| Author |
Message |
Stacey Kubyn
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 6, 1999 - 12:05 pm: | |
The Ovcharka breeds, like all large breeds, may be afflicted with HIP and ELBOW DYSPLASIA, hereditary and potentially crippling disorders. Buy only from breeders who screen their breeding stock through Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA - http://www.offa.org), Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program (PennHip), Genetic Disease Control (GDC), Ontario Veterinary College in Canada (OVC), or several European
Ethical breeders must screen and DISCLOSE results to the buying public. Good breeders breed for the total dog - Temperament/working ability, conformation and genetic health!
Beware breeder who knowingly breed dysplastic dogs and make excuses and attempt to mislead the buying public with statements such as:
A) "The breeds don't have dysplasia"
B) "My dog is xrayed" (without proof of evaluation"
c) "To breed a shy, fearful, CO that has good hips and ok confirmation,it is in my opinion, worse then breeding to a correct working temperament dog, with excellent confirmation and no hip screening. To many americans the hip screening seems to be the only criteria for a breed worthy dog." (These breeders are usually knowingly breeding diseased dogs and trying to confuse the buying public).
-stacey kubyn |
Jeannine
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 6, 1999 - 12:34 pm: | |
What I dont understand is if you dont screen for HD, how are you supposed to know what you will produce.
If you loved you bitch, doesn't it also make sense to check her hips NOT just for producing, But for her own sake? Do you really want to put a litter a year pressure on her hips? NOT knowing if it will put her in pain?
All the Ovcharka breeds can have hip and elbow dysplasia in their lines period. Anyone who suggests otherwise are just plain in denial for the sake of not wanting to lose a sale!
Every breeder needs to take into consideration the following:
1. Health>> What good is a working dog if it can't walk let alone run and fight off a predator?
2. Working ability & Temperment. I hope we never see a timid CAO or CO for the sake of a ribbon.
Yet I have seen them. That is terrible.
3. Comformation>> which standard to use? That will be a good questions to ask in the future.
In conclusion anyone who is NOT breeding for the
all around dog which would include ALL the above will be listed here as a breeder who does
NOT care about the breed JUST their pocketbooks.
Jeannine De Palma
A breeder who has to improve on her CAO's hips! But has clear elbows, comformation,
& has shown to have the classic working ability
& temperament for the breed. Yet I will seek to improve on My lines of temperament. Why? because my bitch could NOT go into the average dog owners' homes or farms. She has a high defense level that needs to be toned down a bit to live in America.
Yet you will NEVER see me breed the temperament out of the breed like other breeders are doing now!!
|
Kimberlee Kerley
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 - 10:39 am: | |
In defining "working ability" for a livestock guardian.. how do most breeders do that ?
As a sheep person, I expect to see working parents. Seems like the CO breeders here are
not sheep or livestock people and thus havent
tested their stock for working ability.
Please let me know how breeders here are making these determinations?
Kim Kerley |
Stacey Kubyn
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 - 12:51 pm: | |
Hi Kim,
Since the Caucasian is versatile and both a village and livestock guardian, one could prove "working ability" (different aspects) through testing dogs and earning various working titles, "working" the dog in a nontraditional specialization such as Search&Rescue, and having dogs in the traditional role of flock protector.
Often people advertising "working dogs" that must be bred, generally have NEITHER titled dogs nor flocks, and lines that have not done livestock protection for decades, but instead may have a bunch of untitled dogs chained on small acreage with perhaps some chickens. They scream from the tree tops that they have "working dogs" and somehow make that an excuse not to xray dogs for hip dysplasia and as an excuse to set up more backyard breeders just like themselves. Please see my post, "7 Acres and a Chicken Coop" in the LGD section.
Best regards,
Stacey Kubyn
Esquire Caucasians
http://www.esquirecaucasians.com |
kimberlee kerley
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 - 4:59 pm: | |
Hi Stacy,
I did read that post " 7 Acres and a Chicken Coop" and found it quite amusing since my very first rescue was a Pyrenees from a place.. more like "5 acres and 10 Chickens coops and a few ducks". Although Gem could walk around with the chickens and she was very careful, she still was bored and climbed the fence and wandered around town.. I think more dogs would have made the situation completly intolerable and I really can't imagine a reputable breeder keeping any kind of guardian in that way. Gem's situation was simply a guardian pet and she was much happier after being rescued from her lot!! |
Stacey Kubyn
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 20, 1999 - 5:27 pm: | |
To clarify, my "Chicken Coop" post was not intended to denigrate owners who have legitimate bird guards, but to point out that the "Chicken Coop" is being used as an excuse not to xray breeding dogs for dysplasia.
Best regards,
Stacey Kubyn
Esquire Caucasians
http://www.esquirecaucasians.com |
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