Please come and join us for Canada’s Leonberger National Specialty Show

June 7^th, 2015

Held in conjunction with the Erie Shores Kennel Club All Breed Shows (June 5th-June 8th) at Caledonia Fairgrounds (outdoors)

 in beautiful Caledonia, Ontario, Canada (90 minutes west of Toronto)

 Featuring

1 x National Specialty Show; 1 x Regional Specialty Show; 4 x All Breed Conformation Shows;

All Breed Puppy and Veteran Sweepstakes; 6 x All Breed Obedience and Rally Obedience Trials

 Judging Panel for National Specialty Show

Specialty Conformation Classes – Johan Becerra-Hernandez from Puerto Rico

Sweepstakes (Puppies and Veterans) – Jarka Smrhova from the Czech Republic

Sieger Show (European judging) – Jarka Smrhova from the Czech Republic

Mark your calendar and join us for a wonderful weekend of lovely Leonbergers and friends, old and new 

For more information contact:

June Ward, Specialty Chair (519)-855-6326, june015@sympatico.ca

www.leonbergerclubofcanada.com

www.erieshoreskennelclub.net

www.entryline.com

When: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH

Starts at 11:00am

Where: Guelph Lake Conservation Area

Ball Diamond Area on the Island

7743 Conservation Road, Guelph, ON

Park Admission $5.25/adult, $2.75/child (6 to 14yrs)

Children 5 and under free

Camping and swimming available

Please bring your own folding chairs and shade canopy

Buffet Potluck Lunch

Please call to confirm food choices and RSVP to June Ward

Silent Auction and raffle to be held, with a portion of funds raised going to Leo Health Research

Please be sure to bring some special items for the auction.

All are welcome.  Should be a fantastic time!

For the flyer click here.

The Leonberger Club of Canada will be holding a one day Booster on Saturday October 30, 2010. This will be held in conjunction with the Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers of BC show (AKA “TRADEX”) under the rules of the Canadian Kennel Club. This is a three day all breed conformation show, held at the Tradex building in Abbotsford, BC (a stones throw from the US border) with world renowned judges, including Obedience Trials, Rally Trials and The Peace Arch Working and Herding Trial on Thursday ~ October 28, 2010.

We are planning a group dinner (location and time TBA) after the show on Saturday so we hope that you will be able to join us and make a fun weekend of it. If you think you will be able to make it, please email me so we can make appropriate arrangements for the group dinner.

For more information on the show contact Tobi Smith – flyinlions@shaw.ca

TO BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOWER MAINLAND DOG FANCIERS of BC “TRADEX” OCTOBER 28—31, 2010

JUDGE: PAUL STANTON “SWEEDEN”

ROSETTES & ADDITIONAL PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED TO

BEST OF BREED

BEST OF OPPOSITE SEX

BEST OF WINNERS

WINNERS MALE

WINNERS FEMALE

BEST PUPPY IN BREED

HIGHEST QUALIFYING SCORE OBEDIENCE

HIGHEST QUALIFYING SCORE RALLY-O

ALL ENTRIES WILL RECEIVE A RING FAVOR!!

PLEASE JOIN US FOR FOUR UNIQUE DAYS OF CONFORMATION, OBEDIENCE AND RALLY-O TRIALS AT CANADA’S LARGEST DOG SHOW.  EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

The Leonberger Club of Ontario presents a special, in depth seminar on…

“The Leonberger”

Presented by Mary Decher

When: Sunday October 24, 2010

Mary Decher has been involved in the breed since 1982 when she and her family saw their first Leonberger while living in Germany. They returned home to America shortly afterwards with a female puppy who literally changed their lives. Eventually, they located several other Leo owners, called a meeting in 1985 in Denver, and formed an Independent Leonberger Club that has just celebrated its 25th year. Through the years Mary has been, and still is, an active member, breeder / stud owner, officer, and past president of the club, as well as an LCA judge. She has participated in several German judging clinics looking at the Leonberger. Her most recent accomplishment was the development and publication of “The Leonberger: An Illustrated Breed Standard.”

For more information on this exciting seminar and to register for the seminar click here.

We have added a page to report on Canadian Leonberger LPN1 genetic test results.  For more information please click here.

September 12th | Leopalooza – 2010

This Ontario annual fun day is a great way to share the day with your Leo. To catch up with old friends and to make new friends.  We hope that everyone will come out and enjoy the day!  For directions and more information see the Leopalooza flyer!

Should be lots of fun!

Genetic Testing for Inherited Polyneuropathy in Leonbergers Now Available

Sample submission information below

Leonbergers may suffer from a hereditary neurological disease, which has frequently been termed “inherited polyneuropathy (IPN)” or “Leonberger polyneuropathy (LPN)” by veterinarians and breeders. Affected dogs suffer from slowly worsening exercise intolerance and may develop gait abnormalities, such as an exaggerated hitched step, especially in the hind limbs. There is often wasting of the hind limb muscles as well.  Additionally, these dogs may have noisy breathing, a change in their bark, or even difficulty breathing due to involvement of the larynx and laryngeal folds in the throat. Eventually the disease may progress to the point where the dog can no longer support its own weight.

IPN can manifest in a variety of ways, some very mild and some very severe.  Mild IPN can affect dogs that are older and have relatively little impact on the quality of life of the dog.  Some older dogs might tire more easily or breath a little deeper but have no serious symptoms.  However, the early onset IPN is known to cause severe symptoms and can cause significant difficulty in the dog. Genetic research carried out at the University of Minnesota, the University of Bern, and the University of California San Diego, indicates that polyneuropathy is likely a group of several genetically distinct, but clinically similar diseases. Researchers have mapped two major genetic risk loci and identified the causative mutation in one of these loci that we now term LPN1.

Dogs being homozygous mutant (having two copies of the mutation gene) for this mutation will typically develop neuropathy before they reach 3 years of age. At this time researchers do not know whether dogs heterozygous for this mutation (carriers of one copy of the mutation gene) might also develop mild clinical signs late in life, but they will most likely not develop severe disease.

The identified mutation is responsible for approximately one third of the cases of polyneuropathy in Leonbergers. The other two thirds of cases are apparently caused by different genetic mutations.  However, the other two thirds of cases are typically those that manifest in dogs over three years of age with milder symptoms.

The University of Minnesota and the University of Bern will offer genetic testing for the identified LPN1 mutation starting July 1st, 2010. At this time we recommend that all breeding dogs should be tested. Researchers also recommend avoiding breeding homozygous mutant dogs as well as matings that could produce homozygous mutant dogs. Researchers do not recommend excluding heterozygous mutant dogs from breeding as this would significantly constrict the gene pool of the Leonberger population and might lead to an increase in the other forms of disease. However, dogs heterozygous for the LPN1 mutation should only be mated to tested dogs which are free of the mutation. This will ensure that no homozygous mutant offspring affected with the severe form of the disease will be born.  All dogs that are going to be bred should be tested for LPN1 and carefully bred to ensure that the offspring will not produce this one form of neuropathy.

At this time the implementation of genetic testing cannot completely eliminate polyneuropathy from the Leonberger population. This LPN1 test diagnoses only one of possibly several genetic risk factors. Thus, it is still possible that affected offspring with a different genetic form of polyneuropathy will result even from a mating of two dogs that both have been tested free for this mutation.  However, the current LPN1 test can reliably eliminate one severe early-onset form of disease and significantly reduce the overall frequency of neurological disease in Leonbergers.

Instructions for ordering the LPN1 test:

North America.  Genetic testing will be performed at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.  The preferred sample is 2-3 ml of fresh blood collected in EDTA tubes.

Further information on sample submission, as well as the required submission forms is available at: http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vdl/ourservices/canineneuromuscular/home.html

The samples, packaged in a padded, leak-proof container, accompanied by a submission form for each dog, should be sent by regular mail, without cooling, to the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory:

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Minnesota
1333 Gortner Avenue
St Paul, MN  55108-1098
Phone: (612) 625-8787 or (800) 624-8787
Website: www.vdl.umn.edu
LPN-specific questions email: lpninfo@umn.edu

The price per test is $85 and the expected turnaround time is 3 – 4 weeks.

We encourage all breeders to test their breeding stock prior to the mating, which should completely eliminate one form of the early onset LPN1 from our wonderful Leonbergers.  Great news and congratulations to the researchers for their dedication and commitment to this project!  Hopefully further genetic testing for the other forms of LPN will be available soon.