New RVC research debunks belief that designer crossbreed dogs are healthier than purebreds

[skinnydipper]

Gamekeeper Bred KC Registered Labrador Pups For Sale in Skipton, North Yorkshire

Kennel Club registered Labrador Puppies from working parents with great temperaments. Dam Threshfield IndySire Thornton Moor StudOur working Labrador Indy has had a superb litter of ten puppies;1. Yellow Dog - Reserved2. Yellow Dog - Available3. Yellow Dog - Available4. Yellow

www.labrador-owners.co.uk

 

[SkylarkAscending]

Well since we are doing anecdotes….. can anyone explain why I had rescue greyhounds and lurchers for 25 odd years with no previous connection to the breed, and have now ended up with two JRT Because I have no idea (well, the JRT are George’s fault )

 

[Clodagh]

I work my dogs on shoots and very, very few gamekeepers and wannabe keepers health test their stock.
I’ve never bought a dog from a keeper… I wonder why!?

 

[MurphysMinder]

Gamekeeper Bred KC Registered Labrador Pups For Sale in Skipton, North Yorkshire

Kennel Club registered Labrador Puppies from working parents with great temperaments. Dam Threshfield IndySire Thornton Moor StudOur working Labrador Indy has had a superb litter of ten puppies;1. Yellow Dog - Reserved2. Yellow Dog - Available3. Yellow Dog - Available4. Yellow

www.labrador-owners.co.uk

First sign of health tests is grand parents on sire's side. And they have a higher than breed average COI.

 

[MurphysMinder]

And I say the above as someone who enjoys showing dogs and still thinks it's important for a breed (mostly - see an entry of six at a show with CCs this weekend just gone, as an illustration of how it's a dying hobby. Everyone knew where the ticket was going.)

FWIW buying a health tested GSD was easy as pie, for literally any dog in a pedigree I could access in a single search and click the test results, trial results and very often extensive videos of the dog working before I even spoke to a breeder. It's a culture that could do with being expanded to other breeds. The KC also needs to step up in this regard - I've said it before but there's two health tests on my dog that they won't record centrally, instead the breed club has to maintain their own database.

And I say the above as someone who enjoys showing dogs and still thinks it's important for a breed (mostly - see an entry of six at a show with CCs this weekend just gone, as an illustration of how it's a dying hobby. Everyone knew where the ticket was going.)

FWIW buying a health tested GSD was easy as pie, for literally any dog in a pedigree I could access in a single search and click the test results, trial results and very often extensive videos of the dog working before I even spoke to a breeder. It's a culture that could do with being expanded to other breeds. The KC also needs to step up in this regard - I've said it before but there's two health tests on my dog that they won't record centrally, instead the breed club has to maintain their own database.

My "second breed" is numerically small, classed as vulnerable due to the low number of pups registered. The majority of breeders are very proactive with regard to health testing, the breed can suffer from an eye condition which selective breeding could eliminate, and certainly very few dogs are affected. However a few years ago it was discovered a breeder was submitting false information , this was found out due to a pup developing the condition when on paper it shouldn't have. Turned out the breeder had used another dog for the DNA test, they were reported to the KC and the litter was down graded to "parent not recognised" status. However the breeder is still breeding and registering litters with the KC, and gullible people are still buying puppies from her, all the KC are interested in is their income.

 

[Goldenstar]

My last dogs have come from gundog breeders all health checks done .
Both were expensive and they need to be if it is being done right .
The two before that came from a shooting friend of a friend who who loved labs he was just so into them .
They where also screened he had the bitches and used a popular local to him working stud dogs we had two from these lines they where fantasic, super long lived dogs .
I think many keeper bred dogs to use they are a quick turn over with their dogs and ones that go wrong just go many of them perhaps don’t want a dog that can live to 15 they want dogs that work hard for a short time .

I was in the vets yesterday with apart one JR every other dog was a one of these ridiculous poo crosses of some type there’s either a huge huge number of them or they have loads of issues .

 

[skinnydipper]

First sign of health tests is grand parents on sire's side. And they have a higher than breed average COI.

Thank you.

 

[skinnydipper]

I wonder why test hips and eyes and not elbows. Hmm.

 

[blackcob]

I wonder why test hips and eyes and not elbows. Hmm.

Seems daft when the bulk of the cost is in the GA, it's only £60 more to submit the elbows to the panel as well.

My "second breed" is numerically small, classed as vulnerable due to the low number of pups registered. The majority of breeders are very proactive with regard to health testing, the breed can suffer from an eye condition which selective breeding could eliminate, and certainly very few dogs are affected. However a few years ago it was discovered a breeder was submitting false information , this was found out due to a pup developing the condition when on paper it shouldn't have. Turned out the breeder had used another dog for the DNA test, they were reported to the KC and the litter was down graded to "parent not recognised" status. However the breeder is still breeding and registering litters with the KC, and gullible people are still buying puppies from her, all the KC are interested in is their income.

That falsifying health records does not result in blacklisting from being able to register litters with the KC says it all.

We don't get vulnerable breed status as not a native breed, but have fewer registrations than anything on the VNB list - just 19 puppies last year. Still no additional help from the KC. One breeder falsifying records like that could cock up the gene pool for years to come.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I wonder why test hips and eyes and not elbows. Hmm.

Well if it's not on record, no one officially knows they're bad and that can't skew the stats, eh!

I have heard of vets telling an owner/breeder that the x-rays don't look amazing and magically they don't end up getting submitted for scoring.

 

[MurphysMinder]

Well if it's not on record, no one officially knows they're bad and that can't skew the stats, eh!

I have heard of vets telling an owner/breeder that the x-rays don't look amazing and magically they don't end up getting submitted for scoring.

Whilst waiting at my old vets I heard the receptionist tell someone who was obviously asking about hip/elbow x scoring "the vet will look at the plates and advise you if they are worth submitting" ! Before this practice was taken over one of the vets was UK renowned for scoring, sadly he has now retired. I had to say something and one of the other members of staff , who has been there for years, agreed with me and said "E*** wouldn't be happy would he ".
The trouble is if the poor plates aren't submitted for scoring it makes the breed average wrong.