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Post by rosamburg on Sept 27, 2013 11:01:45 GMT -5
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Post by rosamburg on Sept 27, 2013 12:10:56 GMT -5
After 3 ½ years of training and trialing to the IPO3 level it was decision time whether or not to breed Cairo.
The biggest concern for most people who have done their research into the Dobermann breed are the health concerns. Cairo’s health testing did not quite come through crystal clear. HIps and elbows were good, VwD status carrier. Though her echocardiogram looked great she had tested positive hetergenous for the PDK4 marker and low thyroid. While the validity of the PDK4 is in question among many, including one of the leading DCM researchers in Germany, and Dr. Meurs herself said that a Positive Het test should not exclude a dog from breeding it was still a concern. In addition Cairo’s T4 scores were slightly below the normal range so was an added concern. A few years ago I consulted a vet I know who also has been a breeder. She told me she tracked a number of litters where one parent was low thyroid and the other was not. She found the incidence of puppies from these breedings developing thyroid issues was low.
In the end I had to weigh all of the factors. Because of Cairo’s extremely high working ability and temperament I finally decided that she needed to be bred. IMO What she brings to the working character outweighs the health worries. Lance Collins, my training director and Canadian IPO judge, put it simply, “She is the best Dobermann female in protection work that I have ever seen”.
However, it was not an easy task finding a good stud dog with completely clear and thorough health testing, with a pedigree I could live with and working ability that impressed me. To begin with, there are a limited number of IPO titled Dobermann males in North America. Cairo is a VwD carrier so for me the stud dog needed to be clear. There were a few other dogs that interested me but did not have the level of health testing that should be done in my opinion. Another factor for me is balance of nerve and drive. There are dogs that have been successful and with good drive and nerve but I did not think they would be an optimal match for Cairo. She has extreme drives and a good nerve, but definitely has an edge to her. Breeding to other dogs with a similar edge can easily produce dogs with nerve problems. So I was looking only at dogs with thick nerve.
At the UDC nationals I did see a few dogs that I felt were a viable option. One stud owner could not make the trip at exactly the right time, because of other commitments. I finally settled on Nassor’s The Saints Silence. His working ability and nerve impressed me. His pedigree leaves a clear path for line breeding on dogs I like.
The breeding itself however was not without a few obstacles. The progesterone levels looked like the timing of the stud owner’s visit was good. It pointed to an optimal breeding time of Tuesday 9/24. By Wednesday we had still not gotten a tie. This is with 2 world class breeders of working line GSD’s (Michael Ritzi of Korbetal/Korbalback and Lance Collings, Bergblick) standing by and helping as well as giving advice and helping in the process. We ended up having to do an AI on Wednesday. Dr. Douglas of Newton Animal Hospital in Surrey, BC, Canada did the AI. He felt despite the progesterone levels the optimal breeding is probably Thursday or Friday. Hopefully the little swimmers are still around and it all works. I don’t even want to think about what all this has cost.
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