Barbet Club of America
Member Updates - January 2016
AKC Votes to Move Barbet Into Miscellaneous
The Barbet continues to be eligible for performance events at AKC events.
Welcome Lynn Vogt-Kinsey to the BCA Board
A sincere thank you goes to Carolynn Howsley for serving as our Treasurer for the last 4 years. We appreciate your devotion to the advancement of the Barbet in America.
Renew Your Membership
A New DNA Test for the Dilution Gene in Barbet
by Stephanie Dixon
Recently a litter of Barbet puppies was whelped in which three of the puppies were born a silvery grey colour which has not been seen in North American Barbets up until now. It became apparent that as these puppies grew older they may be afflicted by a disorder that affects the development of the hair follicles of the coat and can cause hair loss and poor coat condition. The breeders had early on decided to hold these three puppies back from sale and had been watching them closely to see if there would be any health issues related to them having this dilute colour.
Eventually one of the pups began to loose some hair on it’s legs and tail and a little on it’s ears. The concern was that this puppy was affected by Colour Dilution Alopecia. They immediately took the puppy in to their vet for a biopsy which confirmed that the puppy did have this condition. Unfortunately the two other dilute puppies had also begun to exhibit symptoms.
Breeding dogs can be a gut-wrenching and heartbreaking endeavour. These breeders made a very difficult decision to humanely euthanize the puppies as there were no guarantees that they would not grow to suffer from additional related health issues nor could they know the degree to which they would be affected by the alopecia.
The breeders of this litter have shown tremendous care and concern for the Barbet. They have worked with the veterinarians at the University of Montreal, in particular Dr. David Silversides and as a result there is now a colour dilution test for the Barbet. This is a genetic DNA test that will determine if a Barbet carries the gene for dilution (on the D locus). Currently there is not a DNA test that can determine the genetic marker for Colour Dilution Alopecia. Perhaps in the future there will be such a test. In the meantime we are grateful to have the DNA test for the dilution gene. Breeders can now test their breeding dogs to determine if they are carriers of this dilute gene or not, and this way, try to avoid producing dilute puppies in their litters. Hopefully in so doing they will avoid producing dogs with Colour Dilution Alopecia.
Blood samples or buccal (cheek) swab samples can be collected from Barbets and sent to Diagnostic Services, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Montreal for analysis. Instructions on how to collect buccal swab samples, information on fees and payment methods and submission forms are available on the website http://labgenvet.ca/en/dog/
The Barbet community is grateful to these breeders for their openness and transparency and willingness for us all to learn from their experiences. By working together we will be able to grow the breed carefully and responsibly and safeguard it for generations to come.
Meet The Breeds February 13, 2016
The 2016 event marks the seventh AKC Meet the Breeds® and the second year the event joins the thrilling Westminster Week roster. This year, one daytime event ticket will grant event-goers access to both AKC Meet the Breeds® and the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster. The venue expansion will be enhanced by the addition of a newly-constructed interior staircase that will connect Piers 92 and Pier 94 for all events of Westminster Week. Attendees will have more room to interact with over 150 breeds in elaborately decorated booths that depict fun elements from the breed’s history and talk to experts about each dog, as well as see the exciting Agility competition taking place in Pier 94.
Show News
Can/UKC Ch Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue CM
AKC FSS Show Calendar
Kooikerhondje Club of the USA Daly City, CA January 30, 2016
Golden Gate Kennel Club Daly City, CA January 31, 2016
Plum Creek Kennel Club of Colorado Denver, CO February 13, 2016
Arrowhead Kennel Club Scottsdale, AZ March 25, 2016
Scottsdale Dog Fanciers Association, Inc. Scottsdale, AZ March 26, 2016
Kooikerhondje Club of the USA Concord, NC April 02, 2016
Peruvian Inca Orchid Club of the Untied States Moses Lake, WA April 15, 2016
Mudi Club of America Moses Lake, WA April 15, 2016
Langley Kennel Club Hampton, VA May 26, 2016
Greenwich Kennel Club Norwalk, CT June 11, 2016
Longshore-Southport Kennel Club, Inc. Norwalk, CT June 12, 2016
Cornhusker Kennel Club of Lincoln, Nebraska, Inc. Lincoln, NE October 08, 2016
Cornhusker Kennel Club of Lincoln, Nebraska, Inc. Lincoln, NE October 09, 2016
Judy Descutner, Editor
Email: barbetclubofamerica@gmail.com
Website: barbetclubofamerica.com
Phone: 724-344-6468
Facebook: facebook.com/barbetclubofamerica