# How do you read a ped?



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Titles tell you a lot... There can be titles at the front and back end of a dog's name. You can learn what the titles are by going to the AKC website.

As you learn more about the breed and do research, you will start to find that certain kennel names pop up over and over again - and then you'll find certain dog names pop up repeatedly. Here on the west coast, the "performance Goldens" are usually from Coppertop or Emberain. Tanbark comes up quite a bit, as does High Times. The AKC just held its first Agility Invitational this year. Check out the AKC site and see what Goldens were there -- they invited the top five (based on MACH points) ranked dogs. 

--- I just looked -- it was Coppertop, Flashpaws, Tanbark and a dog named Golden-something... --- 

You can also check out the publication Front and Finish. It's an obedience pub, but they do an annual list of OTCH points by breed. See what kennels are producing the top OTCH pointed Goldens and you'll have a great idea of kennels to contact for a solid working dog - for whatever sport you want to do.

Hope that helps....


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

You can tell from the titles of the dogs in the pedigree whether the dog is field-bred, show-bred, or BYB.

Pedigree: Dusty Snickerdoodle Madison MX MXJ AAD EAC OGC OJC RS-E GS-O JS-O CL4-R CGC Dusty - he's BYB. One great-grandsire and one great-great-grandsire have conformation titles, but other than that there are no titles. All those dorky names on the dam's side are also typical BYB (sunshine, delight, golden girl, etc).

Pedigree: Tanbark's Number Two Pencil OA, OAJ, NF, JS-O, RS-O, GS-N, WCDex, SRD Stephanie's Quiz, field bred. HRCH, MH, JH, WCX, FTCH, AFTCH, FDHF, and *** are hunting/field titles (OTCH, UDX and OBHF are obedience titles).

Pedigree: BIS/BISS Am/Can CH Rush Hill Xcentuate th' Pawsitiv SDHF There's a dog someone posted about a while back who's show-bred. The BIS, BISS, and CH titles are for conformation shows.

As for knowing about particular dogs, it just comes from looking at the pedigrees of dogs that are doing well in agility and seeing which lines are most frequently behind good agility dogs. Obviously there are some exceptions (no one in their right mind would go buy a puppy because its pedigree included Sunshine Golden Girl Princess and all those lovely dogs in Dusty's pedigree) but when particular lines are showing up again and again in the pedigrees of good agility dogs it usually means they'd be a good pick for agility.

Pedigree: MACH2 Shoreland's Wild Streak CD, MX, MXJ, CanCD
Pedigree: MACH7 ADCh Tanbark's One More Time MX MXJ NF MAD SAM SM RM GM CGC EJC EGC EAC
Pedigree: MACH4, ADCH FlashPaws Runaround Sue XF, SACH, JCH, GCH - Bronze, RCH, ADHF

There are some good agility Goldens that I can think of right now. You can see that OTCH Meadowpond Stardust Reggie is in all of them, I don't have time to look for more dogs that are in them all but there are probably more. Also if you click on "View genetic information for ..." you can see that AFC Holway Barty OS is the most influential in the first two, and OTCH Meadowpond Stardust Reggiw is the most influential in the third (I'm not entirely sure about the whole coefficient of inbreeding thing, but I think it means that he is in the pedigree the most times). Look at the pedigrees of dogs that do especially well in agility and agility dogs that you like, and you start to get an idea of the pedigree you're looking for.


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## Pointgold (Jun 6, 2007)

Pippa said:


> Can anyone help me understand a pedigree? How do I know if it is a good line or not and if it is a show line or a field line? How do you know by looking at a ped if it has a long line of good breeding? I'm looking into getting a pup for agility and I have a few wonderful people on here that are teaching me about that. So now I need a few that would explain to me pedigrees. How do you learn the dif lines? I've heard people rattle of names and say "oh thats a good ped" just by hearing a few names. How do they know that? Is it names they've heard over and over and have memorized that yes that particular dog did excellent? Can anyone explain all this to me in very simple terms cause i'm totally illiterate in this area.
> Thank you..


Pippa, I would be very happy to help you with your pedigrees. Understanding them, and knowing the lines really comes from years of experience and studying pedigrees, which is a hobby bordering on obsession for me! I have saved very nearly every show catalogue from every show I've been to, so that I can study the pedigrees of dogs entered that I might be interested in, for a variety of reasons. Also invaluable is access to the breeders and or owners of the dogs in a generational pedigree - even though they may be long past. Being able to discuss honestly the faults and health issues, as well as the positive characteristcs of the dogs can help you to make informed decisions. "Names", and even titles, might appear impressive at the surface, but it is far more important to know the genetic health, what those dogs have produced structurally, temperamentally, health-wise, AND performance wise.If you would like, you can PM me and we can make arranngements for me to view the pedigrees that you might be looking at and we can pick them apart, dog by dog. There are several very nice dogs that are producing beautiful and talented puppies for multi-purpose, and it would be fun to help you out.


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

I forgot Ted! Pedigree: OTCH MACH6 U-CDX Coppertop's Live Wire VCD3 UDX TDX MH MXF WCX CCA VCX ADHF OS He has Meadowpond dogs in his pedigree too (not the same dog as the ones I posted earlier though), and the most influential dogs in his pedigree include AFC Holway Barty and another one that was in one of the ones I posted earlier.


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## Pippa (Jul 21, 2007)

Pointgold..i pm'd you and thank you.
I really appreciate you all helping me. This is so confusing to someone that is new to all of this. Owning a mixed golden peds and such were the farthest from my mind ..lol..
Instead with her it's been all about trying my darndest to keep her healthy due to very irresposible people..but for the most part she is healthy..she does have arthritis and chronic ear infections..just to name a few of the probs..but we've had her for almost 6 years and to us she is perfect..we just have to do a few things to keep her healthy...


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## Pippa (Jul 21, 2007)

Katie,
At the bottom of your posts you have a bunch of letters after Dusty's name. what do those letters mean?


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## katieanddusty (Feb 9, 2006)

Those are agility titles, except for the CGC which is Canine Good Citizen (which is really really basic obedience and generally being a polite dog). The AKC agility titles are the MX and MXJ, the rest are just a lot of different organizations we've competed in over the years. Boo's titles OA and OAJ are also AKC.


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## nrhareiner (Feb 27, 2007)

I wish AKC did what AQHA does with pedigrees and show info. I can resurch any horse I want and can find out any info on that horse I want. I can pull up get of sire records and produce of dam. I can also pull g-sire and g-dam records. I can pull show records and see not only what the horse has won but where who the judge was who the horses they beat where and so much more. I can also find out if the horse has competed in any other reconized association.

I find that the dog world in the area has a long way to go.

Heidi


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