NCA BEC Panel Discussion

On March 27th the Breeder Education Committee hosted a panel discussion featuring a groups of Preservation Breeders from the NCA: Cindy Flowers (Old Bay) Peggy Helming (Pouch Cove), Sue Jones (Mooncusser), Ingrid Lyden (Nakiska), Jean McAdams (Shadrack), Devon Nutbeem (Homeport) and moderator Steve Petsch (Tempest) for a discussion about strategy, planning, goal setting and evaluating program success when developing a breeding program for Newfoundland Dogs. The live online event had an audience of 100 on Zoom and an additional 125 watched via Facebook Live. The video of this lively discussion is now available on the NCA YouTube™ channel. With almost three hours of discussions and Q&A this is a must-watch for any aspiring breeder. Fill your coffee cup and enjoy!
The Canine Eye
As breeders, it is important for each of us to be aware of the ocular issues that affect our breed, how they are screened for, and what the veterinary findings mean. Currently only about 5% of Newfoundlands are screened for eye disorders, a baseline of 15% of the breed is really needed to determine prevalence of issues like cataracts and glaucoma. Is your breeding stock tested?
UK Club Health Webinars

The Northern Newfoundland Club in the UK is hosting 2 upcoming webinars:


and


Click each seminar link to register
Current Studies Looking for Participant Samples

CHD (Congenital Hip Dysplasia) Biomarker study. Puppies needed to submit blood and urine samples at 4 months old with follow-up x-rays. Study through University of Missouri/OFA

The Dog Aging Project is looking for Newfoundlands to build a cohort in their large study. They hope to identify factors that maximize health and longevity and they will be sharing breed specific data with the NCA.
Breeder Survey - Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who submitted data on litters bred in 2019 for our 2020 Breeder Survey. We closed out the survey with data from 67 NCA Breeders List Breeders, 151 additional NCA members and 25 non-NCA members. We will be reviewing and analyzing this data and will be sharing results in future issues.
Continuing Education

AKC Breeder to Breeder Symposium: Patti Strand on Mentoring Puppy Buyers and Managing Stud Dogs. Breeder Patti Strand of Merry Go Round Dalmatians discusses mentoring puppy buyers and managing a stud dog


And, from the American Kennel Club, the AKC Canine Health Foundation, and the Theriogenology Foundation a webinar on: How Studly is Your Stud? This online course has a $20 fee.

Diversity Study

The NCA had partnered with UC - Davis for a breed diversity study. This study is designed to estimate the current genetic diversity in the Newfoundland Breed. Small, closed populations, such as pure bred Newfoundlands, over time become increasingly more inbred, potentially resulting in inherent health issues (particularly, reproductive and immune health).  The results of this study will help inform us how to protect the breed as we go forward. If you have received an email invitation to participate in this study, please contact Kathy Hamilton or Lou Ann Lenner for a coupon code to request swabs for testing and analysis.
Quick Quiz - Answer in the next issue...
What is the average count and morphology of a sperm sample?
1 million sperm cells per pound body weight / >50% normal morphology
25 million sperm cells per pound body weight/ >90% normal morphology
10 million sperm cells per pound body weight / >70% normal morphology
.5 million sperm cells per pound body weight / >80% normal morphology
Progesterone Levels
Following up to our quiz in the last issue - here is a great resources on breeding and pregnancy using a variety of methods - from Patrick Concannon at the Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine: Canine Breeding Management and Artificial Insemination: Techniques and Caveats