Dog Training--Interesting News

A Canadian Reseach facility has apparently located a gene that causes epilepsy in dogs. It should be noted that this is only ONE gene that causes epilepsy, where there are many that probably can. In humans and mice (which have been found to be VERY close to humans in physiology), there are over 30 mutations that cause epilepsy. Still, it's a step forward. DNA research is progressing in leaps and bounds. If you'd like to submit blood for DNA testing for your dog (currently only purebreds are permitted), or, would like to find out more about the program, visit the website for the Canine Epilepsy Consortium at the Universities of Missouri and Minnesota.

Seizures in dogs are caused by many things. Genetics, congenital hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hypothyroidism (low thyroid function), infections causing brain damage (such as canine distemper, cryptococcosis), ingestion of toxins (such as lead paint chips, insecticides), brain tumors, portosystemic shunts (improperly routed intestinal blood vessels bypass the liver - one of the body's important waste-product detoxifiers), and vaccinations. Apparently, in some cases, glutens in the dog's food can trigger a form of epilepsy known as Spike's Disease or CECS. At least, lowering the glutens in the diet seems to be helping sufferers of this malady.

So, how do you know if your dog is having, or about to have, a seizure? Preliminary symptoms may include (and may not and are not limited to): excessive panting, extra affection, anxiety, restlessness, whining, and hiding. If there are no apprarent triggers for the behavior, such as a very hot day or loud noises your dog might respond to, it is best to keep an eye on the dog.

Seizures may be petit mal (small) or grand mal (strong with varying intensity of muscle tremors/seizing). In petit mal, the dog may appear distracted, spacy, or the eyes may roll upward. In grand mal, the dog falls to the ground, can lose consciousness, becomes rigid or paddles the feet. May arch the back.

Most seizures last from seconds to a few minutes. Anything over three minutes can be considered life threatening. Clusters of seizures in a 24-hour period are also considered life threatening. Contact your vet immediately.

The only way to get a definitive diagnosis of seizure disorder and possible causes is to have your vet do a complete work-up of the dog, including testing the thyroid, blood sugars, check for toxins in the system, and a brain scan. Most seizure disorders are treatable, although a "cure" may not be achieved.
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Well, I really hadn't planned to write an article about seizures. lol But, I did think the finding of a genetic mutation something you'd find interesting.
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There are two new show postings on the forums. Check 'em out. Lots of shows at the end of April.
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Training Tip:

Continuing on the CGC training, this is the next test in the title.

Step 4 of 10 to earning a Canine Good Citizen title for your dog is the following:

Out for a Walk. Goal: Handler takes dog for a short walk including right
turn, left turn, about turn and stop.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? While they're not looking for perfect heeling here, they do expect you to be able to walk with your dog and make the moves the Evaluator tells you without getting tangled up. Making the right turn is relatively easy, as you make the turn before the dog does. But the left turn can be a little trickier.

One way to handle it is to draw back on the lead to stop the dog's forward motion and then make the turn in front of him and let him come alongside you after you've turned. By stopping the dog this way, you can make the turn without him walking into your legs and tripping you.

The about turn is usually done to the right and is a 180 degree turn about. The dog is expected to keep up with you in a reasonable manner, so when teaching this, you'll want to encourage him to hustle a bit to stay with you. I've seen folks that had not taught their dogs this and the dog then tried to cross in front of the person and tripped them. Could mean a nasty fall.

When the evaluator asks you to stop, ideally, the dog will sit next to you, but it's not totally required. It will depend on the evaluator.

Things that will fail the dog is if he lags (walks way behind you), forges (goes way in front of you), or strays too far from your side. If you were out walking in a crowd and the dog did that last, you might cause someone else to trip over your lead and get hurt. So, you want to teach your dog to walk nearby and, preferably, on a loose lead. Too much stopping to sniff is not acceptable, either.

You're really getting there.
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Well, that's it for this time. Oh, yeah, I've added DP to a webring about dogs and training. The link is at the bottom of the pages.

I'd appreciate if you'd patronize our sponsors on the site. They help make all this possible.

See ya at the shows,
Chris
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