The calm before the storm

This week has been a week of housecleaning and getting ready for the next litter of puppies that are hopefully due around the 9th of this month.

The parents to be are Oliver, GCH RaShars Remember When, CGC

and Abby, CH PHD's Ravin Reviews. Both dogs have outstanding pedigrees, have all their health screening done and have CHIC numbers. CHIC stands for Canine Health Information Center and it's a centralized canine health database. It's purpose is to provide a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists, that will assist in breeding healthy dogs.

Each Breed Parent Club has certain health tests that are required to be done and registered with the database in order to receive the CHIC number. With Dalmatians, a minimum of three tests are required. They are BAER hearing test results, hip xrays (registered with the OFA or Orthopedic Foundation for Animals or PENN) and either Thyroid, or CERF eye test results. These test results are linked to the dog by some sort of permanent identification such as microchip or tattoo and the dog's AKC registration number. All this information can be obtained by going to the OFA database and looking up the dog by either the registered name or number and breed.

This information is very important to breeders. Because health tests aren't about getting the best rating, although serious breeders strive to breed the healthiest dogs possible. They're about knowing what potential issues your dog may pass on to offspring and how to make smart breeding choices. The more information a breeder has - on the breeding candidate and their relatives - the more informed their breeding decisions.

And, from a puppy buyer's perspective, you're stacking the odds in your favor by selecting a breeder that utilizes health testing on their breeding dogs. I wish I could tell you how many times I have talked with potential puppy buyers who have or know someone who has purchased a puppy from a newspaper ad or pet store window. Often times the experiences are good, but they can also be tragic and costly if the parents of the puppy have hereditary health issues. And once you walk out the door of that pet store or backyard breeder, you have little or no recourse if your puppy is affected by a heritable illness.

With breeders who utilize these tests and databases, the chances are not completely eliminated, however, they are greatly reduced as dogs with health issues can be identified and removed from a breeding program so they do not have the chance to pass on any serious problems to future generations.

So, when you go to look for your next puppy, please do your homework. Research not only the breed, but the breeder. Look for one who breeds dogs with CHIC numbers. While the CHIC number is no guarantee that the dog has received favorable results to health testing, it does enable you to research the dog and it's relatives to see if there are health issues in the family. Ask the breeder if their dogs have them. Set your standards high and challenge the breeder to reach them. Don't settle for anything less than a healthy puppy from a reputable breeder