> >Neither dog has been x-rayed.  Judah is only a year and x-rays
> >would not show much at this point unless he had a serious hip
> >problem.  We feel confident this is not the case just by watching
> >his movements and range of motion.  Ellie has no apparent problem
> >with movement and no history of hip problems in her background.

There is no way to tell if a dog has CHD by movement alone.  If you could
tell by movement Vets would not be doing x-rays.  I have two dogs with CHD,
neither of them could have been identified by movement at less than 4 years
old.

> >I am not entirely convinced that any benefits of OFA certification
> >would out weigh the potential harm of the x-rays themselves (radiation
> >directed at the dogs reproductive organs as well as the anesthesia).
> >In researching CHD, I've discovered that environmental factors (diet,
> >excercise etc...) play just as much if not more of a role in the
> >manifestation of the disease.

Environment and diet can play a role in a dog already pre-disposed to CHD it
can't cause CHD.

> >CHD does not always result in
> >degeneration of the joint.  How does the OFA explain why some dogs
> >with fair or even poor ratings never show clinical symptoms?

There are many reasons for this in dogs rated fair.  I have never heard of a
dog rated poor having NO clinical symptoms throughout it's entire life.
Some of the condition for a dog rated fair:
1.      the physical condition of the dog,
2.      the kind of chd, there are more than one problem within the hip joint
it's    self to cause problems.
> >There
> >are so many unknowns as far as the heritability and the genetics of
> >it.  My concern with OFA certification is that by using this as a bench
> >mark of sound dogs and culling those dogs that do not measure up
> >that we are losing genetic diversity and opening up the door to many
> >more problems and diseases within the different breeds.

There is a big difference between breeding a dog with known CHD in it's
background and not even checking for CHD.  IF through careful research I
determine that my dog has valuable genetic diversity, limited CHD in it's
lines, and is rated fair from OFA I could buy this argument.

> >There is alot of controversy over this subject and arguments can be
> >made for both sides.  My postition may be a bit unconventional but
> >I just don't see the iron clad evidence in favor of going the OFA  route.

Yes there is allot of controversy I also believe that we should all enter
this will both eyes wide open.   I encourage anyone with English Shepherds
to send blood samples to Dr Green's study.  Through research like his we
will hopefully find the cause of this awful problem.

Kathi Tesarz
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The higher the structure the deeper the foundation. St Augustine