Chic

[RedyreRottweilers]

All you breeders, and anyone who is researching breeders to get a puppy, does the breed you have or are looking at participate in OFA's CHIC program?

CHIC stands for Canine Health Information Center (http://www.caninehealthinfo.org/)

Each breed who participates has the National club decide what tests they will require for a dog to get a CHIC number. For Rottweilers, a dog must be screened for hips, elbows, heart and eyes, and MUST have all results made public for these tests, whether passing or failing.

What the CHIC program is doing is encouraging breeders and owner to TEST AND DISCLOSE. A CHIC number in no way means that any dog has passed all the tests. What it DOES mean is that the breeder or owner of that dog cares enough to test the dog for the big 4, and to disclose all results whether normal or not.

So, does your breed participate in the CHIC program? Does your dog have a CHIC number?

Let's discuss it! :D

[MafiaPrincess]

The am cocker chic program saddens me. They only want eyes and hips.. And hips aren't really a common cocker issue. They are the number three breed for knees..

I'd like to see more criteria to get it, but I haven't seen many breeders mention the chic program, even when they do do eyes and hips, and would qualify..

[RedyreRottweilers]

Are you involved with the club? If so, or even if not, it might be a good idea for you to write the BOD and express your concerns, and encourage them to encourage a Patellar Luxation exam for a dog to get a CHIC number.

Eyes are certainly a biggie in Cockers, and I would have thought for sure they would require PL certs too.

[MafiaPrincess]

I'm still a nobody honestly. I've researched like h*ll, know what I'm talking about, but I'm not sure if breeding is down my future path. The canadian cocker site is the pits.. It's like comparing the CKC to AKC pages. The CKC pages don't offer much info at all.. and the canadian cocker club is the same.

The american club has a big flashy site with a good amount of info..

I couldn't find a breeder doing enough health testing on my side of the border. Lot of inherited eye conditions being swapped through breedings here. Lot of dogs with OFA hips and nothing else toting how good they are testing.. I want to do agility. I want to know knees are sound too.. Cockers are a fairly big health test mess, not that it's all testable. People are doing the least they can, and claiming they are responsible..

[SummerRiot]

Hmm I like this idea..

requirements for Belgians are;
Hips, Elbows, Eyes and Thyroid

Riot just needs to get his eyes and thyroid tested now :) The less expensive of all of them lol yay!

[Sada]

All Eglish Setters require for a CHIC is hips, elbows, and BAER.

For those that don't know, BAER testing is done for hearing. Since English Setter are born white like Dalmatians, they have an increased possibility of being deaf.

I am waiting for them to require thyroid tesing for the CHIC, since the English Setter is the number one breed with hypothyroidism according to OFA ad MSU.

Jack has been BEAR tested and was normal. He is under the age of 2 so I am unable to do hips or elbows. I am monitoring his thyroid levels, but OFA won't take those until he is 2 either. I am watching them because of the prominance of the disease in the breed.

[FrenchKissed]

The GDC used to do something similar to this. It withered and died to to lack of participation (and it was around for 25 years). I don't know why the CHIC program will be any more successful.

[OutlineACDs]

I am monitoring his thyroid levels, but OFA won't take those until he is 2 either. I am watching them because of the prominance of the disease in the breed.


I thought OFA would take a thyroid sample at 12 months? I could be wrong though.

[RedyreRottweilers]

GDC was absorbed by OFA, and had a lot to do with OFA's progression towards a more open data base.

I really love the fact that the CHIC program encourages testing and disclosure. Most certainly a step in the right direction.

Each puppy that leaves here must acquire a CHIC number according to my sales contract. I hope that somewhere down the road this will benefit people doing pedigree research, and my breed in general.

:D

OH, and SummerRiot, my Thyroid test cost as much as the hip/elbow films and submission did!

[HoundedByHounds]

LOL Eddie Dzuik (sp) is heavily involved in that I think...as well as the NBC...yet we are notably absent. I have no idea why...when I asked on my list there were crickets chirping...*sigh*

[ToscasMom]

I don't see Collies on the list.

[doberkim]

The doberman is included with a fairly hefty requirement:
Hips, thyroid, vWD, the WAE (a temperament test offered by the DPCA), eyes, and heart (echo AND holter - not just one or the other).

Personally, the only thing I see is that the WAE has to be taken, not PASSED, which is a shame.

Are my dogs in there? Nope - all rescues, none with pedigrees that I know of, so it won't affect breeding, but besides, none have had complete health testing.

My future pup will hopefully be in there when she is old enough.

[RedyreRottweilers]

Just keep in mind, CHIC is NOT an indication of breeding fitness. It is encouragement for breeders to TEST, and TELL. :D

[FrenchKissed]

GDC was absorbed by OFA, and had a lot to do with OFA's progression towards a more open data base.


They were absorbed because there was lack of support for the GDC. Only very few breed clubs supported them. Most did not like the open registry standard of GDC and therefore they did not support it. GDC closed their doors because of lack of funding. OFA absorbed their records because there was really no where else for the information to go, and it brought OFA more customers because then those people would have to list the rest of their info with OFA as well.

[Beanie]

Hmm, shelties aren't on the list either.
If they were, I'd expect to at least see OFA hips, vWD, thyroid, and CERF... elbows would be really nice to see too.

[MaryAndDobes]

The doberman is included with a fairly hefty requirement:
Hips, thyroid, vWD, the WAE (a temperament test offered by the DPCA), eyes, and heart (echo AND holter - not just one or the other).

Personally, the only thing I see is that the WAE has to be taken, not PASSED, which is a shame.



I don't think it's ever a shame when people take a test that can be used as a breeding tool to help them improve. Pass or fail, they got out there and tried and hopefully learned something in the process that will help them do better either in breeding or just in raising future dogs. (Because the way they are raised and socialized is also a part of what you see in the WAE, not just inherent qualities.)

Besides, does one have to pass all of the other tests to be in there? I don't think so. How does one "pass" a vWD test, for eg? As you know, Kim, even an affected dog can have a long and prosperous life and can be bred so as not to pass on the affected status to any offspring.

It's all information. I don't think it does any good to point fingers at it being good or bad information. Pointing fingers when someone doesn't pass something like the WAE doesn't exactly encourage them to want to do it in the future with other dogs.

Anyway, as to the original question, no, my dogs don't have CHIC numbers. All of the required health testing is done. Since I live in Canada and don't have *easy* access to the WAEs, my dogs are taken through Temperament Tests administered by Temperament Test Associates here in Canada and therefore do not quality for the CHIC program.

[MafiaPrincess]

You don't have to pass you just have to take the requirements to get a chic #..

Their dog of the month last November or December was a beautiful cocker titled up the whazoo, eye issues, with a chic number.

[malndobe]

The Malinois is included in the CHIC program, requirements are hips, elbows and eyes.

[Sada]

I thought OFA would take a thyroid sample at 12 months? I could be wrong though.

I just checked the OFA website and they will take it at a year of age. They then recommend testing at the ages of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 because the disease doesn't usually show up at a young age. It can show up at a younger age, but most dogs don't.

[OutlineACDs]

I just checked the OFA website and they will take it at a year of age. They then recommend testing at the ages of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 because the disease doesn't usually show up at a young age. It can show up at a younger age, but most dogs don't.

Right, but thats a yearly test for breeding stock anyway. I just wanted to be sure I had read 12 months.

[JennSLK]

I don't think it's ever a shame when people take a test that can be used as a breeding tool to help them improve. Pass or fail, they got out there and tried and hopefully learned something in the process that will help them do better either in breeding or just in raising future dogs. (Because the way they are raised and socialized is also a part of what you see in the WAE, not just inherent qualities.)

Besides, does one have to pass all of the other tests to be in there? I don't think so. How does one "pass" a vWD test, for eg? As you know, Kim, even an affected dog can have a long and prosperous life and can be bred so as not to pass on the affected status to any offspring.

It's all information. I don't think it does any good to point fingers at it being good or bad information. Pointing fingers when someone doesn't pass something like the WAE doesn't exactly encourage them to want to do it in the future with other dogs.

Anyway, as to the original question, no, my dogs don't have CHIC numbers. All of the required health testing is done. Since I live in Canada and don't have *easy* access to the WAEs, my dogs are taken through Temperament Tests administered by Temperament Test Associates here in Canada and therefore do not quality for the CHIC program.

Exactly. Im in Canada too. Jazz passed her TT, but finding a WAE test in almost imposible here. She will be ding her Cerf next, then Thyroid/VwD at the same time (our vet will do it and send it in and take care of all papper work :D) then hips/elbows. Hopefully Cardio shortly after she's two. I just have to get into a clinic that is near by.

[MaryAndDobes]

She will be ding her Cerf next, then Thyroid/VwD at the same time (our vet will do it and send it in and take care of all papper work

Vets don't do the DNA test for vWD. Any vWD testing done at the vet's office will be the Elisa assay blood test, which is rather unreliable and is influenced by hormones, illness, stress, handling error, etc. It's also considered unreliable because it changes from day to day, month to month. It doesn't give you your dog's DNA status. You order the DNA kit for vWD from VetGen.
http://www.vetgen.com

Don't waste your money on an Elisa test at the vet's office. The Elisa test has value immediately prior to surgical situations but doesn't have value to determine breeding strategies.