As some of you know, I inherited part of Dr. Ridella library and archive. Dr. Ridella was a veterinarian and an important English Setter breeder, his kennel name was Ticinensis. I feel really honoured to have been chosen as a custodian, but I hate to admit… I dusted and cleaned only half of the materials I have been given. Fifty  years of canine magazines (1900-1950), however, are now readable and carefully stored. Knowing about  this collection, a friend asked me to look for two peculiar articles written respectively in 1938 and in 1954. I could not find them but, while checking out nearby years, I found something absolutely unexpected, beautiful and fascinating. In the 1956 spring issue of the Rassegna Cinofila (the official name of the Italian Kennel Club Bulletin at the time), I found an article by judge Giulio Colombo (1886-1966).The man was a well known breeder (kennel della Baita) and judge for Setters and Pointers, he also imported some dogs from the UK and tried to keep the connection between Italy and Great Britain alive. Among his imports we shall remember Lingfield Mystic (who won the Derby); Lingfield Ila, Lingfield Puma and Bratton Vanity.

I discovered that, in 1956, he was asked to judge a partridge trial in Sutton Scotney (Hampshire – UK) and wrote about his experience. I am not going to translate the full article, I am just summarizing the most important points. (Those interested can see large  pictures of the article here and download the .pdf file– which can be translated with google translator).

He opens his piece mentioning Laverack, Llewellin and Lady Auckland (with whom he was judging), and then explains how and why Setters and Pointers were created. He underlines that the game (grouse and grey partridges) and the waste, open and rough grounds forged these superlative breeds  so that they could better suit the hunter. He tells us things I still see in the UK: Setters and Pointers are not expected to retrieve; Setters and Pointers must be very trainable and biddable,  and that down and drop are fundamental teachings. Dogs must honour  the bracemate and must quarter properly: Colombo explains the practical reasons behind all these expectations,  this part occupies almost half of the article. His words make me miss what I saw, experienced and learnt during my time in the UK. As I often say, my dog would be very different if I had not seen their trials,  and I would also be a much different trainer and handler. But I really like what I am now!!!

He then informs the reader about the differences  (rules) between Italian and British trials: in  Britain there is no “minute” (here  all mistakes made during the first minute are forgiven); there is no established running time (here is 15 minutes) and good dogs are asked to run a second (and maybe a third round). He also lists the pros and cons of these choices. You can read more about the differences between Italian and UK trials in my older articles.  It is interesting that he points out that judges, in the UK, do not comment on the dog’s work (on the contrary, they are expected to so here) and that explaining what the dog did, in public… often leads the public to believe they know more than the judges.  This proved to be true in my limited experience, watchers (Italian and foreign), despite being several hundred metres away from the dog, see – and foresee- mistakes that handlers and judges, despite being right above the dog “miss”!  I thought, that people in the fifties were more considerate, but, apparently, the art of attributing inexistent faults to other handlers’ dogs has a long standing tradition.

Colombo then describes what he saw during the “Derby”.  I do not know if that Derby is like the current Puppy Derby (for dogs under 2 years, running in a brace) as I cannot understand whether the dogs were running alone or in a brace.  He says he saw some back castings, some dogs who needed more training and some dogs who sniffed on the ground/detailed around the quarry too much. Rabbits, hare and pheasant further complicated things. First prize went to Lenwade Wizard, Pointer dog owned by Mr. Arthur Rank, 15 months old described as stylish,  good gallop, good at handling birds; second  prize Lenwade Whisper, Pointer dog owned by Messrs P. P. Wayre’s  G. F. Jolly, aged 15 months. In the Brace Stake he noticed two Irish Setters Sulhamstead Bey d’Or and F. T. Sulhamstead Basil d’Or who eventually got second prize. As for the All Aged stake (which should be like the modern Open Stake), a Weimaraner was supposed to run with setters and pointers but was eventually withdrawn. Colombo was asked by Lady Hove  to express his opinion:  he seems to have had mixed feelings about what he saw. Let’s not forget that he later writes that pointing dogs are no longer common and popular in the UK,  that people prefer spaniels and retrievers and Setters and Pointers are decaying. How are things now? Spaniels and retrievers still outnumber pointing dogs and this sounds a bit weird to Italians, being the average Italian hunter/shooter the owner of a pointing dog, most of often of an English Setter. But… the two realities are very different.

He writes that the  “search” in the UK is no longer how it should be,  and how it used to be.  He states that, previously, the British wanted the dogs to run wider and faster. He says that that was the “ancient” way of interpreting the Grande Cerca.  Whereas I read both Laverack and Arkwright, I do not recall anything like that and I am not familiar with other British authors advocating this working style. Also, I have not witnessed the Setter & Pointer early years, so I cannot say if what Colombo claims is true. I would like to remember, however, that Giulio Colombo, besides breeding and judging,  in 1950 published the book “ Trialer! An Essay on Gundogs” on Setters and Pointers. The book became a bestseller, it is still a bestseller indeed, and deeply influenced Italian breeders, judges and fanciers. Giulio Colombo ideal dog was a fast and furious super dog made of speed, deep castings and excellent nose. He called him “the pure”, “the fool”, then described him with these words: “The Trialer is the producer, the Masterpiece, the famous Artist’s painting, the fifty carats diamond, the pure gold”. He is New Year’s Day, not the remaining 364 days.”

So, I really wonder whether any British authors had ever outlined such a dog, or whether Colombo just believed an hypothetical British author did or, again, whether he misunderstood some writings (he did not read English, as far as I know).  So, basically, I think he was expecting something different and he did not entirely like what he saw. He complains about “interrupted” runs, short castings, slow runs,  small parcels of ground to be explored, searches that gets “limited” by the judges and dogs forced to back on command. He writes that a British sportman defined some of the runs  “Springer Spaniel work”. Some of these things still happens and might be even more noticeable if you come from Italy, where dogs are asked to run as much, as fast and as wide as they can (the pure, the fool…) and dogs usually back naturally but, our trials have other faults and he admits that, maybe, a British judge attending one of our trials, on a particular unlucky day, would not be impressed by what we show him. Giulio Colombo, however, was skilled enough to see recognize good things at British trials, he admits, for instance, having seen some dogs he really  liked.  Yes, he says some dogs were “low quality”, but equally admits others were outstanding. I share his opinion: some British dogs lack of class, style and pace to compete successfully here but others… are absolutely not inferior to some Made in Italy dogs. I really, really liked some dogs I saw in Britain, and I am sure they would make our judges smile. Colombo mentions Seguntium Niblick, Pointer owned Mr. J. Alun Roberts who got first prize in All Aged Stake; Scotney Gary, Pointer owned by Mr. Arthur Rank, second prize; Scotney Solitaire, Pointer owned by Mr. Arthur Rank, third prize; Sulhamstead Basil d’Or Irish Setter, fourth prize; Ch. Downsmans Bracken, English Setter, fifth prize; Sulhamstead Nina d’Or, Irish Setter owned by Mrs. Nagle e Miss M. Clarcks and Flashaway Eve, English Setter owned by Col. A. S. Dalding. I think he really liked the Flashaway Eve as he describes him as very avid, stylish and very a typical low set gallop, he thinks he has all the features a dog needs to become a FT. Ch. He concludes with a note on Dero 4° del Trasimeno who was exported to the UK and is ones of the ancestors of Scotney Gary  (and of some American dogs) and  Blakfield Gide stepsister of the Italian  Fast and Galf di S. Patrick.  Author tanks those who made his experience possible: Mr. and Mrs Bank, Lady Auckland, Mr. Buckley, Mr. Binney, Mr. and Mrs. Mac Donald Daly, Mr. and Mrs. William Wiley, Mr. Lovel Clifford

So which are the key points for contemporary readers? Giulio Colombo outlines the Setter and Pointer history and explains why these dogs should work in a given manner. It is a matter of grounds and of birds: before trials ever existed, these dogs were hunting dogs and had to work all day long for the hunter  who wanted to go home with a bag filled with birds. Setters and Pointers  were tested in difficult and real hunting situations and it soon became clear which behaviours and attitudes were useful  and which were not.  The most sought after traits and behaviours were later coded and field trials were born, not viceversa. Dogs used to be tested during real shooting days and then, the best of them, were trialed. Things were like this during the early Pointer and Setter days and, in my opinion, they should not have changed. Nowadays, there are, at least in Italy, FT.Ch. who have never been shot over and, most of all, are trained, handled or owned by people who had never hunted, and never hunted on grounds and birds suitable for these breeds. People therefore do not understand some of field trial rules, nor how the dogs should behave but they consider themselves “experts”. Colombo mentions steadiness to flush and the commands down and drop, some of the most misunderstood things in my country. People think (and probably thought, already in 1956), that these commands are taught “just to show off”. On the contrary they can make shooting safer (a steady dog is not likely to be shot)  and the drop and the down are extremely useful on open grounds.  I am not sure whether  Colombo attended grouse trials and, if so, how abundant grouse were but I took me only a couple of minutes to realize the importance of these teachings on a grouse moor. He then remembers why Setters and Pointers are supposed to work in a brace and to quarter in “good” wind while crossing their paths. Dogs should work in a brace to better explore the waste ground and, in doing so, they should work together, in harmony, like a team. Teamwork is very important, yet a dog must work independently from his brace mate and, at the same time, support his job and honour his points, these things shall be written in the genes.  Dogs shall also be easy to handle so that they could be handled silently (not to disturb the quarry too much) and always be willing to cooperate with the handler. I don’t think I ever read these last two recommendations on any modern books on Setters and Pointers, have these traits lost importance?

I think you can now understand why I find Giulio Colombo’s report on Sutton Scotney intriguing and fascinating, but there is more, something personal: like the author, I had the privilege to watch and to take part in British trials, they mean a lot to me, I came back as a different “dog person” and they made me have a “different dog”.

You can read more on British trials here.

Ricetta di Flavia Bullo

Ingredienti

500ml panna fresca

1 bicchiere d’acqua

100g zucchero

1 fiala di aroma alla vaniglia o una bacca di vaniglia

2 fogli di colla di pesce

topping al caramello (vedere sotto)

Preparazione:

Mettere a mollo in acqua fredda i fogli di colla di pesce per 5min.

Intanto scaldare in un pentolino la panna con lo zucchero, il bicchiere di acqua e l’aroma alla vaniglia.

Strizzare la colla di pesce e farla sciogliere bene nella panna calda fino a quasi a ebollizione.

Versare nelle coppette monoporzione e lasciare intiepidire; poi far rassodare in frigo

Attenzione: Se si usa la bacca di vaniglia filtrare col colino i semini prima di mettere nelle coppette e incidere la bacca.

Per il caramello io uso il topping Fabbri veloce e ottimo per guarnire.

Volendo fare in casa il caramello si può mettere sul fuoco in un pentolino 3-4cucchiai pieni di zucchero e mezzo bicchiere di acqua e continuare a mescolare fino a che caramellizza (il problema è che va preparato all’ultimo, in quanto l’ umidità del frigo rende il caramello home made molto liquido e a me personalmente soddisfa poco)

Alternative per guarnire: cioccolato fuso o coulis (salsa) di fragole

Per la salsa di fragole:

100g fragole

2-3 cucchiai di zucchero

il succo di mezzo limone

In un pentolino a fuoco dolce cuocere per pochi (2-3) minuti le fragole a pezzetti con zucchero e limone, frullare poi con frullatore ad immersione e la salsa è pronta per guarnire.

Vai alla prossima ricetta.

Puoi iniziare a leggere le ricette di Flavia da qui o trovarle raccolte qui

By Flavia Bullo a veterinary medicine student who loves baking

This is ricotta cheese with lemon and cinnamon lemon sauce

Ingredients:

4 eggs,  100g sugar, 500g ricotta cheese, lemon zest (from 2 organic lemons), vanilline (vanilla aroma), a tablespoon of maize starch

For the sauce: juice of 1 lemon, 10 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of maize starch, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven at 170°C

Separate yolks from whites, whip the yolks with sugar and add vanilla aroma, ricotta, lemon zest and maize starch. Whip the whites until stiff and add them to the mixture gently (from below). Bake t 170°C for 40-45°mins

Mix the sauce ingredients together on a slow fire, stirring until they get firm.

There is no doubt that seeing a well trained dog doing everything right is a pure delight to owner/handler or observer, not to mention a judge. The seamless way they cut up a field missing no ground, the sudden stop and lock up on point, the flush on command, the stop, the marking of the fallen bird, the glance for permission to retrieve, the retrieve and the delivery all flowing like a gentle mountain stream over smooth rock. Pure dog poetry in motion!

What few understand is how exactly you get a dog to that level. Many fail due to their lack of experience, the experienced fail due to their lack of adapting. There is nothing more heartbreaking to watch than a handler train one dog after another in the same way, and making the same mistakes, dog after dog. For the novice it is a minefield of advice and methods, some good some totally disastrous!! Some novices will seek advice from the old dog hands,  other will shun all help.
I have my own way of training a dog, most of it is old school, some of it is purely my way of doing things, I still do things wrong, but I learn from that pretty quickly when I fail my dog. Yes, I fail my dog, not the dog fails me. If I have not trained or exposed my dog to certain things, I am failing my dog, but that is another topic.

Getting back to watching a dog do everything right. To get to that level a good handler/trainer would have broken down every single step in the opening scenario and then he would have also compartmentalized the individual steps into single separate training sessions. Don’t get it?

The retrieve can be broken down as follows:

1. Dog sitting steady by your side
   2. Dog looks at you when you whisper his name or click your tongue
   3. Dog takes dummy, or bird, from your hand on command, does not chew or play
   4. Dog stays sitting as you walk away, does not drop the bird or dummy
   5. Dog comes straight in when called, still holding the dummy
   5.1 Dog does not keep circling you with dummy or bird
   5.2 Dog does not drop the bird/dummy at your feet
   5.3 Dog sits calmly with dummy in his mouth until you give him the deliver command
   6. Dog holds steady on a cast, waits for command
   7. Dog does not lift on the cast
   8. Dog marks cast
   9. Dog does not move when you walk and pick up dummy or bird
   10. Dog does not move when you place multiple dummies out
   11. Dog does not switch dummies/birds when they are placed together

This gives you a general outline of how small the different steps can be broken down into. It is the same for every single thing you train. The point, the flush, the way the dog works a field, everything.  I have said   times before, sit down and decide what signals you will use, whistle, hand or verbal, train them into yourself long before you try and teach them to the dog, this is crucial!

Do not be in a hurry to weave this all together into your invisible leash. Once the dog can 100% of the time complete these micro exercises you can start putting 2 together, then 3 and so on. This is the only way to forge a unbreakable invisible leash. Few dogs fall apart during trials, most of them fall apart under high volume high pressure shoots and hunts, this is exactly the time you can least afford it or correct it.

Many people wait for the season to open so they can let their dogs run on field and find birds, this is foolish when you can train so many other aspects before the field season opens.

Keep it fun, keep it focused!

Are you interested in gundogs? Check out the Gundog Research Project!

Tok Mostert, a Professional Hunter from South Africa, now living in Sweden,  is sharing his writings on dog training with us. You can start reading them from Part 1 here.

Da oggi inseriremo un nuovo contenuto in Dogs & Country: le ricette! Qualche ricetta c’è già ma abbiamo ottenuto la collaborazione di una pasticcera dilettante di capacità professionali, Flavia Bullo.

F. “Ma come… non è un blog di cani, campagna eccetera?”

R. “Certo! Ma è seguito da un pubblico di buongustai e tu le torte le fai comunque, le fotografi anche, per cui, sei assunta!”

Ho scelto di inserire i dolci di Flavia perché, come noterete presto, sono bellissimi e sulla carta anche buonissimi ma sono fatti in casa, con un’attrezzatura normale e da una persona normale (beh quasi normale o non studierebbe Medicina Veterinaria) e quindi alla portata di tutti noi! Anzi, andate in cucina, provate le ricette e poi fateci sapere!

Apriamo con il “Cotton Lemon Cheescake” (ricotta al limone con salsina di limone e cannella)

Ingredienti:

4 uova, 100g zucchero, 500g ricotta, la scorza di 2 limoni bio, vanillina, 1 cucchiaio di maizena.

Per la salsina limone e cannella: il succo 1 limone, 10 cucchiai di acqua, 2 cucchiai di zucchero, 2  cucchiaini di maizena, 1 cucchiaino di cannella

Preparazione:

Separare tuorli e albumi. Montare i tuorli con lo zucchero, aggiungere vanillina, ricotta, scorza di limone e maizena. Incorporare gli albumi montati a neve con movimenti dal basso verso l’alto. Cottura 170° gradi per 40-45 minuti.

Per la salsina limone e cannella: mischiare tutto e fare addensare sul fuoco.

Prossima ricetta

Le ricette di Flavia sono tutte raccolte qui

E’ giunto il momento della recensione finale. Il completo Kana è arrivato appena prima di Natale e pensavo di mandarlo a riposo appena prima di Pasqua ma una bizzarra primavera ci ha tenuto insieme fino all’inizio di maggio. Le mie impressioni? i dati tecnici e la descrizione accurata li potete trovare qui, nella prima parte della recensione. Oggi voglio parlarvi di cosa penso di loro dopo averli testati sul campo per mesi.

Prima di tutto sottolineo che lo scorso inverno qui è stato freddo e nebbioso, ma molto secco. Poca pioggia e ancora meno neve hanno  limitato le possibilità di testarne la resistenza all’acqua. Ci ho provato, ma il massimo periodo trascorso sotto l’acqua, senza ombrello, è stato di circa un’ora, un’ora e mezza.  Ero asciutta? Sì, e una volta a casa la giacca è asciugata abbastanza rapidamente, il che è un punto a favore ma…  penso che gli indumenti Kana siano quanto di meglio si possa indossare sotto la pioggia? Probabilmente no, ma hanno molto altro da offrire.

Iniziamo dal basso, i pantaloni.  I pantaloni Kana sono caldissimi,  troppo caldi da indossare insieme alla giacca se le temperature sono  sopra lo zero, o se pensate di camminare a molto. Però, diventano eccezionali se dovete stare fermi a lungo nel freddo o se le temperature scendono sotto lo zero. Potrei dire lo stesso della giacca, ma la ritengo più versatile: a seconda di cosa indossate sotto, i suoi effetti cambiano, vada quindi per il maglione in inverno e per la camicia in primavera. La giacca Kana mi ha tenuto al calduccio per tutto l’inverno : la nebbia fitta falsa la percezione della temperature, 0°C nella nebbia sono molto peggio di -5°C in una giornata asciutta e soleggiata.  Mi ricordo di essere rimasta per ore nella nebbia in attesa che iniziasse una prova di lavoro. Non è mai iniziata dal  momento che la nebbia non si è mai alzata ma, mentre gli altri congelavano, io ero felicemente a mio agio nel freddo.  Sottolineo la parola “felice” perché non tollero granché le temperature estreme e, pertanto, stare bene in quelle condizioni era apprezzatissimo. Credo lo si potesse leggere nella mia faccia e  questo ha fatto scattare una serie di domande. “Bel completo tecnico!” “ E’ della …. (marca italiana)?” “ No, è di Harkila!” E quando hanno scoperto che Harkila è  scandinava sono arrivate alter domande ancora!

Dopo il freddo inverno, è arrivata una primavera insolita e ventosa: sulla carta la giacca Kana era troppo calda, ma non avevo nulla da perdere nel testarla anche in queste condizioni, test superato!  Il trucco? Indossarla con sotto solo una camicia, con questo metodo era perfetta. Sulla carta non faceva freddo ma soffiavano freddi venti da nord, da oltre le Alpi, che facevano sembrare tutto più gelido. L’ho provata anche durante due giornate molto ventose.  La prima volta stavo scattando delle fotografie al tramonto: il vento aveva appena pulito il cielo ma continuava a soffiare, una bufera e io perfetta, tranne le mani avendo scordato i guanti. Nel secondo caso tempesta di vento e acqua, test passato e Kana certificata come resistente al vento.

Nello slideshow a fondo pagina potete vedere come sta una volta indossata (link diretto alla gallery qui). Questa è una taglia 36 EU, io porto una 40/42 italiane e sono piuttosto “bassa” per questo la giacca può sembrare anche più lunga di quanto non sia in realtà. La lunghezza, tuttavia, è stata studiata per tenere più caldi e fa il suo  lavoro. Qualcosa da dire sui pantaloni? Sono imbottiti, ma non ti fanno sembrare l’Omino Michelin, il che è eccellente. Disclaimer: in una foto mi vedete con una tizia che indossa solo un pile mentre io sono tutta imbacuccata nella Kana. Beh c’erano  -5°C, un laghetto ghiacciato e la tizia, che indossava vari strati termici lì sotto, è affettuosamente nota come “la russa” perché, tra le alter cose, non sente il freddo. [Il cardigan Lilja verrà recensito separatamente, ora sto indossando di nuovo i capi Jerva].

Si potrebbe migliorare la Kana? Sì. Un paio di modifiche potrebbero renderla più versatile. La giacca non ha le tasche scaldamani che, quando fa freddo, sono molto comode. Ci sono due tasconi  laterali ottimi per le cartucce o per contenere tutto quello che volete, ma non imbottite. E’ rilevante l’imbottitura? Diciamo che terrebbe al caldo le mani e il cellulare. Per il cellulare c’è una taschina sul petto, ma non è praticissima se lo volete controllare spesso: le  tasche scaldamani risolverebbero tutti i problemi.  Il secondo punto debole è il cappuccio: è molto caldo e quindi di grande aiuto nel gelo ma non sempre ottimale quando piove. Lasciatemi spiegare: il cappuccio è foderato di pelo simil-orso  Mi piace, tiene caldo, ma se piove  il pelo mi obbliga ad indossare il cappuccio, in caso contrario si inzuppa e impiega una vita ad asciugare. Non sempre però si vuole indossare il cappuccio sotto la pioggia: non è comodo se si deve imbracciare un fucile, se serve un campo visivo più ampio o se ci si muove in mezzo al bosco. Un cappuccio rimovibile avvicinerebbe la Kana alla perfezione.

In breve: il completo Kana è perfetto per le giornate fredde o ventose, ed è ottimo per la caccia da selezione, da appostamento  visto e per qualsiasi attività non troppo intensa  da svolgersi al freddo ma la giacca,  da sola, è più versatile e la potete usare anche durante la caccia in movimento con il cane e con temperature un po’ più elevate.

The time for a final review has come. I received my Kana suit right before Christmas and I decided to give the jacket some rest right before Easter but, the weather changed and we hung around until the beginning of May. My impressions? If you want to know more about the Kana technical features, and get a detailed description of the suit (jacket and trousers), click here to read the first part of my review. Today I am going tell you what I think of them after having field tested them for several months.

First of all, I must tell you that we had a very cold and foggy winter, but it hardly rained/snowed, so I cannot say exactly how waterproof the suit is. I think it is, but the maximum time I spent under a heavy rain (without umbrella) was one hour, one hour and a half. Was I dry? Yes, I was and, once at home, the jacket dried reasonably quickly which is a very good point. Do I think the Kana to be best garment you can wear during a heavy rain? Probably not, but this suit has still much to offer.

Let’s start from the bottom: the trousers. The Kana trousers are incredibly warm: too warm to be worn together with the jacket if the temperature is above 0°C, or if you plan to be very active. Nevertheless, they become lovely if you have to stay still, or when temperatures fall below zero. The same could be said about the jacket but, wearing it with a plain pair of trousers, you can make it more adaptable to warmer days. It really depends on what you decide to wear underneath: a proper sweater in winter, or a shirt in spring. The Kana jacket kept me very warm all winter. We had a very cold winter, with much much fog which can affect the way you perceive the real temperature: 0°C in a thick fog is much worse than -5° on a dry sunny day. I remember spending hours in the fog waiting for a field trial to start: it never started as the fog never dissipated but, whereas all the other people were freezing, I was perfectly fine and happy. I like to underline the adjective “happy” because I am very sensitive to extreme temperatures, therefore the opportunity to be fine whatever the weather, is greatly appreciated!  I think, on that day, that happiness was painted on my face, people noticed it and quickly connected it to the technical suit I was wearing and asked me about the brand. They thought it was Italian and when I explained it was made by Harkila and it was Scandinavian and more questions came…

After the cold  foggy winter we had an unpredictable spring, filled with cold windy days: the Kana jacket, on paper, was too warm, but I had nothing to lose by testing it in these conditions and, surprise… it passed the test. The trick was wearing only a shirt underneath: this combination was perfect for windy days. Again, it was not cold “on paper” , but strong northern winds blowing from the Alps modified the temperature’s perception.  I tested the Kana during two wind storms: the first one happened in a wonderful sunset, the wind had cleared the sky and I was trying to take pictures standing still by a river with my camera. I was warm but for the hands as I forgot to bring gloves; the second storm involved rain and we did extremely well, finally certifying the Kana as “windproof”.

You can see how it looks once worn in the slideshow at the bottom of the article (for static gallery click here), this is a size 36 (I wear an IT 40/42 –UK 8). Remember that I am… err… fairly short hence the jacket, which is indeed long, might look it even longer. The extra length was meant to keep you warmer and it does the job. Any notes about the trousers? I think I’d say that, despite being padded, they do not make me look like Bibendum (the Michelin Man), which I appreciate! Disclaimer: in the photo you’ll see a girl wearing only a fleece while I was all wrapped up in the Kana: it was -5°C and we were by a frozen lake, but she was wearing multiple layers underneath the fleece and…. She is often referred as “the Russian” being absolutely unaffected by cold weather. [The Lilja Cardigan will be reviewed separately, I am back to wearing the Jerva now].

Could the Kana be improved? It could benefit from two minor changes that would make it more versatile. The jacket lacks of hand warmer pockets and you sometimes would like to have them when it is very cold outside. It features, indeed, two large front  pockets which are deep and large, perfect for storing shots shells and other items, but not padded. Is this relevant? Yes and no: padded pockets would keep your hands and your cell phone warmer. There is also a chest pocket in which the cell phone can be placed, but it is not really handy if you want to check the phone often, the hand warmer pockets would solve all these issues. The second point we could consider is the hood: it is a lovely and warm hood, which can be of great help when it is cold and windy, but not always convenient when it rains. Let me explain better: the hood, as mentioned in the first article, has a bear-like fur lining. I love it as it keeps me warm but, in case of rain, it forces me to wear the hood: if I do not, the fur gets soaked and will not dry fast. But wearing a hood in the rain is not always the best choice, especially if you are shooting, you need to mount a shotgun/rifle on your shoulder and you need a wider field of view: a detachable hood would bring the Kana jacket closer to perfection.

Summarizing,  the Kana suit can help you during freezing and windy days and it is great for: stalking, wildfowling, driven shooting and any not so intense activity in cold weather, but the Kana jacket is versatile enough to be worn for rough shooting and in slightly warmer weather.

La scorsa settimana il server si è crashato dopo la pubblicazione di un articolo sulla tirosina e per dieci giorni non ho osato pubblicare nulla, ma oggi è venuto il momento di considerare un altro amminoacido. Un’allevatrice di setter americana, infatti, ha di recente pubblicato su Facebook la storia del suo cane a cui è stata diagnosticata un’insufficienza cardiaca congestizia. A questa situazione si era arrivati a causa di una DCM (cardiomiopatia dilatativa) e il cardiologo ha consigliato di controllare i livelli ematici di taurina. Lei ha controllato il cane e tutti gli altri setter di sua proprietà e, sorpresona, i livelli di taurina erano bassi in tutti quelli che alimentava con un mangime grain free ritenuto ottimo, mentre erano normali in quelli che mangiavano crocchette che potremmo definire “normali”.

La taurina ha moltissime funzioni e le potete leggere qui ma, può davvero una carenza di taurina provocare una cardiomiopatia dilatativa? Sappiamo che questo succede nel gatto che non può sintetizzarla (amminoacido essenziale) e che quindi deve assumerla con la dieta. Per i cani, al contrario, la taurina non è considerata essenziale e si ritiene la producano da sé sintetizzandola dagli amminoacidi solforati metionina e cisteina.

Così, per fugare ogni dubbio, ho contattato di nuovo Lucia Casini, Professoressa di Nutrizione Veterinaria all’Università di Pisa, e mi ha confermato quanto appena scritto, sottolineando che, comunque, bassi livelli di cisteina e metionina nella dieta potrebbero causare una deficienza di taurina. Quindi, questo significa che i mangimi contengono livelli inadeguati di tali amminoacidi? Può darsi, ma va ricordato che alcune razze sono meno efficienti nel trasformarli in taurina. Quali sono le razze? Cocker (americano e inglese), setter inglese, retrievers (golden e labrador), terranova e San Bernardo ma, onestamente, non mi sento di escludere che il problema possa essere presente in altre razze ad esse affini , o in razze in cui sono presenti casi di DCM. Per questi animali, l’integrazione di taurina potrebbe avere un ruolo preventivo e non curativo.

Cosa fare quindi? Credo servano ulteriori ricerche per poterlo affermare con esattezza ma, in quanto proprietaria di un setter inglese, mi sto informando su quali laboratori effettuano questo esame e su quali siano i costi. In attesa di nuove scoperte, sento di consigliare la stessa cosa a chi possiede esemplari delle razze menzionate, di razze affini e di razze ritenute a rischio DCM.

Aggiornamento, ho trovato almeno tre laboratori che testano: Idexx, Laboklin e San Marco. I prezzi sono attorno ai 60-70 euro. (Aggiornamento qui)

Inoltre, siccome la maggior parte dei miei lettori si occupa di cani da lavoro (date un’occhiata al Gundog Research Project!), lasciate che aggiunga che gli atleti possono avere un fabbisogno di taurina più elevato. Se desiderate approfondire, il web è ricchissimo di articoli dedicati alla taurina e alla cardiomiopatia dilatativa nel cane, lo scopo del mio articolo è semplicemente quello di far conoscere questo problema.

Last week the server crashed after I published an article on tyrosine and dark coats. I stayed away from the admin panel for ten days because I was afraid I could crash it again, but now I am back discussing another amino acid. A couple of days ago, an English Setter owner living in the USA posted on FB about her dog’s being diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The dog had developed DCM (dilated cardiomiopathy) and the cardiologist suggested testing his taurine blood levels. She tested him and her other dogs and the tests confirmed that some of them had indeed very low levels of taurine. Curiously, those with lower levels were fed a grain free, high protein, trendy dog food while the other ones, eating what would be considered an “average” dog food, were doing better.

Taurine has multiple functions, as you can read here, but can taurine deficiency in the diet lead to DCM? We know this can happen in cats: taurine is, for cats, an essential amino acid which means they cannot synthesize it and that it must be introduced with the diet. When it comes to dogs, instead, taurine is not considered essential as they can produce it by themselves. But… to do so, they need to convert dietary sulfur amino acids (SAA, methionine and cysteine) to taurine.

I decided to speak again with Lucia Casini, Veterinary Nutrition Professor at the University of Pisa, and she confirmed what I just wrote above, adding that a lack of methionine and cysteine could, however, cause taurine deficiency. So, are some dog foods lacking of methionine and cysteine? Maybe, or it could also be that some animals are less efficient when it comes to transforming them into taurine. There are several breeds of dogs that have a lower than normal ability to convert SAA: American Cocker Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, St Bernard, English Setters and Newfoundlands (and probably more we still do not know about). In their cases, taurine supplementation could have a preventive, rather than curative role.

So… What should we do? I think further research is needed but, personally, owning an English Setter, I am investigating on laboratories which can assess taurine levels and trying to collect information about the cost of this service. Would I advise you to do the same? Probably, and I am also wondering if other breeds, especially those related to the aforementioned breeds and those prone to DCM, should be tested: more research is certainly needed!

Update: in Europe at least 3 labs test for taurine in dogs: Idexx, Laboklin and San Marco. Prices are around 40-50 euros. Update on my test here.

Considering that most of my readers own working dogs (read about the Gundog Research Project!), let me also add that these athletes might need more taurine than the average dog. The web is full of articles on taurine and DCM in dogs, go and read them if you want to know more, I am just here to spread the word and raise some awareness.

A volte i cani neri diventano rossicci. Di solito si pensa che lo schiarimento sia causato dal sole ma… ci sono cani neri che non diventano mai marroni e cani neri che sono  marroni tutto l’anno, anche in inverno. Ho posseduto solo un cane nero e solo per qualche mese, era un greyhound recuperato dai cinodromi e era marrone anziché nero ma questo era causato da una grave anemia e dalla leishmaniosi. Sappiamo tutti che le malattie possono alterare il colore dei mantelli, ma anche l’alimentazione!

Ieri, la mia amica Lucia Casini, che è professore di Nutrizione Veterinaria pressol’Università di Pisa, a condiviso questo studio con me “Tyrosine supplementation and hair coat pigmentation in puppies with black coats – A pilot study.” Lo studio, come potete leggere nell’astratto (in inglese), suggerisce che i cani dai mantelli scuri abbiano un fabbisogno di tirosina doppio rispetto agli altri cani e rispetto a quanto indicato nelle linee guida del NRC.  Lucia ha anche spiegato che il ruolo della tirosina è stato studiato in maniera più approfondita nei gatti ma che molti cibi industriali, specialmente quelli poveri di proteine di origine animale, non contengono abbastanza tirosina per i cani neri. La fenilalanina sembra anch’essa avere un ruolo ed entrambi sono amminoacidi essenziali, ovvero vanno introdotti attraverso la dieta.

La carne, specialmente il maiale e gli avicoli sono una buona fonte di tirosina. Il National Research Council (USA) raccomanda: 2g  di tirosina ogni 1000 kcal per i cani adulti e  3,5 g per i cuccioli ma i cani dal mantello scuro parrebbero necessitare di dosi doppie.