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Let’s talk about CDDY/IVDD.
Chondrodystrophy (CDDY) is a common body shape in many breeds and is characterized by relatively shortened legs compared to body length. Although it is also found in many breeds that aren’t necessarily short legged but also just small. I’ve been doing a ton of research on is the CDDY gene in Papillons. From my understanding, it’s a fairly new DNA test and it’s also only a linked marker test through several labs. To reiterate, CDDY stands for chondrodystrophy and it’s a gene associated with short legs and a long back but it’s in most toy breeds as well as the low rider breeds and most bulldogs and spaniels. In some breeds it’s definitely an issue and some of the breeds with this gene are known to have back problems. While it is seen in most spaniel breeds, including Papillons, Paps and most other spaniels are not known to be riddled with back issues. Obviously they can and do pop up, especially in regard to injuries that small dogs are more prone to due to their size and fragility. CDDY is a fixed gene in many breeds, meaning most if not all dogs in the breed have the gene, like Toy Poodles, Beagles, Cocker Spaniels, Cavaliers, Papillons, French bulldogs, and more. My findings have been that somewhere around 80% or more of Papillons have at least one gene for CDDY. From the research I’ve been doing, with either one or two copies it doesn’t mean the dog will develop back problems, but that they’re at a higher risk and that risk level appears unclear. I’ve been speaking with a lot of other breeders of BorderPaps and Papillons about it and most of the Papillon people aren’t at all concerned about the gene and I haven’t seen any washing dogs from breeding because of it. It wouldn’t really be feasible to try to breed out of the Papillon population entirely because of how it would bottleneck the gene pool and raise co-efficiency of inbreeding, leading to more and other issues. The BorderPap people I’ve talked to mostly agree with me that it’s something to be aware of and worth testing for and within sport mixes, trying to avoid breeding two dogs with the gene, especially since we have Border Collies who are free from CDDY. Therefore it would be more of a problem in the multigenerational mixes. Overall, my findings have been that Paps and Pap mixes don’t have a high incidence of IVDD or back problems. But as with any dog, it’s good to be careful especially while a puppy is still growing not to do too many jumps over shoulder height, not allowing them to jump off furniture over and over, making sure they don’t get stepped on by bigger dogs or roughhoused too badly. From what I’ve found, dogs with phenotypically shorter legs and longer backs are at a higher risk of actually developing back problems - I.e. Dachshund like body types. Below is a list of breeds that UC Davis classifies as appropriate for testing, which you’ll see does not include Papillons. They do mention that it is not a complete list of breeds, since research on the distribution of the gene across breeds is still ongoing. Breeds appropriate for testing: Alpine Dachsbracke, American Cocker Spaniel, Australian Shepherd, Basset Hound, Bavarian Mountain Hound, Beagle, Bichon Frise, Boykin Spaniel, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Chihuahua, Chinese Crested, Clumber Spaniel, Coton de Tulear, Dachshund, Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Danish Swedish Farmdog, English Springer Spaniel, Entlebucher Mountain Dog, French Bulldog, German Hound, Havanese, Goldendoodle, Jack Russell Terrier, Labradoodle, Maltese, Pekingese, Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Pinscher (Miniature), Poodle (Miniature and Toy), Poodle (Standard), Portuguese Water Dog, Pug, Rat Terrier, Russian Tsvetnaya Bolonka, Schweizer Laufhund, Schweizerischer Niederlaufhund, Scottish Terrier, Sealyham Terrier, Shih Tzu, Skye Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier. Appropriate breeding decisions regarding dogs which have inherited the gene need to address both the potential loss of genetic diversity in a population which would occur if dogs with this mutation were prohibited from breeding. “The Fibroblast growth factor 4 (FGF4) retrogene insertion on chromosome 12 may be responsible for a portion of cases of chondrodystrophy and increased risk for Type I IVDD in certain dog populations. Dogs with one copy of this variant have modestly shortened legs, while dogs with two copies are more likely to have the characteristically short legs with a relatively long body. CDDY can be caused by other variants alone or in combination with this FGF4 retrogene. The FGF4 retrogene also increases the risk of Type I Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD) in a dominant fashion. This means dogs with one or two copies of this variant are at an increased risk of developing this disease. While this variant is known to increase the risk of Type I IVDD, it does not explain all cases. There are other factors that contribute to the overall risk of developing Type I IVDD, including other (unknown) genetic variants, lifestyle and other environmental factors. It is important to understand the frequency of this variant within certain populations is very high, because certain breed standards call for a chondrodystrophic (short legs, long body) appearance. When deciding whether or not to breed a dog with this variant, we recommend considering the whole dog (rather than this one test in isolation). Other factors to consider include: * Have any relatives of this dog shown back, neck, or neurologic problems? * Does this dog meet the breed standard? * Has this dog passed its breed-required health testing? * Does this dog have the desired temperament for the breed? * Is this dog otherwise healthy? If all other health and temperament parameters are desired, then breeding dogs with one or two copies of the variant to dogs with no copies is a first step towards reducing the high frequency of this variant within certain breeds. Among breeds in which the frequency of this variant is high, dogs with one or two copies of this variant should not be immediately removed from the breeding population. This practice can reduce the size of the breeding population substantially, leading to other health issues associated with inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity.” - Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. “Please note that this variant is extremely common in many small and chondrodystrophic dog breeds. In these breeds, this variant may not be the strongest predictor of IVDD risk compared to other genetic or environmental factors. Research indicates that dogs with one or two copies of this variant have a similar risk of developing IVDD. However, there are some breeds (e.g. Beagles and Cocker Spaniels, among others) where this variant has been passed down to nearly all dogs of the breed and most do not show overt clinical signs of the disorder. This suggests that there are other genetic and environmental factors (such as weight, mobility, and family history) that contribute to an individual dog’s risk of developing clinical IVDD.” - Embark Veterinary, Inc. To sum it up, as with many other things in dog breeding, it’s a gray area and something that should be assessed by each individual as to what their comfort levels are. It will be my goal to eventually breed out the CDDY gene but I do not plan to cull otherwise exemplary dogs from breeding due to this gene. Sources: UC Davis, Paw Print Genetics, Cornell University, Embark
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I’ve had many people ask about this topic, so without further ado let’s talk about heat cycles! Hopefully this can be a good source of information if you’re new to owning intact females or even if you’re just curious how other people do it. A lot can vary between different breeds and even from dog to dog, so I’ll go over things as a general guide and if you have questions, feel free to ask.
There are 4 stages of a bitch’s hormone cycle: •Proestrus - the start of the heat cycle, coming in. 10-14 days. •Estrus - the fertile period, standing heat. 3-5 days. •Diestrus - the period after the heat cycle, going out. ~7 days. •Anestrus - the period between heat cycles, resting phase. Girls can have their first heat anywhere from 6 months to 2 years old (with some exceptions starting earlier or later). I have found that most of my dogs go into their first season between 10 and 18 months. The first heat may be a little different than the ones she will experience in the future, but typically it’s about the same. There can be physical and behavioral signs to look for when your girl is getting close. She may become more needy, whiny, and drives may change. She may experience appetite changes. She may become different socially with other dogs. Or, she may not show you any signs at all! They like to keep us on our toes sometimes. Physically, the vulva will swell and she will begin having discharge. You may be surprised just how much it will swell during her heat! It’s significant. Below are some of my general guidelines during heat cycles. Do: Continue moderate exercise Keep away from intact males Allow rest Don’t: Allow swimming or submerging in water Over feed Attend places with dogs you can’t trust It’s good to remember when your girl is in heat that she isn’t ill. It’s normal and it shouldn’t be hard on her. But there are precautions to take for her and yourself. For instance, no swimming, which increases the risk of pyometra as water may enter the vaginal canal. Pyometra is the biggest danger to having intact females (risks vary by breed but can be life threatening), but you can watch out for it as a responsible dog owner. If you notice any abnormalities, particularly lethargy, poor appetite, vomiting, abdominal swelling or foul discharge, see your vet immediately! Since pyo is a bacterial uterine infection, you can even monitor your bitch’s temperature during and after a heat cycle to detect any fevers early. The only method to ensure prevention is to remove the uterus, but unfortunately that is not without its own negative side effects. If I were to spay a non-breeding female, I would wait until well after 2 years old and after a minimum of 2 heat cycles. Girls can definitely gain physical and mental maturity with their first few heat cycles. Bitch britches/diapers/panties are wonderful for keeping your home free of mess, but don’t wear them constantly. Having a warm moist environment is perfect for bacterial growth so I give my girls far more time without panties than with, even if this means additional crate time during heat. Pants will NOT prevent a tie from happening! They are not a chastity belt. Dogs can and will breed through extreme measures so it’s important to have a foolproof plan for preventing unplanned pregnancies. To expand on the behavioral and social differences with females in heat, especially with other dogs, is challenging because it varies so widely between individuals. There really is no foolproof guideline and you must learn from your own dog, but I have experienced a large sum of girls in heat between my own and client dogs so I will give some examples that I have observed. Some girls become very flirtatious and playful, soliciting attention and play from other dogs. They act almost puppy like in their behaviors and silliness. They seem to be in a perpetually good mood and may allow passes with other dogs they normally wouldn’t. These are the types of girls that are usually big flaggers. Flagging is when a female in heat dramatically holds her tail to the side, her back tensing and almost arching, very clearly displaying her vulva which as she gets closer to standing heat will also tense and rise up and outwards some. This is the position they take to be bred / tied with. The flirty girls will sometimes do a less dramatic display of flagging towards other dogs before they are in standing heat. You will also sometimes see it when you touch near her rear, for examination or putting on her britches. Some girls are the total opposite when in heat and even leading up to being in heat. They have a hairpin trigger, they may accept less interaction from other dogs, becoming snappy and downright aggressive. You may see an increase in possession or resource guarding. They will have a different demeanor about them and it’s usually pretty clear if you know how to perceive social tension in dogs. They may get into fights with dogs they are otherwise totally fine with and it’s very important not to let them practice that too much as it could sour a relationship on a lasting level. These girls are likely to not accept the advances of a male until they are actively in standing heat and not a moment after. Other dogs may also perceive your bitch in heat differently. Even neutered males are likely to be affected, as well as many females intact or spayed. Neutered males can even tie with a bitch in heat. Females may be “aroused” by her and try to mount or hump her. Lots of females will mark over her urine and spend additional time smelling her and where she has been. So ultimately, within dog to dog interactions it pays to know your girl and any other dogs she will be interacting with so you can set everyone up for success. Sometimes everything is playful and flirty, sometimes it can be simply dangerous depending on the dogs and it can be anywhere in between, as those examples listed above are kind of the extremes of each side. How I handle each of my girls in heat is mostly the same as usual, with a few caveats. I recommend keeping track of your girls cycles so you have the information to look back on. It does get easier as you gain experience with it! Don’t let heat cycles deter you from keeping intact girls, it really isn’t a big scary thing if you are responsible and diligent. I’ve been asked several times to talk about the differences between drive and arousal so I wanted to do a quick post! I’ll likely expand on this topic later too.
Arousal is an emotional response to something a dog finds stimulating but doesn’t know why or what it should do with those emotions. Drive is an innate predisposed will to interact directed towards something specific which varies by breed, individual and even what’s been taught. High drive looks like a dog who is willing to work under any conditions or circumstances. A dog that puts the “job” before other things. That can focus on it’s task despite outside stimuli. Even work through discomfort, high pressure, or pain - think police dogs who are being attacked by a human, even stabbed or shot but they still do their job, cattle dogs who get their jaw kicked out of socket and still finish loading that truck, hog dogs who get caught by a tusk and they still don’t let go. Those are a few examples of extremely high drive. Drive also falls into different categories. Prey drive, food drive, toy drive, social drive. Those drives can all vary within an individual as well. A dog with high drive is a dog who keeps coming back to the task at hand with just as much gusto each time even if it didn’t “go well” previously, especially if a reward history is strong. Arousal looks like a dog who is very stimulated by outside influences, easily aroused by things, a hairpin trigger so to speak. Often they are loud/vocal especially in Border Collies, they often have their hackles raised at a moments notice, they have a frantic vibe about them when stimulated rather than a collected intensity. Prone to reactivity of either a friendly or aggressive nature, sensitivity, things like shadow/light chasing, they are often over threshold before much of anything even really happens, which can lead to volatility in some circumstances especially when poorly handled. Arousal can be fun too, it’s a dog who is really interested in what you’re doing and presenting, often a dog who is quite engaged when in drive, it can be funny and cute and playful. A dog can be both high arousal and high drive but that’s not always the case; you can have dogs who are high arousal and easily stimulated by the environment but aren’t particularly driven for any certain thing, and you can have very stable dogs who aren’t easily aroused but are high drive and carry a strong will to do or interact with particular things. Most dogs are a combination of both these things with differing levels and intensities. I’ve gained this knowledge through experience over many years with intimately learning the behavior of hundreds of dogs, and it can be difficult for those with less experience to identify subtle differences, particularly if you don’t have other references to compare to. You could ask 50 different people and get 50 different answers but this is my opinion and experience. But if you’re wondering where your dog falls into this spectrum and would like help evaluating, I am more than happy to assist! Happy to expand more if you have any questions, leave them in the comments! I want to speak a little on gatekeeping in dogs and why it's problematic.
I'm going to focus on Border Collies but this is relevant to many breeds so feel free to fill in the blanks, so to speak. Border Collies are extremely trendy right now. They have been increasing in popularity over the last decade and it's only going up. People see them in the media, they're so beautiful, so photogenic, they look so great in the hands of a trainer, they do all the things! It's valid why they're popular. They're awesome in so many ways! I get new applications for pups every single day and (while it may take a while for me to respond) it doesn't matter if they are good fits for my program or not, I always give people kindness and support. Even if they won't be getting a dog from me. I have friends who have reached out to many different breeders who have been in the breed a long time and have great lines, really nice dogs. But these breeders are straight up condescending. If you haven't been in the breed and been open field trialing for x amount of years, then you had better not even ask, because there's a good chance you'll be belittled. I can understand why these breeders are hesitant, because Border Collies are experiencing the "Dalmatian affect", everyone wants one & at least half of them want to breed. It's problematic. There's no denying that. However. That gives no excuse to be rude, hostile & disrespectful. How about instead, take the time to kindly educate rather than ostracize? Callousness towards newcomers WILL NOT stop what is happening to the breed. Although it will ensure that all of these newcomers will instead get dogs from unscrupulous breeders & shifty lines, further perpetuating the problem. It results in people having to start from ground zero trying to create good dogs, with little to no guidance. I'm a newer breeder myself, I'm not perfect and neither are my dogs. So I'm not making this post from a position of a gatekeeper but more from the side of the gatekept, because I do wonder sometimes where I'd be today if I had been welcomed instead of disregarded. When you gatekeep the good genetics, you don't stop people from breeding. You stop them from breeding well. I have always been against pediatric spay and neuter. But the more research I do and the more dogs I experience who are allowed to grow to their full potential without altering, the more I question how to judge when a dog is fully finished developing, due to the fact that it varies greatly between breeds, certain lines, and individuals. I understand there are risks associated with keeping intact dogs. The most obvious of these being unplanned pregnancies but spay and neuter also: • Eliminates the small risk (probably <1%) of dying from testicular cancer • Reduces the risk of non-cancerous prostate disorders • Reduces the risk of perianal fistulas • Reduces the risk of mammary tumors, the most common malignant tumors in female dogs • Nearly eliminates the risk of pyometra, which otherwise would affect about 23% of intact female dogs; pyometra kills about 1% of intact female dogs • Removes the very small risk (≤0.5%) from uterine, cervical, and ovarian tumors And these are the risks we face associated with spay and neuter, namely early spay and neuter: • Abnormal Bone Growth • Hip Dysplasia • Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL) Injuries • Bone Cancers, like osteosarcoma • Cancerous heart tumors • Cancerous spleen tumors • Prostate cancer • Bladder cancer • Urinary incontinence in female dogs • Urethral sphincter incontinence in males • Persistent or recurring urinary tract infections • Increased risk of recessed vulva, vaginal dermatitis, and vaginitis • Hypothyroidism • Diabetes • Obesity • Progressive geriatric cognitive impairment • Adverse reactions to vaccines • Noise phobias • Fearful behavior • Aggression • Undesirable sexual behaviors • Unmanageable coat In my puppy contracts, it used to state that to spay or neuter before 18 months is considered a breach of contract and it voids the health guarantee. But as I've seen more and more of the changes dogs (and dogs in my lines, especially) continue to have in their growth and overall physical and mental development after 2 years old, I have updated that clause to state 24 months minimum age for spay/neuter. And I understand that keeping an intact dog isn't in the cards for everyone! That is completely valid. But I do wish people would at least let their dogs finish growing up before making that decision. It really isn't as difficult as it's sometimes made out to be. You can keep your dog from mating through management and with females, they can only get pregnant for a few days each year. It's not a constant thing! Take the time to learn how to identify the signs of your dog going into heat. And for both males and females, train your dogs! It's a common concern that if you don't neuter your male dog, that they will become aggressive or develop other undesirable behavior issues, but these things are more linked to a lack of training rather than being intact or altered, and altering dogs actually increases the risk of aggressive and fearful behavior. In the below photos, you can see two of my personal dogs and the changes they have undergone during their development. The massive difference between Abigail at 2 years old vs 4 years old leads me to believe I will continue to see more changes in Calypso over the next few years as well, paired with the fact that her breeder informed me her lines are slow to mature. But even still, you can already see big changes in one years time and even in just one heat cycle. I had a male dog with a phenomenal temperament, excellent dog etiquette, and no physical issues who I neutered and immediately watched become dog selective and develop joint pain. I don't think I'll be altering any more of my personal dogs and if so it will be late in their lives and quite probably Ovary Sparing Spays or Vasectomy. I encourage everyone to do the research and form your own opinion on the subject. Don't just blindly follow what the first vet you meet tells you. There are an ever increasing number of veterinarians who are becoming more "progressive" and forward thinking about spay and neuter, but that's another topic! Sources and more information on health and consequences from surgical alteration:
• Females spayed at 12 months or younger, and both genders neutered or spayed at over 12 months had significantly increased odds of developing hemangiosarcoma, compared with intact dogs. • Dogs of both genders neutered or spayed at 6 months or younger had significantly increased odds of developing a behavioral disorder, including separation anxiety, noise phobia, timidity, excitability, submissive urination, aggression, hyperactivity, and/or fear biting. When it came to thunderstorm phobia, all neutered or spayed Vizslas were at greater risk than intact Vizslas, regardless of age at neutering. • The younger the age at neutering, the earlier the age at diagnosis with mast cell cancer, cancers other than mast cell, hemangiosarcoma, lymphoma, all cancers combined, a behavioral disorder, or fear of storms. • Compared to intact dogs, neutered and spayed dogs had a 3.5 times higher risk of developing mast cell cancer, regardless of what age they were neutered. • Spayed females had nine times higher incidence of hemangiosarcoma compared to intact females, regardless of when spaying was performed, however, no difference in incidence of this type of cancer was found for neutered vs. intact males. • Neutered and spayed dogs had 4.3 times higher incidence of lymphoma (lymphosarcoma), regardless of age at time of neutering. • Neutered and spayed dogs had five times higher incidence of other types of cancer, regardless of age of neutering. Spayed females had 6.5 times higher incidence of all cancers combined compared to intact females, and neutered males had 3.6 times higher incidence than intact males.
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AuthorThe human behind the dogs. Archives
January 2025
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