In the winter 2010 Malamute registration section I decided to search all the sires & dams for health testing results. This is what I found.

Of the 57 litters recorded there were:
13 health tested.
35 not health tested.
9 where just one parent was health tested.

Of the one parent tested litters there were two who had a hip score of 44 (sire) and 42 (dam). Both were tested long before the litters were born. I wonder what is the point of health testing if the dogs are still going to be bred from with such high scores! The sire with a score of 44 was used as stud in a kennel who has been breeding and showing Mals for some time, pretty bad really!

Does anyone think if the KC refused to register litters from non health tested parents, or if the hip scores were way above average, that it may may make bad breeders think twice? Surely most people who want a pedigree dog will want KC registration and a pedigree certificate. In an ideal world would pf's and byb's curb their breeding - or am I just being niave?

Just a thought.

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

But some people will go and buy unregistered purebreds because only the show dogs aka any KC reg dog are falling apart the unregistered ones are so much healthier . Why would you use dogs with such high hip scores with other much healthier alternatives available? No matter how close to type they are HD is at least partially inherited

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"A dog is not "almost human," and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such."
John Holmes

Owned by Buster cairn terrier mix and Leo netherland dwarf mix bunny

Ooow - I dont' know! I don't think the gen pub are so astute to think that KC regd or pedigree without KC are any less healthy. I think some believe pedigree dogs are full of health probs and that goes for anything which has it's own breed, regardless of KC registration. That's just how some view it and even as a child (long ago, lol) people used to say that then, when pedigree dogs were few and far between.

I know if I own a pedigree dog I want KC reg too and always have done, long before I had the information of the internet.

As for breeding with high scores, I really don't know why that would be done. I know the dog with the hip score of 44 came from parents with scores of 11 & 7, showing there's no guarantee of pups with good scores but the other dog had parents with no health tests and that was the one used by the long term breeder and shower. Sad really!

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

Stupid question how can you check on a breeders dogs health scores, intrested in a mal breeder that's on the acreediated scheme but was curious to thier scores.

On anotehr note, I think it would be a good idea. It's crazy to here of people who pay for the health testing and still breed with high scores

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R.I.P Barney, I had 4 wonderful years with you, Thank you-29/04/06-25/11/09
The dog who saved my life
Proud owner of Maya, the Rescued Alaskan Malamute

http://www.dog-breeds-plus.com
Mine and My husband's Dog breed website

I met someone today with a very fat springer who was boasting that he wasn't KC reg wasn't working lines or anything and so was healthier than the show dogs

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"A dog is not "almost human," and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such."
John Holmes

Owned by Buster cairn terrier mix and Leo netherland dwarf mix bunny

you can check any KC registered dogs health test on here, ita atad slow updating info

Dog Health Test Search

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love me love the dogs

I would have to agree that IMO a GSD that is say working, like a police dog etc. looks better than a GSD in the ring with the sloping back and knock together heels, so maybe things like that doesn't help with the whole show dog image in some people's eyes. But a hip score above 13 for a Mal is not good and yet to use beyond 40..............

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Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

Think the average for a Mal is about 13 or it was, so its not like the results are even slightly above. Also if the other parent has not been tested then how does anyone know what they are.

Its been my argument all along (was discussing same thing with a friend who hasnt bred for years now). There is no point with technology improving testing, like DNA etc if some breeders are still not going to use it and take it onboard. The tools are there better than they have ever been, plus knowledge on genetics has improved. Way back all breeders had was things like doing tests on the parents and if they seemed not to be affected, then thought they were Ok. Now with certain things you can DNA to find out if affected,clear or a carrier, genes have been identified, some can be recessive. or sex linked. co-efficients on inbreeding are available, but are worth squat if its not going to be used and interpreted correctly.

As for the KC, they have had data for years. If you look at the older breed supplements, that are produced every 3 months for all the groups,that contain, all pups registered the previous 3 months. Its got in it Sire, Dam date of birth, previous litters, number of pups, date of birth of previous litters etc. from which you can work out how old the mum is, what age she is and was when she had her first litter, and how often and what regularity she has been bred. They have had this info way way before Pedigree Dogs Exposed.
They knew who exactly who was doing what and for years did nothing.

Yes BYBs and PFs are a problem, but Even some of them register so thats not a guarantee. Even then not all the "ethical breeders" are without blame either. There are a lot of good ones,not all are the same granted, but there is also a lot that practice double standards in the name of rosettes and CCs.

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I'm new to the whole health testing thing, but to be honest, health tests aren't really well publicised, you're only going to find it if you look for it. Most people who buy dogs, decide I want a dog, run to the ads and don't think twice about health testing because they're ignorant about it. The information isn't really there, and easy to access. Most vets don't even really have a clue. When I went into our local vet to ask about GSD breeders in the area, she just said, make sure they are hipscored. Nothing about elbows, nothing about haemophilia testing, nothing about the amount of socialisation that they need, nada.
Luckily I've done the research, but most people don't and won't until it's sat in front of them. Most dog owners won't even read books about training etc, and that's where the caesar milan followers come in, because it's up front and centre on tv, easily accessible.

And she shows those dogs, and has been breeding mals for years. Bet she uses the line about her dogs being shown as well when breeding as advertisement!

Absolute disgrace and another reason for me dogs should be health tested before showing.

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