Something that seems to bother me more and more in time is the health of dogs and the subsequent testing done in breeding dogs prior to making the decision to carry on a line. I was going through some paperwork today and realized I hadn't filed Leo's registration paperwork at home yet. I got to thinking about his training and what his career will be like with whatever things we'll do. And since I had his registration papers, I decided to visit the OFA site and see if I could find that any testing had been done on his dam and sire. Mind you, yes, I realize I should have done all this before getting him. But I'm not going to beat myself up over that now as I couldn't ask for a better temperament in a little guy. Leo is amazing.
Of course neither his dam or sire have been tested for anything which confirms for me the lies and/or lack of awareness (AKA ignorance) portrayed by the person whom I got him. In clicking around looking and reading on the site, I found the following:
Wow! A staggering 43.7% of Pomeranians have luxated patellas. Just about half. This makes me really sad for the breed because certainly it has been bred to an extent. Why is this not considered important enough to breed out? I'm not trying to make generalizations; I'm just asking questions. I realize there are many honorable, ethical breeders out there.
Here is some additional health information for Poms indicating they are a CHIC breed.
CHIC is the Canine Health Information Center. The statement on the top of their website says it all: Providing a source of health information for owners, breeders, and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy dogs.
I worry a lot about my doggies and want them to be as happy and healthy as long as they can. To me that means being as prepared as I can be, continuing to advance my knowledge of breed-related issues, learning more about temperament, training, health, and well-being, and striving to maintain or improve their health and physicality at all times.
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