I almost hurled when I read the comment that the guy wanted to breed this disturbing looking dog. I mean the 3rd comment was that I want to breed her. What on earth are people thinking?!

Now, let's say I had a litter of puppies, and I ended up with one of these types of mutations. I would offer the puppy to a good home, I think. But I would probably have the puppy fixed as to keep the new people from breeding it. If the puppy could not find a good home, fine, I'll keep it. I have no problem with ugly dogs; I do have a problem with bad people who want to try to make some $$ because the dog has a genetic flaw.

Holy crap.

Edit:

Now i know i am arguing the unpopular view here, i am not saying one way or another about the dog. The most important thing is the dogs happiness and health.

OK Rick, I am glad you say you would give the dog away to a good home thats great. But i am missing what is so bad about this dog. But what is so bad about a dog like this if there are no health or mental problems with the dog (did i miss that??) The biggest problem i would see with these kinds of dogs is the people who shouldn't have dogs wanting them, i.e. dog fighters.

My first thought would be since this Whippet has the same internal structure as that of a normal-sized whippet, wouldn't the extra muscle mass and strain cause severe problems? Would her bones be able to sustain the weight and stress of all that mass, or her heart work overtime to compensate for the amount of energy that dog would use to function normally?

Preaching to a choir here, but I hope that dog is fixed. It looks like a monstrosity compared to its' breed, and not in a designer-fashionable way.

I'm curious to know if other dogs sense that this dog is genetically different? I think the dog should wear a t-shirt that reads, "I will pump YOU up!"

 Quote: michael west

OK Rick, I am glad you say you would give the dog away to a good home thats great. But i am missing what is so bad about this dog.

I didn't say it was "bad" just ugly. (my opinion) I agree that if the bone structure is the same, it should theoretically give way faster than normal, as it is carrying more weight than it is designed for. Muscle weighs more than fat, so this must be pretty hard on the dog eventually. But, above all, I would fix the dog to prevent idiots like "Chris from the UK" from breeding this dog 'cause it's...um...cool. However, if the mangy a#% dog wouldn't sell, and had a decent temperment, I would take it myself. I just refuse to let the dog get pregnent, that's all.

 Quote: rick miller

 Quote: michael west

OK Rick, I am glad you say you would give the dog away to a good home thats great. But i am missing what is so bad about this dog.

I didn't say it was "bad" just ugly. (my opinion) I agree that if the bone structure is the same, it should theoretically give way faster than normal, as it is carrying more weight than it is designed for. Muscle weighs more than fat, so this must be pretty hard on the dog eventually. But, above all, I would fix the dog to prevent idiots like "Chris from the UK" from breeding this dog 'cause it's...um...cool. However, if the mangy a#% dog wouldn't sell, and had a decent temperment, I would take it myself. I just refuse to let the dog get pregnent, that's all.

Ah gotcha, yes i can deffently see how this would be a problem for the dogs heart and joints. I can honestly say i don't think these dogs are ugly (i couldn't see it as a pet) but if they where a working dog they wouldn't have to work much it would all be deterrent work for them :-D I am not a breeder so i wont make any comments about either breeding them or breeding them out.

 Quote: sandra faye johnson

I'm curious to know if other dogs sense that this dog is genetically different? I think the dog should wear a t-shirt that reads, "I will pump YOU up!"

OHHH! That's so funny! good call...

~Natalya

A test is being developed so breeders can test to see if their dog is a carrier (carriers appear normal). They have perfectly normal littermates, but they tend to not look like either their parents or littermates- they look more like each other,
THere is no proof that the carriers are superior racers- dogs were tested at a national race meet and non carriers at the top of the meet outnumbered carriers.
The problems with the conclusion that was drawn about advantages to being a carrier (being played up by the media)is that all the dogs at the top of the meet were bred for generations with speed as a priority, so it should be no suprise that they did well at racing- carrier or non- carrier.
All of the DM (double muscled) whippets we know of are S/N luckily, hopefully breeders will keep it that way. The DM whippets are not stronger and certainly not effective at performance events. THey are usually overshot and have muscle cramping of the head and neck. I don't think anyone knows what other health related issues they may have, but the concern about bone, heart, and other issues are certainly valid.
vickie

 Quote: vickie ngala

The DM whippets are not stronger and certainly not effective at performance events. THey are usually overshot and have muscle cramping of the head and neck. I don't think anyone knows what other health related issues they may have, but the concern about bone, heart, and other issues are certainly valid.
vickie

Very good post, mind if i ask where you got the info from? Just from conversations you have had or somewhere in a forum or internet? My question is how can the DM whippets well have double the muscle and not be stronger? I deffently can see everything else but i would have figured they would have been a little bit stronger at least.

I've typed two responses, but both just disappear off my screen before I can submit them. THe last one was pretty long.
anyway, there is an online group for tracking the research on the myostatin mutation in whippets, and I know a couple of the breeders who have produced a DM whippet in a litter, and followed it into the pet home so they know how it's doing. They feel the muscling gets in the way of just about any performance activity, and say the dogs do not appear to be stronger than normal whippets. They are basically hindered at physical activity by all the bulk, alhtough they can trot and gallop around like regular dogs.
vickie