my lab pups paer have come from kc now says sire had score of5/5 and dam had score of 11/10 is this ok dam seems bit higher than sire

The Dam is a little high. The average for Labradors is 16 (total of both hips added together). It would appear the breeders intentions was to mate their slightly above average (21) bitch with a below average (10) dog to try to bring the scores of the puppies down.

Although you know the sire and dam's scores it is good to know as many of the ancestor’s scores as possible. For example, if the dam's ancestors are predominantly good then her having a not so good score could point to damage rather than hereditary problems. The other side of the coin is that if the dog's ancestors were predominantly poor then his good score may not be carried through!

If all that sets your head reeling then welcome to the clan! ;) I'm afraid hips are not an exact science. We do the best we can but that I'm afraid is the best we can do.

Regards, John

hip scores are not an exact science over weight/ over exercised puppies can influence hip scores but they are the best guide we have i have just bought a 8 week old Labrador puppy her fathers hip score is 5-4 her mother did not have her hips scored but i have watched her working on several local shoots for passed two shooting seasons the dams parents both have very good hip scores 2-3 / 0-2 so i was prepared to take the chance based on what i know

Dave

I agree hip scores can vary on the age the dog was scored at, the bitches score isn`t that much above the breed mean score so i shouldnt worry to much

I'm not sure about the dam not being much over the mean Kate. At 21 the score is nearly a third higher! If this is a genuine score and not one which has been damaged then it is not good! this is why I said about ancesters, this would give a lot better idea.

Regards, John