Hi everyone, i have a new 9 week old doberman bitch, Jodi, and have had her for 1 week so far. I was reading the KCreg papers and the sire has tested clear for Vw (sp) and has a hip score of 7/9. I have looked on the web for the make up of this score but the scores are usually out of a lot more. Can anyone tell me if 7/9 is considered a good score.

thanks

It is a score that willcause the dog no problems, if compred to the American system it woudl fall into the Fair category (they grade Excellent, Good, Fair, Borderline, Mild Dysplasia, and Severe Dysplasia). 

In the UK system six features of the hip joint and Pelvis are given numerical values, each hip can score from 0 (best) to 53 (worst). 

Generally to help reduce the incidence of Dysplasia in dogs it is advised to use a dog scoring less than the breed average, which in Dobermanns is rather good at 10.  Of course a very good dog scoring somewhat higher (but within a range that wouldn't give a dog any problems) would be acceptable, especailly if his ancestors and mate were low scoring.

thanks for the reply, but its the /9 bit which puzzles me. You mention that a lower than 10 score is good ( so my score is 7 i take it ? ) would it not be 7 / 53

As I understand it,you add the two together to get your dogs score, so 7/9 would be a score of 16. Hope that helps :D

thanks

I think you are reading it as if your dog's sire has scored 7 OUT OF 9? The scores are for each hip, so he has a score of 7 out of 53 on one hip and 9 out of 53 on the other, i.e. a combined total of 16, so more than the breed average of 10. What were the Dams scores?

Hi,
Hips are awarded a number of points between 0 and 53 making a total of 106. Each hip is assesed individually. To get the total score both hips points are added together. 0 is perfect and rare. The figures you have seen written on your pedigree tell you that your dogs parent has scored 6 on one hip and 7 on the other, added together the total is 13. On your pedigree the score is written as 6/7 I have also seen them written as 6-7. You can find details of the breed scores on the BVA site, you will find there what the breed average score is.

The score will be shown with a value for each hip for example 5 for left and 6 for right would be 5/6 = 11, so a hip score of 11.

Your dogs sire has a score of 16, higher than the breed average but not a problem score.

Ah, it all falls into place now.

The dam does not have a score entered in the box on the reg papers but i have checked her parents and both can be found on a couple of breeders web sites and have low scores. Is it not mandatory to have both parents screened before the KC will sanctify the coupling of is it at the discretion of the breeders?

Unfortunately not :(  Health tests are not mandatory.

Was the mother Von Willebrands tested too? and was she hip scored?  Re: hip score 7:9 for a Dobe is a VERY good score.
Dawn.

Hi Dawn

The mother was not tested but i have checked both her parents and they both tested clear.

One reply above says that 7/9 = 16 is below average for doberman, who have a breed av of 10.

He's actually just above the breed average, 10 is the average the stud is 16.

Not the best result for Dobe's but not bad all round as long as the mother had a good score, but if three's no score on the reg. papers of the pups then she hasn't been tested!

Hi Dan

I have just sent you a private message to see if I have worked out the sire of your girl correctly from his vWD and hip score :-)

Our breed average is a total of 10 so ideally a score of no more than 5 per hip would be best but many breeders are not bothered about hip scores as there does not currently appear to be a bad problem in our breed - but such a small percentage are tested that it would  be difficult to know for sure as the really severe ones would be treated without being scored.