northern inuits are not known to have mouth defects,however a couple of people crossing dogs and trying to sell them under the northern inuit name,are producing deformed mouths these dogs are not northern inuits

Exactly Julie. I would be concerned if the dog wasn't infact an Inuit, and they were going around saying it was and it has such a deformed jaw. Gives the breed bad press. Like I said before, I would like to know what lines this dog was bred on, and it's parents? It's breeder etc. It's papers will tell you, then the NIs can take it from there, if, and I say if, this dog is a Northern Inuit, it would be in the dogs best interest to contact the breeder, and in future dogs, as we wouldn't want it to happen again, if it even is a true Northern Inuit.

Havent got a clue, didnt ask, the breed/cross doesnt interest me, but each dog I board does which is why I know, we were told because the dog had difficulty eating and what to expect.
Dawn.

i would say its more than likly a cross, bred by someone and then they called them northern inuits.they are not northern inuits but some of his are registerd utonagons

It would be interesting to know the breeding as I am keeping health records of the NI and to date we haven't had any problems like that reported - I can only imagine, as the others have said, that it isn't a NI - but it would be useful to have confirmation.

What I meant was that there are undershot and overshot jaws, which are slight but not a problem - anything bad enough to make it difficult for a dog to eat is more serious and what I would call a deformity.

NI are supposed to have a slightly imperfect scissor bite.

It sounds as though you are saying that Utonagans have deformed mouths and health problems etc, and NI's have no problems at all, which is not the case at all. I think all breeds are going to get deformaties and some health problems along the lines, and it is up to the relevant Societies to ensure that these so called breeders are stopped.
I know that in the Utonagan Society all the dogs have to be registered and hip and eye tested before they can be bred from and the puppies registered.
It is a long road to go down before health problems can be eliminated, and pretending it happens in other breeds but not your own is putting your head in the sand a bit.
I feel really sorry to hear about these poor puppies being sold, I know who you are talking about, but the trouble is that people buy of these people regardless instead of taking the trouble to find out a little bit more.
These poor pups then end up having to be re-homed, that is usually when it becomes apparent that they aren't what they are actually sold as anyway!
Before I got my 2 babies I really looked into the bloodlines and any possible health problems.
By the way, my 2 Ute's are related to yours Julie, their Paternal Grandfather was Olderhill Black Falcon who's mother, I believe, is one of your girls.

I'm sorry to have to disagree with you, but I have been conducting a survey of NI for over 8 months now and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of NI owners that have reported problems with their dogs - we do not have the health issues that are rife in some of the Utonagan breeding lines. We are NOT saying that all Utes are deformed or ill bred but you can't deny that some are!

I agree that most breeds have their problems, in one form or another, but we are delighted in the results of our survey which confirm that the general health of our breed is very good indeed. We are being careful in what is bred to what - we can't enforce restrictions but we are there to offer advice to breeders on what studs to use on their bitches etc. and health screening is advised (and is a condition of being a NIS Approved breeder).

no one is implying that all utes have problems, but some lines do have, which is a well known fact and acknowledged by the ute club.

What does that mean? I have never heard that before, slightly overshot you mean? as the other way would be level. Any pics of a slightly imperfect scissor bite would be good, not digging here, genuinely interested in that statement.
Dawn.

Incidentally Tawneywolf, you said quote "Its a long road to go down before health problems are eliminated". I suggest to you that in a relatively new breed there shouldn't be any health problems - health problems arise in breeds after a period of time when inbreeding and bad breeding combinations produce the problems. In careful selected breeding these problems shouldn't arise.

So far as the NI is concerned there are only a couple of problems that need breeding out - and one of those is curley tails, which isn't detrimental to health but merely undesirable.