How I determine how things are going is probably not the best way. I found GDC to be confusing to vets and owners and got really poor compliance even when I sent the family the forms to submit, the vets still used OFA prelims. This was sufficient for me but unfortunately doesn't show up on BG so many times this info seems to be lacking. I still want OFA however, I am realistic and do not ask families to xray twice, once at one year and again at 2. What I want to know at is simply are the puppies I've produced at one year of age vital and healthy. Have they had any limping? Are the dogs easy keepers or are they at the vet every other week with hotspots or ear infections? Do they eat well and have good stools? Are they in good coat and do they greet the day with a smile :) ? If at one year I hear that the dogs I've bred are those things then I have IMO done pretty good and feel ok moving on. Now that isn't to say at two the dog will clear but I have produced dogs that have mild hip dysplasia that are happy and vigorous and the owners would not have known if they hadn't checked. By checking we can talk about supplements to prolong quality of life. While caution should be taken common sense should also step in when evaluating the success of a healthy litter. Orthopedics are only one aspect of a successful litter. Temperament, trainability, adaptability, easy care, nice appearance IMO are what most owners are looking for. A dog that may not be clear orthopedically but not clinical can still fulfill the needs of a successful breeding and provide the owners with everything they look for in a healthy companion. In the advent of a disaster breeding I think one must always consider the combination and with great care proceed to breed the bitch to an unrelated male if she is worthy of a second attempt. The most important thing in this breeding is the open disclosure of the breeder to PPO regarding potential problems seen in the previous breeding so that PPO can make an informed decision if they feel this is a litter they feel comfortable with or not. Recently when looking at risky breedings (unclear sire/dam) I have started to ask myself, "would I want a puppy from this breeding". If I seriously can answer yes then I feel comfortable doing the breeding and just make sure that the buyer fully is aware of the risk. I do not like PennHip for determining orthopedics for the same reaons Dawn stated - it doesn't help with the issue of elbows. Only time can solve that issue. I am currently looking at using a young male who will not be 2 yrs old in time for the breeding so his owners have submitted to OVC. They do plan to recheck his hips at 2 yrs with OFA. I have no problem with OFA prelims as long as it is followed up with an OFA reading at 2yrs.
Susan Ablon Gweebarra BMD Balch Springs, Tx http://www.pageweb.com/gwebara
