mbernard2424 Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 <post removed> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Fosher Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Nope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbernard2424 Posted February 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 Okay, thanks. Like I said, it was told to me a while ago and I've always wondered if it was true or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdarling Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 I've never heard that either. But I am curious ... did they mention "extra" as opposed to what? As compared to conformation BC's? Extra as compared to other dogs in general? Jodi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btrent Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 FWIW: My first border collie had one extra vertebrae (as compared with other dogs in general). This was discovered when we were doing a series of xrays for a gastrointestinal problem. So it is not impossible to have an extra vertebrae. --Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsADogsLyfe Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Arabian horses are said to have 1 less vertebrae than other breeds. Also 1 less rib. In the case of the Arabian, they have stronger backs so even though they are small horses, they can carry heavy loads because their backs are stronger. What would the purpose be for an extra vertebrae? There are other breeds of dog with longer than tall structure would they perhaps have an extra vertebrae also? Again I wonder what purpose this would serve. Guess we could all have our dogs x-rayed to answer this question.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjk05 Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Never heard that one, do have a goose rumped dog though. Doesn't seem any better/sounder/more able than the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katelynn & Gang Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 My first border collie had one extra vertebrae (as compared with other dogs in general). My aunt also has a rescue dog with a extra one but the dog is unsound (purbred, they know her breeding which isn't good and porbably explains her lameness, not the extra vertebrae - I'll find out what the vet had said though). How many are they suppose to have? *runs to look at old xrays of Dice to see if she can count them* Katelynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borderlicious Posted February 13, 2008 Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 My dog's rear is level with and sometimes (depending on her growth) lower than her shoulders. Doesn't affect her ability to work at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madvibes Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 I was told by someone very knowledgeable about BCs that it is ideal for a working-bred BC to be higher in the rump than in the shoulders and that BCs have an extra vertebra in their backbones because of this height difference. Anyone else heard this? if every border collie had an extra vertebrae, that would be a significant enough difference in morphology to classify them in their own subspecies. perhaps they should be, anyway! but i suspect if a dog has an 'extra' vertebrae, it's a defect. maybe not a bad one though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.