Are you building sled dog team and looking for speed? Get a Siberian Husky. Are you more concerned with strength and stamina? Then go for the Alaskan Malamute. Looking for a dog that is somewhere in between, and is more human-oriented than dog-oriented (an important distinction in team building)? Your best bet is a Samoyed.

Or are you just looking for a nice dog to own as a pet, and think that one of these three breeds might be right for you? Then you should become acquainted with their most prevalent characteristics. In most of their traits, these dogs vary mostly by degree; if you have decided on a snow dog, you should talk with experts in all three breeds to narrow down which one to bring home.

Siberians, Malamutes and Samoyeds all originated in the northernmost parts of the world as sled dogs and companions; Siberians and Samoyeds were also used to herd reindeer. All three breeds still retain the instincts, abilities and appearances that made them such valued animals centuries ago, and all of these should be considered if you want a snow dog as a pet.

Appearance. Siberians and Malamutes come in a variety of colors, while Samoyeds are pure white or a mixture of white and cream. Their triangular, well-furred ears protect against biting winds and their deep-set, almond eyes protect against snow glare. (Blue eyes are only acceptable on the Siberian.) The dogs can wrap their long, curling tails around their noses for added warmth in bitter cold. All three have a long, harsh outer coat and a dense undercoat designed to protect them from the elements. (The Samoyed's coat is more profuse than the Siberian's or Malamute's.) This undercoat will shed moderately throughout the year and profusely once or twice a year. If you don't want dog hair all over your house, don't get a snow dog! Regular brushing is essential to maintain coat condition and to prevent matting; on the other hand, these breeds tend to keep themselves very clean.

Size and Strength. The Malamute is the largest and most powerful of the three breeds, often weighing up to 85 pounds as compared to the 50-60 pound Siberian and Samoyed. All three breeds are very strong and retain a very strong pulling instinct, to which anyone who has ever walked one on leash can attest! Early training on leash is essential for any owner who would rather walk his snow dog than be walked by it. And, since they tend to be affectionate and boisterous, they should also be taught good manners early on so they can keep their size and strength under control.

Trainability. Dogs pulling a heavy sledge across uncertain terrain, with their master several yards behind them, have to be able to use their heads and make their own decisions. Today's snow dogs retain that independent spirit. While intelligent, they can be more difficult to train than, for example, a retriever or a Border Collie. They are easily bored with repetition and may simply not see the point of some obedience exercises. (It is said that Samoyeds will not play fetch because they refuse to run after something that their owner has thrown away.) However, patience, persistence and a sense of humor can turn a snow dog into an obedient pet.

Temperament. Snow dogs are among the friendliest of dog breeds. Since they were bred to work in teams, they are pack-oriented and love to be around people and, in most cases, other dogs. They adore children, although play should be supervised due to their size. All of these traits make them great family pets; it also means that they should not be left alone for long periods of time. These dogs are happiest when allowed to live inside the house where they can be close to their people. And while their wolf-like appearance may intimidate some, these dogs are not good guard dogs; they see every stranger as a potential friend.

Activity Level. Be prepared to give your snow dog a lot of exercise. Siberians love to run, and Malamutes have the stamina to walk for miles without getting tired. Adequate daily exercise will keep these dogs in good physical condition and prevent the boredom which can lead to destructive behavior.

Bad habits. Snow dogs living in the Arctic protect themselves on cold nights by sleeping in holes dug into the snow. Your snow dog will amuse itself by digging holes in your yard or under your fence. Siberians in particular are great escape artists. All of these dogs love to eat (although they don't require much food for their size) and will eat anything left out in the open; Samoyeds are known to be great "counter-surfers." Consistent training and constructive activity can keep these bad habits to a minimum. Excessive barking is generally not a problem; however, these dogs tend to vocalize in other ways, making a "roo-roo" sound to express pleasure or attract attention. (Their owners usually see this as an endearing trait rather than a bad habit!)

In short, snow dogs are beautiful, charming, headstrong, and lovable-and often a challenge as well. Visit the parent club Web sites for more information, and to determine if there is no dog like a snow dog for you.

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1) I could walk around safely barefoot in the dark; 

2) My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated; 

3) All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of dog hair; 

4) When the doorbell rang, it wouldn't sound like the SPCA kennels; 

5) When the doorbell rang, I could get to the door without wading through four or five dog bodies who beat me there; 

6) I could sit how I wanted to on the couch without taking into consideration where several little furbodies would need to get; 

7) I would not have strange presents under my tree....like dog bones, stuffed animals and have to answer to people why I wrap them up; 

8) I would not be on a first name basis with a vet; 

9) Most used words in my vocabulary would not be:  potty, outside, sit, down, come, no, and leave him/her ALONE;

10) My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates;

11) My purse would not contain things like poop pick up bags and dog treats;

12) I would no longer have to spell the world B-A-L-L and F-R-I-S-B-E-E;

13) I would not buy weird things to stuff into "kongs", or have to explain why I'm buying them, or what a "Kong" is;

14) I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside;

15) I would not look strangely at people who think having their ONE dog ties them down too much;

16) I would not have to answer the question why do I have so many dogs from people who will never have the joy in their life of knowing they are loved unconditionally by something as close to an angel as they will ever get. Who else has a friend who considers you the MOST important thing in the whole wide world all the time.

Author Unknown

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Progressive Retinal Atrophy

PROGRESSIVE RETINAL DEGENERATION / PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY

Progressive retinal degeneration (PRD) is also known as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and refers to retinal diseases that cause blindness. Some breeds have blindness by abnormal development of the retina and this is called dysplasia. Other breeds have a slowly progressive degeneration or death of the retinal tissue and this is degeneration. These two types of diseases affect many breeds. In general these diseases are thought to be inherited but inherited differently in each breed.

In all animals with PRD the outcome, age of the patient and what the veterinary ophthalmologist sees are the basis for the classification of exactly what type of condition the patient has. Different breeds of dogs have variations in the age the problem starts and speed with which the blindness develops. The condition of PRD has been seen in almost every registered breed and in mixed breed dogs as well. This same condition occurs in humans and is known as retinitis pigmentosa.

As the name PRD implies, a slow death of retinal tissue occurs. It is a slowly progressive disease and the earliest signs may be overlooked. As stated above, these diseases are known to be passed from parents to offspring even though the parents may have normal eyes. Therefore, identification of breeding animals with PRD is essential to prevent spread of this condition.

To better understand PRD, a basic understanding of the function of the retina is needed. The retina is a highly complicated tissue located in the back of the eye. Light strikes the retina and starts a series of chemical reactions that causes a nerve impulse. The impulse passes through the layers of the retina to the optic nerve and from there to the brain where vision takes place. In the retina, cells called rods are involved with black and white or night vision and cells called cones are involved with color or day vision. Progressive retinal degeneration may effect either the rods alone, the cones alone or both the rods and cones together.

Progressive retinal degeneration is not a painful condition so your pet will not have a reddened eye or have increased blinking or squinting. For this reason most clients will not notice the early stages of the condition. Some clients will notice an abnormal shine coming from their pet's eyes. This abnormal shine is because the pupils are dilated and don't respond as quickly to light as pupils of normal dogs. The earliest signs of PRD include night vision difficulties that in most cases will progress to day blindness. Clients will often remember that their pets seemed disoriented when going out to the yard at night and they had to leave a light on for them. Night blindness may be manifested by a pet that is afraid to go into a dark room. Occasionally these pets will get lost in their own home after the lights have been turned off.

The veterinary ophthalmologist examines the retina with an instrument called an indirect ophthalmoscope. Changes in the retinal blood vessel pattern, the optic nerve head, and the reflective substance within the dog's eye called the tapetum can be seen which are classic for PRD. However in some breeds PRD characteristics have little or no early changes. The eyes of these dogs may appear normal until they are in the later stages of the disease. Progressive retinal degeneration will progress at different rates in different breeds. This variation causes difficulty in determining just how long any particular dog will continue seeing.

There is no possible treatment for PRD although a number of vitamin therapies have been suggested by various people. One such vitamin "Ocuvite" manufactured by Stortz has been recommended for people with retinitis pigmentosa and some patients claim that their vision is improved somewhat. At this time, none of the vitamin treatments have been proven to be effective scientifically, so use of Ocuvite must be deemed a naturopathic remedy rather than a medical treatment. Use of any other megavitamin treatment is discouraged.

Cataracts may occur in some patients with PRD and generally occur later in the disease. Formation of cataracts may interfere with the ophthalmologist's direct examination of the retina and make other tests such as an electroretinogram (ERG) essential for diagnosis.

Diagnosis is made and confirmed by the ERG. This test involves sophisticated instrumentation used to measure the response of the retina to flashes of light. Your pet would be anesthetized for this test. The pet is then placed into a darkened area, a special contact lens with a gold ribbon is placed on the cornea and two tiny needles are placed under the skin around the eye. A light flash that has been dimmed with filters stimulates the retina and this procedure is repeated intermittently for 20 minutes. Finally, a bright red, blue and white flash are used for final analysis. A healthy retina will produce a characteristic wave form that builds from the time the lights are turned out. The ERG is sensitive enough to diagnose dogs with PRD before they begin to demonstrate signs of the disease.

Here is a partial list of breeds affected with Progressive Retinal Degeneration:

In summary, PRD refers to a broad group of inherited retinal disease which result in the blindness of dogs. Because of the nature of the disease and sometimes the late onset, repeated examinations may be required to detect individuals with the condition. Patients affected should not be used for breeding. Pedigree studies are used to help eliminate other carriers of this condition such as the pet's brothers, sisters, mother, father and any offspring. How to adjust to having a pet that is blind is important and is discussed on the web page entitled How to Deal with a Blind Pet.

For more information on PRA in dogs, Dr. Gregory Acland has produced some excellent reference material located at

The Dog Genome Project Homepage

Written by Dr. Dennis Hacker, Edited by Dr. Michael Zigler

Copyright ©2001, Eyevet Consulting Services.

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What Are Allergies, and How Do They Affect Dogs?

One of the most common conditions affecting dogs is allergy. In the allergic state, the dog's immune system "overreacts" to foreign substances (allergens or antigens) to which it is exposed. These overreactions are manifested in three ways. The most common is itching of the skin, either localized (one area) or generalized (all over the dog). Another manifestation involves the respiratory system and may result in coughing, sneezing, and/or wheezing. Sometimes, there may be an associated nasal or ocular (eye) discharge. The third manifestation involves the digestive system, resulting in vomiting or diarrhea.

Aren't There Several Types of Allergies?

There are five known types of allergies in the dog: contact, flea, food, bacterial, and inhalant. Each of these has some common expressions in dogs, and each has some unique features.

What is Food Allergy?

A food allergy is a condition in which the body's immune system reacts adversely to an ingredient in a food such as the protein source, or a preservative.

What Foods Are Likely to Cause an Allergic Reaction?

Any food or food ingredient can cause an allergy. However, protein, usually from the meat source of the food, is the most likely offender. Proteins commonly found in pet foods are derived from beef, chicken, lamb, and horsemeat.

Pets are not likely to be born with food allergies. More commonly, they develop allergies to food products they have eaten for a long time. The allergy most frequently develops in response to the protein component of the food; for example, beef, pork, chicken, or turkey. Food allergy may produce any of the clinical signs previously discussed, including itching, digestive disorders, and respiratory distress. We recommend testing for food allergy when the clinical signs have been present for several months, when the pet has a poor response to therapy, or when a very young pet itches without other apparent causes of allergy. Testing is done with a special hypoallergenic diet, and bottled water. Because it takes at least 4 weeks for all other food products to get out of the system, the pet must eat the special diet exclusively for 4-8 weeks (or more). If positive response occurs, you will be instructed on how to proceed. If the diet is not fed exclusively, it will not be a meaningful test. We cannot overemphasize this. If any type of table food, treats or vitamins are given, these must be discontinued during the testing period. There may be problems with certain types of chewable heartworm preventative, as well. Your veterinarian will discuss this with you.

Because pets that are being tested for inhalant allergy generally itch year round, a food allergy dietary test can be performed while the inhalant test and antigen preparation are occurring.

Isn't a Lamb-Based Pet Food Supposed to Be Hypoallergenic? 

No, although many people think it is. Several years ago there were no pet foods on the commercial market that contained lamb. A manufacturer of prescription pet foods formulated a food from lamb that was suitable for allergy testing. Because of that situation, lamb-based pet food was considered "hypoallergenic."

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