So you can't tell at all and you are simply guessing that dogs of a certain shape will be more likely to get arthritis.

My guess (which is as valid as your guess) is that it is a lot more to do with the dogs lifestyle.

I have no idea why you put the pictures up at all if they weren't relevant to the discussion.

Mine have done what I put them up for and proved that you can't tell from body shape.

rune

Cannot tell from a piccie lol. Ph no wait the dog in 4th pic will have a sore left ear in 2013 lol

i'm getting really bored of this all working springers have deformed front legs, i have 6 here at the moment the only one who has deformed front legs is Fudge, who has a weird bone growth going off, i was also out with around 40 other Working springers yesterday, and again i didn't notice any that had legs sticking out at the elbows, this deformity must be a southern thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Because it must be right Dawn says so!

Funny how you say she goes the extra mile. She has been asked a few times Does she indeed contribute to FCR research? Did she submit tissue samples to research being carrried out for FCR? She has seemingly had 2 FCR die young from cancer and is disgusted by the fact this can happen to young dogs so how is she actually helping research her own breed----- by mouthing off that's it

I do not work with rescue dogs but do find the fact on her rescue website the info states----- adoption fee £180 now this seemingly states it includes neuturing/ spaying. Well according to other part of her website it states--- most dogs/ bitches are done in the pounds they collect from and if not it's up to adoptee although she does advice them to get it done. I find this a bit weird to say the least[/QUOTE]

Most rescues work on that basis, the money helps feed and keep the dogs and if they are neutered before that ia bonus. If not it will be payed for by them. IME many people prefer to pay for it themselves anyway as they know the rescues need as much money as possible.

rune

Not "must" but could cause problems and that has been said so many times by many, working breeders dont care about looks.

Im pleased your dogs have straight legs. Its not a southern thing though, the shooting times has some excellent examples, the cocker was from their gallery. My gripe is Lizzy, that the show world is condemned so much for breeding for aesthetics, when the working world is praised for breeding for ability. Me? I think it should be both.

BINGO! Thank you!

Quite right you CAN'T tell from a picture-----nor can you tell from just seeing the dog.

rune

But you've only proved it to yourself Lynn, nobody said you could!! The pictures I put up were showing bowed fronts on working spaniels.

See above....

[/QUOTE]I have no idea if she has submitted anything to the FCRS tumour survey, or indeed, if it was up and running when she lost her FCRs at a young age.

Not at all weird. She is VERY selective about who she rehomes to. A lot of the dogs taken in are already neutered, if not then sometimes they are done in their new home as opposed to in their foster home. I imagine the rescue will pay either way, should the new family want the rescue to pay. I actually agree with that way of doing things, it is far less stressful for the dog to be neutered in it's new home once it has settled and at an appropriate time. That is what I did with my girl (NOT from her rescue I hasten to add) we knew the date of her last season, we brought her home and had her spayed once she had settled and at an appropriate time for her cycle. She was skin and bone in rescue and so very very stressed, it would have been cruel to put her through it. We also paid our adoption fee and then we paid to have Tango spayed ourselves...it is only a small rescue and we felt it right that we pay because we were able to.

I would have said the worse was the little crossbreed.


Good conformation is extremely important to the health of a dog, as it is for any animal, if the confirmation is not right then it can trigger of a domino effect through out the skeletal system.

A dog with flat feet can effect other joints, the wrist joint and so on it goes,

Cow hocked , bowed legs, weak hips , will all impact on other joints,

For breeds such as the spaniel that is expected to work tirelessly on a days shoot, having bowed /deformed front legs is only going to put excess strain on other joints, and strain on joints sets off arthritis, you dont have to have a degree in genetics to understand that.

Being in horses for many yrs, when looking for a competition animal, looking at conformation is extremely important, you are not going to buy a horse with cow hocks , fallen pasterns if you want something to perform with the least amount of stress on his joints.

its one of the first things you look at,t he conformation of the horse, you want something that its conformation is going to support the rest of his body, from the feet upwards, a fallen pastern will put pressure on the Fetlock, which may put pressure on the hock,

You want something that has good construction that gives support and balance to whats sitting on top of it. hence giving the animal the best "shock absorbers" to work as he should.

The same goes for dogs, deformed front legs gives the dog ahead start to problems with arthritis and other joint problems.

Of cause arthritis , can b ea result of trauma, but when a dogs conformation is wrong, you are upping the anti to problems over one that is structurally correct.