DECKER TERRIER HOME
~
NEWSLETTER

A Bi-Annual Publication
06/01/10 Issue #5


Pedigree's, Breeding and Reputable Breeders


Pedigrees Explained

Basically, pedigrees are a breakdown of the parents, grandparents, great-grands, etc., behind a dog (or other animal). They list only a small segment of relatives in the grand scheme of things. (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc are not listed on the pedigree). It is very easy to be blinded by Champions and working titles all over the place. But does this mean the puppy you are looking at will be quality? No.

Genetics can be funny and it is very possible for two great dogs to produce mediocre puppies. Breeding great to great increases the chances of producing great so always look for the best you can, but it's not always a guarantee. Just because your dog is from some of the best lines in the country does not mean he or she will reproduce it. It just betters the chances of it. Though a breeder has pedigrees on the dogs, does not mean the dogs are top quality. Even pet shop puppies are sold with pedigrees! So you have to know the source of your puppy and what questions to ask the breeder about the pups. Even the best breeders will end up with puppies that are not the quality they want - it is just the luck of the draw even when breeding the best dogs possible. However, these puppies will be sold with a spay/neuter agreement and even limited registrations to try and prevent the undesired traits from being bred down the road and damaging the integrity of the breed.

Pedigrees & Health

Just being a pedigree dog does not mean a dog is healthy or does not carry for hereditary problems. A good breeder will screen for health issues such as hips, eyes and thyroid. They many even test further like BAER (hearing) and for other health issues in the breed. It is up to the breeder to do all possible to test and breed for health. If the breeder does not test or you cannot see proof of such tests, this is not a breeder to work with.

At minimum, hips and eyes should be screened. Just because a dog is a Champion does not mean it is healthy. I personally spoke to a man who was breeding a severely hip dysplastic bitch he got a champion title on before her hips became apparent. Even after she could barely walk, he kept breeding her. He felt since she was a Champion, she should be bred. He ignored the orthopedic problems he was passing on as he was blinded by the title his dog won.

It is not uncommon to hear people well versed in their breed to go over a pedigree and make comments like, "See this dog way back here? Several pups from different bitches in different lines developed eye problems. No other pups developed it. It is suspected this dog has it. This was before there was a test for the problem." And the same things goes for females: "The bitch was bred to a few dogs over the years and in each litter there was an affected pup so it is suspected she has the problem. The genetics are still unknown but none of the males have produced affected pups

A pedigree in the hands of a person who really knows the breed and what is out there can tell far more than just the parents of the pup and what titles are behind him. How does this relate for the person just wanting a pet? Well, do you want to risk buying a pet that could develop serious health issues down the road? Not all genetic problems show up at birth. Some take months or years to show up. If you do not care if your purebred has a pedigree, go to a rescue. These dogs need homes. That cheaper puppy you get from that newspaper ad may end up costing you far more financially as he grows up than the puppy from a good breeder who knows the pedigrees behind the dogs very well and also tests breeding dogs.

Please, bear in mind that not all hereditary problems have a test as of now. Epilepsy for example, has no screening but a good breeder will know if it has cropped up in the ancestry of the dogs. But that cheap puppy from that ad probably did not come from dogs that have had testing done. Is this a risk you want to take? You can spend $200 on a puppy and then find out it has medical problem that had the parents been tested, they person breeding would have known about. You can end up paying hundreds of dollars if not more in medical care down the road. Or would you rather spend $600 at a reputable person who tests and knows this problem is not in the line? A cheap dog may end up being a very expensive own in a few years


Registration

The general public has the impression that a registered dog regardless of where it is from is a quality dog. This is far from true. A dog's quality is only as good as the integrityof the person breeding it. Though registries such as the American Kennel Club, The United Kennel Club, the American Rare Breed Association and the Canadian Kennel Club (or what ever national registry is in your country) encourage ethical breeding, it is impossible to get out and inspect all breeders. A back yard breeder or puppy miller can register a litter just as the best breeder in the country can

Responsible Breeders Should

•Knows the history behind their dogs to the best of their abilities. Many tests are new so if the dogs were alive and died before the test was developed, there can be some ambiguity. However, a good breeder will know all they can about the background and strive to ensure that only healthy dogs who well represent the breed in form and function will reproduce.
•Tests the health of dogs being used for stud or brood bitch and insists the same to all dogs breeding to.
•Has a working knowledge of the genetics behind the dogs (such as color genetics and health).
•Tries to prove the dogs have both form and function.
•All dogs will be registered. Those pups that are not show/breeding potential and if not kept, will have a limited registration (if applicable to the registry) and be sold with a spay/neuter contract to help keep undesired traits from passing on.
•The breeder breeds quality to get quality and not quantity to get quality.
•The breeder does not breed designer crosses such as "poo" dogs or anything else that is truly a cross bred but has a catchy name deceiving the public that it is pure. It takes many, many generations to get genes to breed pure and many years to prove a new breed has been developed.
•The breeder has a set goal to improve not only their animals but also to help improve the quality of what is out there.
•Does not breed just to produce pets for the general public. A good breeder breeds first for his goals and those not fitting the desired type will be sold as pets or performance only dogs.



 

United All Breed Registry

In February 2010 the Decker Terrier was formally accepted into the UABR as a recognized rare breed for registration in the official stud books. The Decker Terrier club is excited beyond measure for this milestone.   Decker club members from all over the USA have united to form a strong group of individuals whom are interested in the preservation of this amazing dog. No longer are we dependant upon %'s to track our Deckers, now we can focus on breeding excellent examples of Decker Terriers to Deckers and thus producing outstanding offspring for the continuation of this breed. The Decker Club stands firm in the belief of a traditional dog with unsurpassed versatility. The Decker Terrier of today remains true to his history and foundations. Our club breeds for sound minds, excellent confirmation and supreme health. This is the first rung in our ladder to the long climb ahead for the ultimate goal "To Preserve and Promote".

Anyone whom is interested may feel free to contact us on our web page for Decker Terrier Home or you may also feel free to contact the United All Breed Registry.

LONG LIVE DECKER TERRIERS!