If predicting hip type were that simple, there would be no more hip problems. If throwing out anything less than the top ratings happened, the breed would be missing a whole lot of good dogs.

THere are litters with Excellents and affecteds in the same litter. There are litters from 2 'a'normals with low ZWs where the whole litter ends up being put down due to HD. There are females who are fair who produce several litters where there are a high percentage of goods and even a few excellents. If you throw out every fair, FN and NZ you are really going to restrict what is available.

I just pulled up a couple of pedigrees from BSP dogs....Fero v Zeutener Himmelreich, Greg Zitadellanburg, Ernst Weinbergblick, Harro Leichrainstadt and were all FN; Torro Korbelbach was NZ - like these dogs or not, <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> , they are all either top working dogs at the National BSP level or sires of note producing dogs of that competition caliber. You can't just discard a dog on the basis of these graphs.

Lee touched on it, but the reason the SV has a lower standard for HD is because they see the benefit of not losing a dog's genetics because of a hip rating who may have other good qualities for the breed.


I don't know if I entirely agree or not, but I do know there are a great many dogs working various jobs with a wide range of HD.

I agree with both Lee and "the man". I was just answering the question about fast normal.
I prefer the HZ rating. But (Personaly) I wouldnt breed a fast normal unless it was OFA ed first so I could see how bad it was, becouse FN def has some displasia
Ron