Genetics Plays the most important part! - Page 1

I had breed and raise GSD since 1993, and I am really convinced that genetic is the most important when it comes to HIP DISPLASIA. I had try the best brands of dog food, suplements ( Condroitin and Glucosamin) and there is nothing that can really make diference, except genetics. Thats true that Condroitin Suplements had help a lot in the cases were I had loose ligaments, thats really good on that!, yet to Hip Displasia there is nothing like a good family background. Now I am trying to use only NORMAL and FAST NORMAL animals and trying to select males that dont have even a NOCH ZUGELASSEN dog in its first five generations. I know I am been too hard, but something must be done! This illess is ruining our breed, and we just are too condescendent with that. Many people realy dont care about! They use displasic dogs and all they want to achieve is a high place at the ring, thats not rigth whith the breed! Genetic health should be taken very seriously! Please give your opinion on that!

You are preaching to the choir!

I agree 100%. I only use "a" normal. I am too picky but I want to improve the breed also

A normal is definitely not too picky. Would you breed to almost normal temperament or almost normal health. While there are no guarantees it is worth choosing the best breeding stock in all facets of thier anatomy health and temperament. We must also use the HD zuchtwert program to its best advantage. As I have stated previously in this forum I would like to see agregate scores of breeding partners brought down to 85 or even 80. This would be difficult on a worldwide scale due to resistance from breeders who feel inconvenienced, individual breeders can adopt this policy of responsibility and make it a marketing point in advertising pups thereby bringing more attention to an important issue.

Great JDH, that should be a point! A breeder could make it a Marketing very strong advantage! If not many breeders are interested today in make it right, tomorow there will be many trying to do so! "A BREEDING PROGRAM THAT PRODUCES HEALTHFULL DOGS WILL BE VERY WELLCOME". Who would buy a puppy from a breeder who produces too many displasic dogs insted of buy from a responsable breeder that is having good results evertime a dog from his Kennel is Xrayed! No one likes to spend money with a puppy for a year or two and then discover it just dont feet in the breeds needs! Each healthfull dog is a contribution to the breed!

Jose, Good or Better for us here, we won't even breed a fair hip. Thumbs up to ya, I too have a very strict breeding program, Involves much more than just hips... Overall Health, Temperament, Drive, Trainability, Correctness (per breed standard) No coats, No Washouts, No missing teeth, No single testicle, Even down to eye color, there is much more but holy cow I don't need to list it all. We are being very very picky !!! Yes at some point you must give some to get at all, However I have minimized the give and am breeding to the Get to get the result I want which is Healthy, Stable mind and body, True German Shepherd Dog. Again goes back to COMPLETE GSD Excellent Post. :-)

thx for the support jdh. Jose, you are doing a good job,we,some of us, want to improve the breed and we try our best. Also I agree with Echo....I am picky,picky,picky.Any flaw I become aware of ,I won't breed. That said, I am newish to dog breeding but not new to breeding for excellance . As a sidebar,if this isn't overkill....my male I got at 18 mon. I bred to my nice female and still I checked both for STD because I didn't raise from puppy. It is silly but I am perfectionist...what can I say. I want great.

Many dogs/bitches that are sold by large breeders as adults are culls. Some for reasons that are unimportant to the rest of us such as the type of their progeny not matching the preferred type of the breeder. It is however important and now possible to check the record and progeny of a potential breeding choice. Between the SV HD-zuchtwert database, the progeny listings on this database, and even commentary in an open forum such as this (w/ a grain of salt) we have at our disposal more info than small players have ever had before. Thank you all for your excellent posts and very positive attitudes. I have always maintained that when we step into the role of circumventing natures breeding choices we take on a responsibility to consider those choices with the utmost care and to paraphrase the hypocratic oath " first do no harm". Further , to justify our activities we MUST produce real and substantive improvements. Otherwise we are nothing more than fancy puppy mills breeding the next generation of shelter dogs.

It only makes good sense to use dogs with the best hip conformation and avoid the NZ's whenever possible.