Big Paws Only Dog Forums
BPO Breeding Forum => Breeding Questions & Information => : Saint and Mal mom February 26, 2008, 11:13:37 AM
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Both my dogs are spayed, so I won't be breeding dogs any time soon (and by soon, I mean within the next like 10 years!) but I'm interested in maybe breeding dogs someday.
If I were to get a female or male from good show lines, healthy, meets the breed standard, and were to show that dog as well, what are the minimum health tests you recommend getting done on the sire or dam before breeding?
(not only breeders can answer this question! if you were to get a puppy from a breeder, what tests would you want the parents to have had done on them?)
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what are the minimum health tests you recommend getting done on the sire or dam before breeding?
It would depend on the breed. What breed are we speaking of?
While for most breeds OFA Hips & CERF is a standard many breeds also have further genetic testing that should be done.
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If the breed your looking into is a CHIC breed you can find the required as well as optional testing listed.
http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/breeds.html
Edited to add... What tests are required and option is decided by the national parent/breed clubs health committee. The required/option testing can change over time as problems are seen within a breed. If a breed is not currently a CHIC breed it DOES NOT mean it doesn't have genetic health issues it simply means the Breeds parent club has not requested to be part of CHIC. Also remember some issues can not be tested for so knowing lines/pedigrees is as important as testing.
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On a giant breed, I would test the following:
hips
elbows
eyes
heart
thyroid
and possibly more more depending on the dogs breeding lines.
250 to 300 bucks around here plus the thyroid test (not sure on that one yet)
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Thyroid test runs around $120 here (in health clinics)
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Thyroid test runs around $120 here (in health clinics)
Health clinics are the way to go for most of the testing. I have seen the thyroid as low as 80.00.
http://www.caninehealthclinics.org/
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Sounds like Hips, Elbows, and Eyes are pretty much standard to any breeding. If I bred, it would probably be a larger breed, no idea what one though; I love all the big dogs!
I'm going to do some research on thyroid testing. I definitely agree that's important too.
What about hearing? What does BAER stand for? I usually see that as the standard hearing test most breeders do.
What age should the testing be done at, and for larger dogs, how old should the dog be before it is bred? Is it different for male versus female?
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The best thing you (and I will say...) SHOULD do is join the club of the breed you are interested in. They are a helpful source of information for breeders. You should find a breeding mentor...a friend who has the experience that you can learn from. You can help them in assisting births of pups and will be there for you when you have YOUR first litter. Very often in the Leo world your breeding mentor would most likely be the breeder(s) you got a pup from in the past whom you've developed a relationship with. But you can find breeder friends at shows and other events too. The more you get involved with now in regards to reading, researching and hanging out with those "in-the-know" the more you'll soak up and retain for the future.
Obviously there's MUCH more to breeding healthy pups than doing health tests on parents but like most said, they are the main tests that most everyone does and then there's specific ones for the breed on top of that.
As hard as it sounds....firs t you have to pick a breed of dog! And get one! ;D