What Are the Methods for Selecting Breeding Dogs for Meat Production?
Currently, most specialized dog-raising households keep local native dogs, but not all native dogs are suitable for meat production. Some dogs are small in size and grow slowly, and even after long-term raising their body weight still fails to meet requirements. Therefore, when introducing dog breeds, careful selection must be carried out. The main selection criteria are:
(1) Health status
1. Mental state. A healthy dog is lively and active, quick to react, with its tail naturally raised and wagging from side to side. A sick dog, on the other hand, is depressed, prefers lying down and is unwilling to move, is emaciated, with its tail hanging down or its head lowered while standing motionless, reacts slowly to external stimuli, ignores its surroundings or is overly sensitive, and shows signs of fear and restlessness, blind activity, and mad running.
2. Eyes. A healthy dog has bright, spirited eyes that do not tear, with pink conjunctiva and no discharge at the corners of the eyes. A sick dog has dull eyes, stares blankly, often has eye discharge at the corners, or is photophobic and tearful, with conjunctiva congested or bluish-purple. A dog suffering from anemia has pale conjunctiva.
3. Nose. A healthy dog's nose tip is moist and cool, with no discharge from either nostril. If the nose tip is dry, even cracked, or a large amount of grayish-white mucus or purulent nasal discharge flows from the nostrils, it indicates that the dog may be suffering from a febrile infectious disease.
4. Ears. A healthy dog has clean ears with no unusual odor. Small dogs often have erect ears that can nimbly move in the direction of a person's call, and there is no scab or discharge on the skin on the outer or inner sides of the ears.
5. Oral cavity. A healthy dog's oral cavity is clean and moist, with pink or bright red mucous membranes, no tongue coating, no bad breath, and white teeth with no missing teeth. When the dog's mouth is closed, there is no incomplete closure or drooling. If a yellow tongue coating is seen and an odor is smelled, it is a sign of gastritis. In cases of stomatitis and pharyngitis, the mouth temperature rises, the mucous membranes are congested, and a large amount of viscous saliva often accumulates in the oral cavity and flows out in stringy strands.
6. Skin and coat. A healthy dog's skin is soft and elastic, neither cool nor hot to the touch, feels mild, and its coat is fluffy and glossy. If the skin is dry with poor elasticity, the coat is coarse, hard and messy, or there is hair loss or broken hair, and there are rashes, scabs, or severe itching on the skin, then it is a sick dog.
7. Anus. A healthy dog's anus is tightly contracted and clean around, with no feces or other foreign matter. When a dog suffers from digestive tract diseases such as diarrhea, the anus is often relaxed, the surrounding area is dirty and unclean, and even the tail hair is soiled.
8. Appetite and drinking. A healthy dog eats and drinks well, has a strong appetite, can finish the food given in a short time, and leaves no leftover food in the bowl. After eating, its belly is full, and the dryness or looseness of feces and the amount of urine are appropriate. If after feeding, the dog does not eat immediately or leaves the bowl after a few bites, or a large amount of food remains in the bowl, it is a sign of illness.
(2) Age
For raising meat dogs, one should start with weaned puppies, as this is convenient both for feeding and for management. However, sometimes it is necessary to introduce breeding male and female dogs of appropriate age, which requires age identification. A dog's age can usually be determined based on its appearance and the growth and wear of its teeth. A dog in its prime has a smooth, glossy coat, moves agilely, is full of vitality, and has spirited eyes. However, appearance identification cannot determine its exact age, while the growth and wear of teeth are often an important basis for determining a dog's age.
Young dogs have a total of 28 teeth, and adult dogs have 40. Puppies begin to grow teeth from 20 days of age. At 4 to 5 weeks of age, the first and second deciduous incisors are fully grown, and at 5 to 6 weeks of age, the third deciduous incisor emerges. By 2 months of age, all deciduous teeth are fully grown, white, fine and pointed. From 2 to 4 months of age, the first deciduous incisors are replaced. From 5 to 6 months of age, the second and third deciduous incisors and deciduous canines are replaced. From 8 months to 1 year of age, all are replaced with permanent teeth. At 1 year of age, the permanent teeth are fully grown, white and shiny, and the incisors have pointed cusps. At 1.5 years of age, the large cusp of the lower first incisor is worn down and level with the small cusp. At 2.5 years of age, the cusp of the lower second incisor is worn away. At 3.5 years of age, the cusp of the upper first incisor is worn away. At 4.5 years of age, the cusp of the upper second incisor is worn away. At 3.5 years of age, the cusp of the upper first incisor is worn away. At 4.5 years of age, the cusp of the upper second incisor is worn away. At 5 years of age, the cusp of the lower third incisor is slightly worn, and the first and second incisors are rectangular. At 6 years of age, the cusp of the upper third incisor is worn, and the canines are blunt and rounded.