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Breeding Purebred Dogs

Breeding Purebred Dogs
April 6, 2015

Thinking about breeding your purebred dog or looking to purchase a quality purebred dog?

The Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) is an excellent resource for owners, breeders, and scientists that will assist in breeding healthy, sound dogs!

The Canine Health Information Center, also known as CHIC, is a centralized canine health database jointly sponsored by the AKC/Canine Health Foundation (AKC/CHF) and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). The CHIC, working with participating parent clubs, provides a resource for breeders and owners of purebred dogs to research and maintain information on the health issues prevalent in specific breeds. The CHIC also maintains a DNA Bank, co-sponsored by the OFA and the AKC/CHF, collects and stores canine DNA samples along with corresponding genealogic and phenotypic information to facilitate future research and testing aimed at reducing the incidence of inherited disease in dogs.

A great feature on their website is the CHIC’s breed list which lists (by breed) the tests which should be performed in each dog breed. For example, a Labrador retriever should be tested for Hip and Elbow Dysplasia (OFA Certification) and have an Eye Clearance (CERF Evaluation by Veterinary Ophthalmologist). An optional test for Centronuclear Myopathy can be performed if desired. These tests aim at identifying dogs with genetic problems which should not be passed along. For breeders, this can guide their choices in breeding stock. If you’re thinking about purchasing a purebred dog, you can also search the breed list to see which heritable tests should be run on the parents, and/or puppies.

They also have a search feature which lets you search for purebred dogs registered with CHIC based on their test results. This is a huge benefit if you are searching for a purebred pup and want to verify that the parents have passed the required tests.

We hope this website is helpful to our clients – we want to assist breeders and owners in making the best decisions for the healthiest pups!