Hi All, I just got a very discouraging e-mail from a PPO who met me at a dog show last March. Because I didn't have a litter planned for another year, I provided her with as much educational material as I could and continued to stay in touch with her during her search for that "ideal" puppy, answering any questions she had along the way. She was a very good learner, asked excellent questions and when she found a breeder she felt comfortable with, asked me to take a look at the pedigree of the pups-to-be. As it turned out, the father of this litter went back on my girl Magic's lines so I had plenty of information on orthopedics, health issues and longevity. The dams side was a little less known to me but by using Bener-Garde I was able to atleast get the orthopedic info that I could provide her with.
The dam's hips were Fair and the sire's Good. The dam's littermates and siblings that were in Berner-Garde all had Good hips as did her mother and father. I pointed out the fair hips but also qualified it with the related orthopedics. Orthopedics back on the Father's side looked good with the exception of the great grandfather (puppies great-great grandfather) who was mildly dysplastic. Although I didn't know the other individual dogs in the dam's pedigree, they all came from breeders I knew and respected. I told the PPO, if I was ready for a puppy at the time that litter was whelped, I would be interested in one from this litter. She went ahead and got her precious puppy. Her puppy has just been diagnosed with bilateral hip displasia and grade 2-3 patella luxations at 7 months old. It's disheartening for me to have tried to help someone, educate them into making the best decision possible when purchasing a puppy and then have something like this happen. I imagine she feels the same way. She did everything right, but still ended up with a puppy with inheritable health problems. She has been in touch with her breeder who is devastated by this news and they are working together to try and determine which line this may have come down. I don't really see any fault here. Everyone involved did the very best they could, and still these things DO happen. The plus that comes out of this story is that I think our educational efforts are working. This particular PPO did do "her homework". I had another PPO, when I told her about a puppy needing rehoming, asked the BEST questions (i.e. if the breeder is suppose to be "reputable", why isn't he/she taking the puppy back)! We have some failures, but all of our diligence, hopefully helps the majority. Keep up the good work! Karen Thoubboron Maibock Kennel Pittsfield, MA
