Unser Haushund: Eine Spitzmaus im Wolfspelz? - Wolf-Ekkehard ...

376Aus Charles R. Stockard (1931, pp. 253-262):The Physical Basis of Personality. London.George Allen & Unwin, ltd.Crosses Between Simple Giants and the Giant with Excessive Overgrowth 768When the simple giant, great Dane, is crossed with the acromegalic giant 769 , St. Bernard dog, large litters ofhybrid pups are obtained, and all the individuals are very uniformly alike. They are far above the normal dog in size,inheriting the giant stature from both parents.When less than three months old, the head and bodyform of these puppies is in general similar to that of the greatDane of the same age. They are not so heavy in type as the young of the St. Bernard.Between the third and the fifth months after birth two very striking reactions occur among these St. Bernard-Danehybrids. The frontal region of the head becomes pronounced and rounded, taking on much of the appearance of the St.Bernard, although it never becomes typically St. Bernard in complete shape. Accompanying this head growth there is anexcessive skin growth varying in extent among the individuals, but producing the typical looseness and wrinkling of theSt. Bernard, though not to so pronounced an extent. The brain may also in many cases become distended with fluid, givinga condition of hydrocephalus which is not uncommon in the big-headed breeds of dogs. All of these changes developonly after the third month of age; see Fig. 69.Hereditary Paralysis of the Hind LegsAnother even more peculiar reaction, arriving in these hybrid puppies shortly after three months of age, is theappearance of a strange paralysis of the hind extremities. These pups may all be vigorous, active, and well, whensuddenly one or two in a group are unable to support their bodies on their hind legs and are completely unable tostand or walk. Closely following the first cases every individual of the litter is similarly attacked. This condition ofinability to stand or walk may last for only a day or so, or for as long as several weeks. After a time, the animal learnsin most ingenious ways to compensate for the partially paralyzed condition by twisting the legs into various positions,and is again able to stand and walk with, as a rule, a more or less abnormal seal-like gait. In two cases the dogsactually learned to raise their bodies from the ground and to walk on their front legs exactly as a man does whenwalking on his hands. The dogs did this for a number of days whenever they walked and then became able to use theirhind legs again.768 Als Tierfreund möchte ich mein Bedauern für das Leid der im Folgenden beschriebenen Tiere (hybrids) ausdrücken (siehe auch Fußnote zuStockard (1941)).769 Zu den acromegaly-like features möchte ich weiteres Mal daran erinnern, dass die Erforschung der genauen genetischen und physiologischenUrsachen zumindest für die großen Hunderassen noch am Anfang steht, dass aber die Mediziner Stockard und Goldschmidt den Trend derUnterschiede zum Wolf ("hereditary monstrosities", "pathological mutants" etc.) schon damals ganz richtig erkannt hatten.