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Would be very interested in speaking to anyone who has considered running the study continuously to give us Breeding Values of all greyhounds. Ive talked about it for years and never understood why we don't have it when we have so much data available for each dog and there families. its widely used in horse world and farming sectors especially cattle. I have spoken to a university who would be interested in running the data it just seems obtaining the data is the difficult part.

Phil

This is a very interesting study indeed. Its triggered my interest in knowing the EBV of both sires and dams but I see the data is rightly anonymised for research purposes. However, it seems that access to the EBV for all breeding stock is something that might help the overall population. My first read was just a quick skim of the results, so the way the EBV is calculated would need to be understood to be able to understand its possible limitations. A maths degree would also be a help! Lol. Would love to hear from someone who could translate the EBV algorithm into knowing whether a greyhound rates high or low.

Please do take this to IGB/GBGB and see if you can trigger further research or any changes in the traditional selection of sires/dams.

So much is discussed within it that really could guide our choices in our future breeding selections for the benefit of the breed.

1.10.2. Phenotypic Selection - page 60

Traditional methods of animal breeding are based on phenotypic selection, in which selection decisions are based on performance information from the individual animal only. The pedigree of the animal, and performance of its relatives or offspring, are not considered (Bourdon, 2014)

First thing I read and if that is a reference to how she/they believe we have traditionally bred greyhounds, it will be the last

Racing Injuries of the Greyhound
Greyhounds are at risk of developing injuries of varying cause and severity during
their racing career, and sustain several specific musculoskeletal injuries that are
relatively uncommon in other working or companion dogs (Davis, 1967; Hickman,
1975; Prole, 1976; Vaughan, 1969). The anatomy and conformation of a
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Greyhound, along with the nature and consistency of high-speed racing in an
anticlockwise direction around elliptical tracks, are considered to be the main
reasons for the specific injuries they sustain (Davis, 1973; Prole, 1976). A
combination of factors, however, are likely to contribute to the occurrence of
racing injuries, including fitness of the dog; grade of race; speed; race distance;
track design; degree of banking and radius of the bends; track surface material and
conditions; track maintenance; and the weather (Cook, 1998; Davis, 1973;
Hickman, 1975; Sicard et al., 1999; Prole, 1976). Additionally, several studies have
reported higher incidences of injuries in male racing Greyhounds compared to
females (Davis, 1973; Gannon, 1972; Vaughan, 1969). The influence of genetic
factors on the occurrence of racing injuries in Greyhounds, however, has not
previously been reported.
The fastest running gait of the Greyhound consists of two support phases and two
flight phases during each stride (Brown, 1986). Greyhounds demonstrate a circular
sequence of foot landing, with the majority (84%) leading with their left thoracic
limb when running in a straight line (Gillette and Zebas, 1991). During the front
support phase, the foot of the left thoracic limb lands first followed by the foot of
the right thoracic limb. This is followed by the front flight phase, in which all four
feet of the Greyhound are free from the ground. In the rear support phase, the
Greyhound then lands on the track with the foot of the right pelvic limb, closely
followed by the foot of the left pelvic limb. The Greyhound then enters the rear
flight phase, and once again all four feet are elevated from the track surface as the
dog propels itself forward (Gillette and Zebas, 1991).
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During the front support phase of the running gait, the force at which the foot of
the leading limb impacts the ground is approximately 2.2 times the body weight of
the Greyhound (Gillette, 1991). Consequently, in the majority of Greyhounds the
left thoracic limb absorbs the largest impact during landing, and may be,
therefore, more susceptible to injury than the subsequent landing limbs (Cook,
1998). The distribution of racing injuries between the limbs of British Greyhounds
has been reported to closely follow the circular sequence of foot landing, with
40%, 29%, 19% and 12% of total injuries occurring in the left thoracic limb, right
thoracic limb, right pelvic limb and left pelvic limb, respectively (Prole, 1976).
Interestingly, Gillette and Zebas (1991) reported that 100% of Greyhounds
observed lead with the right thoracic limb when navigating the bends of a race
track, indicating that a change in footing takes place for the majority of
Greyhounds as they approach a bend.
Greyhounds are subject to centrifugal forces as they travel anticlockwise around
the bends of a track, and will lean to the left towards the inner rail of the bend in
order to counteract the force and maintain their speed (Ireland, 1989). The lean of
the Greyhound subjects the limb joints to horizontal forces, when they are only
designed for considerable movement in the vertical plane (Gillette and Zebas,
1991). Gillette and Zebas (1991) calculated that for a racing Greyhound with a
body weight of 32 kg, running at approximately 18 m/s around an unbanked bend
with a 40 m radius, the limb joints would be subjected to a horizontal force of 25
kg. Increasing the radius of the turns, and increasing the surface gradient (banking)
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around the bends of the track, would reduce the centrifugal forces acting on the
Greyhound. This enables speed to be maintained at a reduced lean (Cook, 1998;
Gillette and Zebas, 1991; Ireland, 1989), potentially reducing the risk of injury
(Bloomberg, 1989, 1995). A surface gradient of 38 degrees would be required at
the bend of the track in order to negate a horizontal force of 25 kg (Gillette and
Zebas, 1991). This gradient, however, would be impractical to maintain using a
sand surface material on a track that is approximately 6 m wide (Cook, 1998). A
more manageable surface gradient of seven degrees at the bend of the track, for
example, would reduce the horizontal force exerted on the limb joints of a
Greyhound by approximately 16% compared to an unbanked bend (Gillette and
Zebas, 1991).
In a survey of injuries at five Greyhound tracks over a two-year period in the state
of Wisconsin, USA, Sicard et al. (1999) found that race distance, speed and track
design had a significant effect on injury rate, with an increase in rate of injuries
with successively higher grades of race. Injuries most commonly occurred at the
first bend of a race, where speed is fast and there is high congestion of dogs.
Greyhound body weight, ambient temperature, time of year, race number and
starting trap position were found to have no significant effect on the rate of
injuries. Sicard et al. (1999) reported that one Greyhound track had a significantly
higher injury rate than the other four tracks in the study; this particular racecourse
had several design differences in comparison to the other four, including a shorter
straightaway section and smaller turning radius at the second bend.
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Track surface conditions are likely to have an effect on the occurrence of racing
injuries in Greyhounds (Cook, 1998), as reported for lameness in racehorses
(Cheney et al., 1973). The majority of Greyhound stadiums in the UK use sand
materials at the track surface. Such tracks require regular watering in order to
provide a cohesive surface on to which a Greyhound foot can grip (Cook, 1998).
Inconsistencies in the track surface may result from poor track preparation or
maintenance, over- or under-watering, uneven-watering or poor drainage (Cook,
1998). This may increase the risk of injury, as Greyhounds are not capable of safely
adjusting to differing track surface conditions during racing (Davis, 1973; Gillette,
1992).
Greyhounds may sustain injuries during training, trialling or racing, however the
majority of injuries occur during the course of a race (Prole, 1976). The most
common injuries sustained are to the muscles, with reported incidences of 25%
(Prole, 1976) and 26% (Sicard et al., 1999) of total injuries in the UK and USA,
respectively. Racing injuries involving the tarsus (hock) are also frequent, with
reported incidences of 6% (Prole, 1976) and 25% (Sicard et al., 1999) in the UK and
USA, respectively. Tarsal injuries predominantly affect the right pelvic limb
(Boudrieau et al., 1984a; Gannon, 1972; Prole, 1976), most likely due to the
stresses placed on this limb during anticlockwise racing (Anderson et al., 1995). In
a survey of racing injuries in the UK by Prole (1976), 98% of all injuries to the tarsus
occurred in the right pelvic limb.
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Racing injuries involving the carpus (wrist) are also common, with reported
incidences of 11% (Prole, 1976) and 12% (Sicard et al., 1999) of total injuries in the
UK and USA, respectively. Approximately 66% of carpal injuries in Britain occur in
the right thoracic limb (Prole, 1976). The lateral aspect of the right carpus, and the
medial aspect of the left carpus, are the areas of the carpal joint most prone to
injury in the British racing Greyhound (Guilliard, 1998, 2001; Guilliard and Mayo,
2000a,b, 2001). The Greyhound has to counteract centrifugal forces while
travelling anticlockwise around a bend (Ireland, 1989). It is hypothesised that this
results in increased tension on the side of the carpus closest to the outer
perimeter of the track, potentially overloading the supporting joint structures
(Guilliard, 1998, 2001; Guilliard and Mayo, 2000a,b, 2001).
Racing injuries involving the metacarpus or metatarsus are common, with reported
incidences of 11% (Prole, 1976) and 7% (Sicard et al., 1999) of total injuries in the
UK and USA, respectively. In both the UK and Australia, approximately 75% of
injuries to the metacarpus occur in the left thoracic limb (Gannon, 1972; Prole,
1976).
The incidence of toe injuries has considerably reduced following the change of
track surface material in the UK from grass to sand (Poulter, 1981). In a survey of
injuries at two grass tracks in London, Prole (1976) reported a 41% incidence of toe
injuries. In comparison, injuries to the toes represented 13% of total injuries in a
survey of five tracks in the state of Wisconsin, USA, with surfaces of sand or mixed
sand and clay (Sicard

Geoff Collins wrote:

I went straight to the area that I thought would interest me the most and found this .. 1.10.2. Phenotypic Selection - page 60 Traditional methods of animal breeding are based on phenotypic selection, in which selection decisions are based on performance information from the individual animal only. The pedigree of the animal, and performance of its relatives or offspring, are not considered (Bourdon, 2014) First thing I read and if that is a reference to how she/they believe we have traditionally bred greyhounds, it will be the last

This is a quantitative study and therefore has to focus on measurable variables. Of course there are more aspects to consider when selecting sires/dams. The extract you posted above is a quote from someone else in 2014 and forms part of the background analysis for the researcher who conducted this study. Not all variables are currently measurable in a quantitative way. For instance, there are no validated tools for measuring the character of dams/sires. This researcher has however highlighted cortisol levels which indicate stress and it raises the question about whether we should be selecting dams/sires that exhibit low stress levels in our efforts to reduce possible injury etc. So her understanding considers a broad level of variables.

Whichever country takes up this baton, will lead the way forward in welfare internationally.

In the piece that Kevin posted there are over 70 references to other sources.

Theres probably some very useful information in the document but an author shouldnt just quote others without ensuring that they are 100% accurate. Just because its in print doesnt make it fact .. and especially if this document is sanctioned at a higher level then it will perpetuate that myth.