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Location: Carlisle, Cumbria
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 61
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Originally Posted by
gsdmad
Did you do all the relevant health testing with good results for both the springer and the collie?? I should assumer you did as you are so sure this is a healthy cross.
Did you not in fact think of the possible health problems that may affect the puppies..only with a cross like this you have both typical springer and collie problems that could arise.
ESS scan suffer from PRA, glaucoma and MRD..and BC's should be CEA/CL and PRA tested, aswel as both parents hip scored. Also epilepsy is a big problem in some BC lines.
Did you test for any of these before you "let them mate"..because I dont see how you can be so sure they are healthy unless they have at least had the relevant health tests for the breeds.
Well as I'm sure you know genetic simultaneities are statistically more prevalent in similar DNA (no surprise there), hence genetic disorders become associated with closely grouped people/animals, for example, due to the custom of marrying cousins and close relatives haemophilia was common in the Euorpian royal family. Breeding outside of this close group lowers or even removes the risk of these genetic problems occurring, hence, statistically, mongrels are genetically healthier.
Compared to most 'pure breed' breeds, the GSD or the Bulldog being excellent examples, the border collie suffers from a very low occurrence of genetic disorders, epilepsy isn't common, nor are serious or damaging eye disorders, certainly not as common as say hip problems in GSD. As my border collie is from a long line of long living healthy working dogs I felt no need to test my bitch.
As for the Springer, well they are known to suffer from various problems, but the majority of these tend to be the show lines instead of the working lines, the sire was again from a working line with no reports of serious problems so no checks where done.
I'm happy these animals have had offspring, both are excellent happy healthy dogs with lovely temperaments, breed for their working abilities and not their looks, the fact that these pups are so cute is a bonus
Pure breed dogs that have no history of working lines you need to worry about adn you really should have checked, the very fact they are known to have common disorders just goes to prove how concentrated and unhealthy the gene pool has become, working dogs are always far healthier, because they breed for their health and ability and not their looks or value, interbred unhealthy dogs are of no value if you want a working dog
So I didn't worry.