AKC…on mixed breeds
Posted: April 21, 2009 Filed under: Lotsa Lhasa Info Leave a comment
Dear Debby Rothman, Corresponding Secretary, Lhasa Apso Club of Central Colorado
For the past one hundred twenty five years, the American Kennel Club has been the nation’s premier advocate for dogs and the people who love them. Today, we are delighted to tell you that AKC can now act even more broadly and effectively as the dog’s champion. Our Board of Directors has voted unanimously to proceed with a program for mixed breed dogs. The creation of this program ushers in new opportunities for our constituencies, our clubs and our organization to grow and flourish in many ways.
Our goal in including mixed breeds in a specially designed system is to bring benefits to all those who share our passion for dogs and our sport. Companion clubs will see opportunities to increase entries, attract new members and educate more people. AKC will broaden its legislative influence by representing more dog owners and achieve greater exposure for our responsible dog ownership messaging. Ultimately, the positive developments that this program creates will benefit dogs the most, and this is what we value above all.
Please take a moment to review the attached document which outlines the structure and details of the program. Your participation in this process has been invaluable, and we thank you and your members for playing an important role in this great accomplishment. Now, more than ever, we are the dog’s champion.
Yours truly,
Vickie sent…Dappled Dante
Posted: April 20, 2009 Filed under: Apso Aficionados, FFT Lhasa Apsos 4 CommentsThis was taken a couple weeks ago. I’d just gotten the dogs up/out and Dante was waiting for me to band his coat up before his potty run. I got lucky with the dappled lighting …
Debby on…old souls
Posted: April 19, 2009 Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos 4 CommentsDuring the seminar presented by breeder/judge Richard Camacho during our Specialty weekend, he emphasized ‘old soul’. The essence of the breed is ‘old soul’. When you look into the eyes of a Lhasa Apso, you should see an ‘old soul’ looking back. Through slides he demonstrated head type, including eye shape and placement. For the hands-on part of the seminar he requested particular Apsos he had judged that day, along with head type ranging from ideal to ‘cutesy’. The requested dogs were available for participants to examine on tables.
He described both his Winners Dog (Ethan) and his Winners Bitch (Rumor) as ‘old souls’. This has been on my mind. Old soul. Head type representing ‘old soul’. Years ago, when interviewed for a now-defunct Lhasa Apso magazine I mentioned how lucky I was to start with classic type Lhasa Apsos. Old-fashioned, if you will. 🙂 I did not realize the exquisite type for a few years. Learning the intricacies of type requires time and study. Fortunately, I hadn’t ruined the ‘old souls’ before I came to appreciate type! Through several branches of the family tree, both Ethan and Rumor go back to the ‘old souls’ entrusted to me.
Ethan so reminds me of Moose, Ch. Nyima’s Mucho Macho…
Moose was a multiple Best in Show winner. He is a full-brother to one of my foundation stud dogs, Nicki – Ch. Nyima’s A Little Nachas ROM.
Nickie and Moose were younger brothers to Multiple Best in Show Ch. Nyima’s Once A Nites Enuff, better known as Snuffy…
Moose sired my other foundation stud dog, Stuffy – Ch. Nyima’s Hot Stuff ToNite ROM.
Each and every one of these dogs is in the pedigree of Ethan and Rumor.
‘Light reading’ for a snowy Saturday morning
Posted: April 18, 2009 Filed under: Lotsa Lhasa Info Leave a commentThanks to Andrea and Kathy…
Researchers take first look at the genetic dynamics of inbreeding depression
Hi Debby,
Saw this and remembered your experience:
http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=625249
Regarding interesting blogs… (other than yours! – btw, what
podcasts to do you love?) –Andrea:
Here is the medical librarian’s blog… lots of info here. You can
scroll down (find it on the left) or do a search for The China Study
here as well, (coincidental that she is also an advocate of the book,
as I read it a year earlier):
http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/
This guy can be entertaining as you sip your coffee Monday mornings:
http://dogshowpoop.blogspot.com/
With today’s onslaught of gloom and doom, this is a nice site to visit:
http://happiness-project.com/
Think I’ve mentioned this one to you before, but this is a great
place to get podcasts or audio/visual lectures if you also have time
to watch (sometimes necessary depending on topic):
http://www.ted.com/
Books I mentioned:
http://www.amazon.com/Genome-Autobiography-Species-Chapters-P-S/dp/
0060894083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237926465&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-
Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237926516&sr=1-1
Here’s an article I just read (one can find them weekly) that highlights the complexities of genetics. It is easier to target specific genes as being responsible for a disease, as disease is overt. But what about what those same genes are preventing — or protecting a species from – that remain invisible to use? -Andrea
UVA Researchers Advise Caution in Use of SRC Inhibitors to Treat Bladder Cancer
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., March 25, 2009 – Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System have found that one of the genes commonly thought to promote the growth and spread of some types of cancers is in fact beneficial in bladder cancer – a major discovery that could significantly alter the way bladder cancers are treated in the future.
Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, resulting in an estimated 14,000 deaths a year. A majority of these deaths are due to the cancer spreading, or metastasizing, to other areas of the body such as the lung and liver.
The study, published in the April issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that in bladder cancer the SRC gene may help rather than hinder the natural ability of cells to suppress aggressive tumor growth.
“We found that SRC modifies a recently discovered metastasis suppressor gene called RhoGDI2 making it more potent at slowing bladder cancer’s ability to metastasize,” says lead author Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, professor of urologic oncology and molecular physiology at the UVA School of Medicine.
SRC is a type of oncogene — genes that are known to trigger cancer. In most cancers SRC has been shown to promote tumor development and contribute to the spread of cancer. Other genes, called metastasis suppressor genes, block this activity, and only when their levels are reduced is cancer able to spread.
In the study, researchers analyzed human bladder cancer and discovered that SRC levels diminish as bladder cancer progresses. Furthermore, they found that reduced SRC levels and significant levels of the metastasis suppressor gene, RhoGD12, appear mutually exclusive in individual tumors – providing evidence that both genes are likely involved in the process leading to suppression of bladder cancer metastases.
“Our findings have important implications for the use of targeted therapeutic agents that inhibit SRC in bladder cancer and highlight the general importance of personalizing therapy in cancer,” says Theodorescu. “Our data suggest using caution for their use in treating bladder cancer until more studies are carried out to define the implications of this form of therapy in bladder cancer.”
Debby on…a SNOWY Friday afternoon
Posted: April 17, 2009 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain 5 CommentsOkay. I just have to share! It’s pouring snow!
Click on the photo for a larger version. You can actually see the snow POURING!
Today the dogs have only been outside in the covered runs. Deja vu. I’m reminded of 2003. 8′ of snow. Yep, you read it right. Eight feet. The dogs didn’t get out in the yards for weeks. Heck, the first few days you couldn’t even see the fences. It took weeks before the snow melted low enough to use the outside yards. Didn’t need Apsos Gone Wild!
Eight feet isn’t predicted this time. But, four is a real possibility. Like I wrote earlier, good thing this wasn’t last Friday. Julie, Melissa and I would have had that relaxing weekend, sans dog shows. There’s no way even Rick could have driven her van out of the driveway. We would have been forced to relax, create a dog show of our own. Hummm…the possibilities.
So, it’s nearly Five O’Clock Somewhere. Heck, it’s almost Five O’Clock here. I’ve mixed that Old Fashioned. Look at the colors…beautiful Lhasa Apso coat colors. (And never mind the damn dust!)
Kunza at FleetFire Timbers 