AM CH Jencola American Dream CD, OA, OAJ, RN, CGC
A Hard Lesson Learned About Hip Dysplasia
I have bred my dog. I waited for four years to do so and only after she was fully tested and bred to a stud who was likewise. Most importantly I did not breed until I had spent years learning and reasearching about the issues that affect Border Collies.
I am by no means an expert but I am a reasonably intelligent dog owner who wanted to make the most educated decisions I could. My research came from talking to those who have been in the sport of dogs longer than I have been alive, multiple veternarians, the Internet, emails directly to OFA about my dog and her background, and books on dog genetics.
This Is Some Of What I Learned
Hip Dysplasia is polygenetic. meaning there is more than one gene responsible for HD and the environment a puppy is reared in plays a role in the development of HD
There is NO DNA test for Hip Dysplasia
Therefore, HD isn't something that a breeder can totally "prevent" any breeder no matter how hard they try to avoid HD can produce a pup with HD.
There is NO Border Collie Pedigree that I have found to date that is 100% free of Hip Dysplasia. you can be fooled at first but with a little research even in a pedigree that looks perfect you will find aunts, uncles, cousins, littermates, half brothers & sisters etc that didn't get a hip score are just unlisted. This may be hard to believe but I have spent hours on this subject. Because I did want to breed my dog I went looking for the "perfect" pedigree and to date haven't found one.
Therefore, I have this advice for anyone thinking of getting or breeding a Border Collie that is concerned about Hip Dysplaisa.
IF YOU ARE OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR DOG HAVING HIP DYSPLASIA GET A DIFFERENT BREED!!!
There is NO way to guarantee that a Border Collie (or any breed) will not develop HD Why?
Hip Dysplasia is too common in Border Collies. If we were to eliminate every dog that has produced HD or came from HD stock the gene pool would be so narrow that we would have even more health problems due to hidden recessives and lack of genetic varation.
There is NO DNA test for Hip Dysplasia and there is no way a breeder can control the environment the puppy is reared in after it leaves his/her care.
What a responsible breeder will do is assist you in making the right decision and or replacing your puppy (if it is a breeding prospect) if your puppy develops HD. Please ask the breeder what the policy is and get it in writing BEFORE you buy your puppy!
If you own a bitch please don't make the mistake the breeder of my dog did. NEVER breed to a stud dog that isn't OFA rated or equivalent! A reputable stud owner will hip score their dog and proudly list the result before ever allowing their stud to sire his first litter!
As for my situation. I hope my dog's sire's owner is enjoying having scored a point at the expense of everyone who was innocent of the arguement she was having. She took something that was discussed openly but not publicly and made it a public issue. By doing this I believe she only succeeded in showing the world how irreponsible she is. The issue of the Sire's HD came about AFTER we all had bought our puppies. Was his HD purely genetic or a combination of that and the environment she raised him in or is he just like so many other Border Collies who have HD but seem to have had the very best of care, who knows. What is important is this. He was a great dog. He came from great dogs. He had great attributes and produced offspring with those attributes. I have to the best of my ability responsibly tested and bred his daughter (who has excellent rated hips) and will do the same with his granddaugther. I hope to never produce or have HD in my dogs. However, I think it is better to produce great dogs that might have a problem than mediocre dogs that might not.
Only through putting our differences aside and using testing results to assist us in making responsible breeding decsions rather than as wepons to ruin reputations can we come together and eliminate genetic problems from our breed.
At the time I was reasearching my dog's situation I NEVER imganined I would need to keep track of sources to be able to PROVE my opnion's stated above. However thanks in part to rumors made by the stud owner mentioned above and her close friend who once owned my dog's half sister, I am now in the process of going back and listing as many of the sources as I can that I read when I was learning about HD. Once again I am not a veternarian but I am a concerned owner who wanted to make the best decision I could for my dog, and her possible puppies. PLEASE when reasearching this disease keep an open mind and do not take ONE person's opnion as the truth and act on it! The dog show world is full of unsavory people! That person that you think is your mentor or friend could have their own motive and might not have your best interest at heart. The friend of the stud owner mentioned above nearly succeeded in coersing me to spay my bitch and abort my litter! Beware our sport is full of "cut throat" exhibtors and breeders who feel that they must do unethical and mean things to increase their odds of winning that ribbion or selling that puppy!
However, I have found throughout my journey that those breeders who have been in this sport a long time (20 or more years) are a wealth of knowlege and like all people who have been involved in the sport of dogs for many years they have dealt with HD. I have been so fortnate to have a few of them take the time to explain to me their experiences with HD.They are my greatest source of information and assistance and I am so grateful to them. Many of them are breeders of the breeds I have but not all. I would especially like to thank one of them who is a veternarian and breeder/exhbitor of cocker spaniels. Her very frank and honest advice prevented me from acting on the bad advice of the stud owner's friend. I have talked to multiple veternarians some of whom are involved with other dog show people or are involved in the sport themselves. Try to find a veternarian that is involved with our sport or has been in practice a long time. I have found, unfortnately, recently that many of those who have recently entered the profession are somewhat dishonest when it comes to giving advice to people who breed and show dogs. I have had the unfornate experience to come accross one who will give false information just to convicne an owner get a dog spayed or neutered. It did not work in my case because I sought a second opinion.
Besides all the wonderful long time breeders and veternarians who assisted me here are some of my other sources of info. This is still a work in progress as I come across the rest of what I read I will make additions
Good luck in your journey towards being a responsible breeder and pet owner and I hope by reading this you will avoid some of the pitfalls that I fell into
Hip Dysplaisa In The Border Collie by Janet E Larson USBCC Newsletter Summer 1994
The Versatile Border Collie by Janet E Larson
Practical Genetics for Dog Breeders by Malcom B. Willis
Sheltie Talk revised edition by Betty Jo McKinney and Barbara Rieseberg
The American Border Collie Assocation Health And Genetics of Border Collies A Breeder and Buyer's Guide 2002
OFA--- However I take this with a grain of salt as I have noticed that OFA has changed some info on their web site and personally feel that they want people to believe one thing over another for because the end result will be more x rays and therefore more fees for OFA. I have questioned the ethics of OFA before on a database not related to HD. If you have questions email them directly and then cross check their advice with other sources.
There have been multiple articles in the AKC Gazette over the years and veternary journals are great too. As I come accoss the volumes that I found helpful I will post them
Dog Food studies are an interesting read and food for thought on issues that involve skelital deformaties in dogs. Once again as I come accross the ones I read I will post them.
Canine Lameness Learning Module by Heather Caprette and Jonathan Dyce DVM
Border Collie Health this is a great database for people interested in DNA only health databases. Only owners of dogs can post the results and it is checked
Border Collie Society of America The AKC parent club for the Border Collie. you can access some responsible BC breeders in the USA here. However, be careful! do not treat BCSA membership as a stamp of a responsible breeder. At this time BCSA has no guidelines to punish or prevent BCSA members from being unethical and unsportsmanlike in their conduct as breeders and or exhibtors.
Anadune Border Collie Database. Great info for a "basic" start on reasearching pedigrees and I love the charts on comparing the different hip schemes used in different countries throuhgout the world. However BEWARE. Anyone can post information on Anadune. it is not checked. False information was posted about my dogs on this site. For a long time I would constantly check to see what was posted and then email them complaining. I even tried to get them to remove my dogs some of which where added without my knowledge or permission. Check anything you see on Anadune to see if the same info is listed on multiple sites and or genetic health databases.
Border Collie Databases for pedigree research that I feel these are better than Anadune because I haven't found as much false infomation as I have found on Anadune Border Collie Database DK , First Dutch Border Collie Database great source of info has two sites one for show BCs and one for trial BCs
Most kennels have web sites and post pedigrees of their dogs this is better than any database to check pedigrees and learn info. email and ask these breeders and owners about their dogs you will learn a lot!
Sheltie Information
Sheltie Pedigree Lines a great source for pedigrees for Shetland Sheepdogs/Shelties. Unlike Anadune (for BCs) the info is actually checked for accuaracy before it is posted. This stops people from listing false info about dogs.
sbowlingsite Sheltie pedigrees history etc
The American Shetland Sheepdog Assocation The AKC parent club for the Shetland Sheepdog. While no club membership means they are an instant responsible ethical breeder stamp of approval the ASSA does at least try. They have a code of ethics to punish or remove those who are unethical breeders and exhibtors. I wish the BCSA would do the same.