Breeding our Dog

foreign_correspondent

Here is my mongrel at a rescue dog show! They are great fun and raise money for rescue too.



any excuse to post a piccie of the Badger! lol

lostinrates

What a cutie!

Frugalista

looby-loo wrote: »

Even then, 1974, the vet said this was an entirely preventable condition.

It makes me cross to think that 35 years later the condition is still with us. I don't know enough to know if the vet was right to say it could be bread out if everyone was responsible.

Unfortunately the vet was wrong - it is not totally preventable - however, continued hip scoring and careful selection of low scoring breeding stock should reduce the overall incidence. I use the word should as even well known geneticists like Malcolm Willis will tell you that there are many, many factors involved :rolleyes:. And no matter how careful you are, sometimes Mother Nature can trip you up.

A friend of mine bred a litter from generations of scored stock (her own and outcrosses). She knew the hip-scores of every dog in the pedigree. The puppies were carefully reared and all went off to their new homes. Time came for them to be hip-scored and all the pups had below average scores - except for one dog puppy who had a score of 53/53:eek:. For those of you who don't know how the hip scoring scheme works, this is the maximum possible score for the worst possible hips. Amazingly, this dog was sound and actually did well in the showring. His owners (who had bought him as a pet) still wanted to breed from him!!! Naturally, my friend refused to lift the endorsement on him. Could she have done any more? To people who didn't know the full story, would she have just appeared to be a careless breeder and a target for those people who seem to revel in "breeder bashing" without knowing the full facts?

I have hip scored my own dogs for over 30 years and am (justifiably) very proud of the fact that many of them have had 0/0 hips. Two weeks ago I took one to be scored by a vet who actually sits on the scoring panel. He tells me that there is now a "new and improved" method that is considered more "accurate". We shall see......:rolleyes:

(Can't do links so have copied from NSW Border Collie Club website)

Hip Dysplasia in dogs is a disease that is characterised by instability of the hip joint (laxity), pain and eventually degenerative joint disease. It is considered to be inherited as a polygenic character (that is many genes are involved) and may be modified by many nongenitic factors. These non genetic factors are diet, rate of growth, body weight and exercise. In one report, rapid weight gain in the first 60 days of life and the ultimate above average weight of the dogs was associated with a higher level of hip dysphasia than the control group.

The current method of scoring is based on an extended view of the hips. The AVA has tried to address the discrepancies that occur between readers and have instigated a review panel. A newer method, the Pen Hip Score, measures the laxity of the hip. Currently the radiographs for the Penn Hip System can only be done by veterinarians trained and licensed by the American Company that devised this system. In addition the scoring is done in America. Time and peer review will probably validate this as a more accurate method of assessing dogs for hip dysphasia.

By the way, those of you who are going to Crufts - what days will you be there? Maybe we could have a MSE Crufts meet up :rotfl: :rotfl: (after the judging, of course):D

PS: No, I don't own (or ever have owned) Border Collies!!

UKTigerlily

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Here is my mongrel at a rescue dog show! They are great fun and raise money for rescue too.



any excuse to post a piccie of the Badger! lol

Did you enter her in shortest legs? lollll Sorry badger you're a stunning dog! She looks so happy & look at those shiny teeth!

IsoChick

Yep, you can show a KC-reg neutered dog at a KC show, providing you've got a letter from the Kennel Club regarding this.

This is Murphy after his first show and first 2 rosettes this year. Although is showing and breeding quality, he was neutered at 9 months old.



We'll probably be showing him again this year, but only for fun!

foreign_correspondent

Did you enter her in shortest legs?

:rotfl:


I would have, but I thought I may have won that category myself which would have been embarrassing!! (as the vet says 'she is a big dog on little legs' - she is like a collie sawn off at the knees!) I cannot criticise - I am a big girl on little legs! lol

"shortest legs - excuse me madam, do you mean yourself or the dog?"
lol

My mum very enthusiastically joined the "best six legs" with her lurcher - and was really crestfallen that they didnt get selected!! If it was skinniest six legs they may have been in with a chance! lol (sorry mum!)

lostinrates

Frugalista wrote: »

By the way, those of you who are going to Crufts - what days will you be there? Maybe we could have a MSE Crufts meet up :rotfl: :rotfl: (after the judging, of course):D

PS: No, I don't own (or ever have owned) Border Collies!!

Because I'm not going with my dog, I'm going with not only a diferent breed, but a different group (on the Saturday this year) Its going to feel very odd not going on hound day. :eek:

hethmar

The volunteer group I am with for getting poundies out of death row was organising a Dogs Day fete to raise funds. As we are scattered over the country it was suggested we had to wear name tags so we knew who was who and perhaps have a parade of us in our personalised charity jumpers.

The head of the group was asked to judge the best rescue - and commented on the board, she only liked the "big, ugly ones" - blimey, for a minute I thought I was in with a chance of winning a rosette until I realise they were talking about the dogs parade.

foreign_correspondent

aww bless you hethmar!!! :rotfl:

Frugalista

hethmar wrote: »

The head of the group was asked to judge the best rescue - and commented on the board, she only liked the "big, ugly ones" - blimey, for a minute I thought I was in with a chance of winning a rosette until I realise they were talking about the dogs parade.

LOL :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I won't tell you the comments my friend made when I proudly took my "Best Bi(a)tch" rosette in to show her .

lostinrates - what a shame, I shall be there Sunday.