# Questions About Pedigree



## maddogg612 (Mar 3, 2017)

So the pedigree confuses me a little bit, I know one thing I am looking at it the COI which I want the % to be as low as possible, but what else do I need to be looking at? 


I know people were mentioning about lines or specific dogs that have cancer in it, but how do I obtain that kind of information or is it mostly personal experience or knowing the dogs in general?
Should every generation in the pedigree have full certificates done?


Thank you for the help!


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## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

maddogg612 said:


> So the pedigree confuses me a little bit, I know one thing I am looking at it the COI which I want the % to be as low as possible, but what else do I need to be looking at?
> 
> 
> I know people were mentioning about lines or specific dogs that have cancer in it, but how do I obtain that kind of information or is it mostly personal experience or knowing the dogs in general?
> ...


Well, COI is confusing for a lot of people. You don't necessarily want the COI to be as low as possible. Real low doesn't mean everything is great either.

Health clearances will vary as you look back through time in a pedigree. The list of suggested of clearances has grown over time. So as you go back through the generations you may find dogs that have fewer clearances listed. You should however find something listed back to at least 1970. 

Cancer is unavoidable in any living thing. Just as in people, some families or individuals see it more often than other families and individuals. So, you can try to stack the odds in your favor but you can't eliminate it completely. There will always be some risk.


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## TheZ's (Jun 13, 2011)

maddogg612 said:


> . . .
> I know people were mentioning about lines or specific dogs that have cancer in it, but how do I obtain that kind of information or is it mostly personal experience or knowing the dogs in general?



K9data.com is a resource for finding some information. If you enter the sire or dam's registered name you can look at a 5 generation pedigree for the dog and at longevity of the dogs in the 5 generation pedigree. You can click on any dog in the pedigree to see their page. Date and cause of death may be given on the dog's page but since k9data is a voluntary database the information is often missing.

If you're dealing with a knowledgeable breeder they should know about health issues in the lines they're breeding and you should feel free to ask them.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

*W/Regards to basing decisions on COI....*

Sharing for fun.... 

The details I know about this dog (related to my first boy).

His sire (full littermate to my dog) came from a father/daughter breeding.

A very low COI on the bitch/dog on a prospective litter doesn't tell you how inbred the dogs BEHIND them.

In this case, the littermate of my dog was bred to a girlie who had a 0 COI. The 0 COI, I believe came from not enough information behind her. Somebody went through the trouble of putting dogs in to build a pedigree behind their own dog and they went back as far as they could (3 generations), but didn't know beyond that.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Right now in 2017 GRCA requires hips, elbows, eyes and heart. In years past not all were required. Elbows I think were the last thing added. Many breeders, especially field type, add a lot of genetic testing. The show breeders are starting to get on board with genetic testing. There is no requirement that genetic testing be done, and it's impossible once a dog is dead. 

There is no requirement that a dog's cause of death be listed. And often there is no way to know exactly what the dog died of.

For information on a dog, I would look sideways, not just at parents and grandparents. Look at siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles. Often there are many great dogs in a pedigree at first glance that shows no titles. Sometimes with a little work, you'll find wonderful aunts and uncles or great siblings in a pedigree.

Best thing is ask the breeder of the sire and dam, not just the puppy's breeder.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Interestingly they decided she should have an OD too- though it was removed...


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