More on Selecting a Breeder

I had an exchange the other day with a potential BT home who ended up going to a large, out-of-area breeder. I dont know if they researched the other breeders here in N Ca or if they were in a hurry to get a dog or what. But that discussion has led me to continue with the breeder thread as more things come to mind.

I advise ALL my inquiries about Border Terriers (and all dogs) that they should investigate the health clearances of the dam and sire of any puppy they are considering. Don't be afraid to ask the breeder what clearances their stock has and what their policies are about testing their dogs. Also ask about how they support a dog they bred who develops serious issues.

Here's an idea on how to do more of the fact-finding yourself.
Use the OFFA website: http://www.offa.org/ . The Orthopedic Foundation For Animals has a database of all dog breeds where breeders and owners can submit data on the health clearances and test results of their dogs. This database is entirely voluntary so not all puppies in a litter will have data submitted nor will every breeder submit all of their breeding stock's test results. That is unfortunate, but also the way it is. So there are limitations on the completeness of the data but GOOD breeders DO SUBMIT the data on their breeding stock and thus it is a very helpful tool.

On the website you can check out the specific health clearances for the sire and dam of a litter from which you are considering getting a puppy. You can also see the results of some of their related siblings and half-siblings, as well as (for Hip Dysplasia only) a vertical three-generation pedigree. This pedigree will show (if all the members of it are in the database) the test results for HD for sire, dam, grandsires and granddams and numbers by category for siblings and offspring.
This is a very useful tool for assessing the risk (not the occurrence) of HD in a pedigree.

If the sire and dam are not listed on the database, that's something to ask the breeder about. It could be as innocent as that they were bred before they were 2 years old. Some test results are not listed or "final" by OFA until 24 months of age. Hip dysplasia is one of these. But if they are older and not listed, or are listed but don't have complete data shown in the database (any and all test results can be withheld by an owner), take the hint and ask the owner/ breeder.
Having good test data is not a guarantee of a healthy dog or a perfect puppy from that dog, but it is a great head start.

In a later post I will analyze some example vertical pedigrees of hip dysplasia data and suggest things to look for and things to be careful about if you see them.