Selecting against Hip Displasia - Page 1

At the last year I had been very carefull about H D, yet it always apears. I had also read that it is a "Multifatorial" and a "Poligenic" desease. Since the SV police is to minimize it trought the HDZ system, How can I get the best results, if in my country local dogs dont have the HDZ number? I had been told the dogs coming from Work Line are better in this point. I would like people talk about, so I can make my point of view.

Hi there José: you wrote: "I had been told the dogs coming from Work Line are better in this point" You are right. Working lines have less problems with HD. The statistics learn you the following: I compared the offspring of 100 mothers of the BSZ-elite (mothers of the best placed 50 males + mothers of the best placed 50 females at the SV-Bundessiegerhauptzuchtschau) with the offspring of the 100 mothers of the BSP-elite (SV-Bundessiegerprüfung): Showdogs mothers: only 38,94% of their offspring have been x-rayed. Results: HD1 - HD2 - HD3 - HD4 - HD5 - HD6 60,11 22,87 5,98 2,93 0,40 7,71 The mothers of the top Working Lines dogs show: 54,97% of their offspring got x-rayed. Results: HD1 - HD2 - HD3 - HD4 - HD5 - HD6 71,24 19,25 5,30 2,81 0,62 0,78 The results are not surprising, are they?

I know people in my area of the US, that have bought Working Line GSD'S, and there have been problems with hips also. Working or Showlines, HD is in both. You just never know when it will show up. Like life itself, buying a pup is a crapshoot. Dawn

I am glad to see some statistics posted about show-line vs. working line hip production quality. I never gathered the data and made the calculations, but my gut feel has always been that the working lines have overall better hip quality than the show-lines. If from nothing else, just examining the breed scores of different GSDs. As we know, hip dysplasie is polygenic in nature and cannot be absolutely eliminated. Dawn I agree that is always a crapshoot-but one whose results can be predicted if one has enough data/history on hand. We know that failure of some hips is emminent no matter how hard we choose and try to succeed. Our present goal must be to beat the current overall failure rate of 19%. Will it always be present? I think so until we can sufficiently modify an animal's genetics a bit. And, we can all imagine where that idea would lead. Bob-O

The routine use of NZ dogs is not helping to reduce the incidence of HD in the breed.

Hello again, First I would like to congratulate Jantie! Because he always have some pratical results. I think the SV should give much more atention to Hip Displasia, it must he reduced! I know some entusiastic owners that are changing to other breeds, Belgian Malinois and even Groenendaels, just because of constant bad results with Hip Displasia. We know German Shepherd got the better control and breed program in the word, besides it (the SV) is the more organized club, why not to make an extra effort? Lets reduce the Hip Displasia in our breed!. The winners must "necessarily" be Normal (HDZ under 85, at list). You my think I am radical, but believe me, Thats the way! There is no beauty without work ability! remember the master?. Lets make an extra effort to keep our breed healthfull!

The fact that 54.97% (work line) of the dogs borned in this study had been X rayed while only 38.94% (Show line)had been x rayed, means a lot!It demonstrates that most people are just hiding the bad results or just arent X raying, which I dont believe. Health is much important and hard to get than angulations, movement, beauty and all those thing that are now producing winners! The winner must be a superior dog! a healthfull and noble animal! a true German Shepherd! Dont worry, if the dog is health, noble and so, able to work, the beauty will be present!

Jose, you may enjoy the following article http://caninechronicle.com/features/misc/milton_404.html It is directed to the AKC audience, but I believe it applies acrossed the board to all breeders of all breeds everywhere.

Hello Blitzen, it is not working. did you send the right adress?

It's working for me, Jose. Try logging on to www.caninechronicle.com and search for an article titled "Omerta, The Breeder's Code of Silence" author Sierra Milton.