Hi I'm new to the group, however have been reading posts as a guest since last year. I'm not sure where to post this. We are looking for a puppy. Things with the breed have really changed with regards to health tests since our first purchase. Probably more than most breeds I'm familiar with.
This is as good a place to ask questions like yours.
You know what? I've been in this breed since 1959 and things have definitely changed over the years when it comes to health testing but it hasn't happened suddenly and Dobes are definitely not the only breed where health testing has become or is becoming more stringent with many more tests recommended.
Although DPCA breeder referral can give you a phone number it is hard to find a puppy in general, let alone one that has every parentage tests suggested. Is this the forum for asking which tests are " the most important " if you cannot find a full compliment of them? I'm going to guess I know the answer because I see a lot of comments.
My opinion on what the most important tests are for a puppy's parents to have had would be ECHO's and Holters before they were bred--and if they were older dogs I'd want several years worth of records and I'd also want to know about grandparents. vWD--either puppies tested if possible affected puppies from the breeding. Or parents status if claiming status by parentage. Thyroid status of parents and at least grandparents. Hypo- thyroidism WAY common in dogs--and thyroid status NOT as corrected by meds--some breeders give status which turns out to be the corrected levels for a dog who is actually hypothyroid. OFA hips and elbows--I prefer this to Penn Hip tests.
Depending on what I want (and my first choice has always been show prospect) to do with the dog. So I look for champion parents--AKC or CKC
champions, dogs who have taken and passed the WAE. I like but not necessary performance titles of some sort.
Basically unimportant to me--color testing on parents unless I absolutely wouldn't consider a dilute (fawn or blue) dog. Some of the serum tests for cardio related genes (I do these because they become part of record on which full cardio testing is ultimately based. CERF--I do this--it's not called CERF any more but the equivalent--problems are more common in Euro dogs and dogs with partial Euro breeding but my favorite ophthalmologist told me 10 years ago he was seeing more problems in American/Canadian bred dogs than he ever used to. If you are thinking about breeding stock--you want this test done.
As it happens I know enough about some of the icky things that run in lines like kidney problem, liver problems to ask for further testing (there is a gene test for juvenile kidney disease) but CVI--there's is no test for CVI until the dog is an adult basically. Ditto for quite a lot of other things as well.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some of the must do and should think about...
Where is the correct forum to ask on here WHO HAS S LITTER RIGHT NOW WITH ALL OF THE SUGGESTED TESTING/SOCIALIZED/EARS/ all the things a puppy should have? I'm not trying to start a controversy just want to ask in the appropriate forum. Thx.
UGH! I don't think there IS a correct forum here for that kind of question--is there? Breeders aren't supposed to advertise litters here. But contacting the DPCA for the list of Breeders by states--the names of the Chapter Clubs by state and contacting those closest to you--going to dog shows and contacting breeders showing there. There is a FaceBook group called breeders and litters or something like that--HELP--someone put up the correct Facebook listing for this would be puppy purchaser.
Don't go to any of those dumb big places that advertise a million breeders with litters--without looking I can tell you most of them of BYB AT BEST--at worst they are puppy mills and this is not where you want to get a puppy from .
And a question I'll ask you and you should ask yourself is why do I want this puppy--what will I or our family be doing with the dog--a pet, go on family picnics? To grandmas house or Uncle Oscars?. Or maybe do a little performance stuff? Obedience? Agility looks like fun? Always wanted a show dog? IPO or Ring is for you? Nose work? Tracking?
Once upon a time when I was very young and thought I wanted to be a breeder I bred a litter (two males and a still born bitch)--I found out quickly that I didn't want to be a breeder but one of those dogs went to a bush pilot in Alaska--At 14 weeks the puppy's ears were standing and he went to his new home--for over 10 years that dog flew around Alaska with his owner--I got a birthday card once a year and when he died I got a farewell card. That guy got exactly what he wanted and the dog didn't know it but he got exactly what every Doberman wants--to be with his person.
Hope this helps a little DOGS--good luck in your search--did you ever say where you were?
Good luck...
dobebug