DogWellNet Digest: Issue #33 - 20 October 2020

News & Highlights

• Refer to the Spotlight feature below for recent coverage from around the world (including The UK, The Netherlands, Germany, and USA) on IPFD's Call for Collective Actions for Health and Welfare of Pedigree Dogs.

• IPFD contributor Ian J. Seath published an article focusing on IPFD's Get a GRIHP! on Breed Health Initiative in Our Dogs and his Sunsong Dachshunds blog.

• In a recent blog entry, How Beliefs and Attitudes about Dog Health and Welfare Limit Behaviour Change - Four Years On, IPFD CEO Dr. Brenda Bonnett looks at how beliefs and attitudes about dog health & welfare continue to limit human behaviour change.

Breeds Listings

★ This Month's Breed is the Saluki ★

Description: Salukis vary in type and the variation is desired and typical for the breed. The reason for the variation is the special place held by the Saluki in the Arab tradition and the immense size of the Middle East area where the Saluki has been used as a hound of the chase for thousands of years. Source: FCI

• Check out the Saluki Breed Profile in our Pedigreed Breeds Database.
   
• A new article on Salukis is part of a series to highlight the Big Picture of health, welfare, and breeding and to help develop Globally Relevant Integrated Health Profiles (GRIHPs) for many breeds. See IPFD's Get a GRIHP! on Breed Health Initiative.
   
• Salukis were also featured in a recent IPFD article in the WSAVA Bulletin.

IPFD Partners in Action

• IPFD Collaborating Partner, The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA), has recently published two editions of Dog Breeds: What You Need to Know, a new regular feature in their online news section (and in the WSAVA Bulletin) that highlights IPFD resources on a particular breed with a focus on breed-specific diseases.
  
  Meet the French Bulldogs – an extreme conversation  |  Meet the Salukis – Few but fine!

You can also view previous editions of Dog Breeds: What You Need to Know in our archive article here on DogWellNet.com.

• IPFD Collaborating Partners, the Dog Breeding Reform Group (DBRG) have released their Code of Practice for Dog Breeding.

• The Société Centrale Canine hosted a its 2nd Canine Research Day via videoconference on Oct 1 (in French, via YouTube Live). Recorded video is available on SCC's YouTube channel; English summaries will be added.

Harmonization of Genetic Testing for Dogs (HGTD)

Calling All Breed Experts!
We would value input from breed club health advisors or other breed experts on the new HGTD Breed Relevance Ratings (BRR). As we continue to refine our breed-specific resources, information from breed experts, helps us to ensure that the BRRs are fully representative of the real-world experiences of breeds around the globe. You can help us by reviewing the breed-specific tests related to your breed(s), and contacting Aimee with any comments or questions you may have. We are particularly interested in: new or ongoing research, breed-specific strategies for disease management, and country-specific relevance or usage of a test from breed/kennel clubs. 

HGTD & Genetic Testing Blog
If you haven't had a chance to see the latest HGTD Genetic Testing blog posts, check out the HGTD & Genetic Testing blog, HGTD This Week, which provides regular updates on our rapidly expanding genetic testing resources. It currently features regular input from Brenda Bonnett and Aimee Llewellyn-Zaidi, but be sure to look out for future posts from special guests! 

In her latest entry, What does is mean when a dog is promoted as "genetically tested?", Aimee looks at what information tests can (and cannot) provide for both dog breeders’ breeding plans and puppy buyers seeking responsible breeders.

Ask Aimee

Our HGTD Project Manager, Aimee Llewellyn-Zaidi, provides answers to your questions on canine genetic testing in Ask Aimee. If you’d like to submit a question to Aimee, please email her at aimee.llewellyn-zaidi@ipfdogs.com.

Get Involved in HGTD!
We welcome additional participant GTPs, more collaborators from any stakeholders concerned with dog health and welfare, the advice of experts, the participation of breed clubs and other consumer groups. We stand ready to provide more information to ongoing discussions.

Please feel free to contact us as we work together for healthy dogs and to support those who breed and own them: IPFD CEO, Dr. Brenda Bonnett, at brenda.bonnett@ipfdogs.com and/or HGTD Project Manager, Aimee Llewellyn-Zaidi, at aimee.llewellyn-zaidi@ipfdogs.com.