TeamMateStudyL7

• What were the TeamMate Studies about?

  NZ working farms - population characteristics and health, occurrence of musculoskeletal abnormalities, and risk of dogs being lost from workforce
• Median BCS was 4 with


  30% of dogs being BCS 3 or lower
• Body Condition Scoring


  Aim of estimating body fat in overweight dogs, poorly validated for athletic lean dogs
• Skeletal size estimated from a series of morphometric measurements including:


  Head length, head circumference, body length, thoracic girth, fore/hind limb length
• Lean body mass

  Body weight minus fat, essential for assessing muscle mass
• Main modes of work

  Heading, hunting/moving, yard, catch
• 93% of Heading dogs used for

  Heading stock
• 92% of Huntaway's used for

  Hunting/movingstock
• 82% of Huntaway's vs 17% of Heading dogs used for


  Yard Work
• 42% of Heading dogs vs 14% of Huntaway's used catching stock. This work is relatively uncommon only 50% of the dogs used for this
• After a 4 year study:

  72% of dogs remained alive & with their original owner, 10% had died and 4% had retired
• What are the potential risk factors for Working Dog Loss?

  Death, euthanasia or retirement
• Major Risk factors for loss

  Age and lameness, 65% of the dogs that died or retired were at least 7 yrs, 35% at least 10 yrs of age. Lameness doubled the risk of being lost from work independently of dog's age
• Owner age & experience

  The age and expertise level of dog owners
• Age and lameness


  Factors impacting dog work longevity, including age and mobility issues