German Shepherd dog

As far as I am concerned, noch Zugelassen hips are borderline dysplastic, if not mildly dysplastic. The classification is given by the S.V., usually at the age of twelve (12) months, and some dogs "improve" a bit as they mature. I would base most of this improvement on a radiograph of better positioning. But, even if they improve the S.V. normally will not change the score.

A dog with noch Zugelassen hips should be able to do everything that a GSD with better hips can do, provided he is capable of doing those things.. But (my opinion here) breeding such an animal would be a true trial of ethics, even if his ZW score was 95 and below. The dog would have to provide other qualities that are hard to find anywhere else.

The bloodlines are definitely important, but the most important thing is to find a family tree that is full of dogs and bitches that all have the combination of "a" Normal hips as well as a few "a" fast Normal hips, both combined with an overall low ZW. And, life is not always fair and no breeding is a guarantee of perfection. Do the research and breed the best dogs with the best bitches that complement the dog with their qualities and hope that Fate finds favour with you.

Now, for the staunch defenders of using noch Zugelassen hips in a breeding programme, I am well-versed with the "baby with the bathwater" speech, so just try me.

Regards,

Bob-O