ABC Breed Health Survey

Sarah E. Price & Pam Boyer

Please use the following link to share the survey:
https://beaucewm.survey.fm/2020-abc-beauceron-breed-health-survey

You may not be aware of this, but breed clubs have a hefty responsibility for the health of their breed. There are four areas within which the ABC has duties (Bass 2005:17) based on the AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) guidelines:

  • Conduct accurate, periodic surveys of the breed to identify what problems that the breed is subject to, and the relative importance of the identified problems;
  • Provide funding for research projects that address problems in the breed, as well as more general canine health issues;
  • Organize and carry out sample acquisition, along with supporting pedigree information–as well as provide convincing assurance to membership of the security of the information;
  • Update their membership on supported work, progress, and outcomes.

This responsibility to breed health is in ABC’s constitution. (Section2[d]) states the fourth objective of the club is “To further understanding of the disease, defects, injuries and other ailments that afflict Beaucerons.”

The ABC has done a good job of funding, obtaining and submitting samples for the DCM study. What the club has not officially done since 2010 is conduct a formal survey of health issues within the breed. In 2017, there was an informal poll in a Facebook group, but it was not an official survey conducted by the Health Committee nor published in the Bulletin. Breed health surveys not only provide guidance and input on issues for research and funding, but they are the baseline for the CHIC standard for Beaucerons and determined by the ABC.

The AKC CHF provides grants to scientists, as well as breed clubs, to conduct problem or breed-specific research, and you can easily support these efforts by merely joining Purina Pro Club, which provides funding both to the CHF and directly to the ABC.


The most current OFA dataset, from December 2019, indicates very few issues in the breed. However, most dogs that are tested and submitted would not be those known or believed to have issues. The Health Committee encourages you to visit the OFA website and do some research of your own.


This survey is considered the first phase of questions, and the purpose is for the Health Committee (Pam Metts Boyer) to get a feel for Beauceron owner and breeder concerns regarding the health of the breed. The responses to this survey will help the Health Committee determine the direction(s) to move toward regarding future testing, funding, and research. It will also help guide what kinds of information the Health Committee can disseminate that you, the owners and breeders, might find useful and informative regarding health.

As large-breed owners, we know that DCM is a concern, and unfortunately, there is no solution for prevention or treatment yet. There is already a significant amount of research geared toward understanding this terrible disease, and the ABC has made contributions to this end. There may be conditions that are viewed as “large breed” or size-related versus breed-related. Examples that might not be so obvious would be HOD, a growth-related disorder that can be debilitating for puppies, or even panosteitis. These afflictions are most often attributed to large, fast-growing breeds, but is there a genetic component or breed-specific component to this disease?

The Health Committee would like to hear from owners AND breeders about the health issues and diseases they are concerned with, have observed or heard about, or have directly experienced. The survey is entirely anonymous, and we hope to have a full pool of participants. If you are a breeder, you have probably seen or experienced more than most owners, so do not be afraid to share! You do not have to search through records or try to remember specifics, simply check all boxes that apply. By keeping the survey oriented around this broad goal of concerns, we can begin the process of narrowing down where to spend time, energy, and money for the health of the Beauceron.

What will the survey cover? The list of health issues is derived from health issues and diseases based on the previous survey, the OFA Berger Picard health survey, the problems listed in several other herding breeds, and reviewed by a veterinarian. The options are grouped into general categories and you can select as many as are applicable. There are also options to add something that is not listed, and to add comments.

So please participate, and share with all fellow Beauceron owners. The survey will be open and available for two weeks, after which the Health Committee will report on the results. The survey will then be permanently available on the ABC website and updates provided as needed.

Please participate and please share and encourage fellow Beauce owners to complete the survey!


AKC Announces NOHS Levels of Achievement

At the AKC’s February BOD meeting the vote to approve the new National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Levels of Achievement: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum passed. This adds another level of achievement to the competition, and is awarded with a certificate and pin. The full details can be found here. The launch date is expected to be July 1, 2020.

  • Bronze = 250
  • Silver = 500
  • Gold = 1,000
  • Platinum = 2,000

Currently, as of February 26, 2020, GCH CH Kafziel Von Der Funkhalde RN, CGC and owner-handler Ashley De Noma (with Jill Rose) are in the lead with 225 OHS points.

Rank Dog Name Owner NameOHS Pts.
No. 1GCH CH Kafziel Von Der Funkhalde RN CGCAshley De Noma/Jill Rose225  
No. 2CH Chronos Xerxes Z Babanovho Vrska DSCasey Nowtash/Daniel Nowtash175  
No. 3CH Quoiceneck Bleu De Montclea BCATLinda Buffa/Cindy Hartwell115  
No. 4GCH CH N’vy des Gardiens D’ApollinaireAngie Robertson/Dawn Johnson50  
 CH Olympia Bleue Du Chateau Rocher RN FDC BCAT CGC TKNMrs. Jasmine C. Sanders50  
No. 6CH Outwit Des Gardiens D’ApollinaireAngie Robertson/Dawn Johnson/Greg Johnson40  
No. 7CH Octavia Bleue Gardein Des ChutesJoanna M. Law/Carol A. Cossey25  
No. 8Ame Magnanime Hughes RebellSheila Mills20  
No. 9Armored Rose Defying Gravity CGCA TKNMarissa Ho/Jill Rose10  
 CH Ja’Ciara Le Coeur Pur CGCMarc Dicino/Terri Dicino/Angie Robertson10  
 CH Northern Star Of Blue Kisses Gardien Des Chutes BN RN CAA BCAT CGCAMs. Susan J. Walls10  
 Oh For Flock’s Sake De Haute Crete CGCA CGCU TKNAshtyn Chamberlain/Amelia Foreman/Alex Zeilmann/Angela Chamberlain10  
 CH Onassis Gardien Des Chutes CGC TKNMrs. Trina Marie Bastion10  
 Pavo Platoon Des Monts Du LacAdam Borman/Erica Iglesias Borman10  
 Protege D’Andromeda Du Joie De Vie AdventureDiane Yoha/Mark Ricciardella10  
No. 16GCH CH Birdwing Nietzsche RN FDC CA CGCSusan Griffin/Jack Carney5  
ATTS Logo

ABC & AKC Recognize the ATTS

On April 29, 2019 the ABC BOD voted to request the AKC to recognize the ATTS for Beaucerons. As of February 2020, that request has been approved, and as of April 2020 the title can be added to your dog’s AKC record.

The test is designed for the betterment of all breeds of dogs and takes into consideration each breed’s inherent tendencies.

https://atts.org/about-temperament/

If you have already completed the ATTS, you will have to pay the fee to the AKC to have the title added to the dog’s AKC record, and you will receive a certificate of title. If you take the test at any point going forward, you will still pay an additional fee to have AKC recognize the title, similar to the Do More With Your Dog trick titles, Dock Diving, or Barn Hunt.

The form can be found here but remember that it cannot be applied for until April! The AKC published additional information but note the ABC is not listed yet, but should be added in April to both the AKC and ATTS websites.