As I said to one of my potential owners the other day when we were chatting about pedigree dogs and health problems.
Find out what the health issues are in your chosen breed, then look for a breeder that tests for them. One of the reasons they chose me was because I health test the parents and do all I can for the puppies, and they are not the only ones to have done that, and all of them have done this because they have either lost a dog, or have a dog, suffering from health issues that could have been avoided had the breeder health tested. Soooo why isn't the KC making health tests mandatory eh???? WHY are they considering registering Labradoodles for instance, despite the fact that many are suffering from the health issues applicable to BOTH breeds. Oh yes....money.
My girls have their own Dog Account. Any money from their babies that is over after I have paid their bills goes into this account, from this I pay for everything they need.
At the moment of course I will have to reimburse my son for the use of his credit card for the health tests Mabs has had, but what I would want to do if I could, is have another Mini Puppy Palace made. So it isn't spent on cruises, good living or fast cars like seems to be inferred on a previous post.

Whatever organization now runs the Utonagan "breed"the health tests should still be done.

My BC bitch is elbow & hip scored(she was Penn Hipped as well at 5 months)She is DNA tested & will be clinically eye tested(as required for ISDS registration of her puppies)before she is mated. Elbow scoring isn't required by any breed club for BCs, but if one BC has ED, then any one can, hence my ED scoring. Considering ED is found in Mals I would have thought it would have been one of the first tests to be done(along with the HD)even if it not required by their Breed"organization

Have you done ALL the GSD DNA tests on your bitch ? & ensured the stud has had them as well ? I hope you know the GSD bloodlines behind your dogs for untestable conditions like epilpesy

The reason I am still looking for an ISDS dog for my bitch is that I haven't found one with a suitable pedigree & all the health tests done. I do know where there is one, however he is mine & her half brother(not a mating I would do BTW)& my other boy has the shadow of being related to epileptic dogs behind him.

Sorry designer mongrels bred for their looks alone(wolf like without the wolf which was the orgin of the Utonatan I understand)are not the way dogs should be bred.

My Cavalier was bred to improve the breed & be a suitable companion for his other mum, Josie, the beauty of the Cavalier is that it is a very adaptable, sociable companion breed developed 100s of years ago as a Woodcock spaniel & a household dog(for the killing of household vermin & attracting fleas & lice common in all all households back then)He can & does go hunting vermin in the place of my cats, although he isn't as successful as our Joedee, who was a mouser par excellence

My BCs(even the rescues)were bred to work & that's something they certainly can & do do. They are the worlds most adaptable of breeds & didn't need to be invented for their looks.

The KC is a pedigree database & a private club. They cannot by law insist on breeders doing all health tests without the backup of the breed clubs, this has happened in the Irish/Irish Red & White setters-CLAD carriers cannot have their offspring registered with the KC, Merle Chihuahuas cannot be registered. For years the main GSD breed clubs & breed council have been pressing for compulsory health & working tests, however the "Alsatianist"clubs have dug their heels in & refused to back the compulsory testing(I wonder why ??)so the KC's are stopped from bringing it what they & most of GSD clubs want.

To bring in compulsory health/working testing would fall foul of the freedom of trade legislation

VERY WELL SAID
I agree with everything you say about these dogs - I am spoiled now for ever for any other type of dog, with the possible exception of a pure Alaskan Malamute.

I get fed up with the crossbreed bashers - as I say with the exception of a Mal, I doubt very much I would ever consider buying a pedigree. I loves ma wolfie boys - as you say, TOTAL pains in the butt!! They ruin your house, your garden, your bank balance, your social life and then break your heart into a million pieces when they die, but they intelligence, loyalty and sheer loveliness outweighs all of this.

Have you not read Tawneywolf's post Joedee?

Yeah, Nikki, I thought that.......oh well stony ground and all that
I really think the little digs about ALL health testing etc should be reserved for the GSD breeders etc who aren't health testing, before you start making side swipes at people who ARE health testing their dogs.
As for epilepsy in collies, I have a friend who has one of my puppies (now aged 4) and she does a lot of agility with her, she tells me there is a line of collies that are excellent at agility, but they are a known epilepsy line, everyone wants one of these collies and don't seem at all bothered there is a good chance it will be epileptic, so the people keep breeding them, THEY are the people you need to be pursuing, not me

I am actually very annoyed June - we don't always agree on everything, but on one thing we are totally united and that is the health and responsible breeding of Utonagans. I know more than most the care, money and attention you lavish on those ruddy great donkies of yours - even the Converse Trainer Eater!!

There have been bad Utonagan breeding practices going on in the past, we all know that, but then so have there with virtually ALL pedigree dogs - as we know from vet Mark Evans and his "Parade of Mutants" at Crufts, and the subsequent BBC withdrawal from televising the event.

I know how you are striving to create a healthy Utonagan breed, and it does not help at all when certain people scoff and pour scorn on your efforts.

Just had a lovely couple here to meet Mabs and the rest of the gang, and they were truly appreciative of not only the dogs (Cariad left the trainers alone lol) but the health testing my girls have.
As I said to them, I can only do my utmost to help bring a healthy litter into the world, but nothing can ever be guaranteed.
Just a waiting game now to see what we get!!!!

Ooooo puppies! How exciting. Best of luck with it darling.

emailed you Nikks

OOOOOOOOOOO did I hit a nerve ????

WSD/BCs do have epilepsy & one reason I would not use a KC only or KC/ISDS dog is that I know the lines with epilepsy behind them, I also know the ISDS lines with proven epilepsy behind them(DNA profile has proven the dog's parentage & hence the lines that have produced epilepsy)

Why didn't you have your other dogs ED scored ? ED scoring isn't common amongst BCs as there isn't a huge problem, but I have had mine scored-because I care-even if I am not going to breed from the dogs.

No answer re the DNA testing for GSD conditions that may be lurking in the GSD part of your designer"breed"

Don't know which faction of the Utoganans you are a member of so cannot comment on what is the organization's code of ethics.

When I bred my couple of litters of Beardies, the parents were all hip scored & eye tested-despite the fact they were not on the at risk BVA/ISDS/KC list ate the time-no DNA or ED scoring back then plus the puppies were all litter screened for CEA-again not on the BVA/ISDS/KC at risk list, but the test was available so was done.

To claim that no one ever makes money(no matter what it is used for afterwards)from a litter of puppies is being exceptionally naive, why would puppy farms/BYB/Pet breeders continue to produce litters ???