Suzette,
That’s great if your pup is not genetically predisposed, as you can tell from looking at a 4-5 generation pedigree showing the dogs it was bred from have hip clearances/certifications. It is unfortunate but true that being a champion in any breed, or even a top producing champion in a given breed, does not necessarily mean the dog’s hips are good or even were evaluated.
Perhaps I have misunderstood you or we are miscommunicating, but I’m not sure I understand what genetic testing you’re referring to that would tell you at 10 weeks or earlier that a pup’s hips & elbows are fine. OFA prelims occur at 1 yr, with full certification at 2 yrs. Other countries, such as Germany with the “a” stamp & ratings or former OVC in Canada (etc.), also evaluate dogs at 1+ years. Penn Hip, which judges hip laxity, may be done at 16 weeks at the earliest.
Anyway, I am in much the same boat as you as I have been waiting for a large breed puppy for the past 2 years, going through good breeders who health and temperament test all their breeding stock and title their dogs and have had to wade through pedigrees myself. And I will be having to do the same thing, choosing a good selection of large breed appropriate foods and watch activity/exercise during growth, also decide how long to delay neuter/spay since this also affects proper structural development.
Anyway, congrats and good luck again with your puppy! 🙂
3 months, 2 weeks ago
