Kerttu's pregnancy x-ray revealed at least four puppies, possibly even five. Exciting times ahead!
The first show of the year is always the traditional Kajaani International, this year taking place on 13/14 Jan. Our team was represented by Vappu, who did a great job going Best of Opposite Sex and taking her second CC as well as her first CACIB! The entry of 48 Finnish Lapphunds was judged by Paula Heikkinen-Lehkonen. Congrats & thanks for the photos Eppu Pietola!
Last weekend saw us brave the elements as we had the Jäätuulen & Cantavia kennels' reindeer herding camp at Oijärvi. The temperature on Saturday morning was -29°C/-20°F, and while the reindeer and the Lappies didn't seem too bothered, we human beings were struggling to keep warm! Participants from our team were Rasmus, Salli, Jiska, Ella and Ippo. Salli was the only one with any previous experience in reindeer herding and I was happy to discover that she had not forgotten what to do but did an impressive job this time, too. All four first-timers showed great interest in the reindeer and demonstrated herding instinct. Showcasing their skills below are Rasmus and Jiska.
Latest health test results: Sulo has been eye tested and gonioscopied clear. Arttu's hip score is D/B, elbow score 0/0, patella score 0/0, and his eyes are clear. A big thank you to their owners!
I recently had Salli, Ippo and Poca gene tested with Embark (at-home swabs, so no veterinary verification available). The test panel not only contains lots of genetic health condition tests, but a whole host of other traits, too (such as coat, colour, size, and haplotypes). Salli and Poca turned out to be clear of all 250+ health issues including the ones somewhat relevant to Finnish Lapphunds (prcd-PRA, ift122-PRA, Pompe disease, DM and CMR). Ippo is a carrier of prcd-PRA and DM, as well as of the Lundehund syndrome (LEPREL1 gene). However, absolutely the most interesting part of the report is the genetic coefficient of inbreeding, which indicates how large a percentage of an individual's genes are identical on both sides of the pedigree. Salli's genetic COI is as high as 11% and Poca's 10% even though their pedigree-based COIs can be considered rather low. As expected, Ippo's genetic COI is 0% since his dam is originally a Russian Nenets Laika. |