1. Only dogs having 4 or more major health clearances will be listed here. The
basic five areas are: hips, elbows, heart, thyroid, eyes. The "number of stars"
refers to the number of body parts tested, not the number of tests on the same
area. Dogs are submitted voluntarily by their owner or breeder.
2. The person maintaining this list is human as are those submitting. Apologies
in advance for any errors, they will be cheerfully corrected.
3. The phone number and/or Email at the end of each listing is the person
you may contact for more information. (Including parentage and other pedigree
details)
4. Some tests must be updated periodically. It is the submitter's responsibility
to provide updated information. On some tests, the list reader can match the
dog's age with the latest certification to check if it is current. Contact the
submitter with questions.
5. Dogs' registration numbers are AKC unless otherwise noted.
6. Common certification prefixes (eg. DL preceding registration, TH preceding
a thyroid number) have been omitted to save space.
Explanation of the Major Five Certification Numbers and Temperament Evaluations:
1. HIPS - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)
1st #OFA's assigned certification number
2nd (letter) the rating (E= excellent, G= Good, F= Fair) 3rd age of the dog, in months, at test time Hips may also be certified by PennHip, OVC (Canada), or other registry.
2. ELBOWS- OFA's assigned certification number
3. CARDIAC
1st, #OFA's assigned certification number
2nd, age of the dog, in months, at test time End Letter means "checked by": C= Cardiologist ( Board certified) S= Specialist P= General Vet. Practitioner
4. THYROID
1st, #OFA's assigned certification number
2nd, age of the dog, in months, at test time
5. CERF
Note: Eyes can also be checked for glaucoma; this will also be listed as an addition for some dogs1st, assigned certification number
2nd, year most recent test was performed
3rd, age of the dog, in months, at test time
Other health tests might include:
vW, for VonWillebrands disease, a blood coagulation defect PA, Patellar Luxation (kneecaps)
Baer, for hearing acuity Gonioscopy/Glaucoma free
TT = TTS or UTTS Temperament CertifiedCGC =AKC Canine Good Citizen Certified
BH =European Character/Temperament Test
"PENDING" - is a temporary listing permitted only for 30 days and only for those tests which are conclusive at the time of the test and not evaluated at a later date; applies only to CERF and CARDIAC clearances. Certification numbers must be provided within 30 days or the dog will be dropped from the listing. Registries are data information "banks", where results of health screenings are evaluated, rated, and certified. They were formed with the intent to give Breeders data of dogs which have been rated "acceptable" by the Registry's criteria.
This data would then be used to make decisions on acceptable breeding stock, allowing breeders to better the health condition(s) within a breed by selective breeding practices. Unfortunately this is not the whole story, as genetics (and modes of inheritance) is a complex science. A listing such as this only reflects some of the Bouviers who have passed some of the health tests. It does not indicate dogs which failed any test, it may not include test updates unless provided by the owner or breeder.
The purpose of the HONOR LIST of 4-Star and more Bouviers is to provide a listing to congratulate those breeders and owners who care enough about the breed to do this testing on their dogs, especially those who may be contributing the gene pool of the breed's future. Those who contribute to this list should be commended for taking the time and expense to discover the health status of their dogs. THIS IS A BRAG LIST. There is no guarantee that a Bouvier with all these tests is 100% free of carrying these particular genetic disorders, only that this dog itself is certified "free". This List is not all-inclusive of Bouviers who may be tested, nor is it a conclusive scientific publication. It is the responsibility of every person purchasing a Bouvier and everyone breeding them to research various lines and verify health screenings themselves. YOU, the reader, may wish to verify numbers for dogs on this list directly with each registry.
Contact OFA at www.offa.org or (573) 442-0418 Contact CERF at www.vet.purdue.edu/~yshen/cerf.html or (765)-494-8179.
Some breeders will say "we don't have that problem in our lines" or "health
tests are not conclusive" -- This is naive. No line is pure and totally
exclusive of any other. Some will say "we don't need a list anywhere to bully
people into testing, just do it." It is not the intent of this list to intimidate
anyone; it is to provide a forum in which to brag about the good health of our
dogs in the same manner as many "brag" about show wins and puppies produced,
and for ease of information, where all test numbers for a dog are listed in
one place. Genetic health tests are tools with which we hope to develop a better,
healthier Bouvier; this Honor List is supportive of this goal. Not all health
tests are conclusive, but they ARE the only tools we have.
HONOR LIST ADDITIONS or CORRECTIONS
Contact Arden Shaw
