Re: [pyrnet] Pyrs without Dwarf producing ancestors

[SovreignPyrs@aol.com]

Linda
Trust me I know about the expertise of GDC.  What I'm trying to tell you is 
people have a mistrust of large organizations.  Heavens look at the last 
election, certainly the government and even the supreme court are not held in 
the best regard.
People mistrust that the government given specifics about "them and their 
families" could cause more harm than good.  Look at how many people refuse to 
use OFA as a for instance.  I am simply telling you that peoples lack of 
trust in the organization
right or wrong, it is simply not being used.   If its not being used, how can 
it help anyone?  The Beagle people wanted a more personal database I guess.  
All I can tell you is that it works, people do not fear it, and at this point 
we have nearly 20 years of data to work with.  And no I am not saying I have 
these positions.  I too checked out GDC previously.  Guess what there is very 
little information there to help any breeding program, never mind mine.  

And also there is little information that can be hidden.  Everyone reports on 
the litters as they are born reports initial problems, and follow them to the 
grave.  Yes people might have been initially fearful, But guess what everyone 
very quickly figured out it was a bigger help to them than a problem.  We 
also discovered that we ARE not alone.  Someone who sits somewhere with no 
pyr breeders around them, and produces a dwarf or whatever problem, guess 
what? They feel alone.  They think they are the only ones.  Once people 
figure out that the best of the dogs in the country produce problems, 
everyone starts working together.  I and others have also found that often 
the the "gossip" is worse than what is in the data base.  This puts rumors to 
an end very fast.
For instance; I once wanted to use a very good producing stud dog on on of my 
bitches.  He currently is around 28 Champions  thus far, and is about 8 yrs 
old.  I have voiced my wishes on several occasions over the years, and was 
always told not to use him because he was horribly dysplastic.  Well I 
checked OFA and he is not (still) in the data base.  Finally, I checked with 
the database, and no dysplastics were on record for him in spite of the 
gossip.  I then contacted his owner and expressed my wish to use the dog, but 
my hestiancy due to what I'd heard.  Not only did she provide proof (an OFA 
Prelim at 23 months of age indicating "Good"), but she was happy to tell me 
what problems he has produced and to what lines of bitches sent to him.  
Guess what; it almost verbatum parallelled what teh data base had from litter 
owners.  His owner not being a believer in Group organizations such as OFA 
did not see the point in redoing this dogs xrays, she thought 23 months was 
close enough to 2, and she had done it because a bitch owner requested it.  
She herself simply xrays and uses a veterinary radiologist to interpret the 
xray.  Maybe she doesn't believe in OFA, but she sure has faith in a 
radiologist she can sit down and talk to on a personal level.   On the other 
hand she religiously provides information to the club database.   
I don't believe Pyr breeders are any different.  We all have a comfort zone, 
like it or not.  Why not give them what they feel they can work with?  I 
think it would be a step forward.
Sharon Hodgdon