We wanted to share this message from the OFA- The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
The decision to breed dogs brings with it a host of responsibilities. Responsible dog breeders properly house, feed, and care for their dogs.
They provide proper socialization for their puppies, and go to great lengths to screen perspective buyers, and place their puppies in good homes.
Responsible dog breeders do not allow their dogs to end up in rescue organizations, they maintain a lifelong commitment to the animal. The list goes on, these are but a few of the responsibilities that separate the serious, responsible dog breeder from "backyard" breeders and commercial operations.
Another area of responsibility assumed by the dedicated breeder is a commitment to health issues. This commitment to overall canine health goes beyond providing puppies with their first shots. It goes beyond a concern of keeping the puppy well until the warranty after the sale has expired. While no one, commercial breeders included, wants to produce puppies that are deaf, go blind, seize, or are lame,the actions taken up front to minimize inherited diseases help define what makes a person a serious, dedicated, and responsible breeder.
Conformation traits, working ability, and temperament are routinely factored into the selection criteria leading to a particular breeding. Health concerns need to play a similar role in these decisions. The prioritization and balance of these selection criteria contribute to making dog breeding an art, not a science. However, even as an art form, there is a scientific component. Often, the most successful breeders are those who have been working with a long line of particular dogs. They have personal knowledge of generations of dogs within the pedigree. They have experienced first hand the dominant traits, both positive and negative, which certain dogs carry. In short, they have data; information, which allows them to make more informed breeding decisions.
