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We believe
that you cannot move to the future without careful examination
of the past.
By posting
these litter results, we can trace the path of our breeding
program and evaluate whether the dogs we produce have the
physical ability and desire to work afield, and as companions.
A SMCNA
Breed Council official termed this act "courageous". I do
not know of other breeders, including SMCNA Council members, who
require such extensive testing AND post the results.
There is no
way of knowing what defects exist in a breeding program unless
the buyers test their dogs. We offer refunds toward the
PennHIP evaluation as well as the entry fee for the NA testing.
Beyond that, there will always be owners who simply want a
companion and chose not to test, even with refunds offered.
It is our
intention to produce healthy working dogs. When defects
occur, it is as heart-breaking for us as it is the owner.
We
sincerely hope that, by posting these results, potential buyers
see that we do not take our responsibility lightly, rather than
criticizing problems that have occurred and turning to a breeder
who "has never had a hip problem" (because their progeny
are never tested).
We have
changed our vaccination schedule to follow the new protocol
recommended by Dr. Jean Dodds. While it cannot be proven
at this point, we have concerns that some of the problems we
encountered may have been due to over-vaccination.
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