Free: Contests & Raffles.
i think maybe because it's just like anything else...if you beat the crap out of something, like say a car, a warranty will not address issues of abuse.i think you're going to have a hard time with someone warranteeing a dogs hips when the dog is 6-7 years old and who knows what that dog has been put through? how many times has he jumped off the tailgate of a truck 4' off the ground, how many times has he jumped in and out of a boat onto the pavement, etc...all hypothetical scenarios, but anyway...i think above all you want certified hips...not just a guarantee from joe shmo the dog breeder.
Quote from: jackelope on August 04, 2009, 09:25:59 PMi think maybe because it's just like anything else...if you beat the crap out of something, like say a car, a warranty will not address issues of abuse.i think you're going to have a hard time with someone warranteeing a dogs hips when the dog is 6-7 years old and who knows what that dog has been put through? how many times has he jumped off the tailgate of a truck 4' off the ground, how many times has he jumped in and out of a boat onto the pavement, etc...all hypothetical scenarios, but anyway...i think above all you want certified hips...not just a guarantee from joe shmo the dog breeder.Correct, but if the parents have not been checked for one reason or another
OFA hip and elbow certifications are absolutely necessary for any Labrador being bred. Labradors with hip or elbow displasia should never be bred. The x-rays for an OFA hip certification are performed at age two or older. A Preliminary OFA, which can be done at age one, is a good advance indication of a Labrador’s hips; but does not guarantee the OFA certification performed at age two will pass. A Labrador grows between ages one and two and the joints can change. Insist on seeing, for yourself, the hip and elbow OFA certification of the dam (mother) and sire (father). All reputable breeders will freely give you a copy of each. OFA rates passing hips as Excellent, Good, and Fair and elbows as normal. These ratings are spelled out on each certificate and an OFA number is assigned.
We have been told by people who call looking for a puppy that some breeders they have contacted informed them that it is not necessary to have the dam’s hips OFA certified, only the sire’s hips or it is not necessary to have the elbows certified. Others reported that the breeder told them the hips were x-rayed, the veterinarian performing the x-ray said the x-rays were "fine", so the breeder did not bother to send the x-rays to OFA for certification. Some have told us they were given just a number that was the supposed OFA certificate number. Always ask to see the certificates, never take someone’s word on it. If a reputable breeder has gone through the expense and effort to have x-rays taken, why would they not forward the x-rays to OFA for certification? Why would they not want to show you the passing certificates? To learn more about OFA, please link to their website http://www.offa.org
