08/30/05

There are two types of Dysplasia to look for

Basically this is a problem when the joints aren't formed as well as they should be.  This leads to levels of soundness in hips.  A dysplastic dog has pain when walking and won't move much due to this pain. 

There is no scientific evidence that exercise causes dyplasia, however, a dog with poor hips can aggravate the condition by excessive exercise.

The current system in place it to X-ray the hips and then breed for better hips scores.  However, this does not guarantee that dysplasia won't occur.  Two dogs with excellent hips can still produce a dysplastic dog.  However, the statistics show that the better the hips the parents have, the better the chance for good hips on the off spring.

For more information on the procedures for scores and the problem itself go to:

www.offa.org

www.pennhip.org

All of our breeding stock is registered hip scored in the OFA database.  Also, ensure that you see copies of the certificates of the parents.