JDJ American Bulldog Preservation Board: Tired

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Tired

Posted by Bryan (Cowboy) on 2/28/2008, 9:52 am
98.19.0.181

I'm just tired of the way things are going lately and it has led me to do and say things in a way that made me look like I'm a judging person. I wan't everyone to know that I'm not. I haven't been in this but about 4 yrs and half of that breeding. I have learned the hard way that the quickest way to kill our best friends in this breed is HD. I was and am still fresh and learning. I have very quickly tried to grow in this since my best friend came down with HD. It was very unexpected since he could still run, stop, and stand on his hind legs. It was early winter one day and I saw him packing his right hind leg. Even being new I knew what was wrong since I've raised German Shepards. I took him down had him checked and it was mild HD. It tore my wife and me up. Thank God my son doesn't know what's going on. I don't know how anyone else feels but I love my dogs just like my family. I realized if I am going to breed these dogs that the #1 thing that will be required of my breeding stock in being hip tested and elbow too. Whether that be OFA or Penn Hip. Adding this tool to all the other requirements that I look for in my dogs will,in my belief, better the breed in a way that not using these tools could ever do. I know there are other nasty problems in this breed but HD is #1 IMO because if a dog can't walk nothing else really matters. I do look for a lot more than just hips in my dogs. I stress good temperment, pigment, conformation, breathing, and lastly size. There are other things but these are the most important to me in no particular order.
So as you can see I really have a vested interest in trying to produce dogs that will not or at least will have a better chance to not get HD. I couldn't stand the thought of selling a dog for money to someone and have it's hips crap out and just sadden the whole family. That's why the litter I have on the ground isn't expensive like most AB's that are sold. I don't want someone investing a lot of money in what is IMO an untested dog, no matter if they do have great temp, good conformation, great pigment, and are healthy. If I haven't tested there hips I'm not going to ask $1500 for one. A dog needs everything else to be a good dog, but without hips nothing else matters. I guess what I'm getting at is I won't breed a dog just because of hips, but on the other hand, I wont breed a dog if it doesn't have good hips either. I don't think you can determine this without doing some kind of test. Whether that be X-rays at your vet, OFA, Penn Hip, of whatever else is out there. If there are other tests that that can determine heart,kidney, liver, eye, or other problems I am going to use them too.
In conclusion I just want to restate that I got caught up in the arguing that was going on and said things I am sorry about. I do not however feel any less strongly about what the topic was. I am up and coming in this breed, at least I hope to be, and I'm sorry if I stepped on anyones toes. I didn't mean to. I have a temper sometimes when people attack something I believe in strongly. This wasn't about what happened the other day either. This has been going on for a while. I am going to use this board to learn more and post picks of my dogs and stay out of the bull crap. I have learned one important lesson from all of this. No matter how right you are or how hard you try to show people that you believe this is the right way. They are going to reject it that much harder. So from now on I am going to do what I feel is right on my yard and stay out of the crap. If what I'm doing is working out people will see it and be more likely to follow suit. Again I'm sorry for stepping on people's toes but not sorry for believing in something that I feel is right.

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