When you first get your puppy make sure you choose a veterinarian that you can rely on. I choose a veterinarian by finding out how long he has been in practice. If he/she came from a farm, all the better. Too many folks that say they love animals want to be a veterinarian when they grow up and have never even had a cat or a dog of their own!

If I have just purchased a pup I want to make sure that he is healthy. I purchase a new germ-free crate that I can haul around while the pup is going back and forth to the veterinarian’s office. I make sure this pup gets all his proper shots and that the pup never touches any part of the veterinarian’s office, except the examination table. I keep my dog in the van until it is our turn and I either carry him in or bring him in while crated.

I never take a young pup to a park or even in the back or front yard until he has got some shots in him and is protected.

After all his shots I still do not take my dog to any doggy park or any place where other infected animals have been. If I go to the park it is for a reason, training and socialization. If my dog belongs to a club and we have our trainings out in a field we go there to do our job and then get back in the crate in the van or back of the truck. Not much fun, am I? That's why I live on a farm. (Hehe)

Just try and be safe, both you and your dog.

I do have a plastic toolbox I converted into an animal first aid kit. Here is what I have in it:

(Keep in mind I have a bunch of dogs.)

A couple of rectal thermometers

Vaseline

Antiseptic liquids, sprays and creams

Burn cream medicine.

Bandages: an ace, a couple of rolls of sterile bandages, about 50 square bandages four inch by four inch.

Three rolls of tape for bandaging.

Cotton balls

Cotton swabs

Scissors

Two or three human eye-drop bottles that have been diluted by 75 %

Sterile water

Ear mite medicine

Ear powder antiseptic

Boric acid powder

Worm medicine

Shampoos and Herbal flea shampoos plus coat conditioners.

Brush and three different size combs.

Large human toenail clippers and two large dog nail clippers.

A vomiting liquid, to induce vomiting.

Cod liver oil and anti-stress vitamin B supplement

Tweezers

Hypodermic needle

I also have a microscope and slides, a stethoscope and various other possessions that I have accumulated over the years that may or may not be something you wish to get into.

Your dog will pretty much take care of himself, but if it makes you feel better to help him if he is hurt, then I shall suggest that you treat him as you would yourself. Wash out the dirt and apply an antiseptic.

Poisoning --- If you fear that your dog has swallowed poison, get him to the veterinarian as soon as possible and try to locate the source of the poisoning. Take the bottle or container with you if you can or write the information down quickly. The container may say what to do so look it over.

Car Accidents -- I shouldn't be writing this as I feel a car should never hit your dog! Train him to not go into the street, ever! Keep a leash on y your dog at all times when he is not in the security of his own home. Read my book, Training your Alsatian Shepalute. But if by some chance a car does hit your dog, he will be out of it, so to speak. He will be in shock and you may not be able to mentally connect with him, so speak his name and talk to him before you touch him as in this state he may turn on anyone who touches him. If this is the case, get someone to get you a blanket and keep talking to your dog. Reassure him until he let's you pet his neck and or hug him. Do not move him at this time unless he is harming himself by trying to get up. Wrap a blanket tightly around him and lift him into a waiting car. Lift a large dog with two arms. If you are right handed, your left hand goes under his head and holds his chest. Your right hand goes under his belly. You are keeping the dogs body closely up against your chest. His feet are perpendicular with the ground at all times. Hopefully you will have help, as he is a large dog.

If he can walk, calm him with your voice, hold his collar (even if he is well trained) and slowly guide him to the car. Hopefully you have a car that was purchased for your pet and is roomy.

Pick your dog up with two arms cradling his underbelly and keep his feet pointing towards the earth. Keep his back straight and parallel to the ground. (This is extremely important for the animals since of security.) Place him on his feet and help him go down onto a flat surface. Get your drivers license and your keys and call the veterinarian to tell him you are on your way. Hopefully you can get your neighbor to drive your car while you sit next to your dog and keep him from moving.

If there is visible external hemorrhaging, if you’re dog is bleeding, apply pressure. If you were able to get a dishrag or bed sheet or your emergency animal toolbox then you can apply that cloth tightly around the bleeding area (if at all possible) if not, just apply pressure. If an artery is pouring blood out of a wound you may need to apply pressure above the wound to stop the bleeding. Release the pressure at some intervals for a very short time then reapply pressure.

Blood coming from an artery is bright red in color and will spurt out in unison with the heartbeat. Blood coming from a vein is a darker red and it comes out in a continuous flow.

Burns and scalds ----- Call the veterinarian and tell him you are on your way. Keep the dog calm and apply a cool cloth to the burned area if he will allow it. You may be able to clean the burn by removing any foreign matter such as bits of lint, hair, grass or dirt. You may be able to spray cool clean water from a water spray bottle on the burn to cool the skin. Try to prevent exposure to air with a cool cloth. Do not use oil or butter! A semi-loose bandage may help, but not so loose as to move back and forth and irritate the burn further. Get to the vet. If the burn or scrape is minor, clip the hair away from the affected area and apply a paste of that burn antiseptic you have in your animal first aid box. Then apply a cotton sterile bandage and put the animal in an enclosed corner or vari kennel, watch him, as he will try to remove the bandage. Tell him not to do that or put an Elizabethan collar on him. You can make one out of cardboard or plastic. For your own legal protection take pictures and record the event. Record the heeling process.

Snakebite ----- Bleed the wound immediately. I squeeze the area and force it to bleed as I reassure the animal with soft tones and watch that he doesn't bite me. Wash the wound and apply tight gauze above the wound if you can. Get to the vet.

Bee Stings ---- If you can see the stinger, remove it. Put one teaspoon of soda in a small cup and add a small amount of water to make a paste you can apply to the sting wound. Keep the pup still by holding him in your lap and petting him softly. If the pup wiggles, tell him no and continue petting slowly to keep him calm in your lap. Do not rub or agitate the area. He will be fine in about two minutes.

In this chapter I hope to give you a little bit of information that will enable you to make more informed decisions about your dog.

Bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi (which invade the body of a susceptible host and cause an illness) cause infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases --- They are often transmitted from one animal to another by contact with infected urine, feces and other bodily secretions, or inhalation of germ-laden droplet's in the air. A few are transmitted via the genital tract when dogs mate. Others are acquired by contact with spores in the soil, which get into the body through a break in the skin.

Bacteria--- They are single-celled germs, while the virus (the tiniest germ known and even more basic than a cell) is simply a package of molecules. Although germs exist virtually everywhere, only a few cause infection. Fewer still are contagious. Many infectious agents are able to survive for long periods outside of the host animal.

Antibodies and Immunity --- An animal that is immune to a specific germ has chemical substances in his body’s system called antibodies. Antibodies attack and destroy that germ before it can cause an illness.

Natural immunity exists, which is species related. A dog does not catch a disease, which is specific for a horse, and vice versa.

If an animal is susceptible to an infectious disease and is exposed he will become ill and his body will begin to make antibodies within himself to fight against that particular germ. When he recovers, these antibodies will afford protection against re-infection. They continue to do so for a variable length of time. He has now acquired what is called active immunity.

The reason wild animals never need vaccinations is because in God’s breeding program, animals who cannot fight off infectious disease die. Those that fought off diseases and lived acquired active immunity against those diseases. Giving our domesticated animals infectious diseases that have been watered down, so to speak, creates antibodies to form within that animal’s body. These antibodies attack and kill that watered down germ. That is what happens when we vaccinate our animals.

There is another type of immunity. It is acquired from one animal to another from their mother’s milk. If the dam were never vaccinated against a disease, her pups would receive no protection against it.

Passive antibodies can stop a vaccine from stimulating that puppy’s active immunity because the mother’s immunity has overcome the vaccine passed on to the pups from the breast milk. This is one reason why vaccinations do not always take in very young puppies.

Distemper Vaccine --- The Distemper vaccine that your veterinarian gives your dog may be a killed germ or a modified live germ. This first distemper shot should be given shortly after weaning and before a puppy is placed in a new home where he will be exposed to other dogs. A high percent of puppies do not get a satisfactory take from a distemper shot due to circulating maternal antibodies. The measles virus is similar to the distemper virus and it is not so affected by the maternal antibodies that travel to the pups from the mother’s milk. The measles shot is able to stimulate antibodies, which will also protect against the distemper virus. Booster shots are required. I do not give my future-breeding pups the measles shot. I only give this shot to pups that will be sold as a pet. The measles shot has interfered in some of my female’s reproductive abilities.

Hepatitis --- Adenovirus preparations (cav-1, cav-2). This vaccine protects against hepatitis and the adenovirus, which is a virus implicated in what we call the kennel cough disease. The hepatitis protection is included in the DHL shot that you give a 12-week-old pup. The letter H stands for Hepatitis. Booster shots are required every 2 1/2 years, though vets like to give your dogs booster shots once a year. (Go ahead ask him how long a DHLPP shot lasts). If he lies to you, I’d find another vet. There is also another virus that is present in kennel cough called Bordettela.

Leptospirosis --- Leptospira bacteria will protect your pup against the two types of bacteria that cause leptospirosis. The fist shot should be given at three to four months of age. Leptospira is incorporated into the DHL shot. The letter “L” stands for leptospirosis. Booster shots are required. Again every 2 1/2 years.

Rabies --- There are two general types of rabies vaccines. One is a modified live virus preparation, which means that it is a modified live virus. The other is an inactivated virus. Rabies vaccines must be given in the muscle. Care must be taken to be sure the product is made specifically for dogs.

When I was young, rabies shots were given to all dogs when the dog reached six months old. A study was taken that found out that most puppies died by the age of six months, so by changing the law to require all dogs to get rabies shots at the age of four months the state could increases their profits two fold. I called the health and safety department in the state of Oregon to find out when the last dog ever found to have rabies was. She told me that there had not been a single case in a period of ten years. I am thinking that if it were longer than that she would never have told me. I also think that ten years may be as far back as her records show. (For a reason). It is suppose to be public knowledge. Anyone can check up on this type of information. Go ahead call your state health and safety department and let me know what they tell you.

The rabies vaccine has changed. Now the rabies shot will protect your pup up to a period of three to four years.

Rabies shots provide the county and state with all their information on pet dogs within each jurisdiction. These statistics are public access. You may call or write your county health department to find out when where and how the last rabid dog was found in your district. When your veterinarian gives your pup a rabies shot several forms are filled out. One goes to the county health and safety department, one goes to the county animal control and the veterinarian keeps a copy. This way everyone keeps a record of how many dogs each person owns. How old the dogs are, where they live and if they have a county or city license.

County and city licenses vary in cost. If your dogs are not neutered the price is very high, around 80.00 per year. If you neuter your pet it can cost you from 100.00 dollars and up to 300.00 in veterinarian charges, but because you neutered your pet, your county or city license will only cost you about 20.00 per year.

In most areas throughout America, you may have up to three or four dogs without having to obtain a kennel license. Some county’s have only a few kennel licenses and most all are taken.

Is it bad for a four month-old pup to receive rabies shot so young? In my experience, the pups that received rabies shots at four months have not taken the shot as easily as a mature pup.

Parainfluenza-Kennel Cough --- Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine is available and is of aid in the control of another agent implicated in the kennel cough complex. Two initial vaccinations are given and require booster shots.

Parvovirus --- Both inactivated and modified live virus vaccine’s result in effective levels of parvovirus antibody. Initial vaccination consists of two doses given three to four weeks apart. Annual boosters are required to give your pup the needed protection. For maximum protection in high-risk areas, vaccinate at two-week intervals until the puppy is sixteen weeks of age.

Who needs maximum protection? If you are taking your dog to a lot of shows or puppy classes or if you visit a whole bunch of puppies during your day then you will know that your pup will require extra protection.

5-8 weeks Canine distemper-measles-cpi

14-16 weeks DHLPP (distemper, hepatitis, lepto, parainfluenza, parvo)

12 months DHLPP and rabies

Every 3 yrs. Rabies

Brucellosis

Leptospirosis

Tetanus (lockjaw)

Note: actually the DHLPP shots last for a little over 2 years, but veterinarians thought it was better to get boosters into the public’s dogs every year. They knew we would forget and this would keep the dogs relatively safer.

The following is a list of Canine Virus Diseases:

Distemper

Hard-pad

Herpes virus of puppies

Infectious canine hepatitis

Rabies

Infectious Tracheobronchitis (kennel cough)

Canine parvovirus (cpv)

Norcadiosis, actinomycosis, Cryptococcosis

Histoplasmosis

Blastomycosis

Coccidioidomycosis

A Protozoan is a microscopic single celled organism that is mostly aquatic and which includes many parasites.

Toxoplasmosis

Trichomoniasis

Giardiases

Piroplasmosis

Coccidiosis --- This is an extremely common protozoan disease found usually in young dogs. Puppies can acquire the infection from contaminated premises, or from their mother if she is a carrier. If your pup came off a farm or has been in and around any streams, cow manure or chicken feces then your pup might have this disease.

Your veterinarian will be able to tell you if your pup has contacted coccidiosis by a stool sample that you provide him at your well puppy checkup.

Here is a little bit of background on this disease:

Five to seven days after the ingestion of oocysts, infective cysts appear in the intestines and feces. The entire cycle is complete in a week.

The first signs of infection can be a mild diarrhea, which progress until the feces become mucus-like and tinged with blood. There is loss of appetite, weakness, dehydration and anemia. Often a cough, runny nose and a discharge from the eyes will accompany this. It does kind of resemble distemper.

Coccidia can be found in the stools of puppies without causing problems until some stress factor such as an outbreak of roundworms or some kind of stressful situation occurs. This reduces their resistance. Dogs that recover can become carriers. They remain in good health, but can suffer relapses when afflicted with some other disease, such as distemper. Finding adult oocysts in a microscopic slide of fresh stool can identify carriers and dogs with active infection.

Treatment: Take your pup to the veterinarian and/or get a stool sample checked. I have often just taken a stool sample in to the vets in a plastic container with my last name and dog’s identification marked in felt on the container. My veterinarian charges me $8.00 to check the stool. If my pup is found to have cocci then I take the pup in for a full check over and treatment plan. Your veterinarian may suggest you stop the diarrhea with a heomycin kaopectate anti diarrhea preparation. A severely dehydrated or anemic dog may need to be hospitalized for fluid replacement and blood so make sure you get that pup checked out at the veterinarian’s office!

Supportive treatment is important since, in most cases, the acute phase of the illness lasts a few days, perhaps ten days, and is followed by recovery in uncomplicated cases.

Sulfonamides and antibiotics have been used to treat coccidiosis. Response is slow once the signs of disease are apparent. Known carriers should be isolated and treated. At the same time their quarters and runs should be washed down daily with Lysol and boiling water to destroy oocysts, otherwise they will re-infection themselves.

Fits (seizures, convulsions) --- A seizure is an uncontrolled burst of activity which begins with champing and chewing, foaming at the mouth, collapse, jerking of the legs and perhaps loss of urine and stool. Then there is a brief loss of awareness followed by a gradual return to normal. A blow to the head may bring on seizures. Seizures may have been inherited.

Hypoglycemia --- Can cause seizures as well as coma. I also believe this is a hereditary trait.

"Worm fits" --- May appear to be a seizure to you. Your pup may go into a fit during heavy infestations with intestinal worms. The cause of seizures is unknown but it could be due to low blood sugar or serum calcium.

Common poisonings--- Which induce seizures, are strychnine, lead, insecticides, and rat poisons.

If your dog has an inherited brain tumor he may show signs of confusion, aimless wandering or some other change in the behavior of the dog before he goes into a fit. Other signs are an unsteady gait, loss of coordination, staggering and enlargement of a pupil. These signs may appear more as the tumor grows.

Bee stings --- May cause your dog to go into a frenzied barking followed by fainting or collapse. If you didn't realize your dog was stung, you might think he was having a seizure.

Begins with champing, tongue-chewing, foaming at the mouth, shaking of the head and blinking of the eyes, then a dazed look. The pup soon gets worse and dies.

Epilepsy is a recurrent seizure disorder, which originates in the brain. When it is due to a blow to the head, distemper, or bacterial infections of the brain, it is said to be acquired.

When it is due to genetic disfigurement of the brain or when the cause is unknown, then it is said to be congenital.

Congenital epilepsy --- I believe this to be a genetically transferred disease as it has appeared more in the St. Bernard’s, German Shepherd Dogs, Poodles and Beagles than in any other breeds.

Epileptic attacks are recurrent and similar. An epileptic seizure has three phases to it. The first is recognized by the onset of sudden apprehension and restlessness. He may cower and try to hide in the bushes or underground. If he is in the house he may go into a corner. There may be bizarre behavior, such as sniffing in the corner or snapping the air or just staring into space. Next, the dog will start foaming at the mouth and his eyes may flicker. He may start a chewing with his mouth. During the next phase the dog collapses or lays down and his body goes stiff. His pupils may dilate and he doesn’t appear to know where he is or what is going on around him. The dog appears to be coming back into his surroundings. He may loose control of his bladder or bowels.

After the seizure seems to disappear the dog remains confused, scared or uncertain. If over stimulated by a loud noise or rough handling, a second seizure can occur. The first two phases pass quickly (in about three minutes). The post-seizure state can persist for several hours. This might give the impression that the seizure was of a long duration. However, a true epileptic seizure is over in less than five minutes. Seizures are genetic. Do not breed this dog.

Treatment: There were several dogs that have came into my grooming shops who had epileptic seizers. I have also owned a couple of dogs that had seizers and I have found the following to be true.

If your dog starts to have a seizure, stand aside until he quiets down or cover him with a blanket to make him feel safe. If a blanket upsets him don't cover him of course. (Don't put your fingers in his mouth or try to wedge something between his teeth.) I would move the dog into a very quiet and calm environment then call your vet. If petting him and talking calms him down then do that. I have found that even my calming effect is too much for a dog that is having a seizure. The best thing I know of is to place this dog in a small area where he will feel safe. Keep everybody quite. No noise and no other pets around him. The seizure will be over in a few minutes. Your veterinarian may want to examine the dog to exclude other conditions that might be the cause of this seizure. Seizures lasting over five minutes are dangerous. Permanent brain damage can occur.

A number of drugs are used to control or prevent epileptic seizures. If you have a dog you believe has seizures please consult your veterinarian.

It is my belief that nutritional supplementation may help. I am positive that they have helped with my dogs. The dosages recommended here are for my own adult dogs that weigh in over 100 pounds Again, please consult your veterinarian!

Vitamin B complex 100 mg. 3 times daily

Extremely important in the functioning of the nervous system

Extra b3 50 mg

Improves circulation and is helpful for many brain-related disorders

Vit. B6 100-600 mg 3x day

Needed for normal brain function

Folic acid 500 mg. Daily

A brain food vital for the health of the nervous system. Anti stress Vit.

Magnesium 700 mg daily

Divided doses calms the nervous system

Calcium 1500 mg daily nerve impulse transmission

Zinc 50-60 mg daily (do not exceed 100 mg.) Protects the brain cells.

Kelp 1000 mg

Alfalfa

Vit a 25000iu

Vit. C 2000-7000 mg

Vit. E 400iu then increase to 1600iu daily.

This is the most common cause of rear-end lameness in the domesticated canine. Large breeds tend to come up with hip dysplasia more than the smaller breeds. I have had dogs with varying stages of hip dysplasia. Some of those dogs no one would ever have known had this problem. The following might help the reader to understand this problem.

means there is a partial dislocation or an incomplete dislocation of a joint. An example would be the partial dislocation of the femur and pelvis.

The femur or head of the thighbone should sit solidly in the socket. But if the hip socket is shallow the femoral head will be able to slip in and out. With this slipping in and out of the socket the head of the thighbone becomes worn or flattened and the problem intensifies.

This is an inflammation of both the bone and the cartilage around the joint.

This is defined as a deformity of the neck of the femur bone and is the worst bone problem I can think of. I believe this to be an inherited deformity, worse than a shallow hip socket!

When the femoral head of the thigh bone begins to move from the shallow hip socket the gristle like capsule that surrounds this area thickens to hold the femur in place then calcium deposits begin filling the gap. That area becomes inflamed and arthritic conditions appear. Eventually it reaches a peak and the capsule breaks under stress and then the animal must be destroyed or undergoes surgery.

This condition usually becomes apparent between the ages of 3 to 12 months. I have never had a dog that had this severe problem.

By breeding for tight ligaments and a broad pelvis with a lot of muscle mass, I believed that this might help the Alsatian Shepalute stay away from inherited hip dysplasia. Of course, not breeding to animals who show signs of hip problems such as not wanting to raise their front legs up onto the water buckets at a young age, or not wanting to jump into the bed of a pick-up truck, all help me when determining which dogs to breed.

This is where the head of the femur bone doesn't get enough blood supply and this leads to the gradual destruction of the hip joint.

The signs are severe lameness and refusal to bear weight on the leg. These same physical signs may end up to be something totally different than aseptic necrosis as only an x-ray will be able to diagnose this problem.

This is a faulty union of one of the elbow bones called the anconeal process to the ulna bone. A build up of cartilage or bone may end up floating around the elbow joint. This will be painful and will cause abrasions. This also occurs during the growth period and can be detected in pups about six months of age. This inherited developmental problem primarily affects German Shepherd Dogs.

I have found this inherited disease within the German Shepherd Dog lines while breeding my Shepalutes. Panosteitis was never seen in any of the other breeds that I have breed. My first encounter with this problem came in an eight-month-old pup I had sold. I had always tried to keep in contact with the new owners, especially in the early years as I monitored all the outcomes of my breeding. The owner of this particular pup had called me and we talked about our dogs. When she mentioned that her pup was limping on its front leg, I made a special trip out to her place to check the pup out. I checked the dog all over to try and find any sores or maybe even a thorn, anything to let us know why this dog was limping. The limping got so bad that the pup cried and would not put that front leg down. The veterinarian took some x-rays and told us that, in his opinion, this dog had panosteitis. That was when I did the research. There is no cure for this problem. The limping on the right front leg ceased and the limping now changed over to the left front leg. How weird is that? Then, that cleared up and two weeks later a limping began in the right rear leg, then the left rear! Of course I never bred that dog. I did breed others in direct lines out of those dogs’ parents and of course all pups were constantly watched. No other cases came up in those other lines. Of all the pups that I have bred only five that I know of had this problem and all were connected genetically. I also have found that if my pup showed these signs at a young age the condition was the most sever, but if an older pup showed some limping it was not so bad and would just be a short period of time before he stopped his limping.

Here is a way to tell if your limping pup has this problem. Apply pressure over the bone shaft of the affected bone. The pressure alone will produce pain. X-rays will show a density in the bone. It is said that the growing spurt causes this, and that the pup’s bone marrow hasn’t caught up to the bones growth. I personally have seen this to be so when I have bred a thin boned dog to a larger boned dog of the German Shepherd Dog lines. I also found that I could help such a pup out by giving this pup food high in the B vitamins along with calcium and bone meal.

Pituitary Dwarfism -- Canine pituitary dwarfism can happen in many breeds, but it is most predominantly in the German Shepherd Dogs and so I thought I would add this problem to this book.

For the first two to three months of life, the pup with this problem may appear normal and indistinguishable from its other normal littermates. After three months, you will see that this pup isn’t growing like the rest of the litter. You may notice that this pup’s coat is shorter than the others are and that the hair’s it does have will have a tendency to fall out. The adult hairs don’t come in, in contrast to the other pup’s coats.

This pup may also have behavioral abnormalities such as fear biting and aggressiveness or just a weirdness about him that you can’t put your finger on.

In one of the early breeding's, a really nice Alsatian Shepalute threw some runts whose coats were shorter and thicker and the pups turned out really nice. No such problems as this pituitary dwarfism has ever occurred in any of my breedings. By the way, I did not use that small dog in my breeding program, as my standards call for a large dog. It did occur to me though that I had seen some very nice looking small German Shepherd Dogs during my childhood years. I tried to find some research on them, but never did find out where they came from. I doubt that they had pituitary dwarfism but such a genetic characteristic is just what begins a new breed!

Skin Disorders --- In my 40 years of working with dogs, I have seen many skin problems. I would like to tell you that all the skin problems I encounter have appalled me! I am a witness to the anger and confusion of the public who owned these dogs as to what the problem was and how to get rid of it. I have seen owners spend thousands of dollars trying so hard to replenish the coat and to stop the consistent itching and biting as well as to try to get rid of the smell that always seemed to come hand-in-hand with this type of problem. I have heard stories as to what the veterinarians thought these problems were and I have seen thousands of products being used on those dogs that claim to be the cure when nothing seemed to work. These problems attached themselves to no one particular breed, though the English Bulldogs and Sharpies seem to have it the worst. Cocker Spaniels get it bad, too! The ears get infected so badly that the veterinarian has to surgically close the ear. Of course, the dog then goes deaf in that closed ear and Lord, what a smell those cocker ears have. I owned a couple of cockers that came up with ear problems, a weeping yellowish fluid that continued to run out of the ear and into the hairs surrounding the ear. Like so many other cocker owners, I spent a lot of money trying to help these dogs. One day a product came in the mail with a fully refundable guarantee if I wasn't satisfied. It was the only thing that has ever worked. It cleared those cocker ears up in three days! I swear by it, but the veterinarians and cocker owners lectured me on putting a powder in my dog’s ears!

What is the problem? In my studied opinion, if it isn't worms (especially tape), and it isn't the poor food (nutrition), then it is an inherited genetic deformation that is of course, not wanted. Simply that. Poor breeding!

In my breeding of the German Shepherd Dog, I had some litters that contracted skin problems. A persistent scratching with reddish spots and loss of hair. Sometimes a change of diet and epidermal tar shampoos would help and/or I would find the dog had tapeworms, which I believed to be the underlying problem. A great imported male shepherd out of Germany came to me with a persistent ear problem along with a skin problem that showed itself mostly during the summer. He would rub his backside up against anything that would reach his topline near the base of his tail. His hair would begin falling out and his skin would scab over from the biting he did. I kept a constant watch on his stools during this time and sure enough tape worms! We never could get rid of those worms in this particular dog. I went so far as to shave the hair along his spinal bone approximately eight to twelve inches long and directly above the onset of the tail. Then I would shampoo that spot with a tar and sulfur shampoo and leave it on for about five to ten minutes. Then I would rinse the coat clean. Four days later, I put an Iodine shampoo on and I did the same thing all over again. Of course, I would enrich his food and cook his brown rice. His skin would clear up in two weeks and his coat would come back in nice and thick. During this same time as his skin problem, his ear infections flared up, which turned out to be a yeast infection.

The removal of the tapeworm along with the application of the ear medication and the increased vitamins and minerals as well as the sea kelp and applications of tar and sulfur shampoos all helped in the healing process. His hair grew back in and the itching subsided until the tapeworms again appeared! We lived in the mountains in the snow, so fleas were not a great problem. By the way that cockamamie theory about fleas being the reason for tapeworms is for another book! I have never believed tapeworms came from fleas and to this day, I do not!

Anyways, I did breed this dog, as he was too nice not too. A very smart dog and so extremely devoted! My calculations were to mix the gene codes by outbreeding. All his pups were closely watched and only one line (four generations later) ever had bad skin problems. Sporadically, other pups did get slight problems with their coats. Yes, it is inherited. In the last ten years, we have had an absolutely clean slate with these problems. None of the pups from those lines were used to continue into this breed, though. I made sure I flagged all his prodigies’ folders and kept a special eye on them. By the way, the veterinarian told me the dog was allergic to grass. Another veterinarian said it was summer itch!

One of the third generation (F 3) puppies I sold began a skin problem as early as six months of age. A smelly reddish skin that itched the poor dog. He continued to loose his coat further and further down his neck then around his face. The owner of that dog returned the dog to me and I gave her a new pup from another litter. I had been monitoring this particular line of shepherd x malamute mixes and had noted the fact that some of this line had similar skin problems but none so dramatic as this pup. When this puppy contracted this skin problem I was not too astonished, though I did not think that this might happen as none of the dogs in the upline had any problem. This was proof enough to me that skin problems were inherited though, as I have stated previously. It seems to be very recessive and only when two special dogs are bred together would it show up. But that’s for another book!

Within my breeding practice to develop this breed I must be adamant about the breedings! I must refuse to breed with any dogs that turn up with skin problems, ear problems, bone problems or any other problems.

In the first generation with skin problems in the genes, 2% of the puppies acquired skin problems not seen until six months or older. By that time, I had chosen a nice male to breed with for the next generation. This stud dog only had a slight skin problem but after three more generations, it came out in those puppies full bloom! That pup that I have described in the previous paragraph was one of the offspring. I had no other choice but to eliminate that particular line completely from my breeding program. I strongly believe that if all breeders would only use the best pups many existing problems within the purebred dog world would cease to exist.

In the beginning years of this breeding program, I had formed over forty different lines in order to breed back to them. Today I have only two lines from the original stock left! Today in my dogs I have no so-called summer itch, no eczema, no hip problems, no eye problems, no ear problems. Now I’m not saying they may never pop back up. I stress that all new owners keep in touch with me so that I can continue to keep an eye on any problems that may arise. Only then can I adjust my breeding and document the offspring on the parent’s records.

Hemeralopia is associated with the enzymes which supply the chemicals that transfer the light that goes into the eye and into the nervous impulses of the electrical energy that is carried along the optic nerve.

It is believed that this recessive gene has been inherited down from sled dogs of the North. This condition has also been noted in poodles. I myself have never seen this, but because this condition seems to appear in breeds that are recognized as coming from the North, I felt I should include it. I have never had any eye problems in the Alsatian Shepalutes.