Interactions between puppies’ body measurements and kind of maintenance and puppy test results

Abstract

The aim of the study was to verify if the kind of maintenance had an impact on puppies’ body measurement and if puppies body size had an impact on puppy test results. The material for the study were 259 German Shepherd puppies (124 males and 135 females) at the age of 6 to 9 weeks from 18 breedings registered in FCI. Puppies were divided into three groups according to the kind of maintenance. Biometrical measurements of the investigated puppies were also carried out. On the basis of the measurements, the index of massiveness and the index of compactness for each puppy were calculated. As a method, a modified puppy aptitude test was chosen. Puppies’ body measurements were analyzed as the index of massiveness and compactness in relation to puppies’ sex and kind of maintenance. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied and essential differences between the means were verified by Duncan test. Correlations between index of the massiveness and compactness as well as domination tests and final PAT test results were calculated. The average value of the massiveness index of litters from the same mother was compared with the single-factor analysis of variance using the least squares method (LSM) of the SAS software. The average value of the index of massiveness was higher in females, but the average value of index of compactness was higher in males. The differences were not statistically important. Comparing puppies’ kind maintenance, the highest value of both the index of massiveness and the index of compactness was observed in puppies born in the owner’s house and moved to kennel at the age of 4–5 weeks, and the lowest ones in the maintenance group „house”. The differences were statistically important. No statistically important correlations were found between the index of massiveness and the index of compactness and domination test results and the final PAT test results. Comparing the puppies’ body measurement of different litters originated from the same mother, statistically high important differences in the average value of massiveness index in progeny were observed in nearly 50% mothers, even within the full siblings.