The Dalmatian/Pointer Backcross Project: Overcoming 20th Century Attitude About Crossbreeding

n July 2011, the AKC announced • HU was a serious problem because to lead the way.” the need to grow out multiple pups from a hold that prevented registration. The that descendants of a 1973 with this condition are prone to The article sparked a controversy that litter and test from them to identify AKC referred the issue to their Health Dalmatian/Pointer crossbred urinary obstruction. took 30 years to be resolved. Shortly after which were Carriers and which were Clear and Welfare Advisory Committee. litter would be registered as • All Dalmatians, worldwide, that had the article appeared, Dalmatian was unappealing to most Dalmatian breed- • In 2010, after receiving the Health I Dalmatians. The initial request ever been tested had HU. pressured the AKC into putting a hold on ers. News of Dr. Bannasch’s research and Welfare Advisory Committee’s for registration of descendants of that • HU was rare in other of dogs any further registration of descendants of was the catalyst for the Dalmatian Club report, the AKC Board consulted with crossbreeding was made in 1980. The HU was inherited as a simple autoso- Dr. Schaible’s Backcross Project. The hold of America to reconsider Dr. Schaible’s the Dalmatian Club of America and fact that it took 30 years for this issue mal recessive. resulted in no Dalmatians with low uric project. asked the club to poll the member- to be resolved had to do with changes • Dogs with HU could be identified ship on the question of registration. in attitude about crossbreeding. through urinalysis. The Dalmatian/Pointer • In June 2011, a strong majority of Up until the middle of the 20th century • Crossbreeding could be used to trans- Dalmatian Club of America members breeders did not hesitate to cross- fer a desirable trait from one breed to voted that they were in favor of AKC breed as a way to introduce desirable another. Backcross Project began registration for descendants of the traits into established breeds where • The only way to produce Dalmatians Dalmatian-Pointer Backcross Project. those traits were lacking. Offspring that did not have HU was to do an with a single crossbred • In July 2011, the AKC Board of Direc- from such crosses could generally be outcross to a dog from a breed that tors voted unanimously to accept registered as after the third did not have HU. litter. descendants of the Dalmatian-Point- generation of . However, in The Dalmatian/Pointer Backcross Project er Backcross Project into the AKC a span of 50- 60 years the time hon- began with a single crossbred litter. It took acid (LUA) being registered with the AKC • In 2006, Dr. Schaible was invited to Stud Book. ored practice of crossbreeding fell out Dr. Schaible seven years and 5 genera- between 1981-2011 (LUA Dalmatians were speak to the Dalmatian Club of Ameri- In the end, a combination of a 19th cen- of favor. Attitudes about crossbreeding tions of backcrossing to Dalmatians to bred and registered with the United Kennel ca’s Board. tury practice of crossbreeding to bring in changed to the extent that the very reestablish proper breed type. When he Club (UKC) registry during that time pe- • In 2007, Dr. Bannash was the featured a trait that was missing in the breed and idea of crossbreeding became thought reached that point, in 1980, he applied to riod). speaker at DCA’s annual educational a 21st century DNA test has the Dalma- of as heresy by most pure-bred dog the AKC for registration. The AKC spent The hold might still be in place and LUA seminar in conjunction with the Na- tian breeders on the road to eliminating breeders. Therefore, it is not surprising several months reviewing the project and Dalmatians might have become nothing tional Specialty. a serious health problem in the breed. that many in the Dalmatian fancy were consulting with the Board of the Dalma- more than a footnote in Dalmatian breed • In 2008, owners of LUA Dalmatians The Dalmatian-Pointer Backcrosses Pro- opposed to registration of descend- tian Club of America before registering Dr. history if researchers at UC Davis led were invited to bring their Dals to the ject can now serve as a model for other ants of the Dalmatian/Pointer Backcross Schaible’s dogs as Dalmatians. by Danika Bannasch, PhD, DVM had not DCA National. Ten LUA Dalmatians breeds that are faced with issues that Project that began in 1973. News of registration of Dr Schaible’s dogs identified the genetic mutation that causes were presented all together in the ring cannot effectively be dealt with through When geneticist and Dalmatian , was considered noteworthy enough to HU. Dr. Bannasch’s research prompted the after the day’s judging was completed. from within the exist- Robert Schaible, PhD’s started his merit a multipage article in the April 1981 Dalmatian Club of America to take a new For 3 days LUA Dalmatian owners took ing gene pool for that breed. project it had already been established issue of the AKC Gazette. In a preface to look at Dr. Schaible’s project. turns in a Meet the LUA Dalmatian that: the article, AKC President, William F. Stifel, Having a DNA test to distinguish which LUA booth to answer questions, give out • The Dalmatian breed had a meta- wrote “If there is a logical, scientific way to Dalmatians were homozygous for the nor- informational material and giving club bolic defect that causes them to correct genetic health problems associated mal gene and which were heterozygous members the opportunity for hands- have abnormally high levels of uric with certain breed traits and still preserve carriers of the defect eliminated the need on examination of the dogs. In 2009, acid in their urine a condition know the integrity of the , it is to do test breedings to determine if an LUA proponents of LUA Dalmatians made as hyperuricosuria (HU). incumbent upon the American Dalmatian was Clear for HU. In the past, a formal request to the AKC to lift the written by; Denise Powell

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