OTHER INTERESTS

 

As part of my interest in animal behavior, I am an avid dog trainer with two performance dogs that work in competition obedience, rally, agility, noseworks, tracking, and water.

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Two of my four dogs also did their own form of science. They were test subjects for a gene test for what is known as "improper coat" in the Portuguese water dog breed. This coat type is a reversion to wild type due to the reinsertion of a gene sequence that is absent in the "curly" or "wavy" versions of the breed. The allelic form causing improper coat is recessive and is found in a low proportion of the breed. My female portie was an improperly coated PWD (the dam labeled "B" to the right) and was used to test a male who phenotypically looked normal. Their offspring, including my male (the puppy in the far right panel) provided the proof of a blood test to determine the presence of the recessive allele.

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You can visit my pets' pages by visting www.topsailpwds.com.