Clean Run - January 2020 - 23

of sound mind and body. They
met the breed standards, passed
all the health tests, and had great
temperaments. They both had
performance titles. They were both
affectionate. And they were cute as
could be. Both of them had had litters in the past, and all pups were
healthy and happy.

having a panic attack that lasts for however long you're away from them.
Managing separation anxiety is not for the faint of heart. It requires timeconsuming behavioral interventions, possibly medication, and it dramatically changes your life. Again, there were no signs of the disorder in either
of the parent's bloodlines. My sweet, cuddly, merry boy had some issues.

So, I brought home a boy. A beautiful, sweet, loving boy who would
be happy cuddling all day and all
night. He had lots of energy and a
twinkle in his eye. He was a willing worker and learned fast. All's
well that ends well, right? Wrong.
A few problems cropped up. First,
he had only one descended testicle. Known as cryptorchidism, it's
a genetic defect with no predictive
test, and none of the dogs in my
boy's lines had it. Next, when his
adult teeth came in, he had too
many, known as supernumerary
teeth, which is thought to have a
hereditary component. Again, no
sign of this in either of the parental
lines. And, to complete the trifecta,
he developed separation anxiety.
That's a disorder that is much more
serious than a dog exhibiting a little
anxiety. It's like a human being

What happened? I thought I did everything "right." Isn't it possible to pick
a perfect puppy? The short answer is no; it's not. Puppies are living beings who come with a unique and complicated genetic map (genotype).
What you actually get (phenotype) is the combination of the genes from
both parents and the inﬂuence of the environment. The puppies' genes
affect their interaction with the environment, and environmental experiences affect gene expression.
Simply put: nature and nurture have a dynamic interaction. The environment starts while they're still cozying up in utero, and genetic variation is
evident from the moment they pop out. Puppies from the same litter show
different personality traits, and their in-born temperament will interact with
the environment to further mold their personalities. Stimulating events in
the newborn's lives will foster neural development, but too much stimulation, like scary loud noises, can overwhelm them. Once they leave their
Mom and go off to the big world, the environmental experiences will bombard them for better or worse.
If we get our puppy between 8-10 weeks, we can control many of those
experiences, but not all. And yes, even when you get a puppy from a
known successful performance line, they are unique little critters. We
can't predict or control everything. To paraphrase Pink, "The puppy show
is raw and unpredictable."
My sweet boy didn't come with a guarantee, and he certainly has some
issues, but I love him, and I'm going to help him have the best life he can.
And, so far, he seems to like agility. Or at least the treats he gets for working. He likes raw and unpredictable the best! D

Holly Krueger is a psychologist and writer who discovered agility when her Gordon Setter needed a job. Now a full-fledged agility nerd she's competed with her English
Cocker Spaniel, MACH Nohea Beatrix Madeline May MXB MJB XF T2B (retired) and is bringing along a young one currently in the throes of adolescence. Holly may be
reached at hkrueger50@msn.com.
January 20 | Clean Run

Clean Run - January 2020

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