º to 106º F) and
increased respiratory rate and effort. Thoracic radiographs may show
consolidation of lung lobes. Dogs with pneumonia often have a secondary
bacterial infection and have responded best to a combination of
broad-spectrum, bactericidal antibiotics and intravenous fluid therapy.
Because this is a new pathogen almost all dogs are susceptible to
infection and an estimated 80% of exposed dogs develop clinical signs.
The case-fatality rate in the initial outbreak was high (8 of 22 ill
dogs died, for a 36% case-fatality rate), but since then case-fatality
has been reportedly low (1 to 5%).
Incubation and infectious periods (H3N8 subtype): Clinical signs appear
two to five days after exposure. Infected dogs may shed virus for seven
to 10 days from the onset of clinical signs. An estimated 20% of
infected dogs will not show clinical signs and can become asymptomatic
sources of infection
Other Influenza A viruses also affect dogs. Influenza subtype
H3N2-induced disease is characterized as causing severe lower
respiratory tract disease and appears to have a high mortality rate.
Differences in pathogenicity are believed to be due to the whole virus
adaptation from an avian virus into a naïve population. HPAI H5N1 has
been associated with severe respiratory disease and fatal infection in a
dog in Thailand after ingestion of infected chicken tissue.
Lastly, influenza subtype H1N1 infection in New York State was reported
in 2009 causing pneumonia but the dog recovered with supportive care.
The owner of the dog was previously diagnosed with H1N1 and it is
believed transmitted the virus to the dog.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of canine influenza subtype H3N8 infection at this time is
most reliably done by detecting antibodies to the virus. We recommend
testing acute and convalescent sera. Canine influenza serology testing
is performed at Cornell University. Collection of oropharygeal swabs or
tracheal wash samples on febrile dogs early in the course of the disease
may be submitted on ice pack to WADDL for detection of viral RNA by
polymerase chain reaction assay (PCR) for all Influenza A virus
subtypes. Tissues (lung, bronchiolar lymph nodes) from dogs that have
died acutely can be submitted to WADDL, a portion fixed in buffered
formalin, and fresh tissues submitted on ice pack for PCR. Contact WADDL
at 509-335-9696 if any questions arise.
Prevention:
There is a
newly released vaccine available for the protection against
clinical signs associated with canine influenza subtype H3N8. At
this time it is regarded as a “non-core” vaccine in the Pacific
Northwest, meaning that the vaccine is not routinely recommended unless
there were risks associated with horses, racetracks, greyhounds, etc.
Dog owners travelling with their dogs to shows in the aforementioned
states would be advised to see their veterinarian to decide if the risks
warrant vaccination. The infection rate and disease potential with
canine influenza are much lower than canine distemper, canine
parvovirus, and canine adenovirus, which are considered “core” vaccines
for all dogs. The duration of protective immunity (DOPI) and
frequency of boosters have not yet been well defined for the canine
influenza vaccine. However, an annual booster is recommended by the
manufacturer (Intervet data, 2009). This vaccine is not
cross-protective to the other influenza subtypes infecting dogs, and
there are no vaccines currently available for the other subtypes
available for use in dogs.
Public Health Concerns:
There is no evidence that canine influenza subtype H3N8 and H3N2 can
infect humans and thus does not pose a public health risk. H5N1
and H1N1 have been shown to infect humans however there have been no
reports of dog to human transmission of the viruses.
References:
Crawford PC, et al. Transmission of equine influenza virus to dogs.
Science 310: 482-485, 2005.
Daly JM, et al. Transmission of equine influenza virus to english
foxhounds. Emerg. Infect Dis 14: 461-464, 2008.
Deshpande MS, et al. Experimental reproduction of canine influenza virus
H3N8 infection in young puppies. Vet Therapeutics 10: 29-39, 2009.
Dubovi EJ and Njaa BL. Canine Influenza. Vet Clin No Amer. Small Ani
Prac 38: 827-835, 2008.
Harder et al. Influenza virus infections in dogs and cats. Vet.
Imm. And Immunopath. 134: 54-60, 2010
Jung et al. Pathology in dogs with experimental canine H3N2 influenza
virus infection. Res. In Vet. Sci. Article in press, 2010.
Solomon R and Webster RG. The influenza virus enigma. Cell 136:402-410,
2009.
Songserm et al. Fatal avian influenza A H5N1 infection in a dog. Emer.
Inf. Dis. 12:1744-7, 2006
Yamanaka T, et al. Interspecies transmission of equine influenza virus
(H3N8) to dogs by close contact with experimentally infected horses. Vet
Microbiol 139:351-355, 2009.
Buying
a puppy? Or thinking of buying a puppy? How exciting!
This page is intended to provide some general information
for the potential Great Dane owner. We could not possibly
cover every aspect of this wonderful breed so specific
details are best discussed with the breeder with whom
you are considering the purchase of a puppy. There are
however, some important points we would like to share
with you.
• Great Danes are giants
in the dog world. That means more food, more exercise
and more expensive veterinary costs. Be sure you can
afford to keep a Dane in good health!
• As with any dog, regular exercise and training
is important - with large or giant dogs it is essential.
These dogs grow very quickly and investing the time
to socialize and train your puppy while they are young
cannot be overstressed An uncontrollable, unruly or
poorly trained 150 lb dog is a disaster waiting to
happen.
Some excellent books on puppy rearing are available:
- How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With (Rutherford
& Neil), Alpine Publications, 1992.
• Like many other purebred dogs, Danes come with
their own set of health risks. One of the most common
(and most dangerous) is bloat. Bloat is also known
as gastric torsion, a condition in which the stomach
fills with gas, twists and is unable to escape. This
is a life-threatening condition and every Dane owner
should be aware of the signs of bloat, as well as
the precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk
of this happening. Not all danes bloat, but it can
happen with any bloodline if the conditions are right.
Please see these links for valuable bloat information
that every Dane owner should have:
Bloat in Large Dogs and Gastric
Torsion in Dogs ( both highly recommended
reading)
• Danes have critical growing periods. These
are stages in their lives, usually within their first
year, where their nutritional needs must be met if
the dog is to achieve his full potential. Skimping
here will result in a poorly matured dog.
Not frightened away yet? GREAT! Because Great Danes
are one of the most people oriented dogs around. They
make excellent companions! They have a gentle and
pleasing nature with a proud dignified bearing. You
should know up front that Danes thoroughly enjoy their
creature comforts and will happily take over the couch
if permitted!
The
Great Dane is known as the "Apollo of all dogs."
Incised on some Greek money dating back to 36 B.C. is
the image of a dog very similar to the Great Dane of today.
An illustration dating back to approximately 600 B.C.
shows Assyrian huntsmen with Dane-like dogs. In 407 A.D.
German Gaul and part of Italy and Spain were invaded by
an Asiatic people who brought with them powerful mastiff-like
dogs. In Germany especially, where these magnificent animals
capable of overcoming bears and wild boars were much admired,
a process of selective breeding was begun. The dogs were
crossed with Irish Greyhounds, and the result was the
beautiful, large dog known today as the Great Dane.
From the middle to the late 1800s, breeders both in
Germany and England became very interested in the breed
and more or less developed it to the standards, which
are recognised today. It has been claimed that the Great
Dane is German in origin, which is not certain. However,
what is evident, is that German breeders contributed
largely to bringing the Great Dane to its glory of today.
Why the breed is called under different names is uncertain.
The breed did not originate in Denmark, yet in most
English speaking countries the breed is called 'Great
Dane', in most of central Europe it is recognised as
'Deutsche Dogge', though in France, it is recognised
as both 'Dogue Allemand' and 'Danois'. In Holland, 'Duitse
Dogge' and 'Deense Dogge' and in Italy it is called
'Alano'. In 1880, Germany adopted the Great Dane as
its national dog and was called the Deutsche Dogge and
in England the breed was recognised by the Kennel Club
in 1884 as the Great Dane.
It is
strongly recommended that buyers wishing a purebred puppy
purchase ONLY a registered Great Dane. It is only
in this way that you will be guaranteed a purebred puppy
and it reflects the committment and sincerity of the breeder.
Purchasing an unregistered Great Dane is unwise on many
fronts. Will this 'breeder' stand behind the puppy? What
if inherited health issues arise - are they prepared to
replace the puppy or refund your money? Have the parents
been tested clear of eye, thyroid or hip problems? Can
you call them for advice on your puppy or with any problems
you may encounter? Likely not.
We recommend that you begin your search with reputable
breeders who are members of the Great Dane Club of Canada.
Should one not be able to supply you with the type of
puppy you are looking for, they can refer you to other
known reputable breeders.
Factors to Consider
When Purchasing a Great Dane Puppy In choosing a purebred puppy you assure yourself
of many characteristics, which your adult dog will have.
A healthy puppy is round and robust. It should be friendly
and outgoing-a bundle of kisses and tail wags. At the
puppy stage, they should be playful. The coat should
be shiny and the eyes bright. A mentally sound puppy
should not be shy or reserved. This may be the sign
of an unsteady or nervous temperament.
You should inquire about the health of the Great Danes
in the breeder's line and the temperament of the dogs.
Although it is not always possible to meet the sire
of the puppies it should usually be possible to meet
the dam. Her manner will provide you with a good indication
of the temperament of the line. A good breeder knows
the background of the puppies and should be a good source
of information to the to the purchaser. They should
be available for support throughout your dog's life.
All breeders with years of experience will have
encountered some health issues. Any long time breeder
who claims to have never had health issues should be
avoided.
Registration
Registration of your new Great Dane is the responsibility
of the breeder of your dog. The Canadian Kennel Club
is the registration body for puppies born in Canada
while the American Kennel Club is the registration body
in the United States of America. In Canada, the Canadian
Kennel Club under the jurisdiction of the Federal Department
of Agriculture's Animal Pedigree Act administers the
conditions of registration. This Act states that registration
papers must be provided for any animal sold as purebred,
at no additional cost to the purchaser within six months
of the date of sale. The Act provides for stiff penalties
for those persons not adhering to these conditions.
Terms of Sale The terms of sale of your Great Dane puppy should
be in writing between you and the breeder. This
agreement should contain information about the expectation
that the breeder has of the purchaser such as the signing
of a non-breeding contract, the diet to be fed, the
immunization protocol to be followed. For example, there
it may be wise to discuss the matter of ear cropping.
Although many breeders !crop the ears on the puppies
they sell, they are others who refuse to allow any of
their puppies to be cropped. Most breeders tend to be
more flexible.
If you are uncertain about any of the terms of sale
it is important that they be clarified prior to the
sale. If you cannot accept the terms it is best not
to proceed with the purchase until both you and the
breeder are in agreement over the terms of the sale.
Details may become very important if a problem does
arise in the future. Even the with most conscientious
breeders problems may arise. Some breeders feel that
if any part of the agreement is violated that the
whole agreement is invalid.
Colors of Great Danes:
Danes
come in six acceptable colors: Fawn, Brindle, Black, Blue,
Boston (Mantle), and Harlequin.
Fawn: a golden yellow with a black mask on the
face. Brindle: Golden base coat with defined black striped
laid over as chevrons..almost tiger striped appearance.
Black: Solid black colored dog.. Blue: a steel gray solid color Boston/Mantle: this pattern is best described as
marked like a penguin, must have a white tail tip or is
not considered a true Boston. Harlequin: A white dane with torn black patches
distributed over the body.
For more details please go to the breed
standard.
These colors are acceptable to show in conformation for
a Canadian championship. Although a mismarked dane can
be born in a litter, they are registerable as they are
purebred, from registered parents. A mismark is a colour
not acceptable for competition in comformation (ie. merle,
harls with too much black, blacks with large white spots
on their body, brindles with little or no fawn base color,
etc) Aside from the colour, mismarked colored danes still
can preform in functions scantioned by the Canadian kennel
club, just not in conformation. They are as equally wonderful
a pet as a conformation-marked dane.
Caveat: Don't be fooled - there are no 'rare'
coloured Great Danes. Don't walk, run from any breeder
claiming to have a 'rare' coloured dane.
Great
Danes, as a giant breed grow very quickly, but do not
fully mature until they are about two years of age or
older. Some breeders do not feel that they are fully mature
until 3 or 4 years of age. In this growing process they
do pass through some very awkward stages. Growth plates
are changing, bones are moving, cartilage is forming.
Injuries during a puppy's first year may become permanent
problems for the dog. Too much exercise at an early age
is detrimental to good development. Forced exercise is
not recommended for this breed - puppies should be allowed
to play until they are tired.
The following weight chart gives an overview of the growth
pattern of Great Danes.
Immunization and vaccination: Traditionally all dogs received
their first immunization at six weeks of age, followed
by a 2nd vaccine four weeks later and a 3rd four weeks
after that. At six months of age there was to be another
dose and a usually a rabies vaccine as well. This
was to be followed by yearly vaccines.
Many veterinarians and breeders
no longer believe that it is beneficial or wise to
subject the immune system of a young puppy to this
number of vaccines. The protocol for the reduced numbers
of vaccines is still being developed. Most breeders
are immunizing their puppies in some form and will
be able to share information regarding the vaccines
they are recommending with the new owner.
There are breeders who feel that vaccination in any
form is detrimental to the health of your puppy and
recommend a homeopathic or holistic approach. The
experience breeders have had with their dogs will
determine the advice they provide.
Much work is still being done by veterinarian research
centers to determine what vaccines are beneficial
and necessary for the optimum health of your puppy.
***
this page are intended for educational use and we cannot
take responsibility for their content. Nothing should
take the place of seeking veterinary attention. If in
doubt we strongly recommend you contact your breeder or
veterinarian.
There is quite a bit of controversy about
cross color breeding great danes and I need to make it CLEAR that there
are no RARE colors of great danes. . . only correct and incorrect
colors and markings. There are simple explanations of why other
colors are produced and there are MANY "breeders" that will try to
pass off certain colors as "rare", "Hard to find" or some how
"special"--EVEN "Designer" ----remember--- correct or incorrect.
Period.
It is my belief that
breeders should not PURPOSELY produce incorrect colors, every breeders
goal should be to produce the most correct great dane possible, this
INCLUDES color. They should NOT be ostracized for unintentionally
producing incorrect colors either , recessive colors are in just about
every pedigree. Great Dane breeders ( that breed Harlequin, Mantle,
Blue or Black) that have not produced a recessive color are either LYING
or have not been breeding long enough.
There is a move to improve
some of the Great Dane color families by intentionally breeding to
colors out side of the color family in order to bring qualities that
are hard to find in to the color group. This is commonly done with Fawn
great dane sires bred to Blue or black great dane bitches. This is
not for the faint of heart and you need to realize that you have now
introduced a color in to the family that will be there for generations
to come. This is how you produce ( through recessive genes) Fawn and
Brindle danes with dilute masking ( from the dilution gene) and
brindles that are dilute in general, chevrons being a blue color instead
of the acceptable black.
In Harlequin great dane
family breeding you can have even more variation. Instead of having
harlequins with black spots (correct) you can have them with blue, fawn
or brindle spots-- same rings true of Mantle color pattern, instead of
the black and white "classic" boston marked great dane you can produce
fawn, blue and brindle blanketed danes with white markings of various
degree's.
Fawn and Brindle Great Dane breeding:
This is the strongest color
group and most popular. They do very well in conformation ring and
breading is fairly simple. Fawn can be bred to fawn, brindle can be
bred to brindle and collectively they can be bred to each other. In the
past the only concern (other then health related ones of course) was
the amount of Shading on fawns, the chevron patterning on brindles and
the presence of the masking gene. Both Brindles and Fawns can be born
with or with out a mask and can have different variations in shading and
pattern. It is possible to now test for the masking gene and identify
weather or not a dog truly has a mask ( with brindles it CAN be hard to
differentiate the difference in pattern and masking). A simple swab
test now lets you know at a genetic level.
Blue and Black Great Dane Breeding:
There is a VERY small
breeding group of "quality" blue and black great danes. This is why so
many of the top breeders have used fawn and brindles in there pedigree's
to increase gene diversity and to add qualities that are hard to find.
As a whole the quality of this color group is increasing with time and
we are seeing more and more quality blues and blacks in the ring
today. It is also possible to check for the presence of the "blue"
gene ( which is a dilution gene that dilutes all pigment including nose
and eye color) this test is a simple check swab.
Mantle and Harlequin Great Dane breeding:
Harlequin breeding is not a
"true" color breeding. This means that if you breed a harlequin great
dane to another harlequin great dane you will not get a litter of all
harlequins. Harlequin genetics is complicated to say the least and most
times only 50% of the PARENT colors will be represented in a litter
and of that there is a great deal of variance. The more correct the
parent dogs are the greater the chance for correct colors in a litter (
or so the thought is. . .not always the truth) The preferred breeding is
Mantle to Harlequin but it is also acceptable to breed to black danes
that do not carry for other colors, harlequin to harlequin or mantle to
mantle.
Harlequin to harlequin breeding comes with a
double negative. You can produce double merle puppies ( puppies that
carry 2 copies of the merle gene) and enutero you can have double harl
puppies ( puppies that carry 2 copies of the harl gene) these puppies
will never be born because the harlequin gene in a double form is a
lethal gene, causing the puppies to die enutero . Some great dane
breeders also breed harlequins to merles, but again, you are increasing
the chances for double merle puppies.
I have intentional left out
piebald and white in the possible breeding pairs. There are even MORE
reasons to not breed to these color patterns.
Dogs
love to munch away on grass, and some even make it part of their daily
routine. Fortunately, most experts believe it isn't something you should
worry about. So why exactly do they gobble up that green stuff in your
yard?
Scavengers 'R Us
Dogs, unlike their catty counterparts,
are not carnivores. But they're not like your garden-variety omnivores,
either. For tens of thousands of years, these opportunistic scavengers
have devoured anything and everything, as long as it fulfilled their
basic dietary requirements.
The modern dog, partly because of
evolution and domestication, is no longer like its ancestors, which
frequently ate their prey entirely, including the stomach contents of
plant-eating animals. Instead, dogs today seek out plants as an
alternative food source. Most commonly the plant is grass -- since that
is what is closest at hand -- but wild canines are known to eat fruits,
berries, and other vegetable matter, too.
Clearly, dogs can find their nutrients in
a wide range of plant foods, but that doesn't explain why Fido usually
throws up after eating grass.
When the Tummy's Grumblin'
A dog will seek out a natural remedy for a gassy
or upset stomach, and grass, it seems, may do the trick. When ingested,
the grass blade tickles the throat and stomach lining; this sensation,
in turn, may cause the dog to vomit, especially if the grass is gulped down rather than chewed.
Although dogs don't typically graze on
large amounts of grass like a cow, they may nibble on grass, chew on it
for a while, and not throw up (an unwell dog will tend to gulp the grass
down in big bites and then throw up). This may be because they find the
texture of the grass palatable, or just because they need to add a
little roughage to their diet.
Nutritional Necessity
Whatever the reason may be, most experts
see no danger in letting your dog eat grass. In fact, grass contains
essential nutrients that a dog might crave, especially if they're on a
commercial diet. If you notice that your dog has been munching away on
grass or houseplants, then you may want to introduce natural herbs
or cooked vegetables into their diet. Dogs aren't finicky like cats,
but they're not too fond of raw veggies either. They're kind of like big
furry kids that way.
So, when you think about it, grass
munching isn’t that bad at all. However, watch out for a sudden increase
in grass eating; it could be a sign of a more serious underlying
illness that your dog is trying to self treat, and that requires
immediate veterinary assistance.
You may also want to buy a small tray of grass just for the dog, or start an herbal home garden.
This will give your poor pooch an alternative to the outdoor grass and
landscaping, the eating of which could lead to accidental ingestion of
pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals that have been used to treat your
(or your neighbor's) yard.
Dogs
love to munch away on grass, and some even make it part of their daily
routine. Fortunately, most experts believe it isn't something you should
worry about. So why exactly do they gobble up that green stuff in your
yard?