i have send a studdog to be handled for shows to USA! Here in France Hipscores/elbowscores and eyetest are done, also  DNA and Optigen .. When sending  over we had the availble test there done like TVD and EIC( collapsing after excercise) How do you all feel about these tests?
As i write for Dogmagazines here on the continent it would be nice to hear some opinions ..
are we testing too much?, are we forgetting "the whole picture"?are we on the way to create "the perfect dog" or just trying to eliminate all genetic deseases our  breeds are prone to?and giving in on the type etc?
I still say to all who ask me about these tests that i will try my best to breed as healthy as possible .. but when having to choose between a  complete healthy dog that looks nice and a dog that has all i ever dreamed of  regarding type, construction head, expression etc.. but with poor hipscore or something like that .. i would still go for that dog .. as  type and soundness is something so easily gone .. when just breeding for "scores" and i woiuld never give in to type & temperament! your opinion please?!!

I think it's great that many of us do health test but yes I think we may end up not looking at the whole picture and we could end up bringing different health problems into our breeds.  When you look at sites in America where they do certain health tests and don't breed from dogs that haven't passed to a certain level the number of illnesses stated on some of these sites in some of the breeds I've never heard of these breeds sufferering from them in the UK.

I do eye and hip tests here and will hopefully be doing Optigen testing later in the year on my dogs.

This of course is not saying that you should breed from dogs with serious health problems.

but with poor hipscore or something like that .. i would still go for that dog .. as  type and soundness is something so easily gone .. when just breeding for "scores" and i woiuld never give in to type & temperament! your opinion please?!!

I have used a dog with a "poor" BVA hipscore although his country of origin was the total opposite he scored an excellent there.  Up to now he has a daughter with the second best score in the country which actually was the lowest when the owner got it.  His grandson has the lowest hipscore, which has now been equalled by a certain persons girlie on this site :)  All of his pups so far have been below the breed average and a few half of it!!

One of his sons who is a wonderful example of the breed is being scored this week so I'm hoping that he gets a similiar score although the wait will kill me!  At least the vet will be able to give his owners an idea of the score thankfully.

slightly off topic I see you test for EIC (collapsing after exercise) I wasnt aware there was a test yet as my bc is suspected of having it.  Are you able to give me any more information?

dvnbiker don't know whether this would be with optigen, sure the BC breed club who do 20/20 clinics would be able to advise you on this?

Hi Parzac.

I think you cannot compromise on health.  That said I woudl be more lenient where there is room for manouvre (say hip scores) with a dog close to perfect than with oen that wasn't, but with other ehalth issues that are pass or fail then sorry no health no dog, no matter how beautiful.  Hopefully there is always a related individual that is clear.

He is actually a cross with a springer (just looks like a pure bred BC) - I have been unable to find any information on the UK about this, most of the information I have found is in the states.  Nothing though about there being a test for it.

ive hard about  this i allso know of a springer that has this

EIC Test dont think its available here.

i had pfk test done i think this is a similar type of test you can look it up on health issues on the K/C site

will send the info !
test available in USA .

some countries on continent ask for HIPS/ELBOWscores, Optigen, Myopathie, Heart test and now EIC .. there are some pilottest already for epilepsie ..
as i write for magazines, breed dogs myself, i think it is good to do some tests & get the info out to the readers ..
at least then i know what i am talking/writing about!