Dog Warts

 

Oral warts

What Is A Wart?

A wart, in its most general term, is an obtrusive bump that can appear anywhere on your dog's body.

Warts can occur primarily on the surface of the skin, around the eyes, inside the mouth, nose, or be present on your dog's reproductive organs. Some warts are benign, and may clear up on their own. Other warts can be dangerous to your dog's health, or may be a symptom of a serious medical condition.

Are Warts Caused By A Virus?

Warts that are caused by a papilloma virus are very common, and are the only type of wart that may disappear over time. The papilloma virus is contagious, and is very common in dogs that have a weakened or under-developed immune system.
This virus usually has an incubation period of one to two months, before visible papilloma warts develop on the infected dog. Even without treatment, most papillomas will disappear on their own.

However, the papilloma virus is only one of several possible causes for the occurrence of warts in dogs.
Small tumors that cause swelling of certain glands are also common, though this type of wart requires surgical removal, and will not clear up on its own. Some warts are caused by allergic reactions, either to medication, vaccination, or environmental elements. Other types of warts may be a symptom of a serious skin condition, and will require the immediate attention of a veterinarian.

As with any abnormality, it is important to bring your dog to the veterinarian if you have any worries about the type of wart that is present on your dog. It's much more beneficial, both for you and your pet, to get regular check-ups to ensure that your dog is healthy.

How Do I Get Rid Of Warts?

There are many treatment options available to get rid of warts caused by the papilloma virus. Most of these treatments are used to boost your dog's immune system, which helps control the virus. If your dog has a wart that is caused by a tumor, or a skin condition, veterinary procedures may be necessary. Some warts can only be cured with complete surgical removal.

A Disease That Could Be Silently hurt Your Dog

 

Clinical sign of E.canis in dog-Before the treatment

                                     Animal was getting recover from the disease after the treatment

What is It?

* Canine ehrlichiosis, commonly referred to as E. canis is an infectious blood disease that is transmitted in saliva of the brown dog tick.
* E. canis is diagnosed most frequently in areas having natural brown dog tick populations.

What are the Symptoms?

* E. canis has three phases -- acute, subclinical and chronic.
* Signs of the disease will vary with each state making diagnosis of E. canis nearly impossible based on symptoms alone.
* Acute Phases -- signs are similar to symptoms of many other more common diseases and are often mild, going unnoticed by a pet's owner. Signs include: fever, discharge from eyes and nose, lack of appetite, depression, weight loss, and swollen lymph glands.
* Subclinical Phase -- while this phase can last for years, dogs may never show any obvious symptoms.
* Chronic Phase -- this stage can be either mild or severe. If mild, the disease appears to mimic a vague illness and dogs show signs of obvious weight loss. If this phase is severe, signs include eye disease, spontaneous nosebleeds, retinal bleeding,red blood patches on abdominal area and swelling of limbs.

Is it Easily Diagnosed?

"There are more cases of E. canis than most dog owners, and even some veterinarians realize. Left undiagnosed and untreated, the disease can be extremely debilitating for pets, even fatal," says Dr. Rick Alleman, associate professor of Clinical Pathology at the University of Florida, presently studying the effects of ehrlichiosis in humans and domestic animals.
* E. canis is notoriously difficult to diagnose without a veterinarian-administered test.

Can E. Canis be Prevented? Treated?

E. canis can be treated, although both treatment and outcome depend on the severity and progression of the disease. Early detection and treatment can make a big difference in limiting severe disease. Your veterinarian can prescribe the most appropriate medications for treatment, which may include antibiotics, steroids, fluid therapy and blood transfusions.

Aural haematomas in dogs - ears

An aural (ear) haematoma is a collection of blood or serum, and sometimes a blood clot within the pinna or ear flap. This blood collects under the skin and causes the ear flap to become thickened. The swelling may involve the entire ear flap or it may involve only a small area.

How does an aural haematoma occur?

Aural haematomas usually occur as a result of local irritation to some part of the ear. When something irritates the ear canal, a dog is likely to respond by scratching or shaking the head. Excessive shaking causes blood vessels to break, resulting in bleeding. An understanding of the ear's anatomy makes the sequence of events more logical.

Understanding ear anatomy

The ear flap is composed of a layer of skin on each side of a layer of cartilage. The cartilage gives the ear flap its shape. Blood vessels go from side-to side by passing through the cartilage. Violent shaking causes the vessels to break as the skin slides across the cartilage.

How are aural haematomas treated?

The first aim of treatment is to drain the haematoma to relieve the pressure and pain associated with the build up of fluid within the ear flap. This is achieved under general anaesthesia where either a single incision or multiple small biopsy holes are made on the inner surface of the ear. The blood is drained and the ear flushed to remove any remaining blood clots. These holes are left open to allow continued drainage of fluid whilst waiting for the ear flap to heal.
Reattachment of the ear cartilage is encouraged with the use of multiple sutures placed through the ear flap (with or without the use of a support to maintain the normal architecture of the ear) and these sutures are left in place for 3 weeks. The specific method used will depend on the size, age and position of the haematoma.
The second major aspect of treatment is to work out why the haematoma formed in the first place. As mentioned, above, any reason that causes the dog to shake its head can result in the formation of an aural haematoma. Some things which can cause this include:

1. Grass seed or other foreign body lodged within the ear canal.
2. Ear infection.
3. Allergies resulting in an itchy ear, scratching and shaking head.
4. Fly bites to the tips of the ears.
5. Immune mediated disease.

It is essential that the cause of the problem be identified and treated if possible. If a foreign body is found, it is removed. If an ear infection is identified, the ear canal will be thoroughly cleaned during anaesthesia and appropriate medical ointments or medications will be dispensed.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to identify a cause, or it is difficult to manage the underlying cause (eg allergies). In these cases, another aural haematoma may form in the same ear or in the other ear and management may require long term medications.

Once my dog is treated will I need to bring him/her back to the vet for further treatment?

The sutures will need to be removed 10-14 days after surgery. At this time, a haematoma is usually healed. If an infection is also being treated your veterinarian will also check to make sure that the infection is gone. It is vitally important that the infection is successfully treated to prevent further head shaking which may result in further haematomas.

What happens if your dog does not have surgery?

If a haematoma is left untreated the blood in the ear flap will separate into serum and a clot and will gradually be absorbed over a period of 10 days to 6 weeks. This is an uncomfortable time for your dog and unfortunately some scarring will take place during this process. It also causes a deformity of the ear flap resulting in a "cauliflower ear" which may cause further problems.

Distemper in Dogs

About Distemper
Canine distemper is a highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease that is seen in dogs worldwide. Though its incidence has diminished greatly due to vaccination, distemper cases and outbreaks are still seen sporadically.
Cause
Canine distemper is caused by the canine distemper virus. This virus can also infect several other species including ferrets and wild animals such as coyotes, foxes, wolves, skunks, and raccoons. Animals usually become infected by direct contact with virus particles from the secretions of other infected animals (generally via inhalation). Indirect transmission (i.e., carried on dishes or other objects) is not common because the virus does not survive for long in the environment. The virus can be shed by dogs for several weeks after recovery.
Risk Factors
Puppies under four months of age (before vaccinations are fully protective) and unvaccinated dogs are most at risk. Because canine distemper also occurs in wild animals, contact with wild animals may contribute to the spread of distemper to domestic dogs.
Signs and Symptoms of Distemper
Canine distemper causes symptoms in multiple body systems, including the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, and the brain and spinal cord. The appearance of symptoms and course of distemper can be variable, ranging from very mild illness to fatal disease. Any of the following can be seen:

• fever (often one episode a few days after infection that may not be noticed, followed by a second episode a few days later when the other symptoms begin to show up)
• discharge from the eyes and nose
• loss of appetite
• lethargy
• vomiting and diarrhea
• coughing
• labored breathing
• hardening of footpads and nose (distemper has sometimes been called hardpad disease)
• inflammation of various parts of the eye
• secondary bacterial infections
• neurological symptoms are variable

Neurological symptoms of distemper may not develop at all or develop later in the disease (sometimes even after several weeks). Neurological symptoms of distemper may include any of the following:

• muscle twitching
• weakness or paralysis
• seizures (of any part of the body, but seizures that look as if the dog is chewing gum are unique to distemper)
• uncoordinated movements
• increased sensitivity to touch or pain

Diagnosis of Distemper
Diagnosis is based primarily on the the history and clinical signs. Because signs are variable and may take time to appear, and secondary infections are common, diagnosis can be complicated. Additionally, other infections can produce similar signs to distemper. A variety of laboratory tests can help confirm the diagnosis (and some may be done to rule out other infections).
Treatment of Distemper
There is no treatment specific to the distemper virus, so treatment involves managing the various symptoms and secondary infections. Even with treatment, distemper can be fatal. Treatment depends on the symptoms shown, and may include fluids to combat dehydration, medication to reduce vomiting, antibiotics and other medications to treat pneumonia, antibiotics for secondary infections, and anticonvulsants to treat seizures. Neurological symptoms may get progressively worse and not respond to treatment, and even with recovery some neurological effects may persist.
Prevention of Distemper
Vaccination is effective at preventing distemper. Puppies are typically vaccinated starting at 6 weeks of age and at regular intervals (every 2-4 weeks) until they are 14-16 weeks old (as with other vaccines, presence of antibodies received from the mother can interfere with vaccines so a puppy is not considered fully protected until the final vaccine in the series has been given). Vaccination should be repeated a year later, then at regular intervals. Your vet will discuss an appropriate vaccination schedule for your dog based on your dog's history and risk factors.
Until puppies have received all the vaccinations in the series (at 14-16 weeks) it is prudent to be careful about exposing them to unknown dogs (e.g., at dog parks) to avoid exposure to the virus as much as possible.

Home Care for a Dog with Distemper
Dogs suspected of having distemper should be isolated from other dogs. Other dogs in a household from which a dog has been diagnosed with distemper should be vaccinated if they are not currently vaccinated. The canine distemper virus does not typically survive long outside the body so thorough disinfection of the home is not as critical as with some other viruses (routine cleaning with any disinfectant should be sufficient). Check with your vet for recommendations on waiting times to introduce a new puppy to a household with a dog that has been diagnosed with distemper.

Choosing a Dog

We describe the good points and bad points of choosing a dog out of 164 breeds! They'll help you discover whether the particular dog you're considering has the personality and physical characteristics you want in a dog.

Before you start learning about the personalities and traits of the many dog breeds in dog breed profiles, here are some points you should consider when deciding which dog is perfect for you:

Your Dogs Temperament

Your dogs temperament should match yours. Don't choose a breed that is highly energetic if you're a couch potato. On the other hand, if you want a dog that will follow you everywhere around the house and who is always ready for a game of fetch or tug of war then you should consider a dog that is highly active and always has a lot of energy, instead of one of the lethargic breeds.

Large or Small Dog

You don't have to have own a large house to own a large dog (although a tiny apartment isn't going to be big enough for one of the giant breeds). If you can take him outside for a good hour of two of exercise every day... a large dog can live in a small house or apartment just fine.
Keep in mind that large dogs are more expensive to keep. They eat more food, which costs you more money. Tick and flea preventives cost more for large dogs, as do other mediations.
When large dogs eliminate, they eliminate a lot more than small dogs - more goes in and more comes out - of large breeds. Which is something to keep in mind if your dog will live inside - especially if you live in a high rise apartment and he will have to be litter box trained (there's always going to be more to clean up).

Do You Have Time To Exercise Your Dog?

All dogs should get as much exercise as possible - a good walk and a run everyday. But most small dog breeds, for example Toy dogs such as Pugs, Maltese or Yorkshire Terriers, Pomeranian will get the majority of their required exercise needs just be walking, running and playing around indoors.
Some breeds have so much energy and are so active that if you don't give them a sufficient workout everyday - a long walk and hard run - their pent up energy will quite likely manifest itself in destructive behavior.
So if you don't have time to walk your dog everyday choose a breed who doesn't have high exercise requirements. All of the breeds who require high amounts of exercise make terrific jogging, hiking, and ridding companions. So if you want your dog to accompany you on long runs choose one of these highly active breeds built for endurance and as much exercise as you can throw at them - they'll love you for it.

Do You Have Children?

Most all dogs will get along well with children if they are raised with them. However, some breeds have a protective streak in them and may naturally become aggressive towards children around meal time (although this should not be tolerated), or aggressive to strange children. They possibly will not see the children as being higher then themselves in the "pack order" and may try to dominate them.
Some dogs will put up with little children who pull their ears or poke them in the eyes, while others will not and map nip or bite back in defense.
So if you want a dog who is excellent with children avoid breeds which may have a dominance streak or that have short tempers.

Less or More Time Consuming

Dogs with short coats require virtually no grooming, just a brush and wipe down every so often. Pet dogs with long coats require either regular clipping (every eight weeks or so) and a brush once or twice per week. Show dogs, or dogs with long coats, require daily brushing. If you don't brush your dogs long coat regularly it will tangle and matt. No only can it hurt your dog if he has tangled, matted hair, but it will become dirty and he will look shaggy and ugly if you don't regularly groom his coat.
So keep in mind that if you choose a breed with a long coat you will need to get it clipped regularly if you want to avoid brushing it so much, or if you choose to keep it long or even medium length you will have to brush it everyday.
Dogs with short coats also have another advantage. It's easier to find ticks and fleas on their body. You probably spend eight times as long searching for fleas and ticks on a dog with a long coat than you do on a dog with a short coat.
If you don't want to be vacuuming the house every day, then don't buy a high shedding breed. If you own a high shedding dog you will find hair everywhere! Including on your clothes, on your furniture, in your bed, and even in your food. Additionally dogs that have a high shedding rate need to be groomed more often to brush out the dead hair.

Are You Allergic To Dander?

It isn't the dog hair that causes allergies - it's the dander! Dogs continually shed dander, or dead skin flakes, from their bodies. When this dander is airborne you can inhale it and it may cause an allergic reaction (itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing or wheezing). If you have allergies to dander, and still want a pet dog, then you should consider one of the low shedding dog breeds because they produce less dander. Some of these breeds include the Poodle, Maltese, Bichon Frise, Bedlington Terrier and Chinese Crested just to name a few. Choose a breed which is rated "Low" for shedding if you have allergies. To be on the safe side, check the breed you are thinking of owning doesn't cause you to have an allergic reaction by spending several hours around a dog of that breed before you purchase one!

Intelligent And Easy To Train

Every breed can be trained to learn almost every command. However, some breeds learn a lot faster than others - making them a lot easier to train. These highly intelligent breeds pick up a command after only about five or six exposures, they more often respond on the first time you give the command, and they remember commands even if they aren't practiced often. They also learn commands even when the trainer is inexperienced and makes mistakes.
So if you don't have a lot of the time to spend dog training, or you are impatient and get frustrated easily, choose a breed which has a high easy of training rating.

Protection

Dogs can either serve as watchdogs or guard dogs. A watchdogs job is to bark and raise the alarm when a stranger enters your property. Many small dog breeds make great watch dogs. Whereas a guard dog's job is to look intimidating and protect his family if the situation arises.
These are the important factors to consider when making a decision about which dog is for you. With these points in mind, browse through the dog breed profiles and discover which dog will be a perfect match for you.

Do you have ticks and fleas with your dogs?

Q: How did my dog get these fleas and ticks?
A: The way animals get fleas is some other flea-infested animal - a stray dog or stray cat, or some other neighbors' dog or cat, or urban wildlife, mainly opossums and raccoons - went through your neighborhood, your yard, and the female flea is laying eggs and the eggs are basically rained off into your environment. We call them a living salt shaker. And then those eggs developed into adults and those fleas jumped onto your pet. That's how it happened.
Dogs generally get ticks because they're out in that environment, walking through the woods or high grass, and these ticks undergo what's called questing, where they crawl up on these low shrubs or grass, generally 18 to 24 inches off the ground and they basically hang out. And when the dog walks by or we walk by and brush up against these ticks they dislodge and get onto us. Ticks don't climb up into trees. That's an old myth. They just lie in wait for us. It's sort of an ambush strategy. They can live well over a year without feeding.
Q: Can fleas and ticks cause my dog to get sick? What kinds of illnesses can she get from them?
A: Probably the most common thing is, when these fleas are feeding, they're injecting saliva into the skin. These salivary proteins are often allergenic and animals end up with allergy. The most common skin disease of dogs and cats is what's called flea allergy dermatitis, where they bite and scratch and lose their hair. It can take only a few fleas for this allergy to become a problem.
If you have a lot of fleas, since they're blood-sucking insects, especially if you have puppies, pets can become anemic and even die with heavy infestations. Fleas also commonly transmit tapeworms to our pets, at least one species.
With ticks, there are a dozen to 15 or more tick-transmitted diseases that our pets get from ticks. There's tick fever,Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, ehrlichiosis, and more. Many of these diseases can kill pets.
Q: Are fleas and ticks worse in some areas?
A: Ticks and fleas can be worse from one area to another and can vary seasonally and from year to year.  As you move inland, however, depending on the rainfall in a given year, it can be OK or get very horrid at times.
Ticks have different biologies and behaviors, of course. And certain areas have more tick problems than others. .
Q: What are the best ways to control fleas?A: Besides the flea products we've discussed, if you have a cat, don't ever let it go outside. Try to keep your home as dry as possible. I would recommend not having any carpet because carpet is a flea's best friend. Keep the brush and weeds in your yard to an absolute minimum.
Q: Are there natural ways I can control them if I don't want to use chemicals?
A: There really aren't from a natural standpoint. Over the years, we've spent some time looking into the more natural or holistic approaches and as yet I've not found any that's actually effective. The garlic, the brewer's yeast, all the research shows none of that stuff works. If it did, I'd be using it. The ultrasonic devices? The data shows they don't work.
And just because something is “natural” or “organic” that doesn't mean it's safe. Most of the poisons in the world are actually organic poisons. Some of these citric extracts people used to use can be fairly toxic to cats. The cats' livers just can't handle them.
There is diatomacious earth, which is basically microscopic silicone particles that can be spread around in your carpet. They scratch or excoriate the flea larvae. But you've got to be a little careful. You don't want to inhale the stuff, because now you've inhaled silicone particles into your lungs and where's that going to go? There are pesticide control firms that apply that stuff appropriately, and when they do it's very effective and it's safe. But just make sure if you have somebody do it in your house it's done appropriately. It's a very good larvacidal and a flea preventative measure if it's done correctly.
Q: How can I control fleas and ticks in my yard?
A: Cut the tall grass, trim back the bushes and shrubs, then rake up all the leaf litter under the bushes. Leave it just bare ground. There are some lawn and garden insecticides that are approved by the EPA to be applied under shrubs, under bushes, in crawl spaces, along fence lines, to control fleas and ticks outside. The big issue I see is people tend to go out and start spraying their grass. That's not effective and it's certainly not good for the environment. Fleas and ticks are really sunlight and humidity sensitive. Most situations where we find them are under shrubs, under bushes, under porches, in shaded, protected habitats. So we should only be applying those compounds in a limited fashion under those locations. Then we're going to let it dry on the foliage for three to four hours before we allow our pets and our children back out there.
Q:How I can control ticks on my dogs?

A:You should use most effective and powerful insecticidal used to control ticks.There are various tick control products you can get from your nearest vet.Don't go for pharmacist as they can offer you unnecessary products which are not use in controlling ticks on dogs.

History and Origins of the German Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd breed appeared late at the end of the 19th century in Germany and they were first exhibited at a show in Hanover in 1882. They were not like German Shepherds as we know them today though being rough coated, short tailed and rather resembling mongrels. The German Shepherd Dog as we now know it didn't really appear until after the Second World War.

The breed was actually created by the cross breeding of working sheep dogs from rural Germany by an ex cavalry officer called Max von Stephanitz whose aim was to create a working dog for herding which could trot for long periods.

A breed standard was drawn up and the first breed show took place in 1899 following which the GSD became firmly established across Germany. In 1906 the first dogs were exported to the USA .

Since then, the breed has grown enormously in popularity and is now one of the most popular pedigree breeds in the UK as a pet as well as being the favourite working breed for many forces, especially the police. They are widely used for security purposes because of their strong protective instincts.

Many people in the UK still call these dogs Alsatians which may partly be due to the fact that they when they were first bred, the Alsace region of France was part of Germany were these dogs were very popular. In part it may also be due to the first and second world wars that the name Alsatian stuck as the word 'German' had a negative connotation. I still get people who think that Alsatians are the traditional short coat black and tan dogs and that German Shepherds are the long coated dogs that have become popular.

GSD's make wonderful family pets and will protect family and home.

These dogs are highly intelligent and will show undying devotion to their master but they are dogs that need company and stimulation to be at their best. It is however, important to remember that this is a working breed and that they do have certain characteristics that some people might find difficult to live with. The German Shepherd should be steady, loyal, self assured, courageous and willing and should not be nervous over aggressive or shy. Nervous aggression is something that we are now seeing more often as a result of bad breeding. It is sad but there has always been indiscriminate breeding of German Shepherds right from the start, which has lead to problems with temperament and health.   

	German Shepherd Dog, West German Show (High Lines). This is the breed type most popular in Germany, and which at its best probably comes closest to the Breed Standard.
	German Shepherd Dog, German Working Lines (also Belgian and Dutch lines, which are NOT related to Belgian or Dutch shepherds, which are different breeds - see below). These dogs have been bred primarily for the sport of Schutzhund, and as service dogs. They excel as police, military, SAR and drug/bomb detection dogs.
	German Shepherd Dog, East German Lines (DDR). This family was developed in East Germany from those dogs remaining in the East after WW 2. Those foundation dogs predated the show/working split of post-war West Germany, and were not extreme in either conformation or drive.
	German Shepherd Dog, Czech/Slovak Lines. These dogs were bred in Communist Czechoslovakia as state working dogs. They are essentially the same as the DDR lines, from which they were largely developed.
	German Shepherd Dog, American Show Lines. This family has been the numerically dominant type in North America since the 1970's.
	Old American Show generally refers to American show dogs bred prior to the 1970's, which did not show the extremes of the later bloodlines, and whose bloodllines largely died out with the appearance of the modern American show lines. At the same time in Germany, the breed had not yet differentiated into show and working lines, and in type were very similar to the American dogs.
	German Shepherd Dog, British Lines (Alsation). These dogs are descended from old lines imported into the British Isles prior to the modern, post-war German lines. They developed into a heavy boned, long bodied type with uniformly beautiful shoulders, showing generally soft temperament and variable drive.
	Crosses between types are as good or as bad as the animals used to make the cross. They generally do not show the extremes of either parent's type. Shown is a first generation DDR X Canadian show cross, the product of a Group winning show champion (Ch Corry, pictured in the Page Heading) and a bitch of DDR Haus Kuhn breeding.
	German Shepherd Dog, White (Swiss Shepherd Dog). White is a dominant masking gene that is a disqualification in most countries. Lovers of the white GSD campaigned for equal recognition, but finally pursued separate breed status and gained FCI recognition as the Swiss Shepherd Dog. In North America they are still AKC/CKC registered as GSDs, or are recognized by ARBA as Canadian or American White Shepherds. In general, they show good but somewhat oversized structure and medium to soft temperament, with variable drive. They have served as SAR, therapy and guide dogs, where white can be an effective colour. The white gene is not linked to deafness or any health problems, and is not albinism. They should show dark eyes and skin, and black nose, lips, pads and nails.
	Panda Shepherd. Currently one family of AKC registered GSDs of German lines, that shows a new, spontaneous mutation for white spotting that exhibits an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, consistenct with the action of a single gene acting with full penetrance.
	There are no "rare" or especially desirable colours in the correct GSD. Blue and liver are disqualifications world wide. Silver, fawn, cream and solid red dogs are examples of extremely faded pigmentation. Breeders who promote odd colours are not breeding to the GSD Breed Standard, although their animals may be perfectly sound and make fine companions. Interbreeding animals with insufficient pigmentation can result in dogs with skin problems, and lightly pigmented exposed skin which is not well protected from UV radiation. Pictured is a liver and tan GSD.
	Maskless Shepherd. This is a colour variant only, characterized by a lack of the typical black mask, and often showing faded or "bright" points of tan on the muzzle, chest and feet. It can also be seen in sable and bicolour patterns. While common in English lines prior to WW1, it is not typical of any contemproray bloodline. White markings are indicative of fading pigmentation, but are not evidence of wolf blood, although wolf crosses will often show similar colouration. A black mask gives the typical GSD expression, and is generally required by most judges, but the lack of it is not strictly speaking a sign of fading colour.
	Shiloh Shepherd. A breed developed in America as a reaction to the increasingly extreme show type, in a supposed attempt to recreate the qualities of the "original" GSD. Alaskan Malamute and Sarplaninac were crossed in to increase size. This is a giant breed, at least 30" at the shoulder. It is not AKC recognized, but is registered with the ISSR, or International Shiloh Shepherd Registry. All colours and long coats are accepted. Ears are slightly smaller than the GSD. Temperament is medium to soft and drive is variable.
	German Shepherd Dog, Long Haired (Alt Deutsche Schaferhund, "Old German Shepherd Dog"). This is not a separate type or breed. The recessive gene for long hair is present in all families and types, and results in a longer than normal coat. It can vary from slightly longer than normal, to very long hair which is difficult to keep well groomed and free of burrs and ice. Regrded for many years as a fault, the long coat is now accepted and can be shown in Germany, provide it has a weatherproof undercoat. A coated dog bred to a dog that is free of the recessive will produce normal puppies who carry the recessive.
	King Shepherd. An American attempt to produce a giant, long haired GSD. ARBA recognized. Malamute, Akita and other breeds were crossed in to increase size. Its Standard insists on as much size and bone as possible. An impressive family and companion dog, It's huge size and soft temperament make it unsuitable as a working dog.
	German Shepherd Dog, Old Style (Old Fashioned, Original, Old World etc). This appears to be an attempt to return to the good old days of the breed, with dogs exceeding 30" at the withers, and well over 100 pounds in weight. They are advertised as being "flat backed" and "straight backed", in reference to the excessive slope of some American show dogs and the roaching of some German show dogs. Many are long haired. In fact, excess size, long hair, placid temperament and high rear ends were never considered desirable in the GSD. Although these problems did exist in the original foundation dogs, which varied widely in type, concientious breeders have striven to breed out these faults.
	This is the true "German Old Style", a Sieger from the 1920s. The dog's dry bone, leg length, shallow chest and square proportions make the breed's kinship with the northern Malinois quite apparent. The breed's founder decided that a more powerful dog was wanted, with a lower stationed, trotting structure that was not so massive as to detract from the dog's speed and agility. These early dogs are the breed's foundation and history, but breeders have developed better dogs than this, and there is no good reason to return to the past. VA1 Erich v Grafenwerth
	Kunming Dog. An interesting attempt to recreate the GSD in Communist China, but with the square, leggier structure of the very early GSD. They can show a tendency to weediness. Colours include all GSD patterns, as well as brindle apparently.
	Byelorussian Ovcharka. An interesting attempt to recreate the GSD in the Soviet Union. In the 1930's GSDs were crossed with Central Asian Ovcharkas, Russian Laikas and other local breeds, supposedly to increase the ability to withstand cold, which is odd, considering a healthy GSD is quite happy in even Canada's severe north. It was recognized as a separate breed in 1964. .
	Czechoslovakian Wolfdog. An FCI recognized Czech breed developed from a cross between the European wolf and the GSD, supposedly to produce a larger, healthier, super shepherd. While similar to some Czech line GSDs in appearance, this dog has yet to participate in high level sport, or as a police service dog,
	Sarloos Wolfhond. An FCI recognized Dutch breed developed from a cross between the European wolf and the GSD, supposedly to produce a superior shepherd dog.
	Utonagan. Another example of the European fascination with the wolf. A cross between GSD, Malamute and Siberian huskies which has yet to achieve FCI recognition. This hybrid was not created to produce a better shepherd, but to producea dog of wolf-like appearance, without the wolf blood. This cross seems to show good temperament and trainability for companion purposes, and makes no claims to superiority as a working dog.
	American Tundra Shepherd. An non-registerable American cross between the North American wolf and GSD. While certainly impressive, its very large size makes it unsuitable as a service dog. It has no record as a reliable working dog in any field of service or sport. It seems to come in a wide range of wolf and GSD colours, and most seem to show a high set rear and sway back, which are not typical of the wolf.
	Alsation Shepalute. This is not a breed, as several breeds are still being crossed to produce it. It is a type produced by a single US kennel, supposedly to recreate the Dire Wolf, a large, low stationed, extinct canid. Its type is not stable, it is not recognized by any registry, and it has no accepted breed standard.
	Dwarf German Shepherd Dog. This is not a miniature version of the breed, but a genetic defect that can cause multiple health problems and is referred to as pituitary dwarfism. It appears to occur in many different families, and afflicted dogs require lifelong veterinary care to maintain health and coat. Dwarves are usually identifyable at birth, and are not simply runty animals stunted by health issues. Secondary problems include pannus, thyroidism, allergies and poor coat.
	Bohemian Shepherd (Chodsky pes, Chodenhund). An indigenous herding breed of the Czech Republic that can be traced back approximately 500 years. This breed is, if not a progenitor of the GSD, then certainly descended from some of the same European herding families. Somewhat smaller than the GSD, it carries a long coat and is always black with red markings.
	Altdeutscher Huetehunde. A popular, indigenous herding breed of Germany, probably descended from some of the same European herding families. Some members of this breed may have played a part in the foundation dogs of the GSD. It comes in all coats and colours, and is a herding specialist.
	Belgian Shepherd (Malinois). This smaller, lighter, highly athletic breed is a cousin to the GSD, descending from Northern European sheepdogs, and developed in the Belgian town of Malinois. .
	Dutch Shepherd. Very similar to the Malinois, this breed is brindle striped, and also has long and wired haired varieties. It also excels as a service dog, and is occasionally used in crossbreeding with the Malinois to produce sport and service dogs.