If you ever owned a dog when you were a child, you can probably recall the joy and exhilaration you felt every day, playing with your best buddy. Once you grew up and (assuming you) started a family, you probably wanted your kid(s) to experience the same things that you did. A loving, loyal, fun-loving animal companion is one of the best things in the world.
The best tool for breeders in the fight against canine hip dysplasia (CHD), to come along in years, is the SV's HD Zuchtwert, or Breed value assessment number (HD ZW). The HD ZW number is an estimation of the probability that a dog will produce progeny with CHD.
Historically, dog shows and other related events were developed with a very specific purpose in mind – to select and recognize those dogs with the best breeding characteristics, in order to guarantee the future health, stability and vitality of individual breeds. The practice of dog breeding is dedicated to this purpose, and dog breeders have a responsibility to do what is best for the breeds with which they choose to work.
