OFA/OFEL Registration - Page 2

I actually first put in the actual registration number in since I have the copy of the papers, as the breeder I have all of the information. I can bring up all of my dogs that I have OFA/OFEL and why I questoned her and that was when she said they do them but do not register them...so then I did email OFA to see how that works and they said she isn't telling me the truth. Just the fact she said she and many other breeders will  not let OFA register the results either puzzled me and why I first made this post to see if this is true among people on here. Again, this breeder informs me she has been doing this for 32yrs, compared to my 25yrs and knows more of how things work I guess...lol. Since I am a believer in I can learn something new everyday I do keep an open mind and do listen and read a lot, which that you have to think through to find what is real or true too. Thank you hexe for bringing this up.

Sound to me like she did a preliminary OFA screening and is happy with the results, BUT also not interested in now paying to do the real thing and get it officially listed on the website, after the dog is older than 24 months. A lot of people in my club did prelims and never bothered to do the real evaluation because they were satisfied with the preliminary information they received and felt no need to have a proper evaluation officially noted.  I believe that prelim results are not disclosed because the intent is for the owner to go back and do the real thing again, after the dog is older than 24 months.

Here is the description:

http://www.offa.org/hd_prelims.html

Preliminary Evaluations for animals under 24 months

OFA policy on Releasing Preliminary Evaluations to the Public Domain.

Frequently, breeders want early knowledge of the hip status on puppies in a given litter. Preliminary hip evaluations may be as valuable to the owner or breeder as the final OFA evaluation. This allows early selection of dogs for use as show/performance/breeding prospects and dogs best suited for pet homes.

The OFA accepts preliminary consultation radiographs on puppies as young as 4 months of age for evaluation of hip conformation. If the dog is found to be dysplastic at an early age, the economic loss from the cost of training, handling, showing and so forth can be minimized and the emotional loss reduced. These preliminary radiographs are read by the OFA veterinary radiologists and are not sent to outside radiologists. The same hip grades are given to preliminary cases.

A recent publication* compared the reliability of the preliminary evaluation hip grade phenotype with the 2 year old evaluation in dogs and there was 100% reliability for a preliminary grade of excellent being normal at 2 years of age (excellent, good, or fair). There was 97.9% reliability for a preliminary grade of good being normal at 2 years of age, and 76.9% reliability for a preliminary grade of fair being normal at 2 years of age. Reliability of preliminary evaluations increased as age at the time of preliminary evaluation increased, regardless of whether dogs received a preliminary evaluation of normal hip conformation or HD. For normal hip conformations, the reliability was 89.6% at 3-6 months, 93.8% at 7-12 months, and 95.2% at 13-18 months. These results suggest that preliminary evaluations of hip joint status in dogs are generally reliable. However, dogs that receive a preliminary evaluation of fair or mild hip joint conformation should be reevaluated at an older age (24 months).

*Corley, EA, et al. Reliability of Early Radiographic Evaluation for Canine Hip Dysplasia Obtained from the Standard Ventrodorsal Radiographic Projection. JAVMA. Vol 211, No. 9, November 1997.

 

So why then be so secretive about them and also breed her prior to what my contract states. I always hope a breeder of all people would wait until dog is matured before they breed, which I personally wait until 24 months to do so, I give people to 26 months due to females heat cycles and to give them extra time once again. I have most time waited until 2 1/2 to 3yrs old before making a first breeding and I also feel best to give a male a bit longer before using him in breeding program...just what works for me. I do not understand why she would tell me she certified her with Excellent hips/normal elbows since you cannot or do not get a grade on prelims. Maybe she did just do prelims, but no need to lie and say she certified her with excellent. 

Many (breeders) do prelims early because they want to breed before the dog is 2 years. OFA still send the results that they can show you. I would think that anyone who says they can't show you anything for the lame excuse of it is not registered is trying to hide the fact that the dogs hip and elbows are not good and/or just out and out lieing to you

I do mine at 13 months and send to OFA for a reading and also send them to SV I want to know if they are good enough for training, so I know that they give a pre-lim result,and that I can show it to a potential buyer as well.

Western Rider, you probably nailed it on many of the things you mentioned. When she wanted to change my contract to 18 months verses 26 months I felt then she was wanting to breed early. The red flags I should have listened to. Some breeders, not usually ones that claim to be so big and well known, figure when all lineage has hips/elbows done they are safe to just breed and take a chance. Now I wonder if that is what she did and because I asked how the prelims and/or OFA/OFEL turned out is when she got defensive on the subject, so I messaged OFA and have been speaking to them on this. Just angers me that a breeder cannot be honest. Of all people, someone that is so well known should have ben able to be trusted to do what is right by the breed. To think her harsh responses to us started when she posted about our 11 month old puppy running on 5acres and playing alone with a tennis ball...we messaged about using anything, especially a tennis ball, that is small enough to choke on unattended. Now we are judgemental for caring and it went down hill from there. I do understand prelims before you put too much into working a dog too and good to know that some actually do this and record it, since this should be what anyone that cares about the breed would do.