Would you breed to a3 hips? - Page 1

Would you breed to a BSP and LGA participant if he had a3 hips? Just wondering. I know the females hips have to included in the decision. Say they were OFA good.

A3 is comparable to Fair, according to OFFA.

If I had a OFA H&E female of any hips rating, why would I mate her with an OFA Fair if  there are Good and Excellent standing at stud?
 
If I had a OFA good or excellent female, I might mate her with a fair stud only if he is really extraordinary (almost legendary) in many other ways.

 I would look at that males half brothers and sisters and litter mates and see how there hips turned out. Sometimes genetics does not have everything to do with hip health. Maybe that dog got worked really hard at a young age and that damaged the hips. This is even more common with high level competition dogs because more is expected out of them. If he has produced anything then look at that as well. Competing at the BSP is great but you don't have to be amazing to compete you just have to be better than most people. In my opinion the female is more important anyway.

If the dog otherwise had everything I wanted to breed my bitch to as far as temperment, nerve, working ability, sociability and structure...in a heartbeat!! It is not a finding of dysplasia. a-3 is still dysplasia free and I would not discount a stud solely because of that. CORRECTION!! I mistook this to be a query about "fast normal" hips and that is what I referred to in my post. I have now been corrected and know a3 is NZ, which is moderate dysplasia. My answer in that cvase is a resounding NO!

I would also look at littermates and 1/2 siblings hip status.  Also, take into consideration what is the "hip history" behind the female in question.  Also, are you ready to guarantee and replace puppies if they come back with bad hips in the future?

Something else to think about is that breeding to a male with fair or a3 hips might affect marketability of the puppies to working homes.

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com

"Something else to think about is that breeding to a male with fair or a3 hips might affect marketability of the puppies to working homes."

Why just working homes? All homes for owners who know and care enough.

HighDesert,

Good point as well.  However, I know the OP very well and I have an idea of what he is trying to accomplish.  I guess i should have taken my comment to Bobby to a PM. 

I thought it was good information in general though and worthy of any newbie who is interested in producing working dogs.  And considering the dogs he wants to breed too these puppies might be too high drive for just any home!  Placing a working puppy in a pet home is a huge injustice to the Client as well as the puppy!  Neither are going to be truely happy!  That being said not every puppy in a litter is going to be of working quality but may still have higher drives than the average pet!

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com
 

No.

I did, once - sort of.  Bought a Schh3,KKl-1 working line female with NZ hips, import from germany - she had been bred there and produced good hips....bought her pregnant to a very good male.  I was not comfortable with her hip rating but decided I would listen to the people who told me "NZ hips is the same as fair", "some go good, it is a non-dysplastic rating in german, etc".  Told myself I would get her x-rayed after the litter and before I bred her again.  She had no soundness problems, ever.  She had the litter, very nice litter.  I did sell the puppies but can see that the hip rating would/could affect if buyers would be interested in the puppies or not.

after the litter I waited a couple months and took her for hip x-rays.  Her hips were terrible.  Obviously dysplastic, obviously she should never be bred - ended up coming back "moderate" with one hip being severe and the other not quite as bad.  I spayed and placed  her in a great home, and hoped the best for the puppies.  Luckily all puppies had good hips.  Never again will I breed to or  own a breeding dog with NZ hips.  They simply should not be bred IMO, even though most likely they "have never read the x-rays and are sound and healthy until they are elderly" -

molly

Wait a minute. Isn't "a3" "fast normal"? That is not the same as NZ, which is moderate dysplasia.

a3 is NZ.  A1 is normal, A2 is fast-normal.

molly