Hip scores and Golden Retriever Stud Dogs

[keeperscottage]

We're currently anxiously awaiting the result of our Golden Retriever's hip score as we want to breed just one litter from her before having her spayed. Lottie's quite dark (which we like) and although we've been told that a litter can contain light and dark puppies, we'd like to put her to a dark golden stud dog. We really want a working dog and found one we liked in Nottingham but have been told recently that he has "dodgy" hips. Most of the local stud dogs are show dogs but we were recommended to someone in Norfolk (a bit closer to home!) who has two dark golden stud dogs, both field trials champions, so we were very interested. The stud dog owner sent me some photographs (they look nice) but (and I quote from her letter) "Their hips haven't been done........as when I went to my vet last year to get them done [ie, hip scored] my vet told me it wasn't worth it as they hadn't shown any signs of lameness and it would have shown up by now......and we are now in our fifth generation and have had no reports of high hip scores". The owner told me that the puppies were selling at about £700 each but I wouldn't pay that much for a puppy where only one parent had been hip scored! What do you think? Should we look elsewhere for Lottie's "husband"?

 

[GinaB]

Look elsewhere! What a stupid thing to do. As for the vet

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Maybe you should ask what the name of the veterinarian was first, so you know who to avoid in a possible future. Other than that,

RUN! And don't look back.

 

[Spudlet]

A reputable breeder would get a hip score done... flee!

 

[MurphysMinder]

Ditto everyone else, don't touch with a barge pole, aAnd the vet wants shooting. Mind you some friends had their bitch x rayed and they looked bad, vet suggested they didn't send them off as it would only reflect badly on their kennel

 

[FinnishLapphund]

The more I think of it, the more idiotic it sounds. I just have to say this too,
[ QUOTE ]
"Their hips haven't been done........as when I went to my vet last year to get them done [ie, hip scored] my vet told me it wasn't worth it as they hadn't shown any signs of lameness and it would have shown up by now......and we are now in our fifth generation and have had no reports of high hip scores".

[/ QUOTE ]
Well with that attitude, how many of "their" puppy-buyers have had their dog hip-scored? Notice that he/she didn't say that they only have had low scores on those that have been scored, it's difficult to get high scores if f.ex. nobody is hip-scored!

I would actually prefer using an otherwise great dog that I knew didn't have the very best hip-score, rather than a dog without hip-score being owned by such an owner. Such master, such dog...



As for the vet your friend met MurphysMinder, who knows, maybe he/she have had bad reactions from previous breeders in similar situations, afterwards complaining about the vet ruining their reputation or something. After all, everybody doesn't know that there is multiple factors involved with getting good hip-scores, some people believes that stud dog with good hip-score mated to brood bitch with good hip-score can only equal puppies with good hips. In reality it only equals a better chance of getting a puppy with good hips.

 

[Happy Horse]

When we were looking for a Lab pup everything we read doing our research said make sure both parents have good hip scores. I think very few knowledgeable people will buy puppies without hip scored parents. A risk not worth taking in my book.