For Fiona fans, detractors and the just plain curious, here's some video of Fiona at Crufts 2011 with Julie Evans (Tyrodal Dalmatians). It includes some close-up shots of her spots - showing that they are very well-defined, with no 'frosting'.
Readers of this blog have expressed worries that mating LUA x LUA might result in frosty spotting (white hairs interspersed among the black or liver).
This is genetically impossible if the LUAs used have clear spots. Clear spotting is the result of a single recessive gene. Unless a dog has ONLY the gene for clear spotting, there will be interspersed white hairs. Therefore, two LUAs with clear spotting (like any two Dals with clear spotting) must pass on the genes for it to their offspring because they do not carry the gene for frosted spotting.
This is the same mode of inheritance that ensures that two Livers mated together only produce Liver pups.
For further information, see www.dalmatianheritage.com/about/schaible_research.htm
Great to see Fiona sort of in the flesh. Julie was quite right to bring her to Crufts so that people could see for themselves how Dally she is. (Rather too well behaved in my opinion, but then I am cursed with the thug end of the breed!)
Fiona moves like a dream and is so structurally balanced. It is mind boggling that these dogs who are beautifully packaged AND healthy have met with so much prejudice and resistence.
she looks nice.. and she is accepted and registered.. what more do you want? I assume she will be bred? Will there be buyers for the pups? Isn't that all that is important? Good homes for dogs?
I disagree bestuvall....Good homes for dogs is important but it isn't all that is important. Putting healthy dogs in those homes is equally important. Hats off to Julie for making the effort to do that!
Agreed Barb on both points. However have just been talking to the owners of a new Bichon puppy who say they went straight to the paper to buy it when their last Bichon died, aged 17. I doubt they'll get 17 years of pleasure from their new pup by the looks of it. There are 2 ways of looking at a pedigree. Is it the registered offspring of registered parents, or is it years of research, knowledge and breeding? And then there is the murky grey area of non-registered pure bred dogs. Take one of these sick puppies to the vet and it will go down as a pedigree dog with health problems. Try to get it insured and it will be costed as a pedigree dog. It's not. The pedigree is unknown. Any health problems that may be associated with particular dogs in the lineage are unknown. Unknown until they present themselves in an unhealthy litter. And then the whole breed is damned.
What's interesting is the Dalmatian Club refuses to acknowledge Fiona because she has Pointer in her pedigree 13 generations ago. BUT in Australia and I think in the UK Bobtail Boxers can be shown in the show ring with Pembroke Welsh Corgi in their pedigree 8 generations ago and no one cares. Like, if out crossing affects cosmetic purposes that's a good thing but if improves health it's a bad thing. It makes NO sense.
Readers of this blog have expressed worries that mating LUA x LUA might result in frosty spotting (white hairs interspersed among the black or liver).
ReplyDeleteThis is genetically impossible if the LUAs used have clear spots. Clear spotting is the result of a single recessive gene. Unless a dog has ONLY the gene for clear spotting, there will be interspersed white hairs. Therefore, two LUAs with clear spotting (like any two Dals with clear spotting) must pass on the genes for it to their offspring because they do not carry the gene for frosted spotting.
This is the same mode of inheritance that ensures that two Livers mated together only produce Liver pups.
For further information, see www.dalmatianheritage.com/about/schaible_research.htm
Great to see Fiona sort of in the flesh. Julie was quite right to bring her to Crufts so that people could see for themselves how Dally she is. (Rather too well behaved in my opinion, but then I am cursed with the thug end of the breed!)
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS FROM THE BVA WEBSITE.
ReplyDeleteThe Breed Mean Score (BMS) represents a global mean of the scores of all dogs of that breed that have been through the Hip Dysplasia
Scheme up until 31st October 2010. The Breed Median Score has been calculated from data recorded on the Kennel Club’s electronic
registration database, up until 31st October 2010. The 5-year mean is the mean of all hip scores recorded on the Kennel Club’s registration
database between 1st November 2005 and 31st October 2010.
Pointer Breed mean score 11. Median 9. 5 year Median 11.
Dalmatian Breed mean score 11. Median 10. 5 year Median 11.
Seems the pointer fairs a little better than the Dals!!!
So what is the problem???
Does anyone know which strain of pointer was used in the outcross?
ReplyDeleteThere are several performance lines of pointer in the US that nearly solid white and are very Dalmatian-like.
http://www.aftcaregion17.org/images/DrPatMcInteer/NemahaCitySlicker.jpg
ReplyDeletePerformance-line pointer from the US.
In the US, pointers and setters point with their tails up. I have no idea where that came from.
Retrieverman, the history of the LUA dals including a photo of the pointer used, is available here: http://www.luadalmatians.com/History.html
ReplyDeleteFiona moves like a dream and is so structurally balanced. It is mind boggling that these dogs who are beautifully packaged AND healthy have met with so much prejudice and resistence.
ReplyDeleteshe looks nice.. and she is accepted and registered.. what more do you want? I assume she will be bred? Will there be buyers for the pups? Isn't that all that is important? Good homes for dogs?
ReplyDeleteI disagree bestuvall....Good homes for dogs is important but it isn't all that is important. Putting healthy dogs in those homes is equally important. Hats off to Julie for making the effort to do that!
ReplyDeleteAgreed Barb on both points. However have just been talking to the owners of a new Bichon puppy who say they went straight to the paper to buy it when their last Bichon died, aged 17. I doubt they'll get 17 years of pleasure from their new pup by the looks of it. There are 2 ways of looking at a pedigree. Is it the registered offspring of registered parents, or is it years of research, knowledge and breeding? And then there is the murky grey area of non-registered pure bred dogs. Take one of these sick puppies to the vet and it will go down as a pedigree dog with health problems. Try to get it insured and it will be costed as a pedigree dog. It's not. The pedigree is unknown. Any health problems that may be associated with particular dogs in the lineage are unknown. Unknown until they present themselves in an unhealthy litter. And then the whole breed is damned.
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting is the Dalmatian Club refuses to acknowledge Fiona because she has Pointer in her pedigree 13 generations ago. BUT in Australia and I think in the UK Bobtail Boxers can be shown in the show ring with Pembroke Welsh Corgi in their pedigree 8 generations ago and no one cares. Like, if out crossing affects cosmetic purposes that's a good thing but if improves health it's a bad thing. It makes NO sense.
ReplyDelete