>HD doesn't mean your dog is going to die , it just means that they need more attention and care and if you aren't >ready to give this then i would cut the choice of owning larger breeds.

Manny, although so far you have avoided every single thing I have asked you!!! have you ever actually LIVED with a dog with severe HD?  Pity you live so far away, if you didn't I'd ask you to come round here and meet my Dandy and THEN tell me that a dog with severe HD isn't going to die!!!! I'm sorry but this I consider to be EXTREMELY hurtful (and ignorant) as I AM living with a dog that most definitely WILL die from his HD, and soon as well -and he ISN'T the only one either, I know a Rottie aged just one where surgery isn't an option either. (And it has nothing to do with the cost.) She's been given 18 months at most to live.

Marianne

I am not saying she would die from it, but if she was in so much pain and there was little that could be done for it, but I would not want her to suffer.

Why would I want her to go through surgery later in life so she can run around more as a puppy, makes no sense. She is not allowed up the stairs or go for long walks at 5 months old, she doesn't mind and I often prefer to try mental stimulation with her than exercise, it tires her out and its basic training. She is a very intelligent breed and I took advice from my breeder, trainer, other rottie owners and everyone on here.

Manny, You can over exercise your dog, its your personal choice, but its not something I want to worry about later in life if I can help it. I can't have her hip scored until she is a year old, and then she can run around like a nutter if there is no problem.

>IMHO to many people worry about HD just from reading online. You get more of a scare just reading about it

Manny in some ways I will agree with you on this, I sometimes think if I didn't know there could be a problem with such and such a thing, then I wouldn't need to worry about it, prime example is today I am waiting on news to hear if our breeders bitch is pregnant, a few months ago, it would have just been exciting - which it most definitly is now - but it is also worrying, what if she has missed, what if there is only one pup, what if there are no pups, what if this happenes, what if that happens.... I could go on and on, but at the end of the day, especially with preventative measures, you can never know too much about them, it is all very well to say if I didn't know, I wouldn't worry, but then how would you feel when you have an elderly dog with health problems that could have been avoided if you only knew HOW to avoid them?

Just my two pennies worth :D BTW we are STILL waiting for the good news!!! :D :D :D

The saying is "Ignorance is Bliss"

Depends on what you are being ignorant about really ;) :P :D

I am one of those would rather know every in and out, I consider knowledge to be power.

If it is something that interests me, then if I don't know something I will search out the answer, but if it is something like when my hubbie is going on about football, then I am affraid I do slip into ignorance!!! :D