- Pink papers - Performance Breeding
- How to register a litter - USA\SV, USA only and AKC
- How to register a kennel name - USA
- How to individually register a dog - USA\SV
- How to AKC register your imported dog.
- The HD Zuchtwert
You have probably heard about 'pink papers' when talking
to breeders of German Shepherd Dogs. This refers to the additional pedigree
issues by the Vereine für Deutsche Schäferhunde (SV) through the United Schutzhund
Clubs of America (USA) office. The pedigree is registered with the USA office
and the dog is listed in the registry that it maintains.
So what does this mean? It means that both parents
have proven their working ability by attaining titles of at least SchH1 and have
received a Breed Survey (Körung) that is current at the time of whelping.
What does that involve? Well, first the dogs must
have sound nerves, be well socialized and obedient to pass it's first test - the
Begleitehundprüfung or BH. It must be at least 12 months old to enter in the
test which is judged by an SV or USA judge at a sanctioned event. The dog
must also be tattooed. The BH is a prerequisite for the SchH1 title which
cannot be earned before the age of 18 months and includes tracking, obedience and
protection work also judged by an SV or USA judge at a sanctioned event. The
three phases of the SchH1 test are held at one event usually in one day.
What about a Breed Survey? The dog must have an
OFA hip certification of Excellent, Good or Fair or have received an 'A' stamp rating
of Normal, Fast Normal (almost normal) or Noch Zuglassen (still allowable) from
the SV in Germany. The dog is eligible for an OFA rating at 24 months of age
or for an 'A' Stamp at 12 months of age. The dog must also have gotten a show
rating of Good or better in the 18-24 month class or Good or better in the Working
Class (24 months of age with title). In addition to these requirements, the
dog and handler must prove their stamina in a 12+ mile endurance test where the
dog gaits alongside the bicycling handler. This test is called the Ausdauerprüfung
(Endurance Test).
Can I get pink papers on my dog? Currently the only
way to get pink papers on a US born German Shepherd Dog is for the breeder of the
litter to submit registration to the USA office. First a notice of mating card is
sent to the USA office, listing the sire and dam of the expected litter, signed
by the owner of the pair. The registration process includes several visits
to the breeders kennel after the puppies are whelped, by a designated Breed Warden,
who check on the health and condition of the dam and puppies. At seven weeks
of age, the puppies can be tattooed by a registered USA tattooer or by a Veterinarian.
The Breed Warden usually assists with the tattooing if possible. Both the
Breed Warden and Tattooer sign the registration papers and check to see that the
information being submitted is correct. The application must be typewritten.
Is this the only paperwork I need on my dog? No,
the only FCI recognized breed registry in the United States is the AKC. So
you should make sure you have AKC papers on your puppy or dog as well.
What do Pink Papers look like?
Click to see full sized.
How do I get a registered kennel name with the United
Schutzhund Clubs of America? Call the USA office at (314) 638-9686 and ask
them to mail or fax you a registration form. Pick a unique kennel name that
you want to live with. It will be yours for life and cannot be changed or
sold or willed to another.
Can I register my dog or puppies with the United Schutzhund Clubs of America only?
Yes, but remember that you will still need to register with the AKC. The USA
is now providing an in house registy. Both parents need to be registered with
USA. Visit their website for further details.
How do I register my puppies with the AKC?
First both of the parents need AKC registration papers . Then fill out the
AKC litter registration application and send it in with the required fees.
You can download a
litter registration application here or
visit the AKC
website for more information.
How do I register my AKC
registered dog with the USA? You'll need a certified AKC
four generation pedigree and the original AKC registration
papers. Your dog will need to have a tattoo. Most
German Shepherds are tattooed in the right ear but other areas of
the body are acceptable. Just remember that if you are going
to work or show your dog, you will be required to show the tattoo
to the Judge and the Judge will want to be able to read it.
Then you will need to fill out the additional information required
by the USA office in a form they supply. Send all of your
paperwork along with the required fees to the USA office.
They, in turn, will assign a registration number and stamp the
pedigree. The paperwork is sent to the SV office where it is
also recorded and stamped before being returned to you.
How do I get AKC
registration on my imported dog? The AKC supplies a form and
requires two photos of the dog and an ownership certification from
the country of origin. The letter that you will need from
the SV is called a Bescheinigung. You can request one from
the SV in writing or by fax. The charge is usually about
40DM. You can also request one through the USA office.
You can download a foreign
registration form here or visit the AKC
website for more information.
What the heck is the HD
Zuchtwert?
This basically is a rating system employed by the SV wherein the dog is given a numeric
value derived from it's parents, siblings and offspring. That value is supposed
to reflect the possible heritability of hip displasia - the lower the number the
better chances the dog has of not producing hip displasia. There are rules for the
members of the SV in Germany that prohibit mating two dogs that will have a high
combined score.
1. How is the Breed Value HD worked out for my dog? What is the formula for it?
There is no precise formular in these calculations. The Breed Value of every animal
is considered "unknown" at the beginning of the calculations. Then an equation is
put up for every animal, of the formular:
HD = the breed average + Breed Value of this animal + variation of sex + other influences.
In this equation the breed average, breed value and the effect of the sex are formulated
as the "cause" of HD. In the SV, 450,000 equations are formulated for 450,000 animals,
with the 450,000 unknown Breed Values. Then some supplementary conditions (stipulations
or prerequisites) of the laws of inheritance and heredity are mathematically formulated.
Following this, the computer has to solve the 450,000 equations with the 450,000
unknown factors. The answers are the assessed (estimated) Breed Values. This means
that there is no formular, in which a dog's breed value is worked out on its own.What
role does its own HD score play in my dog's HD Breed Value?
The dog's own HD grade modifies that, which was already known about the line (sire
and dam). Siblings, (same father and same mother) may differ through their own HD
status. If an animal has progeny, its own HD status slips more and more into the
background. With 30 - 40 progeny, it is practically of no consequence.
3. How is a foreign "a" evaluated for the Breed Value Assessment?
At the this time, dogs from abroad with the "a" are evaluated in the formulations
as though they were not x-rayed. Their Breed Value Assessment is gained only through
their x rayed relatives. As these animals can no be clearly termed as "free" or
"still Acceptable", an assumption in this case, would be unfair.
4. How can a dog, that was not x -rayed, have a Breed Value for HD?
In the system of equations (see Answer 1), there is a lateral clause, that the father
(and the mother) give half of their genes to the progeny. Therefore the Breed Value
of the progeny can be assessed or estimated, if nothing is known about the animal
( un x-rayed), as well as the breed value of the sire and dam are known. In the
same way, a parent can be assessed if the progeny is known, because progeny have
one half of their genes from their parents. Siblings on the one hand help to characterise
the parents, the knowledge about the breed value of the parents helps on the other
hand, to assess the breed value of the untested siblings.
5. How accurate can the Breed Value Assessment be, if for more than half of the
whelps, no HD information is available?
In the Breed Value Assessment, the percentage of the pups does not matter, but the
absolute number. The last Sieger has at this point in time, 91 x-rayed progeny,
who characterise his heredity well. In the breed Value Assessment it is not the
percentage of the whelps that counts, but the total number! The last Sieger, at
this point in time, has his heritage well demonstrated by 91 progeny.
6. My bitch has passed on the "a" well up to now. What happens if I mate her to
a dog that has a HD Breed Value over 100?
If the bitch has produced well, this must be seen in her Breed Value. Good progeny
however, can also be the result of good matings. If the bitch, for instance, is
mated to a dog with a value of 100, then the risk for the puppies is higher. The
bitch is only "accredited negatively" if the pups are worse than could be expected
with that dog.
Generally it is a fact that the stud dog owner would be well advised if he also
accepted "poor" bitches, because with the poor bitches a dog can show plainly that
he "improves"
With HD, where there is no freer than free, it is difficult to prove a positive
heritability of the top bitches.
7. How do dogs that have no HD findings flow into the HD Breed Value calculations?
At this stage un-x rayed animals are neutral for the Breed Value Assessment, they
are not taken into consideration.
8. What does the mean Breed Value of 100 mean, and the stated deviation of the standard
of ten points mentioned in the breeding plan?
The Breed Value of 100 means, that the animal's heredity is typical for the breed.
At this time the breed mean is 1,71, that is between HD free and slight HD. What
is passed on, can be better or worse than 100.The average deviation above or below
this, will be set at 10 points for the mean.
9. What does a Breed Value over 100 mean for my dog?
The Breed Value for one's own dog means that he passes on poorly. As the breed average
itself is still unsatisfactory, matings should be strived for, that lie under 100.
With this, "you must not throw out the baby with the bath water." The first priority
is working ability, Temperament and so on. If one finds a stud dog who brings the
expectations for the pups (the average of father and mother) below the 100 value,
that is sufficient.
10. Conversely, what does a breed value below 100 mean for my dog?
A Breed Value below 100 means, that there is a greater freedom in the choice of
dogs firm in character, strong in performance and of good construction, even if
their breed value is around 100. With a bitch value of 83, one can even accept a
dog of 117!
11. Can a Breed Value be worked out for criteria other than HD, and if yes, for
which ones?
A breed value Assessment can be taken for other characteristics. For this, it is
important, that the characteristic is accurately defined. The inheritance of size,
it is thought, will be described next. These breed values would then be purely for
the breeders' information in their breeding plans. There will be no editions published
for this.
Dr. Reiner Beuing
University of Gießen
Visit the SV website at
http://www.schaeferhunde.de
to search on a dog and return the current HDZ value. Not all dogs in the database
maintained by the SV are available on the web search. Recently the SV has imposed
mandatory elbow displasia screening but I do not have all of the information on
that program at this time.