Pedigree Cert

Vince32 · 22-12-2011 7:06pm #1

I sent off for my husky's pedigree cert and it arrived today, it show the parents, grand parents and great grand parents, and their reg numbers from the IKC.

But it doesn't show medical history, eyes / hips etc.

So my question is, how do I source the medical history?
Will my vet be able to source the info in some kind of medical nationwide database, or how is this accomplished??

Before I spay my bitch I want to know if she is worth breeding from, I have never attempted to breed before and I know there is a huge expense in time and money to do it right, so if my bitch is "worthy" of breeding from it is something that I would consider doing if the profile was right.

She definitely won't be breeding from her first or second heat, and I have no immediate plans (24 months) to even try it.

What I'm looking for is medical lineage, and at 14 months I'll take her to be hip scored, and if everything checks out I'll think about moving forward with breeding.

Again, this is something I want to check thoroughly before spay and remove the chance of excellent pups completely. I promise I will do the research and follow strictest guidelines when mating and whelping.

if it ever gets to that point...

suziwalsh · 22-12-2011 7:43pm

Unless your dogs breeder has had all the necessary health checks done on your dogs parents etc. it is unlikely that you'll be able to get any records.

You need to ask your dogs breeder for medical history. The IKC does not ask for medical history when registering pups only proof of pedigree which is easy to fake anyway. In my opinion papers mean nothing in terms of the genetic condition of your dog. Your own health checks on your dog (hip scores etc) also does not guarantee healthy pups.

I would not breed personally as it is very hard to get a good husky home that is willing to put the work and care that is needed for the breed. There are so many huskys looking for homes at the moment and even a husky/malamute rescue in Ireland to cater especially for sled breeds.

There is no dog in my opinion that is "worthy" of breeding, if she is a pet, loved and adored I wouldn't put her through the risk. Excellent pups or no excellent pups....you have the responsibility to ensure they get forever homes which is not an easy task.

Vince32 · 22-12-2011 7:54pm

Ok thanks for the info, I'll get in touch with the parents vet again, I still have the number somewhere, and ask them to email what I want too see.

As for any potential pups, I was thinking about breeding my own sled team, but this is to far in the future to predict with any accuracy, and if someone did express an interest in taking one I would make sure it got the ideal home, and not first come, first served.

At the moment all I can say with any degree of certainty is, it's something I'm thinking about, and I would enjoy. I may end up spaying after exploring the options but nothing is in stone yet.

cheers

andreac · 22-12-2011 8:05pm

What kind of medical certs are you looking for? Its the parents that will or should be health tested so you need to ask the breeder for these, not the vet. The only records you will be able to get for the pup will be vaccination records as no other tests can be carried out until your pup is fully grown.

Vince32 · 22-12-2011 10:55pm

well I don't really know what health checks are required before breeding, that's why I'm here, just to get a feel for what I'm thinking about.

Obviously eyes / hips are important for my pup, but how do I get the parents and grand parents history if the breeder can't or won't supply them? I haven't asked the breeder for the info yet because I'm not certain they will even have any on hand.

When I bought the pup, I called their vet and asked about the puppy's health, and the parents health including any genetic disorders, and I was told they had no health problems and showed no genetic problems, further I was told that the breeders were good people and took care of the dogs very well.

So I guess I want that statement documented and backed up on paper from a reputable source. Where or how can I get that?

Edit: or what should I do if I want to start breeding, healthwise?

andreac · 22-12-2011 11:07pm

To be honest, not being funny or smart, but its a bit late now, dont you think? This is the stuff that should be organised before getting your pup and asking the breeder for all the certs when searching for your pup.

Im sorry, but if the breeder wont give them to you then you have no way of ever getting them, as the chances are these tests were never carried out in the first place.

The vet or whoever gave you that statement was only saying that verbally, why do you think they would back it up on paper now? Again, as i said, this should all be done before you buy your pup, not after.

Cherry Blossom · 22-12-2011 11:25pm

Vince32 wrote: »

Edit: or what should I do if I want to start breeding, healthwise?

Have you enquired about membership to the breed club? Your dog will need to prove itself as a working or show dog (preferably both). Your dog should probably be hip scored and eye tested regardless if you plan to work her. There is no one here as far as I know who breeds huskies - you need to join the breed club and find a mentor through that.

To be honest you'll probably find many people won't take you seriously with a young pup that hasn't achieved anything yet and you not yet having gained any experience in the breed or of working these dogs. If you look up threads started by me though you'll find one on health testing with useful links in it. There might be maybe a 5% chance (probably less) that your dog will turn out to be suitable for breeding from though so I wouldn't get too carried away. I don't know what sort of eye tests huskies need but there is a test that has to be done before pups are 10 weeks old, if this is one that huskies need it was already too late when you got the pup. Future breeding is something that should be taken into account long before buying the pup if its a route you want to go down.

Personally I would suggest waiting to see how you get on with your dog as an adult and if this still appeals in a few years you will have built up husky contacts along the way and would be much better placed in few years time to make informed decisions and be in a better position to get a second dog with this consideration kept in mind.

What you are currently experiencing is new female puppy syndrome - where every new puppy owner feels that there is no other dog like theirs and feels the need that they absolutely have to breed from her.

Vince32 · 22-12-2011 11:42pm

I have to agree completely, and if I'm honest I will probably spay once she is adult, but like you said, I have plenty of time to build a contact network and get all the proper information I need.

AJ can you provide a link to the breed club?

Is it - http://allirelandsiberianhuskyclub.webs.com/ ? if it is, I've been poking around but haven't applied for membership yet.

if possible could you a link to an upcoming show I could attend as an observer. I ask because I don't know where to begin, and getting in touch with showdog owners and working dog owners seems to be the best place to start.

I know there is still plenty of time, but the way I see it, it's never too early to start learning and meeting people.

any help is very much appreciated

Cherry Blossom · 22-12-2011 11:59pm

Yes that's the breed club, there's only the big post christmas show left this year http://www.showdogsireland.com/Shows.asp?Year=2011

Dates for next year will be added as they are organised, there will be a list on the IKC website as well.

Shanao · 23-12-2011 12:01am

As someone who has been offered three (THREE!!) husky puppies free of charge in the past fortnight because their 'breeders' cant sell them, i would strongly advise against breeding huskies unless your dog is a truly outstanding individual who will definitely help progress the breed. If not, please dont.

Vince32 · 23-12-2011 12:14am

thats what I'm trying to find out shano, when I picked up my pup in Galway they had 2 shelves full of trophies for showing, and they work their pack a lot.

I don't know if its going to be a champion or not, but if it has potential, I will definitely enter her for showing when her time comes, if she turns out to be average and not really a head turner she will be spayed and live a happy comfortable life running and playing to her hearts content.

I'm sure someone, somewhere will give me a fair appraisal of my bitch and her breeding potential, and before we take that path, I want to be absolutely sure that were doing the right thing.

I know re-homing huskies is harder than most breeds, but I'm only thinking of breeding in the short term, perhaps only one litter that I'll keep for myself, but before I do anything I need to talk to people and get a handle on what needs doing, how to do it and what is involved.

Thanks for the posts, I hope I addressed your concerns properly, I know breeding is a huge undertaking and shouldn't be entered into lightly.

andreac · 23-12-2011 12:23am

What kind of shows did they show at and win? Was it IKC Championship shows or Agri shows as theres a huge difference in the 2, a very big difference.

I often see ads selling dogs sayin they are all ireland winners etc, but they arent at IKC Champ shows which are the ones that count. Agri shows really are only fun shows and dont count for anything as such.

If the breeder was involved in showing and working their dogs so much, then surely they would have carried out all the relevent tests before breeding their dogs.

Hellrazer · 23-12-2011 12:37am

Shanao wrote: »

As someone who has been offered three (THREE!!) husky puppies free of charge in the past fortnight because their 'breeders' cant sell them, .

Shanao--Id glady give one of them a home.Otherwise god knows whats going to happen if they dont sell them.

Vince32 · 23-12-2011 1:01am

Andreac, I'll pm you... there are some things I would say that might break the rules on the public forum about "naming and shaming"

Pedigree Cert

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