Julia
In Memoriam
- Joined
- 10 May 2005
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A good Sire of an established German line can cost more than $60,000.
Yes, you are probably right about introducing some external genes.
Mongrels usually are much more hardy than pure bred dogs of any breed.
The hip problems so much talked about with Shepherds (and equally with other large dogs, e.g. Rottweilers, Great Danes etc.) are often not actually hip problems. What often happens (and happened with one of my girls) is rather a neurological condition, similar to the effects of a stroke in humans, where the spinal cord fails to transmit the brain's message to move to the hind legs. The dog is otherwise perfectly well and when it tries to move, does so with its usual enthusiasm but after a couple of steps collapses to the ground. This is often interpreted as being a hip problem, but has actually nothing to do with hip displasia.
There is nothing that can be done about this (or at least there wasn't when my dog was so sadly affected). It eventually affects bladder and bowel and the dog really has to be put down.
Some years ago we used to see one of the Queeen's Corgis which was obviously affected by this problem skating along on a sort of skateboard, where the dog propels itself along by the front legs which are usually completely unaffected. I'd never subject a dog to that. I could never see one of my Shepherds with such a loss of dignity.