Allegheny McNab Shepherds

Allegheny McNab Shepherds Preservation and ethically bred McNab Shepherds. We strive to make healthy, long lived, mentally  and physically sound dogs.

12/12/2024

Please read this important warning for dog owners to keep your pup safe this holiday season!

Gingerbread House Dangers For Dogs, by Margit Maxwell

Look at the photo. Funny stuff, right? Nope. Why is this situation not funny? - Because gingerbread dough often contains cloves, nutmeg, and allspice.

If your dog eats your lovely decorated gingerbread house, the clove, nutmeg, and allspice content of the dough could make your dog very sick or in some cases, it could even be fatal.

Most gingerbread dough recipes can include these common spices: ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, coriander, and nutmeg.

Clove, nutmeg and allspice all contain the compound eugenol which can cause irritation of the GI tract, and when ingested in larger quantities, could cause liver damage. Nutmeg also contains a toxic
compound called myristicin, found in the oil of the nutmeg seed. A problem dose of nutmeg = 1 tsp of ground nutmeg. A toxic dose of powdered nutmeg is thought to be 5 grams.

The oil myristicin can cause severe disorientation, agitation, high blood pressure, and possible seizures.
A toxic dose of ground clove would need to be quite large - half a gram of powdered clove per kg of body weight to be fatal.

Allspice contains less of the eugenol compound than the other two mentioned spices so it tends to be less lethal but it can still make your dog very sick. An allspice lethal dose would need to be quite large, 2.5 grams per 10 kilos of dog weight.

Symptoms of clove, nutmeg, or allspice ingestion (other than a missing or partially eaten gingerbread house):
-vomiting
-diarrhea,
-excessive drooling,
-loss of appetite,
-disorientation and in serious cases,
- seizures are possible.

The seriousness of the ingestion of the gingerbread problem will depend on:
1. The size of the dog. - the smaller the dog mass, the more serious the toxicity levels.
2. How much of the gingerbread house was eaten? One bite? One wall? The whole building? The more gingerbread that was eaten, the more serious the problem.
3. Gingerbread dough that contains all three of the mentioned spices is delivering a triple dose of eugenol in the case of nutmeg, myristicin. Know the ingredients that are in your gingerbread dough.

Courtesy of: The Labrador Club

I still have one spot left on my wait list. You can email me @ alleghenymcnabs@gmail.com or PM me so we can chat.
12/08/2024

I still have one spot left on my wait list. You can email me @ [email protected] or PM me so we can chat.

Some people watch football on Thanksgiving, but with a multi dog household who needs to watch the game when you can watc...
11/28/2024

Some people watch football on Thanksgiving, but with a multi dog household who needs to watch the game when you can watch this? 😂. Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so thankful for each and every one of you 💚

11/09/2024

Nothing cuter than a baby Persia 🥰

This girl is wicked fast!
11/04/2024

This girl is wicked fast!

10/23/2024
I have one spot left. If you’re interested please DM me. We’re expecting those who will be strong on stock, well rounded...
10/11/2024

I have one spot left. If you’re interested please DM me. We’re expecting those who will be strong on stock, well rounded family d0gs and capable of doing K9 sports. I can help with arranging transportation if that is something needed.

My little shadow. No idea how she even lays like that. she’s like a wet noodle 😂😂
10/10/2024

My little shadow. No idea how she even lays like that. she’s like a wet noodle 😂😂

Happy Spooky season everyone!
10/06/2024

Happy Spooky season everyone!

Dewclaws are very important and shouldn’t be removed. Lots of new research happening on the subject.
10/04/2024

Dewclaws are very important and shouldn’t be removed. Lots of new research happening on the subject.

Dewclaws! They are IMPORTANT! Many dog breeders routinely, and without much thought, amputate puppies' front dewclaws when the pups are 3-5 days of age. Why? The thought is to prevent potential injuries, such as tears of the digit, later in life. BUT do you realize that the dewclaw is a FUNCTIONAL, IMPORTANT digit? I am thankful that my own dog's breeder did not amputate Dunkin's front dewclaws. Do you also know that with appropriate exercises, the muscles of the dewclaw can be strengthened to help promote and maintain appropriate function and close apposition of the dewclaw to the side of the paw? Below is an article by a friend and colleague, Dr. Chris Zink, that explains the importance, anatomy, and function of the front dewclaw.

"Do the Dew(claws)?
by Chris Zink, DVM PhD DACVSMR

As a veterinary sports medicine specialist, I work extensively with canine athletes, developing rehabilitation programs for injured dogs or dogs that required surgery due to performance-related injuries. I have seen many dogs, especially field trial/hunt test and agility dogs, that have chronic carpal arthritis, frequently so severe that they must be retired or at least carefully managed for the rest of their careers. I noticed that very few of those dogs had dewclaws and began to wonder whether these appendages might, in fact, protect a dog from injuries. What I learned might surprise you.

The Anatomy of Dewclaws
Miller's Guide to the Anatomy of the Dog, a veterinary anatomy text, has an excellent figure depicting the muscular anatomy of the distal forelimb. There are 2 functional muscles, the extensor pollicis longus et indicis proprius and flexor digitorum profundus, which are attached to the front dewclaw by 4 tendons (references in blog). Each of those muscle/tendon units has a different function in movement. That means that if you cut off the dew claws, you are preventing the muscles that were attached to the dewclaws from functioning.

In contrast, rear limb dewclaws do not have muscle/tendon attachments, so their removal might be appropriate, except in the breeds such as Briards and Beauceron in which they should be retained.

Dewclaws Do Have Functions
If there are muscles and tendons attached to the dewclaws, then they most likely have a function. Broadly speaking, dewclaws have at least two different functions:
1. Grasp the ground when the dog is turning to prevent torque on the forelimb. Each time the front foot lands on the ground, particularly when the dog is cantering or galloping (see Figure 2), the dewclaw is in touch with the ground. If the dog then needs to turn, the dewclaw actively digs into the ground to stabilize the lower leg and prevent torque. In Figure 3 you can clearly see the dewclaw of a Corgi herding a sheep extended, ready to grip the ground. And in the image at the top of this article, you can see the dewclaws of a dog extended, ready to grip the water!

Do the Dew(claws)?

If a dog doesn't have dewclaws, the leg will twist on its axis, creating increased pressure on the carpal bones, as well as the elbow, shoulder and toes. A lifetime of this kind of torque and the result can be carpal arthritis or injuries to and subsequent arthritis in other joints of the forelimb, such as the elbow, shoulder, and toes. Remember, the dog is participating in the activity regardless, so there will be concussive pressures on the leg, and if the dewclaw does not help to stabilize the leg, those pressures will be transmitted to other areas of the leg, especially the joints.

2. Grip objects. We have all seen dogs using their dewclaws to grip an object such as a ball or bone (Figure 4). I've even seen many photos of agility dogs gripping the teeter for stability (Figure 5). But did you know that the dewclaws' gripping ability can, in fact, save your dog's life? Check out the video "Dewclaws Do Have a Purpose" for "gripping" views of dogs attempting to get out of water onto ice without the help of those ice picks on the inside of their legs. The video also shows dogs using their dewclaws to grip the ice and escape from a potentially fatal situation. I have known several dogs that drowned after falling through ice in the winter. None of them had dewclaws. If they had, perhaps they would have survived and spared their owners the incredible heartache of watching their dogs die unnecessarily.

Arguments for Removing Dewclaws
1. The dewclaws will get injured. This is the most common reason I hear for removing dewclaws. A friend of mine had such a severe dewclaw injury in one of her dogs that she swore she would remove them on all the dogs she bred subsequently.

But the data indicate that dewclaws are not injured very often. A study published in 2018 showed that the dewclaw was the LEAST likely toe to be injured in agility dogs, in which landing and turning from jumps and other obstacles put the toes at risk for injuries. Thus, it makes no sense to remove the dewclaws because of risk of injury. And, of course, no one would consider removing the 5th digits in the front feet, which are by far the most commonly injured toe.

2. Owners forget to trim the dewclaws. Surely this is a matter of education. Do we really want to remove a functioning digit in all dogs, just because some owners need to be reminded that they must remember to trim the dewclaws?

3. Dewclaws make the forelimb look less straight when viewed from the front in conformation. The AKC states: "The breed standard describes the characteristics of the ideal
dog to perform the function for which it was bred." While we could have long discussions about the veracity of this statement, it is interesting to note that there are VERY few breed standards that require dewclaw removal. I know of only one - the Vizsla breed standard.

A Plea
So, here's a plea to retain dogs' dewclaws. They are a functioning digit. They are the toe least likely to be injured. Isn't this enough to convince us not to do the dewclaws?"

09/30/2024

Adolescence occurs between six months and 18 months of age—a time when guardians typically struggle the most with their dogs. Some guardians are so overwhelmed and underprepared for this developmental stage of their dog’s life, they choose to surrender the dog to a local shelter or rescue group. In a recent study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science found that the majority of the surrendered dogs (47.7 percent) ) were between 5 months and 3 years of age (M.D. Salman,John G. New, Jr.,Janet M. Scarlett,Philip H. Kass,Rebecca Ruch-Gallie &Suzanne Hetts, 2010)

The neurobiology of adolescence is fascinating, with some key events that alter both the structure and function of the brain.

During canine adolescence, changing s*x hormones effect the animals stress responses. Adolescent dogs have a decreased ability to process information they are receiving from the environment including the presence of dogs, vehicles, people, or really anything around them. They behave in ways that might feel frustrating or upsetting for the dog’s person.

The connectivity between the frontal cortex (responsible for decision making) and amygdala (responsible for emotional processing) decreases, resulting in less behavioral control. We see increased risk taking and more sensitivity to fear.

So what does this mean? This could mean that what was once no big deal to the dog now feels scary; what was once easy to do is now stressful; what once made sense is now confusing. At times, the world can feel like ‘too much’ for the adolescent dog.

As your puppy undergoes this transition into adulthood their inner world is intense, even chaotic. Many pet owners experience an increase in undesirable behavior and find themselves becoming increasingly frustrated. In turn, our own frustration and impatience can cause us to act unpredictably. This adds to our puppy’s inner turmoil. When the inside and the outside are both unpredictable it can be difficult for our dogs to adjust.

If you have an adolescent dog, what can you do? You can give your dog the time and space to observe what is going on around them when on leash at a distance away from the activity when possible. You can give your dog long walks to sniff and explore in nature, giving their brain time to decompress. You can offer your dog a quiet space to sleep so that they can consolidate memories effectively. You can continue training various skills, breaking them down into easier steps that can be generously reinforced.

By understanding what our adolescent dog is experiencing we gain greater compassion and understanding. When we approach adolescence with patience we create a world that is predictable and gentle so our puppies grow up to be their best adult selves.

Did you know that McNabs have an open stud book? What does that mean? An Open Stud book allows new DNA to be added to th...
09/26/2024

Did you know that McNabs have an open stud book? What does that mean? An Open Stud book allows new DNA to be added to the gene pool vs a Closed Stud Book that does not allow new DNA to be added.

Why is this important for the McNab breed? As most of us know the McNab Shepherd is a rare breed of herding dog. Since they are rare, we have a small gene pool but by allowing an open stud book it prevents us from hitting any bottlenecks and keeping our dogs COI% (coefficient of inbreeding) low. The average COI% for McNabs is 6%, the German Shepherd has a closed stud book and has an average COI% of 28.3%. I aim to keep the COI under 10% which is ideal.

I included a link that explains more about a closed vs open stud book.

Let's pretend these 11 dogs are the "founders" of your breed - they are the first dogs entered into the studbook. All subsequent members of the breed are descended from these dogs only . The...

We had an amazing 3 day herding clinic! We had lots of fun, learned a lot and got to show off how awesome the McNab bree...
09/23/2024

We had an amazing 3 day herding clinic! We had lots of fun, learned a lot and got to show off how awesome the McNab breed is! We got tons of feed back on how friendly and well mannered the dogs were.

Why is she such a goofball 😂
09/07/2024

Why is she such a goofball 😂

When we come back from herding we stop at a rest stop and Persia always gets a couple of fries for her hard work. This i...
08/23/2024

When we come back from herding we stop at a rest stop and Persia always gets a couple of fries for her hard work. This is how she likes to eat her fries 😂

I still have a couple spots left on my wait list.  Persia x Vanir’s Oliver planned breeding late winter early spring. If...
08/15/2024

I still have a couple spots left on my wait list. Persia x Vanir’s Oliver planned breeding late winter early spring. If I don’t get enough interest she won’t be bred.

Persia is a social girl who loves people and is dog neutral. She is very athletic with nice drive. She loves herding and does well. She has a beautiful off switch and is happy to hang out with you all day.

Oliver is also a social boy with lovely drive and has produced wonderful puppies who have gone on to pet, working, and sporting homes.

Both dogs have passed all their health clearances through embark and OFA. Please DM me for more information.

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