BreedingPoliciesPage2

Breeding Policies

Folklaur uses only sound breeding stock to lessen the occurrence of defects considered to be hereditary. While I do not "guarantee" that your dog will be free of genetic defects, I do guarantee that both parents were reported to be free of hip dysplasia and hereditary eye diseases at the time of the breeding. Copies of those reports are provided. Here are some hints to help you understand and avoid some of these problems.

Dysplasia, both hip and elbow, is influenced by hereditary, as well as nutritional and environmental factors. Therefore, the new owner assumes part of the responsibility for the orthopedic health of their dog.
Other orthopedic conditions such as OCD have not been proven at this time to be hereditary, although there seems to be some predisposition for OCD in certain bloodlines. Like dysplasia, nutrition and environment play major roles in these diseases.

Excessive nutrition and over supplementation, as well as over or underfeeding your puppy, can have a negative impact on the dog's structure as it grows. Only feed your puppy the brands of dog food listed on your feeding instruction sheet.

Monitor your puppy to make sure it receives proper exercise but does not get injured. Over or under exercising your puppy can negatively impact its health. Do not allow jumping on and off of furniture or stairs. Also, keep the puppy off of slippery or damp flooring. Do not overuse your crate. Your puppy will benefit from regular walks and from play sessions in your yard. Avoid strenuous exercise and do not jog your dog until he is at least 18 months old. Do not allow your puppy to roughhouse with larger or older dogs to avoid injury.

Eye Problems can be hereditary, congenital or an acquired condition resulting from a virus or accident. Some eye abnormalities have little or no effect on the dog's vision while others can cause blindness.

Seizures can be induced by idiopathic epilepsy or by other causes including trauma, poisoning, infections, thyroid problems, diseases such as distemper and rabies, and tick borne diseases such as ehrlichiosis and Lyme. Most cases are controllable through the use of medication. Your veterinarian can perform tests to rule out other possible causes of seizures. No test is available to determine whether or not a dog who has had seizures has hereditary epilepsy, or if a dog is a carrier. Therefore, no certification is available.

Incorrect bites include undershot, overshot or wry mouthed malocclusions. Most incorrect bites cause little or no problem for the dog. Do not play "tug of war" with your puppy as there is a possibility of damaging their teeth or jaw alignment. This "game" can also teach a puppy not to willingly give up something he has in his mouth. This is very dangerous since retrievers like to carry things in their mouth and sometimes they may pick up items that are dangerous to their health.

Together, we can help make this dog's life a long and healthy one.