I owe them an apology.
It isn't just Pekes.
It seems that other bracychephalic breeds can't do this either - notably many Pugs, French Bulldogs and Bulldogs. And, according to the many YouTube videos that come up if you search for "[breed] can't reach itchy butt" [what a way to spend a Friday, eh?], it's hilarious!
And there was me thinking it was a total bloody disgrace.
In the interests of balance, here's a video of a Pug that can - just - reach behind to help deliver a rather impressive litter of pups. Bizarre choice of music and OTT sentiment, be warned. But rather affecting, nonetheless, especially when Dad comes to say hello to his pups. Just such a shame they have no choice other than to be Pugs.
Apart you on this appalling video I have never met a pug who was unable to reach it's butt, and I have met hundreds. If they can't reach round (which many short coupled or plump dogs cannot do) they simply sit and adopt the leg in the air pose, reaching underneath - simple and works everytime, as the whelping bitch demonstrates. Perhaps this video has been enhanced from a brief "butt spin" to the length we see, including the speeded up bit?
ReplyDeleteI think you have once more allowed your desire for controversy to cloud the truth. What does concern me is that the bitch delivering the pups appears from the video to have a severe skin condition. Obvioulsy that does not have any bearing on her whelping.
Do you honestly believe that the majority of pugs (or Pekes or Frenchis) cannot lift a leg and reach their hind quarters? I can assure you they can.
I'm sure some can - but it's pretty clear that others can't. I had several private emails yesterday from owners of pugs telling me their dogs could not do this - and you only have to google "pug can't reach its butt" to get endless references. Same for Frenchies and Bulldogs. Try it.
ReplyDeleteJemima
My pug has never reached her backside to clean it in the 9 years I have had her. I also asked my two friends on FB who have pugs and they also say their pugs cannot reach their backsides.
ReplyDeleteIndeed the fatter the square shaped pug the harder it becomes to reach their butt but I fear that this is a common problem in the cube shaped breed. Hey ho there goes another of the 5 Freedoms (to express normal behaviour).
My friend even admits to having to "wipe his tush". You see most dogs with dirty butts would prefer to do this themselves. I have to do this for my pug too.
Yep, a friend had 2 English bulldogs (they had to give one away because she was fighting with the male over everything and it was getting dangerous for the children to be around), both required their butts wiped after each poop as huge globs would stick to them back there and if not wiped, the dogs would "wipe themselves" on the walls and floor of the house when they got back inside. Really disgusting.
DeleteI only ever had to wipe my border collie's butt when he had diarrhea or if he had something caught in the hair, or something hanging out of his butt (he ate my pants once and had an elastic string hanging out... that was fun -__-).
...and this is why these dogs are in this condition: because people think its 'adorable' and 'hilarious' to have a dog with a face so squished it snorts all day, and can't reach its butt. Its amusing! Its cute! Never mind that its not healthy. There is no shortage of homes for dogs with the most disfigured, cube shaped, waddling bodies and brachycephalic heads. There is no incentive for the less scrupulous to continue to churn them out. Heck, Americas funniest videos had a contest for bulldog owners to submit videos of them doing all that funny stuff.
ReplyDeleteCan't even wipe their own arses.
ReplyDeleteI can't reach my butt to lick it.. and the last time I had a child I could not reach down and eat the placenta.my husband cannot lick his own.. well you know. wow there must be something wrong with us that we cannot "express normal behavior".. LOL.. this is hilarious.. that this blog has come to butt licking.. well what goes around comes around..literally.. HILARIOUS
ReplyDeleteA tenner to the person who pens the reply to this one that makes me laugh the loudest...
DeleteIt's amusing how, on a topic about dogs being bred into a physical shape that renders them unable to reach their own backsides, one can get comments from human beings who appear to be more skilled than average at keeping their own heads firmly inserted up that same region.
Delete...How's that? =P
Why bet on it Jemima as u would lose money
DeleteI am completely not touching that one!
DeleteAnon, I'm so sorry that no one in your family has opposable thumbs and you must resort to using your tongues, like the creatures of the forest. :(
DeleteAnon, are you aware of the difference between a bet and a prize?
DeleteMs. Harrison:
DeleteIsn't there any way that you could set up your site so that you'd have to approve comments before they are posted?
To be quite frank, the poster who calls herself anonymous and continuously and relentlessly posts inane, negative and hostile comments adds nothing to the quality of the site - and in fact - does harm to it.
Allowing anyone to say anything, anytime is an experiment that we can safely call a failure. Often, the ignorant, ignoble and the nefarious are simply more tenacious at "poisoning the well" and as such must be excluded from village life.
Disagreement - of ideas (divorced from crass self-interest) IS beneficial. But when it comes from ideological terrorists - with no interest in illuminating the truth - it is something best ignored.
you have already topped this with "google pug can't reach its butt..try it" and looking at youtubes about itchy butts why? things must be slow in Jolly Olde England.. try it?.. oh yes I will right after I try "man licks his own "wanker" wow 27 MILLION hits.must be more a natural behavior than I thought. Think I will forgo some of the others things that your blog brings to mind.. the funniest thing here..
ReplyDeleteThat licking your own private part is one of the "5 Freedoms".. who knew? Someone call the papers!
Dearest Ms. Harrison, may I ask a question?. Dose Mabel the bulldog have this problem?.
ReplyDeleteSincerely, Fang.
I have asked, Fang... Will report back if I hear.
DeleteRetrieverman.. since people here love to compare dogs to babies.. guess what.. they can't wipe tier own "arses" either..and I don;t know about you but I have never seen a animal "wipe his arse" except in the toilet tissue ads
ReplyDeleteMs. Harrison, Fang again.
ReplyDeleteHere are some photos of Pekes taken somewhere in the 21st century. These Pekes look like the ones in the vintage black and whites.
-http://www.petwave.com/~/media/Images/Center/Breed/Dogs/Toy%20Group/Pekingese/Pekingese%20dogs.ashx
-http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/dogbreeds/photos-MNOP/pekingesef5.jpg
- http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-new/ehow/images/a06/hi/dr/pekingese-hair-cut-styles-1.1-800x800.jpg
- http://www.pekingese-info.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/daisy3.jpg
Hope these are helpful.
Sincerely, Fang.
They are - and thank you.
DeleteThey are. And good to see. Thank you, Fang.
DeleteWell I have a papillon who cannot lick it's own backside due to his profuse coat..... obviously a dreadful fault in the breeding!
ReplyDeleteMaybe he just needs a haircut.. you lazy pet owner.
DeleteSnapdog...are you saying that like it ISN'T a problem with the breeding? If so, I'd disagree.
DeleteSnapdog, a Papillon with a show coat should still be able to reach there and get past the hair. My Pap has 10 BIS winners in the last few generations and has a lovely coat. He can easily reach around without problems. He has the correct MODERATE coat, not the ones that reach down to the floor, as is becoming the vogue in some places. He has similar coat to a long-coated working sheepdog (Border Collie).
DeleteIf my dog kept wanting to lick its backside I'd worry as it would mean anal gland trouble that's the only time I have ever known my dogs do it,
ReplyDeleteWilly and vagina yes bum no so not sure how you can claim to be a welfare problem I don't know after all why do you think they scoot ? Because they don't want to lick their bums?
Dogs usually only scoot for anal gland problems, or if they have worms and are itching, or if they've got poop stuck to them that they can't clean off themselves.
DeleteMost dogs lick their butts clean - this is totally normal and any normal dog does this (including wolves and other wild canines). They don't have the same distaste humans do about licking gross things.
My dog would not only clean his butt and bits, but his forelegs, front and hind paws, and his belly too. Sometimes he even washed his face and behind his ears like a cat. He was a bit of a clean freak but most normal dogs will at least do their bits and rear ends :P
Oh and he never once scooted and never had anal gland problems.
Well it probably isn't a problem UNTIL one of them is owned by a person who isn't capable of providing the necessary substitute cleaning. At that point dogs (and cats and rabbits) who can't groom themselves are at risk of a horrible life and possibly a terrible death from fly strike.
ReplyDeleteIt's not entirely a breed problem because the same thing may happen to animals who are simply too old to have the required flexibility. But is is part of the issue of pets not being bred to be fit for their function as companions.
I agree.
DeleteDogs that I have seen with a itchy behind usually rub it against the ground..
DeleteFor example. Here is a Lab.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRxfPBhjU94&feature=related
Yes, you're right - itchy likely to provoke a bum-rub. Tongue used for cleaning and soreness - at least in my experience.
Deletei respectfully disagree, i rarely see a dog cleaning its bum - that is a favourite past time of my ragdoll cats usually whilst i am trying to sleep!
DeleteShould have qualified... dogs are, of course, blessed with butts that don't need cleaning most of the time, but I've seen ours clean themselves when they've had the runs - and, actually even occasionally when they haven't. (Best to avoid kisses for a while...) I can't imagine what it must be like for bitches to not be able to clean themselves when they are in season, though.
DeleteI own a whippet and a lurcher, and they both from time to time clean their backside. They are happy, healthy, and get a shower once a week (we live by the sea, and they need it to wash of sea water). The point is that they don't have any irritation what so ever they just simply clean thair bums once in a while. It IS part of normal behaviour.
DeleteGloria
Must depend on the breed neither my spaniels, rhodesians or jap spitz partake in bum licking, never ever apart from when they have a problem with their glands.
DeleteAs luck would have it my whippet was due her annual health check, which she passed with flying clours. I asked the vet to check her bum to make sure the has no problems with her anal gland, or no irritiation around her anus. The vet checked and said that she is 100% fine and no problems in and arround bum what so ever. She is also regularely wormed and flea treated. Still now and than she licks her bum - which is according to my vet normal. Sometimes she also scratches the base of her tale with her teeth - wich requires the same movement.
DeleteI still believe that any dog that can't reach his bum, and cannot scratch the base of their tail when ichy could suffer or get irritated. It is plain wrong to breed dogs that cannot perform that basic movement! Which by the way my 12 years old lurcher can still perform at will. People who say it's fine that owners need to wipe their dogs bums (see comments above) are in my eyes paying lip service to breeds out of misplaced loyality instead of keeping the animals best interest at heart. But that's just my oppinion.
Gloria
Voice of sanity... thank you Gloria.
DeleteWhile we're on the subject of the difference between what constitutes normal behaviour for a dog and what constitutes normal behaviour for a human - my dog sometimes licks his bum. I never do (lick mine, that is) - my back simply isn't that flexible, even if I wanted to! my dog also eats any form of crap you care to mention, dead animals etc. I don't do that either, but the fact is at it's pretty normal behaviour for canines. The point being that dogs are, quite simply, not us. The fact is that all wild dogs can reach their nether regions with their tongues, as can pretty much most domestic dogs. So it's entirely wrong that any dog should be bred to the point where it can't.
DeleteBy the way - excellent blog Jemima. I'm new to it and on the basis of reading the various posts watched Pedigree Dogs Exposed the other day, which I missed first time around. what an eye opener! So many of the breeders and judges condemned themselves out of their own mouths - although they seemed entirely unaware of the fact!
Winter
I'm going to have to disagree with those that say the dogs were 'purposely' bred to render them 'unfit to be companions'.I think the super exaggerated conformation started when people began breeding dogs to be companions only.
ReplyDeleteLet's not forget that many top-line square breeds, in recent times, have had their bitch standard specifically and breed standards changed ,to a longer back ,so she could 'carry her pups more easily'.The standards still state that a square dog is preferred,but a longer dog is allowable and not to be faulted.
I've never seen any of those breeds,before or since the change to their breed standards, have issues with whelping and bum licking.These changes were made because the dogs were consistently getting longer and the breed judges were sick of pulling needles out of their eyeballs while in the ring.The change to the breed standards greatly helped breeders who couldn't produce a decent front or back on their dogs, never mind a proper topline,as per their breed standard,if you held a gun to their pointy little heads.All three,as dictated by the breed standard, together on one dog?It can't be done.... they cried...and cried and cried some more.
How in the world could they possibly achieve that? .....They changed their breed standard.Get's the job done...right?
Long backs on excellent hips,(remember- all the health testing breeders do to get the hips 'correct') that the dogs now can't benefit from because they are ruined by their poor conformation for work.....you know,the kind of work that takes the ability to walk or live in a home with a short run of stairs.
Short back on the dog and you get tripping feet and loss of flexibility in the spine.Long back on the dog is too much stress on the spine and causes pain and/or degenerative conditions.Both exaggerations ruins hips. In the end a poor hip can no longer be judged by the gait.So hard for dogs to live as they age or try to work.Even with an excellent rated hip.Backs like that and the hip better be good or they have no quality of life to begin with.Square dog with a good front and back....they say the dog is 'overdone' and too fancy.
Funny thing is.....the square dogs look exactly like the originals and their breed's founders managed to sport them without filling the field with dogs upended onto their faces.
Ai yiyi!!! It's not just smash face,bully breeds that wish they weren't born as they are! I can't believe that we standardized testing for a good hip and then failed to realize why dogs with poor hips managed to stay upright before the testing.Square conformation....not rectangular, keeps dogs sound, fit and moving.
Stupidity is not a conspiracy in the dog world.People really are stupid...and breeding dogs.
"Yes, you're right - itchy likely to provoke a bum-rub. Tongue used for cleaning and soreness - at least in my experience."
ReplyDeletejust when you thought it could not get any more bizarre.. LOL.. thanks for the laugh of the day.. perhaps even the week..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEb04EyBfhE
you are reaching Larry Davis level..
I am gobsmacked that anyone thinks this is funny - or not worthy of a serious discussion.
DeleteWe have bred some dogs that cannot clean themselves or help whelp their own pups. Do you honestly see nothing wrong in that?
you are reaching here Jemima.. many dogs are bred that CAN clean themselves and "help" to whelp their own pups.. many owners prefer to be in attendance when pups are whelped.. do you prefer that they are put in a barn to fend for themselves?
DeleteIt is a stupid subject.. move on..
I'm reminded of the joke/riddle that asks: "Why do dogs lick their balls?" Answer: "Because they can."
ReplyDeleteThe point, our own species, and many other species cannot lick the nether regions and this does not seem to pose health risks or greatly hinder reproduction. I don't think this 'problem' should be high on anyone's list of priorities. Better to focus on more serious problems, like incidence of cancer.
Psssst, Jennifer, we have hands which is why we don't need to clean ourselves with our tongues.
DeleteI guarantee you that if you were unfortunate enough to lose the use of your hands and arms, you would find the resulting inability to clean your nether regions a serious discomfort. You don't think it's a problem because you have likely never been forced to walk around with unclean nether regions.
The inability of a bitch to reach around and pull off the birth sac with her teeth is indeed an enormous problem if a bitch starts to whelp when no one is around to help.... In a feral state, it would lead to increased infant mortality and therefore is naturally selected against.
Really? Can you get yourself clean with your hands?
DeleteAs I understand it, from a disease/infection perspective, the mouth is considerably less sanitary than the anus. I haven't seen many animals wipe themselves after taking a crap, so I assume that human problems aren't widespread. I've not watched a good cross sections of primates giving birth, but suspect that bi-pedal locomotion has generally introduced a compromise that makes it difficult to 'reach around' and pull off the birth sac. If an evolving sub-group can't 'reach around', I'd presume natural selection would favor those who pop their young out in ways that make it unnecessary to 'reach around'.
I've helped in a dozen or so whelpings for Labbie bitches who are fully capable of licking their nether regions and have never seen one 'reach around' to pull out a pup. The pups come out as little wrapped packets. The girl can and does move to reach the packet. Flexibility is no constraint.
So . . .what do you say of the dozens of breeds who are unable to 'groom' their over-developed coats and, if left untended, would face many hazards from burrs and pointed shaft seeds of various sorts? I mean poodles, shih-tsu's, Maltese, Lagotto . . . and on and on . . . the breeds that go for a 'trim' on a regular basis? Have you ever had to clean up the bum-side digleberries of small white fluffy crossbreeds? In the years I spent managing a boarding kennel, I saw many dogs need serious vet care cause their coats and ear-linings make them non-viable without human care and they didn't get the care they needed. I've never seen a dog require vet care cause it couldn't lick it's butt.
" and many other species cannot lick the nether regions and this does not seem to pose health risks or greatly hinder reproduction."
ReplyDeleteYes, having a brick, square or round shaped head if you are a dog has no problems in reproduction thanks to caesarian sections.
Thank goodness for human intervention.
Dogs, in general, would be quite different if they got no assistance from humans. I'd love to see systematic study of the structure and behaviour of street dogs and dogs-gone-feral as compared to existing breeds. I suspect some traits disappear rapidly under natural selection.
DeleteI think it better to direct attention to problems that bring huge vet bills and great suffering . . . like high prevalence of early-onset cancer than be concerned about how you dog scratches its itches.
Jemima
ReplyDeleteYou are really showing your ignorance here. Dogs will often scratch their behinds like this when they have anal gland problems. It is not funny and has the potential for the glands to become sore or even infected.
However spinning on the ground like this is a common way for dogs to relive the “itch”, and it is not indicative of whether the dog is able to reach its anus or not. They do not usually attempt to relieve itching by washing with their tongue.
I cannot believe that as an experienced dog owner you are not aware of this?
And as for “balance” when have you ever been interested in balance?
Carol
maybe the author should whelp a litter or two before commenting.. oh wait inexperience has never stopped her before
Deleteand Kate.. you could not be more correct.. Thank goodness for human intervention all things dog.. without humans dogs would be pretty much feral and many more would never be alive...and .many dogs require caesarians so yes thank goodness we know how to do them.
Beth.. monkeys have hands as well.. they eat their own poop off of their hands and lick their genitals..
their "nether" regions are often filthy as are many humans who do have hands...just because a dog can reach his genitals does not mean they will.. just like humans.
blogged about how today's Pekes can't clean their nether regions themselves - or help with their own puppies as they are being born - because we've bred them into such a dysfunctional shape...
ReplyDeleteHmm do you mean ALL of them?
Carol,
ReplyDeleteyour comments are nonsensical. A dog will lick its anus if there is an irritation, be it overfull or blocked anal glands or even worms. This must offer the dog some sort of relief. It is also a useful symptom for owners to tell their vets.
Now as an experienced pug owner, and a pug who has in the past had anal glands that have been overfull and leaked, I have witnessed my pug going insane trying to relieve herself by flipping left and right. She cannot reach her butt so she will lick virtually anything else near by, particularly her back legs. We had no idea in the past why she did this. Now we do and can get it sorted.
Take a look at this video. It says the pug cannot reach it's itch. Itch or something else really irritating it like worms or anal glands?
Either way is it funny or distressing to see this dog unable to relieve itself if it wanted to?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJd_yz_n0mI&feature=related
And perhaps..just perhaps..those dogs that can and do lick butt do so in order to PREVENT anal gland problems and therefore have NO problem..from a dogs' perspective - one close to a normal functional canine anyway - it maybe just good and necessary hygiene?? At least for some dogs that have the misfortune to be born with less then perfect asses and learn to deal with it. Point is that all dogs should have the wherewithal to care for their less then pristine poop chutes should that be the case. Let'em have at it..naturally so.
DeleteTotally agree here. I own an English mastiff whose anal glands will occasionally get uncomfortably pressurized. He will lick that area with almost obsessive focus until he relieves the pressure, leaving the nasty smell of his secretions in the house (and even longer in his mouth, yuck!) for a few minutes. While this little overfull gland problem he has doesn't seem to be a big issue in many dogs, I can't imagine how uncomfortable and possibly painful it would be for a bulldog with the same issue who can't reach its anus to relieve the pressure.
DeleteMy border collie used to clean his bits and butt every day and never had an anal gland problem. Not once. Likely it is related.
DeleteHumans cant reach their backsides with their heads (although certain posters on this blog can and manage successfully to put them up their backsides), does that mean we are a "bloody disgrace".
ReplyDelete...point taken and verified LOL!!
DeleteJemima, this is a perfectly valid topic. These dogs are so poorly bred so they can no longer do what ALL normal dogs and normal canids can do.
ReplyDeleteThis is similar to tail-docking in draft horses. Because humans prefer the "short/no tail look," the horses are left without any means to protect themselves from flies.
How is breeding dogs that can't do natural grooming behavior any different than whacking off an "offensive" tail? Both should be banned.
I'm happy to say that every breed I've had has been moderate (sporting/hunting/agility-bred) and can easily reach around from the side to get to those areas if they need to. I would never have a breed like a Pug or a Peke, and I think the current ones who can't breathe, have a mouth-ful of normal teeth, or whelp naturally should all be neutered and allowed to die out.
Start over with a Tibetan Terrier and call that a "Peke," then lets have vet checks and better-educated judges so those don't go the same was as the original Peke.
Odd idea Sharon when you consider the COI for Pekingese 7.4% compared to the 9.7 of a Tibetan Terrier, which is more diverse?
DeleteAren't you meaning the tibetan spaniel?
DeleteThere is nothing 'wrong' with any breed kept on the studbooks.
DeleteWhat is 'wrong' with the purebred dog world is allowing people, who would keep Hitler awake nights,to breed dogs ,to their extinction, based on their conformation alone.
There still exists, many examples of numerous breeds, still bred on the studbooks, that aren't fancy enough to make it to the conformation ring.I'd say,until more recent times, they would be the majority of what the public bought with papers.
Yes....those would be the examples, more quaintly referred to by the public today, as byb bred.In the not so distant past,when these breeders managed something worthy of breeding ,the reputable breeder did use them in their breeding programs.The fine lines between the reputable and disreputable were somewhat blurred because everyone participated in the clubs.Some.. if only, for the prestige of the membership.
Breeding dogs is not rocket surgery.
Anon and Kate, my bad, I meant Tibetan Spaniel.
DeletePenniesworth, see Jemima's paragraph dealing with why Tibetan Spaniels are almost the same as the original Pekes. And I have no idea what you are talking about "a dog with normal teeth that can whelp naturally being allowed to die out..." I said nothing of the kind--I said the opposite. Can you please carefully re-read my post and tell me what it is that you disagree with. Maybe my sentence wasn't clear. I'm saying:
If a dog can't breathe normally...
And/or if the dog does NOT have normal teeth...
And/or if the dog cannot whelp naturally...
It should be neutered. Instead, dogs who can perform these everyday functions well should be bred from. For instance, look at Jemima's older posts about the hunting kennel Bassett Hounds compared to the KC version. The good genes are there--we need to get the crap out of the gene pool and breed dogs that do not need human intervention for absolutely everything they do, including licking their butts.
Agility is an all breed performance title and no more or less valuable than a conformation title.
DeleteI would no sooner assume biddable temperament and reputable breeding from that as I would a newspaper ad for a registered litter without titles.
The problem for the purebred dog breeding world is that too many people consider titles to be reports from a bloodstock consultation.
I prefer owning titled dogs of certain breeds also,but not at the expense of other breeds.That myopic view is ruining the dog world.
If your only in it to win it......the dogs lose every time.
Sporting and hunting breeds are often on ban lists for the 'public good' and there is much reason for it.When bred without the best interest of the dog they can often be of such high temperament as to be just as useless as the breeds that can't lick their asses.
Sharon I fear the reason why you and so many others shouldnt comment on dogs let alone pedigree dogs is shown by your complete lack of knowledge as shown by the Tibetan Terrier / Tibetan Spaniel mess you made here! Again if you only bothered to lookyou would of reaslised the Tib Span were sent to the Emperors of China as gifts and where the origins of the Pekes.
DeleteAnon, please give an example of a sporting or hunting breed that has been banned. I've never heard of any country in which a sporting or hunting breed has been banned as a dangerous dog.
DeleteAnthropomorphism is bad.Using it to justify breeding dogs that can't lick their ass or give birth is heading into the area of pathology for the people who breed them.Dogs don't need sections.The breeders who justify this,as betterment of the breed,, love their dogs like Pedobears love Brownies. This is sickness in the head of the breeder....not a form of kennel blindness.All breeds suffer some form of kennel blindness,but difference being,they manage to lick their asses.
ReplyDeleteGame bred pitbulls are every bit as smash faced and dwarfed a breed as any other in their breed type.Ever heard of them passing out in the heat or dieing because of it?Not being able to birth without a section?Can't lick their own asses?Eyes that pop out their heads?
If the sick S.O.B that games their pitbulls ,to their deaths, knows conformation like this is ruinous for a dog's quality of life....why should we allow sanctioned fanciers to disagree with him because their dogs are merely bred to be beautiful?
Something is really wrong ,in a breed type, when those who obviously ,ill use them in banned sport,care about and know more about maintaining 'good' type in the best interests of the dog.
see what happens when you call out the crazies?
ReplyDeleteJapanese chin were so brachycephalic that they were once thought to be their own species and even belonged to their own genus. Dysodes pravus ("Stinking evil") was their scientific name.
ReplyDeletehttp://retrieverman.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/when-japanese-chin-were-their-own-species/
Because they were missing teeth, it was assumed that they had to be a different species. One authority thought the fewer teeth was an adaptation to a vegetarian diet.
Of course, we now that many brachycephalic breeds have teeth that remain withdrawn into the gumline-- exactly like human wisdom teeth.
Game-bred pits aren't as brachycephalic as boxers.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most famous Boxers,in my country, is a specimen kept in our national museum.He died from the heat,at a all breed conformation show, in the early 50's.
DeleteFascinating stuff.I've own two now.One was fine and the other suffered the heat.Guess what one had titles?I doubt you would have to put much thought into your guess.
The 'tooth faeries' in the fancy have passed on long ago.Many people will be tourists in the dog world and dependent upon lines that are very set.They don't give much thought to dentition because they aren't getting dogs with faulty teeth.Doesn't mean the sanctioned dog's teeth/bite are good because of any huge efforts on the part of the nationals today.They work with what they know and familiarity sometimes breeds contempt.
Well, well I did a study on my dogs yesterday. I stuck a small piece of paper to their butts and guess what --not one of the 10 of them actually tried to get it off by turning and using their tongue. Butts to floor and they are not Pugs or Pekes so what does your silly you tube vids prove again
ReplyDeleteI wish you had filmed it.
ReplyDeleteNot the dogs bum scootering, but you sticking paper to ten dog butts.
Thank you for making me laugh and for clearly missing the point.
Oh Kate you make me laugh everytime you parrot what Jemima says. The point being the you tube links on here are to show dogs scooting around on their butts because they are unable to reach their butts with their tongue lol Jeez Do they really represent a true picture or a journalists crap as usual!!
ReplyDeleteAnon, why are they unable to reach their butts with their tongue?
ReplyDelete