Quote:
Originally Posted by Breezeaway  Mardelin, What Selected Awards?
Yes, I feel health testing in the most important when it comes to breeding. But how truthful are those tests?
FlDebra, It was only a few months ago,on 9/14/10 that there were only 38 yorkies that were certified. Now you are stating all YTCA dogs in the ring have been certified...where is that documentation or is that just your opinion?
I also have to ask why the AKC is not even requiring (just recommending) bile acid tests with the Yorkie even though they have one of the highest % of liver shunt dogs in all the breeds? Where is the health concern there?
The following is just one small part of the two articles...
”Who would admit that their OFA certified dog became crippled or the CERF certified dog went blind? Not the vets, not the breeders, and least of all, the burgeoning health registries that were raking in . OFA doesn’t care that less than 5% of owners ever re-certify a dog's hips or elbows due to expense, radiation exposure, or anesthesia risk. That alone makes a mockery of hip certification. But it gets worse. The priceless clear-hips certificate may not belong to that dog. Substitution has become so common that breeders joke about dogs that "glow in the dark." HEALTH CERTIFICATION (1) PERSPECTIVES, by Barbara J. Andrews CERTIFYING HEALTH CERTIFICATION & TESTING, by Barbara J. Andrews |
I believe that YTCA will be requiring, to win the club's award, that the Top Winning YT Dog and Bitch (breed points) and the Top Winning Owner Handled YT Dog and Bitch (breed points) will need to have CHIC numbers. Also dogs born after 2011 will need a CHIC number to qualify for a ROM or Top Sire and Top Dam award.
How truthful are the tests? Only as truthful as the dog's owner. If the owner chooses to cheat I would guess they will. But for every scum bag that is dishonest my bet is that there are many owners who use the tests honestly. I know that OFA will refuse to list a dog owners tests results on all dogs owned by a person that has been shown to switch dogs or falsify test results. I would hope that YTCA would take action too.
Unfortunately most dogs in the ring these days do not have CHIC numbers. AKC is a registry and does not involve themselves in issues such as dogs having CHIC numbers. There are a few breeds that require all the adult dogs entered at their specialty have a CHIC number. Wouldn't that be great in our breed? That rule in itself would probably put some breeders/exhibitors in an early grave!!!!
As for the frequency of the tests, one CERF and one OFA Patellar is required for a CHIC number in yorkies. And eye disease can be late onset. So it's up to the person wanting to use the dog at stud or buy a pup from a breeding pair of yorkiess to ASK why the dog's test hasn't been redone!!! Insist that tests are up to date. When that type of pressure is put on breeders they will start testing and retesting.
Hip Dysplasia - Do you know it is in this breed and there are kennels that are knowingly breeding and showing dysplastic dogs? As some parti breeders are welcoming CH yorkie lines into their breeding programs they should be very concerned with OFA results. And a one year old dog isn't going to test good for hips on the preliminary x-ray and then become dysplastic as an adult.
Knees - it goes without saying that you want the knees examined by manual examination on a dog that is fully awake. Not by x-ray and not under anesthesia. Why would anyone justify breeding two dogs with bad knees, parti or normal colored yorkie?
Bile Acid testing - Right now test results are all over the board. There is no consistency in the test protocol or test results. When the marker is found for liver disease I'm sure that you'll see that test required for CHIC.
You can find many excuses for not testing. Your post resembles the sentiments of many breeders. They haven't tested in all the years that they've been breeding so why start? And a good number have "secrets" about their dogs that they don't want known. CHIC is about disclosure. That is what so many don't want any part of! But given time more and more will test. Parti breeders want respect for their dogs and recognition as ethical breeders so will they start testing too?