shortstep

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/3720/23/5/3 Website launched that will transform dog health 25-May-11 The first phase of a revolutionary web tool has been launched that will help dog breeders to find the most suitable mate for their dog, based on how healthy the offspring and future generations of dogs are likely to be. Mate Select The Mate Select service, developed in conjunction with scientists at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), is now available via the Kennel Club website. It will enable breeders to begin to assess the impact that a proposed mating between Kennel Club registered dogs will have on the genetic diversity of a breed. The service is intended to safeguard the future of pedigree breeds. Helping breeders and puppy buyers It will also enable breeders and potential puppy buyers to see the official health test results of all Kennel Club registered dogs, enabling them to make a decision about whether a proposed mating is responsible and likely to produce healthy puppies. Ultimately, it is hoped that the service can also help further our understanding about the health status of cross breed and mixed breed dogs, about which there is little information. Professor Jeff Sampson, Kennel Club Chief Scientific Advisor, said: “Mate Select is a groundbreaking service that will enable breeders to match the compatibility of two dogs based on the contribution that they will make to the long term health and genetic diversity of the breed. It is vital that genetic diversity is preserved so that future generations can continue to thrive. “The service, which will be available for all Kennel Club registered dogs, will also enable puppy buyers to easily find the health test results of parent dogs, so that they can predict the likely health of their puppies. It is intended to drive demand for healthy dogs and encourage and support responsible breeding. Too many puppy buyers unwittingly buy from back street breeders who do nothing to safeguard the health of their puppies or of their chosen breed and this service is intended to rectify that." Kennel Club Accredited Breeders Mate Select will include links to Kennel Club Accredited Breeders, whose members follow all of the recommended steps for good breeding practice, and list the health tests for different breeds that Accredited Breeders are required to use on their dogs. These requirements are continually updated as new tests are developed at the Kennel Club Canine Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust and elsewhere. Sarah Blott, head of the quantitative genetics team the Kennel Club Canine Genetics Centre, who has helped to develop the science behind Mate Select, commented: “Purebred dogs are an important part of our lives but we have a responsibility to use the information and science available to ensure that they are as healthy as possible. “As science develops and our knowledge about dog health grows there have become an increasingly complex set of considerations that breeders need to take into account. Mate Select helps them to make breeding decisions that will prevent the decline of genetic diversity and stop harmful genes from being passed down through the gene pools.” Mate Select Inbreeding Coefficient Calculator The Mate Select Inbreeding Coefficient Calculator, which helps breeders to see what impact their breeding decisions are having on the genetic diversity of their breed, is populated by formulas developed at the Kennel Club Canine Genetics Centre at the AHT. The less genetically diverse a breed is the more chance there is that they will inherit two identical genes from both parents – which could be beneficial genes but could equally be harmful genes and two copies would mean that the resulting progeny would be clinically affected. The Kennel Club banned close matings (mother/son, father/daughter and brother/sister) in 2009. Mate Select will enable breeders to be able to assess the impact that any mating will have on genetic diversity and use this in conjunction with a dog’s health test results in order to choose the best mating pairs that they can. Click here: www.kcmateselect.org.uk Mate Select - FAQs Genetic diversity - FAQs Health results - FAQs Notes to Editors: There has been substantial work and investment by the Kennel Club to help breeders to design responsible breeding programmes. Some of this work has laid the foundations for the Mate Select Service. The Kennel Club Canine Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust - In March 2009, the Kennel Club created a Canine Genetics Centre with the Animal Health Trust and invested £1.2 million to investigate the mutations responsible for 25 inherited diseases by 2014. There are currently 60 such DNA tests and Health Screening Schemes available to breeders to help ensure that healthy genes are passed down through the generations. The health test results for every Kennel Club registered dog are displayed on the Health Test results finder, which went online in 2010 and which now links to Mate Select. The Kennel Club Charitable Trust’s funding is also helping scientists at the Animal Health Trust to conduct research into developing better breeding strategies to maintain genetic diversity and improve selection away from disease. The inbreeding coefficient calculator on Mate Select has been developed as a result of this research. Genetic Diversity – Mate Select is part of a number of steps taken by the Kennel Club to maintain genetic diversity whilst preserving pedigree breeds. Such moves include a ban on close matings in 2009, the acceptance of dogs of unverified parentage onto the breed register and encouraging intervarietal mating and outcrossing – examples include the interbreeding of Bull Terriers and Miniature Bull Terriers to overcome a condition, PLL, in Minis and the introduction of a particular strain of Dalmatian (a Dalmatian crossed with a Pointer, carried out in the USA) to introduce the normal uric acid gene into the Dalmatian breed. Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme - Mate Select has links that enable puppy buyers to find Kennel Club Accredited Breeders. This scheme was established in 2004 in order to support and encourage responsible breeding practice. Members of the scheme are required to follow certain rules, which include socialising their pups, keeping them in comfortable and clean whelping and rearing conditions and giving their dogs the required health tests for their breed before mating. They are subject to inspections from the Kennel Club and if the health test results indicate that a mating is not desirable then the litters will not be registered as Accredited Breeder puppies. This scheme was designed to give puppy buyers an easy way to identify and find responsible breeders.

Good thing you are all haveing a good laugh about Christian fundamentalists, I believe they turn the other cheek. You might want to be carefull about some of the other religions in the world, as they may not be so tolerant of your using their religious beliefs for a good laugh.

Thanks Gretal, that is good to hear that people do show them and they will be looked at by the judges and placed.So then why is everyone saying to take the dog only if she wants a pet but to wait for one with out the dab of white on the chest if she wants to show? Also can you explain why the tri (why the standard says so and everyone seems to think so) has to have a lot of white? What is the reasons that a small abount of white on a tri is 'not good'. How does more white on a tri affect the breed in a positive way and less white in a negative way?

Just curious, about this white issue. Black white and tan (tri) is acceptable and black and tan is acceptable. But as I read the standard to be tri the dog have to have enough white, and to be black and tan it can not have any white. So a tri dog can not be tri if it has a little bit of white and can not be black and tan either. So is not registered on main and is eliminated from breeding. This flaw that makes it a dog that should never be breed from is not enough white to be tri and too much white to be a black and tan. Can anyone explain why this matters to the breed, why is so important to the breed that a tri have enough white and just a little white is very bad and that would eliminate these dogs from breeding? What is the negative affect, that would happen to the breed if a tri had less white than the desired amount of white? This precieved defect of not enough white on a tri must happen all the time, as if white (the S series genes) is allowed at all, it will keep popping up in different amounts. So how many pups are year are born that are eliminated from breeding because they are a tri with out enough white or a black and tan with a spot of white(a tri)? Are any of these dogs ever consider to be grown out and tested for mitral valve disease and Syringomyelia? If they were normal for these diseases, mitral valve disease and Syringomyelia, would any breeder ever consider using them to help reduce the chance of these diseases in the offspring (and future generations)? I notice there is also congenital deafness in this breed. This type of deafness is thought to be connected to white (S series genes). This might mean that tris with more white would have more risk of deafness than tris with less white. Is this of any consideration to the breeders of tris with more white?

Hi, Good on you for exploring something that is of interest to you. Goodness knows we need more breeders in the ANKC, so please do not be put off. This is what I would suggest. That you tuck away the idea of breeding for a while, not meaning to forget about it, but just put it aside for a while. Spend the next year learning about your breed, learning about dogs in general, and learning about dog breeding. I would strongly suggest to join in some sort of activity with your dog, such as obedience, agility, or tracking. This will connect you in with other dogs owners and some will be breeders, it will allow you to start to see some of the many possibilities there are in the dog world. It will also imporve your skills in dog training and will be very good for your dog. I would not suggest you join a breed club yet, that can come later. Then join as many dog forums and chat groups that can stand...LOL Look on Yahoo groups. Look for dog breeding lists, look for genetic lists, look for beagle lists, and look for a rescue list for hounds. This will open up hundreds of topics that you need to learn about before you ever think of breeding. Ask as many questions as you can and remember that not everyone on these groups will know what they are talking about. So always check out the facts. I would also suggest that you start to learn about what is going in the world of pedigree dogs and the law. Research Pedigreed Dogs Exposed, the Bateson (sp?) report, the RSPCA UK report on Welfare issues in pedigreed dogs. Become educated on inbreeding, COI, disease genetics, breeding for fit for function and so on. Also learn the dog breeding laws for your state and shire. Now if you wade through all this over the next 12 months, you will have a very different view on breeding than you do now. Then would be a good time to take back out the idea of becoming a dog breeder again and see what you think about the idea again. If you still think it is great and are now totally inspired by all you have learned about dogs, then welcome to the world of dog breeding!!! and now you can really get down to making some important decisions about the goals for your kennel. If you need some links, PM me and I'll get you some. Edited to add, I think in the breeders sections, you can post a topics but only breeders can post a responce. Not sure if Troy will open it up for you on this occasion?? Edited to add again..LOL just read some of the above posts, be sure to take up Steve on her offer!

Could not find a ANKC recommended list for health testing. Found this from the US. HEALTH and GENETIC TESTING for STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS By Margo MildeSBTCA Health Education Chair(Last updated August 2008) The most common health and genetic tests used by breeders and owners of Staffordshire Bull Terriers includes evaluations for Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, Patellar Luxation, L-2-HGA (L-2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria), and Hereditary (Juvenile) Cataracts. Less commonly used tests include the Cardiac (Heart) test (used to detect heart murmurs), the BAER hearing test (used to detect congenital deafness) and Thyroid evaluations (to screen for hypothyroidism). BAER HEARING (Test for congenital deafness) CARDIAC (Heart; records cardiac murmurs as indication of congenital cardiac disease) ELBOW DYSPLASIA HEREDITARY CATARACTS HIP DYSPLASIA L-2-HGA (L-2-Hydroxyglutaric Aciduria) PATELLAR LUXATION THYROID (Test for hypothyroidism) In the UK Kennel Club required 'Fit for Function' testing for staffies, http://www.fitforfunction.org.uk/document/kcDocument4D578.pdf 1. DNA test - HC 2. DNA test L2-HGA 3. Eye testing – should be done under the KC/BVA/ISDS Eye Scheme or the KC/AHT Scheme or the ECVO Scheme. (Eye examinations should be repeated annually and should be within 18 months of the date of registration of a litter). Gonioscopy is a separate eye test (for predisposition to glaucoma) and, where relevant, this test is only done once. However several notations are made to deafness in staffies so it is present in the breed, but no required testing.

Very interesting observations. I have never read that dilution gene is connected to eye or hearing problems or sex organ defects, only dilution alopecia. I think we would have to assume the eye and hearing problems are not connected to the colour blue. I will have a look and see what eye diseases are in the bred. I did notice a lot of white staffies for sale in DOL. White (extreme piebald white) and piebald are defiantly associated with deafness, which would explain the deafness problems. There is nothing wrong with people breeding for show, but there is also nothing wrong with people not breeding for show. I think breeding for show or not breeding for show does not automatically reflect the quality of the breeding program. I think this will become even more evident in the near future as greater demand and pressure is placed on 'fit for function' (pet being the only current function I can think of for the staffie). Now you could say that blue will come under fire in the fit for function area due to dilution alopecia, but this would affect all breeds that have blue dogs and currently that issues in not being taken up. Other than that, a blue nosed dog is just as suitable for a pet as a black nosed dog, eh. I think you may have a point about respecting what you pay for. that might include, that when someone spends a lot of money they tend to be more careful in their selection process and less likely to act on whim. Would make a very interesting study.

Just search English Staffie on google, 129,000 hits, LOL. What we do know is that any person contacting an "ethical and "responsible" ANKC breeder, asking for an English Staffie in blue will certainly not be getting a puppy. Because what we also know is that 'ethical (or has it changed now to 'responsible ) ANKC breeders would not have any blue saffies to sell, well unless they were an unfortunate accident of unknown recessive genes. As Blue staffies cannot be shown due to a standard that reflects a total lack of colour genetic understanding. Instead of admitting that and setting the it right, they just make a big deal out of anyone breeding or wanting a blue staffie with a god forbid blue nose. So 'ethical 'responsible ANKC breeders have driven up the price of blue staffies by making them appear as rare. LOL And what we also know is that the public still wants a Staffy (spelt Staffy wrong to show my ignorance of the breeds proper ANKC ethical breeder acceptable slang name spelling, which also exposes my lack of research on the breeds slang names and thereby demonstrates that I am not worthy of owning any dog) in blue, and they don't care about 'ethical' breeders peer pressure, proper use of slang names, nor entering the show ring with their pet, that these folks are best not to turn to ANKC 'ethical and responsible breeder' to buy their dog. And we wonder why purebred breeders and their breeds are in real trouble. It really does take the cake.

This is the only study information I know of from Australia, done with the NSW club if I remember right, and it has been mentioned on DOL in the past but I could not find it. You need to look up the relationship between syrinxes and syringomyelia. I believe that this deformity is thought to be the cause of the symptoms, but not all dogs that have the deformity go on to have symptoms. In February 2010, Dr. Georgina Child, board certified veterinary neurologist in Australia, reported that of 60 asymptomatic cavaliers scanned as potential breeding stock, 50% had SM syrinxes. http://www.cavalierhealth.org/syringomyelia.htm

Ok so why does she have no clue?? You the one who posted the topic and I am just trying to figure out what you are on about.

I do not like diluted colours for reason stated. However, I would be leery of any breeder that threw out otherwise great dogs from a breeding program due to a coat colour that is obviously in the breed, just because the breed standard is messed up or they can not show the dog. For goodness sakes it is a blue nose on a blue dog, what else would you expect, there is nothing wrong with that. Just another example why bred ring is under fire, causing a wrong reason to reduce the gene pool. BTW I notice the standard says eye rims only need to be 'dark' so I guess then can have blue eye rims. I am not sure what the topic was in the first place? LOL

Why do you say this ANKC registered breeder has no clue? Because she used the word English? for a breed from England, so as to not confuse it with the Staff from America for the persons reading the ad? Because she is breeding blue dogs that do not have black noses so can not be shown? Because she is charging more than you think she should? I have not seen the ad so do nor know what else was said, not do I have any idea what kennel it is, but just from the what you have posted I can not see anything that makes me want to publically ridicule this breeder and say she has no clue.

If they're willing to pay $2200 for a dog based on a colour that essentially prevents the dog from being shown successfully, I have my doubts that they'd be aware of a minor detail like incorrectly coloured nose leather. Expecting the average person to be aware of the differences in dilutes is being a little too hopeful, not everyone else is dog people and they just can't be expected to know these sorts of things. In my breed (where adopters tend to educate themselves pretty well before approaching us for a dog) we still have base colours incorrectly named on a very regular basis, never mind the average person actually having even a basic understanding of the dilutes. LOL I think they are more than willing to pay the prices. So that is there choice and we do not need to blame them for doing it. The breeder is breeding a coat colour that is listed in the standard. LOL Only thing I have a problem with is dilute dogs often have dilution alopecia, that I hope the breeders has warned them about. I think when looking at the situation you can't do anything except start at the beginning. That is we need to start with a breed standard that reflects reality. Either blue is excepted or it is not. If there is any possible reason that only black noses are allowed on this breed other then that was what was written down at the time, then they need take blue out of the colour list, or if not then change the black nose statement. Ether way it needs to be fixed. Now if people are just ticked off the breeder can sell her dog for these high prices, that is a totally different problem. You can not use 'not meeting the standard' or 'breeding blue dogs' as the reason, or buyers can't show the dog' as these are directly related to the standard, it is the standard is messed up and needs to be fixed. Time is well spent cleaning up our own houses, instead of spending time looking around the web for someone breeding dogs in a way we may disapprove of. I have always been told that standards are so important, so our standards should reflect genetic truths. Pretty hard to go after someone else when it is the standard that is messed up.

If you are referring to the comments about keeping dogs in the gene pool, While it is true that some breeds are over bred, when speaking of gene pools it really needs to based on science. Numbers are important for several reasons. One is COI. The more genes we have the more options there are in avoiding disease and increasing selection options. Even siblings have the potential to offer very different genes to the next generations, so from a breeding point of view the show champion may not have as much to offer the next generation as the non show champion sibling. I have no idea what the average COI is for labs but current thinking would say the breed average should be below 6% for 10 generations. Nor do I know the population divides for working vs show vs pet bloodlines. Also need to figure in the numbers of carriers and affected dogs for any diseases in the population (HD and ED come to mind). But as a general rule of thumb, more dogs is always better for the gene pool. BTW it is usually felt that the minimum number to keep a breed going is about 500 pups a year entering the breeding pool (meaning in this case ANKC main register). The more related these dogs (higher COI) then the more dogs you would need to offset this. At 100 pups or less a per year it is felt the breed is seriously endangered and needs immediate and active support.

This. We just don't understand enough about genetics at this stage to take these chances and reduce the gene pool even further... There are more than a few issues in the above. Pedigree dog ownership is in decline and I do think that restricting breeding by many breeders to only show homes is part of that problem but by no means the only reason for the decline. I also think that dog showing is in delcine and that we may see an end to this acvivity in the next 10-15 years, but that does not mean the end of purebred dogs. I agree that we need to keep as many dogs as possible in the gene pool, but selling dogs for breeding purposes to owners with no back ground in dogs or breeding is not the way to keep more genes around. Current breeding practices are doing more harm if you ask me. In one breed I fillow 3 DNA tests in about 8 years have lead to about 30% of the dogs being removed in one or 2 generations from the gene pool because they are carriers of a disease we can now fully control with DNA testing. That is a shocking loss of genes for no good reason and even done knowing it is not in the best interest of the breed. Saving the the gene pool needs to start with the current breeders if you ask me, not pet buyers.

Who says a breeder has to breed only to protect the future of the breed, as evidence by producing dogs to be bred in the future? I just can't see that because a person breeds a litter, that they then have an obligation to suppy some of those pups to the stud book for others to make future generations of the dogs from.

You make a great case to just desex the pups prior to placing them, which of course is not in the pups best interests. BTW not every dog is sold on desexing agreement because the breeder feels the dog is not good enough to be bred, in fact if I had to guess, more times than not, that is not the reason. For example not all breeders believe that just because someone might make a good owner of one of their dogs, that they would also make a good breeder of one of their dogs. In fact most people I know would make terrible dog breeders, some because they are far more interested in expressing and testing their rights then doing the right thing, others may not be good breeders of my dogs for other reasons. As the breeder I believe it is my 'right' and more importantly my 'obligation' to decide if breeding is a potential option for that puppy going into that home. If that does not suit the buyer there are heaps of other dogs they can buy and breed if they want. No one is making them buy my pup.

You just have to paint its nose leather black with some shoe polish before shows. Easy done, it's not any different to brushing up a poodle, right? Edit, typo Not my breed, but on reading the standard the colour blue is allowed. However this is contradicted, as it also says the nose has to be black. Perhaps this part of the standard was written prior to understanding the colour genetics for dilute gene. Just another case of breed standards not reflecting modern knowledge of genetics. But it does bring in up an interesting subject. Standards get updated to reflect current ideas all the time. For example some one right now is documenting all the changes in standards over time to reflect trends in breeding to increase height, bone size, and weight of many breeds. Since many Kennel club breeds have gotten bigger and bigger as the generations go by, so it is practice (over time) to change the standards to match the current breeds appearence. Even more important, is that all KC standards reflect current science, such as colour genetics but this being only one area concern. I think we need to be very careful that we present a current and educated impression. At any rate, I am sure this breeder's buyers understand the colour genetics of dilutes and do not expect to get a black nose on their blue dog.

Not sure what you are saying The pug Breed PUG Ranking 2nd (2nd worst hips) Number of dogs screened 406 % of excellent 0.0% % of Dysplasit 64.3% Is this what you are talking about? With pugs my understanding is that HD is often hand in hand with dwarf genes. It is true that most breeders do not score dwarf breeds, as it is pretty well understood they will generally not have good hips. Having 400 scored in any dwarf breed is doing very well. I'll see if I can find any infor from Norway Finland or Sweeden on hips scores for pugs, not sure if they mandate there or not, with other more pressing health concerns I am thinking they will not be screening all breeding dogs.

I know I am going off topic and apologise but what is the 'stem cell' process ? I would also like more info...if you could possibly be kind enough to start a new thread so we don't hijack this one...sounds interesting. There was this thread in the past http://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/142733-stem-cell-treatment-for-hip-dysplasia/ here is a video on the HD treatment with stem cells

Someone emailed me and ask how to find % of dysplasia in a breed. AVA (can't find it now), does a breed average score but it does not tell you the % rate of dogs that have HD in a breed. This below is from OFA in the USA Canada and Mexico, they are the largest databank of health screening information in the world (other countries also use it as they are one of the cheapest to score and provide a public database and on line lateral pedigrees and also list several other health testing data). Also for those interested you can also search each breed and review reports which reflect data going back some time, you can see progress of lack of progress made, historical numbers of dogs screened, and lots of other valuable information on current research and theories and breeding practices. Just go to the OFA site and have a good look around. For the information below OFA reminds readers that this is a volunteer reporting system and volunteer public access. So the numbers only reflect those dogs that the owners wanted their information made public. This means that the affected numbers would be higher than reflected as many people will not send in affected x-rays or request the information is kept private. I cannot get the table to load, but the first line has the headers and you can just follow the breed information using the header to define the numbers. Example; Breed Bull Dog, Rank 1, Number of Evals 485, % Excellent 0.2, % Dysplastic 72.6 Breed, Rank, Number of Evaluations, Percent Excellent, Percent Dysplastic BULLDOG 1 485 0.2 72.6 PUG 2 406 0.0 64.3 DOGUE DE BORDEAUX 3 368 1.1 56.3 OTTERHOUND 4 358 0.3 52.2 NEAPOLITAN MASTIFF 5 154 2.6 48.1 ST. BERNARD 6 2075 4.2 46.7 CLUMBER SPANIEL 7 806 2.6 45.3 BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER 8 371 3.2 42.9 SUSSEX SPANIEL 9 250 0.8 41.6 ARGENTINE DOGO 10 188 3.2 41.0 CANE CORSO 11 628 6.4 40.1 BASSET HOUND 12 196 0.0 37.8 BOYKIN SPANIEL 13 2721 2.0 34.1 PERRO DE PRESA CANARIO 14 171 4.1 33.3 NORFOLK TERRIER 15 257 0.0 33.1 AMERICAN BULLDOG 16 1684 4.9 33.0 FRENCH BULLDOG 17 803 1.4 31.3 GLEN OF IMAAL TERRIER 18 132 0.8 31.1 FILA BRASILEIRO 19 594 7.4 30.0 BLOODHOUND 20 2693 2.6 26.1 AMERICAN STAFFORDSHIRE TERRIER 21 2788 2.3 26.0 NEWFOUNDLAND 22 14369 8.1 25.2 BULLMASTIFF 23 5243 3.9 24.4 MAINE COON CAT 24 1047 4.2 24.0 AMERICAN PIT BULL TERRIER 25 683 5.4 23.6 ENGLISH SHEPHERD 26 294 9.5 22.4 LOUISIANA CATAHOULA LEOPARD 27 509 10.8 22.2 CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER 28 12082 12.2 20.7 ROTTWEILER 29 91161 8.2 20.3 GOLDEN RETRIEVER 30 127268 4.0 19.8 NORWEGIAN ELKHOUND 31 3694 7.1 19.7 GORDON SETTER 32 5839 8.5 19.5 SHILOH SHEPHERD 33 631 8.6 19.5 CHOW CHOW 34 5153 7.1 19.5 SHIH TZU 35 609 2.0 19.4 HYBRID 36 1024 8.9 19.4 MASTIFF 37 10220 7.9 19.4 CARDIGAN WELSH CORGI 38 1663 3.3 19.2 GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG 39 100407 3.8 19.0 GREATER SWISS MOUNTAIN DOG 40 2376 12.5 18.8 OLD ENGLISH SHEEPDOG 41 10389 11.5 18.6 FIELD SPANIEL 42 902 7.4 18.5 PEMBROKE WELSH CORGI 43 10313 3.2 18.4 KUVASZ 44 1684 13.4 18.3 CHINOOK 45 546 9.0 18.1 GIANT SCHNAUZER 46 4183 9.6 18.0 BEAGLE 47 807 2.4 18.0 WELSH TERRIER 48 101 5.9 17.8 STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER 49 521 2.1 17.3 EPAGNEUL BRETON 50 103 1.9 16.5 ENTLEBUCHER 51 274 3.6 16.4 ENGLISH SETTER 52 9860 10.1 16.3 BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG 53 15687 13.3 16.1 AFFENPINSCHER 54 258 3.9 15.5 AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOG 55 3194 4.4 15.4 SPINONE ITALIANO 56 1039 17.4 15.4 POLISH LOWLAND SHEEPDOG 57 444 8.1 15.3 CURLY-COATED RETRIEVER 58 1099 8.0 15.2 BOUVIER DES FLANDRES 59 7808 6.0 15.1 BRITTANY 60 17250 8.5 14.7 BLACK AND TAN COONHOUND 61 665 10.1 14.7 ICELANDIC SHEEPDOG 62 170 10.0 14.7 BRIARD 63 2246 13.0 14.2 TIBETAN MASTIFF 64 818 7.5 14.1 LABRADOODLE 65 107 6.5 14.0 BEAUCERON 66 324 13.3 13.9 HARRIER 67 306 9.5 13.7 LEONBERGER 68 1469 20.1 13.5 CHINESE SHAR-PEI 69 9364 9.1 13.3 ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL 70 13910 8.6 13.1 PUDELPOINTER 71 373 14.5 12.9 PORTUGUESE WATER DOG 72 7083 13.5 12.9 AKITA 73 15756 18.7 12.9 NORWICH TERRIER 74 602 7.5 12.8 BOSTON TERRIER 75 169 5.9 12.4 CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL 76 5526 4.3 12.3 POODLE 77 21109 11.5 12.2 WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER 78 206 1.5 12.1 FINNISH LAPPHUND 79 124 9.7 12.1 SMOOTH FOX TERRIER 80 301 8.6 12.0 GREAT DANE 81 11704 11.6 12.0 KOMONDOR 82 940 11.9 12.0 IRISH SETTER 83 10907 8.9 12.0 IRISH WATER SPANIEL 84 1219 17.4 11.9 LABRADOR RETRIEVER 85 215336 17.9 11.9 WELSH SPRINGER SPANIEL 86 1807 15.1 11.8 ALASKAN MALAMUTE 87 13409 16.7 11.5 AIREDALE TERRIER 88 5613 7.3 11.5 SAMOYED 89 15276 10.3 11.1 PETIT BASSET GRIFFONS VENDEEN 90 649 3.9 11.1 BOXER 91 5049 3.4 11.0 BORDER COLLIE 92 9749 12.7 10.9 ANATOLIAN SHEPHERD 93 1635 18.2 10.4 HAVANA SILK DOG 94 146 1.4 10.3 SMALL MUNSTERLANDER 95 127 12.6 10.2 PULI 96 1695 16.2 10.0 NORWEGIAN BUHUND 97 160 8.1 10.0 HAVANESE 98 2492 9.0 9.9 SWEDISH VALLHUND 99 166 6.0 9.6 AKBASH DOG 100 525 23.2 9.5 AMERICAN ESKIMO DOG 101 965 8.0 9.3 GREAT PYRENEES 102 5660 13.9 9.2 GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER 103 3851 16.5 9.0 COTON DE TULEAR 104 598 9.0 8.9 AUSTRALIAN KELPIE 105 114 7.9 8.8 STANDARD SCHNAUZER 106 3948 8.1 8.6 WEIMARANER 107 11485 20.9 8.5 POINTER 108 1425 13.5 8.1 MINIATURE AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD 109 917 17.8 7.9 WIREHAIRED POINTING GRIFFON 110 1816 20.5 7.8 TIBETAN SPANIEL 111 307 6.5 7.8 AMERICAN WATER SPANIEL 112 719 9.9 7.8 FRENCH SPANIEL 113 158 19.0 7.6 DUTCH SHEPHERD 114 170 19.4 7.1 VIZSLA 115 12569 16.3 7.1 BICHON FRISE 116 3245 11.2 6.8 BULL TERRIER 117 105 11.4 6.7 NOVA SCOTIA DUCKTOLLING RET. 118 1565 17.4 6.6 COCKER SPANIEL 119 12254 10.7 6.5 LHASA APSO 120 810 14.4 6.4 KEESHOND 121 4412 9.0 6.3 DOBERMAN PINSCHER 122 14513 18.0 6.2 FINNISH SPITZ 123 313 16.6 6.1 BEARDED COLLIE 124 4251 16.1 6.0 AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD 125 29390 16.2 5.8 AFGHAN HOUND 126 6465 29.6 5.8 KERRY BLUE TERRIER 127 1456 13.0 5.8 HOVAWART 128 121 23.1 5.8 ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL 129 6490 18.3 5.7 TIBETAN TERRIER 130 3726 30.4 5.7 SHIBA INU 131 2771 18.4 5.7 SCHIPPERKE 132 410 10.2 5.4 BELGIAN MALINOIS 133 2345 18.3 5.4 RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK 134 10355 21.7 5.1 IRISH WOLFHOUND 135 1646 26.7 5.1 NORTH AMERICAN SHEPHERD 136 335 16.7 5.1 SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER 137 5706 16.8 4.8 SHETLAND SHEEPDOG 138 18401 27.3 4.7 DALMATIAN 139 3177 10.2 4.6 GERMAN SHORTHAIRED POINTER 140 14590 25.5 4.3 FLAT-COATED RETRIEVER 141 5058 19.2 4.2 PARSON RUSSELL TERRIER 142 103 24.3 3.9 IRISH RED & WHITE SETTER 143 179 28.5 3.9 BORDER TERRIER 144 2309 20.3 3.6 BELGIAN TERVUREN 145 5479 25.9 3.5 BASENJI 146 2367 23.3 3.4 RAT TERRIER 147 389 13.4 3.3 BELGIAN SHEEPDOG 148 3797 32.7 2.9 COLLIE 149 2756 29.7 2.8 IBIZAN HOUND 150 302 36.4 2.6 PHARAOH HOUND 151 421 15.2 2.6 AUSTRALIAN TERRIER 152 168 6.0 2.4 CANAAN 153 409 17.1 2.2 GREYHOUND 154 339 35.1 2.1 SIBERIAN HUSKY 155 16597 33.6 2.0 BORZOI 156 835 30.8 1.8 SALUKI 157 258 43.0 1.6 WHIPPET 158 144 36.1 1.4 GERMAN PINSCHER 159 296 22.3 1.0 ITALIAN GREYHOUND 160 189 60.3 0.0

Just wanted to add. There is a thought being given weight these days, the idea that breeders should (by law) have to supply genetic disease insurance on pups. (10 point plan) From the little I can find out about this type of insurance, any breed that has a common inherited problem such as HD, the insurance would not cover that problem. I also understand these insurance policies cost in the thousands depending on breed. Which of course would be added to the price of the pup. So, if supplying insurance became law then no one would would be able by law to breed any breeds that had common inherited problems. You could also expect the cost of a pups from the remaining breeds to go up a considerable amount. Do understand this would wipe out more than 50% of the current breeds. So do be careful what you wish for, as you just may get it and sooner than you think.

This is a common misunderstanding about animals, however dogs are not cars. Dogs are made of genes not parts. Do you have any idea how many genes are in a dog? I do not see any time in the near future that dogs will be built in factories by big companies that design each gene in their bodies and then test those genes to make sure ever single one works perfectly. BTW even great dog breeders will breed dogs with problems. absolutely, I personally know of a great breeder that has encountered such issues. I also understand that cars are different to dogs, ;) My point was, that I don't think it's fair for a breeder to pretty much say bad luck, not my fault you were the unlucky one who ended up with a dog with problems. And then take no responsibility, and offer no re-embursement. Our family friend, who is a well known a liked breeder, agrees. I uderstand why someone should buy from a registered breeder, I didn't word that right. But what I don't understand is why should they buy from a breeder who would offer no re-embursement if an owner ends up with a dog with genetic/growth/allergy etc. problems. I just don't think it's fair for the owner, and I'm glad I'm not the only one. I understand, but lets look at this situation. Since we do not know what breed of dog it is, only that it is a giant breed, lets take Breed Giant X (this is a real breed but will leave off the name of the breed), according to OFA 48.1% of dogs of this breed submitted for scoring were dysplastic. Ok so the breeder decides they are willing to take those chances on hips to own this breed and they decide to breed a litter. Their parent dogs are tested and though neither have perfect scores, both are scored as not dysplastic. Now the bred stats will tell us that approx 50% of the parent's siblings on average will have HD, so we know it is in the lines and the pups form the litter will statistically have a 50% chance of having HD. All of this is told to the buyer and they decide they want to own this breed and will take the chance that the pup they pick will be the one in two that does not have HD. I do not think the breeder ever implied that the pup they sold had good chance of not having HD. If the breeder also said you are taking your chances just like we all do when we own this breed and I am not guaranteeing hips on this dog because he has a 50/50 chance of having HD. The only other option would be for the breeder to charge a heck of a lot more for all the pups to cover the cost of replacement of approx 50% of the pups they breed or to just stop breeding this breed because they can not afford to breed it and guarantee hips. Now if the breeder does not warn the buyer, if the breeder had not taken due care and not used screened parents, if the breeder implies the pup will be fine, then that is a different story. Giant breeds have several health problems, HD and ED are 2 of them and they are part and parcel of the risks of owning many of the giant breeds. If you do not want to take a chance on bad hips then do not buy a giant breed or any breed that has a moderate to high risk of having HD. Research in the future will hopefully reduce the risk, but as it stands now, there is nothing the breeder can do to prevent it from happening. That is just the way it is.

This is a common misunderstanding about animals, however dogs are not cars. Dogs are made of genes not parts. Do you have any idea how many genes are in a dog? I do not see any time in the near future that dogs will be built in factories by big companies that design each gene in their bodies and then test those genes to make sure ever single one works perfectly. BTW even great dog breeders will breed dogs with problems.