Quantifying a dog's fitness and genetics?

I knew some guys who did regular bloodwork for the red blood cell count every Friday. They adjusted supplements based on the dog's RBC count.

I read that about Chinaman some years back. I am not sure if I find it hard to believe or if I think most every other physically fit, properly fed bulldog would be the same or close to the same. Maybe they knew some Greyhound people and said let's give this bulldog a run.

There are no real testing facilities for bulldogs doing bulldog things. There are no animal research labs doing nutritional work for the bulldog to do bulldog things. A bulldog at some point in his life or maybe even in an athletic event, will have to sprint like a Greyhound, pull like a weightpuller, and carry the weight for long runs like a sled dog. And then a combination of any and all of them.

The bulldog guy has to feed them to do all those things at any given time then pick, choose and try (trial by fire) to see what works.

The lab/testing facility is usually in someone's back yard or their shop out back.

With that said, it would be way cool for that to be an option. I just don't see it happening.

S

 

I often wondered did they have the dog tested or his blood tested? Like the Vo2 testing they do on sled dogs. No idea but it would be a great conversation piece.

The guys I use to know who did weekly blood tests used the RBC count to adjust the gas up and down each week. When they hit the mark they were hard to handle. When they missed it was a long ride home.

Some years ago I started off every Sunday morning reading about canine performance....any and every thing. I read a lot about the sled dogs as they were the ones being tested the most. I saw some greyhound sprinters tested but it was minimal (or at least I could not find a lot back then).

I always wondered about the testing of a bulldog. And then how they would test from guys that used free turning slatmills vs. carpet mills, even how people feed dogs would factor in the testing. I would be latched in completely.

Then I think my favorite part would be when science says one thing and then a 'good dog' performs outside of 'science'.

Great topic.

S