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Activities for Dogs: Showing
Itchy skin- Creepy Crawlies
Questions on breeding or neutering your Labrador
Have you had problems accessing the website?
Activities for Dogs: Showing
Dog showing is a very popular activity nationwide (and indeed abroad), and there are a range of different dog shows and showing classes that dogs and their owners can take part in.
The four main types of dog show are: Companion Dog shows, Single Breed shows, Open shows and Championship shows. Companion Dog shows are relaxed and informal shows that are usually set up in collaboration with local events or fetes, and aim to raise money for charities. Dogs can be entered in a breed group (e.g. gundog) class, a puppy class, a veteran class, or one of the novelty classes (for example the dog that looks most like its owner!). Dogs can be entered on the day of the show and dogs do not have to be registered with the Kennel Club to compete.
Single Breed shows are for one breed of dog only and include classes for dogs of various ages. Single Breed shows are usually organised by a Breed Club (click here for a list of Labrador Retriever Breed Clubs). Open shows have classes for lots of different breeds and are suitable for dogs and handlers of any experience or age. Championship shows are the next level of show (where there is the opportunity to qualify for the world's biggest dog show, Crufts, held in the UK each year), and have classes depending on previous show wins or places, and for different ages of dog. Challenge Certificates are awarded at Championship shows to the dog that is chosen from the winner of each class. For a dog to become a Champion, they must win three Challenge Certificates from three different judges.
With the exception of Companion Dog shows, dogs must be registered on the Kennel Club Breed Register and be 6 months of age to compete. All dogs competing should exhibit good health and temperament, and be well socialised, obedient, and vaccinated and treated for fleas. Judges (often accompanied by a veterinarian) look at both the dog and how it is handled and presented in the show ring. Ringcraft classes are run by dog clubs to help handlers train, prepare and present their dogs (and themselves!) for showing. These classes enable handlers to learn techniques such as how to ask their dog to move well on a loose lead, stop and stand. Dogs must become accustomed to being handled by a stranger as judges will check the dog's teeth, ears, eyes, feet and body.
There are hundreds of different dog shows throughout the UK each year which can provide an opportunity for dogs and owners to socialise and enjoy a day out.
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Itchy skin- Creepy Crawlies
A variety of organisms can cause pruritis (itchy skin) in dogs, including parasites, bacteria, fungi and viruses. The most common (by a long way) are fleas. Fleas feed on dogs, which causes dogs to scratch when they feel the bite of the flea. Furthermore dogs (and cats and people) can develop an allergy to the substances in the flea saliva, which means the itching and scratching persists longer and is more severe than would be expected for the flea bite alone. Fleas also transmit canine tapeworms. The identification of fleas on the dog, or “flea dirt” (which is digested blood!) in the dog's coat means the dog needs to be treated for fleas. If suspected or identified, then all dogs in the household should be treated, and as fleas can live part of their lives in the environment (e.g. in the carpet!) the house may also need to be treated. Because fleas are very common, preventative treatment with the regular use of flea treatment products is the best way to avoid fleas becoming a problem.
Less common parasites include Cheyletiella, which is a small parasite which looks like dandruff flakes, and is also known as “walking dandruff”. Cheyletiella usually causes no or relatively mild irritation, although profuse dandruff is apparent. The parasite is easily treated by your veterinarian.
Canine sarcoptic mange (also termed “scabies”) is caused by a mite which burrows into the skin causing intense itching and scratching, and secondary bacterial skin infections. The condition is rare, but requires intensive treatment to get rid of the infection. The condition can also affect (or rather infect) owners in 10-50% of cases, although it usually resolves when the dog is treated.
Demodectic mange (demodicosis) is caused by a small parasite which lives in the bottom of hair follicles. Most dogs carry small numbers of mites without any problems, but in certain conditions, such a where the immune system is impaired, the dog undergoes intense stress or suffers malnutrition, the mites can reproduce quickly, potentially causing widespread skin disease. These conditions can be treated, although sometimes it is difficult.
Ringworm is a fungal infection of skin which commonly results in round patches of skin where the hair falls out (see Figure 1). The lesions are not always itchy. The fungi live in the hair follicles and hair shafts and can be transmitted to other animals and people (and indeed dogs can catch them from people). A variety of effective antifungal treatments are used to treat the disease.
As we said last month many dogs scratch from time to time so don’t worry if your dog has an occasional itch! But if the signs persist, contact your vet.
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Questions on breeding or neutering your Labrador
Some of our members may be thinking of breeding from their Labrador and others may have decided to neuter their dog. In order for us to capture more information on breeding and neutering, Dogslife will be amending the questionnaire in the near future.
For dogs that have already been neutered, a one-off question will be asked about members’ decision on when to neuter, and for female dogs, after how many (if any) seasons the neutering was carried out. For dogs which are entire, there will be questions about breeding and litter sizes (where applicable).
The benefits and risks of neutering are well described in dogs, but the effects of litter numbers and sizes on dog health are less well defined. Including these questions will enable Dogslife to obtain important health information. We greatly appreciate members’ time and help to complete their dog’s details.
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Have you had problems accessing the website?
Dogslife would like to apologise to any members who have tried to visit the website over the last few weeks but not been able to access it. We have recently been experiencing problems with our server which has resulted in the website being temporarily inaccessible at times without warning. Any problems with the website are resolved as quickly as possible, so if you have not been able to visit us, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience and please try again!
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Don't forget to come back to Dogslife to update your dog's record www.dogslife.ac.uk
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