Re: [pyrnet] Pyr eyes (now dwarfism)

[JGentzel@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/22/00 3:05:51 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
lmweisser@olywa.net writes:


> Since the lifespan
> of mals seems similar to Pyrs, I look forward to Peggy's followup work on
> the dwarf health project to see how long Pyr dwarfs are living and their
> cause of death.


I am sorry to say that it appears to me the surveys done this way are little 
more than biased impressions.  I would feel much more comfortable according 
any reliability to any of this if it was collected and reported by one who 
was not connected with the problem and clearly has an emotional agenda and 
was not exclusionary to any dissenting views from their own.  Someone who is 
a professional in the area and not a lay person.  Bias is a normal human 
quality and does not imply anything dishonest, only mistaken impressions 
caused by an unscientific viewpoint.  That's why scientists adhere to strict 
rules and even then they can and do bias their results.  If we continue to 
accord much higher validity to rumor, bias, and the like and seem to ignore 
the little hard scientific information, I fear we will be at this a long time 
and the breed will continue to go to "hell in a handbag".  We are already at 
!
this over 20 years.  I just read an article in the Old International Great 
Pyrenees Review of a symposium where Bob Brown was on the Panel.  I would 
have to look it up again, but I believe it about 1978.  Bob said at that time 
he had examined several dwarfs and had found Lux Patella in every one of 
them.  Since he is a practicing vet and breeder longer than most of us, we 
would have to pay some attention to this. 

Joe