AMS in cockers.

[Judy]

RedWC thats great news, onwards and upwards.

Teddy, you can't expect people to ignore your post mentioning another pup being pts, equally you should expect people to be curious about the poor little sod's breeding, sharing information really is the only way this is going to be cracked before it gets so far into the working population we may as well forget Cockers as a working breed. Please share facts on here, its a huge help to the rest of us.

I have just checked the Cocker database, its not on there at present - just to save the rest of you looking!

[Teddy]

His name was Dennis High Jumper and he is listed as an affected on the Cocker data base, both his parents were bred by Rainstone kennels and I've been told that Rainstone are now going to test their cockers. Sharing information really isn't going to help....everyone needs to test! I had a worrying time as a brother to one of my dogs came back a carrier thankfully my dog was clear.

[romanriver]

Teddy, people are not going to test unless information is shared first. To get a grip on these health problems you need to get the main kennels on board and you will only do this by sharing info. Telling people to check the Cocker database isn't going to help, if you know of affected/carrier dogs and their lines then lets hear it. If I see common breeding between my lines and those affected it will make testing much more likely.

[JET1955]

Teddy, people are not going to test unless information is shared first. To get a grip on these health problems you need to get the main kennels on board and you will only do this by sharing info. Telling people to check the Cocker database isn't going to help, if you know of affected/carrier dogs and their lines then lets hear it. If I see common breeding between my lines and those affected it will make testing much more likely.

But surely this should work both ways,the main kennels should share their information i.e are their dogs clear etc.For the life of me i can't see what the problem is of getting the test done for the good of the breed.The test isn't that expensive,and it puts the information out there for people to make informed decisions.

[romanriver]

That's the whole point, the main kennels are not testing, in order to get them to test we need information freely available, if FTCH John Doe is in the breeding of several affected dogs, then others with him in their pedigree are more likely to test. The key is making informed decisions, rather than the abuse I received recently from people who don't work or even dock their dogs

[Teddy]

Teddy, people are not going to test unless information is shared first. To get a grip on these health problems you need to get the main kennels on board and you will only do this by sharing info. Telling people to check the Cocker database isn't going to help, if you know of affected/carrier dogs and their lines then lets hear it. If I see common breeding between my lines and those affected it will make testing much more likely.

Why aren't they going to test? Those that have tested now need to post their dogs details. I really can't see the problem, if your breeding TEST, prove your lines are clear.

[Teddy]

The main kennels will never test as long as people are buying their pups, too scared to test in case a carrier is found.

[romanriver]

People are buying pups for their working/training/trialling ability, which like it or not is valued far higher than any health test. The only way to change anything is shared knowledge, not bullying, and where does it stop, there are now 16 DNA tests available for Labradors.

[Teddy]

Romanriver, how much training are you going to get into a pup when it's dead at 10 months?

[Judy]

Ah, Dennis High jumper has already been mentioned on here so not a new one, thanks anyway.

Part of the problem, as I see it, is the affected dogs are relatively rare at present so people are less likely to bother testing because "it is unlikely to happen to them / their line" and, speaking as a buyer much the same applies - I would go for lines I like rather than tested dogs "just because they are tested". I agree its Russian Roulette and sooner or later I may come unstuck but I want a dog that I like at the end of the day. On the other hand if I should decide to breed from my latest Cocker I will test her for AMS and get an eye test done at the very least before mating her.