[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Was CHIC now OFA
- From: "Paula M. Cooke" <pcooke212@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 19:30:39 GMT
Thank you for the explanation, Ginny.
I find it absolutely fascinating that a group of people who hold other breeds
in such disregard, as shown by their disdain and ensuing disrespect of
all-breed shows, awards, and/or judges, now are so concerned about other breeds
CHIC numbers and are willing to cheapen (dummy-down) our CHIC standards just to
APPEAR better than we really are!! We certainly are an odd group of deceptive
elitists, eh?
Thanks for my Labor Day chuckle, though, I am, yet again, disappointed in the
GSDCA-the GUARDIAN of our breed!!! How sad.
Be leery, be very leery, of who you all vote for in this next election!! We
are on the verge of financial and moral bankruptcy. Maybe it is coming near to
the time for the AKC to, yet again, step in and remind us of who we are and
what our mission is??
Paula, 35 days and counting
Home of Best in Show, Best in Specialty Show, Multi-Group Winning, GSDCA Dual
Title Award Recipient, AKC JAM/AOE, International and American Champion, Grand
Champion Asgard Harley Davidson v Plamark, HT, PT, CGC, TC, HIC, OFA CHIC
#64047 (Hips, Elbows, Cardiac, & Thyroid), DNA tested clear of the long-coat
factor. #1 Male German Shepherd Dog in the Country, #4 German Shepherd Dog in
the Country, as of 7/31/10 (Canine Chronicles) First male German Shepherd
Dog Grand Champion.
---------- Original Message ----------
From: Ginialtman@xxxxxxx
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 14:14:58 EDT
Subject: Was CHIC now OFA
This is almost everything you wanted to know about the recent changes in
CHIC. Maybe it is more than some want to know--I couldn't find anything to
leave out:-)
Carmen brought the recommendation to drop those two tests, cardiac and
thyroid, from the CHIC requirements on the OFA database to the July Board
meeting under the AKC Delegates Report. His rationale was that we did not have
as many dogs participating as other breeds did.
As Health and Genetics Chair, I was aware that it took significant effort
to do the CHIC program and when we started it in 2005 CHIC had been matched
to our Health Award of Merit --which still exists today unchanged. The
Health Committee had just launched a Health Study (as members likely know) so,
while I recognized that these two conditions were not the ones that were
our biggest problems and know that in addition, because of the nature of the
tests, there is value of the cardiac and thyroid for GSD as a snapshot in
time, I was not ready to take those two tests away without adding something
that was significant, especially a DNA test for GSD --like DM and offered
that. Also I suggested a substitute for testing by asking for participation
in the CHIC DNA bank which would be acceptable to the Health Committee.
We currently have 2 DNA tests for DM and they are both "recommended" but
not at this time "mandatory" because of the complexities of diagnosing the
disease and that each test tests for a different form of the disease; in
addition, Dr Leigh Ann Clark is in the middle of a great big study that may--
within a year or so-- yield DNA results. So I tried to move the subject to
discussion under the Health and Genetics committee but failed to get support
of the majority of the Board and Carmen's recommendation prevailed and
those tests were taken away. I tried to bring it up again under the Health and
Genetics Committee, I had, before the board meeting, polled the committee
members for their thoughts but I was not successful in getting the
committee recommendations adopted.
There were about 70 GSD that had a CHIC number before the change, and
while Golden Retrievers require hips, elbows, eye and cardiac they have 6250
yes that is six thousand + dogs participating. Their health criteria was about
equal with what we had before we reduced ours. In talking to folks about
the huge numbers of Goldens, I was informed that it is a "breed culture"
--that it is an expectation for breeders of Goldens to obtain these tests
before using the animals for breeding and they just do. Goldens are ranked 4th
in 2009 so, there are a lot of them but not as many of them as there are
GSD which were ranked # 2.
For comparison, in Dobermans, they require hips, thyroid, von willebrands,
cardiac and eye along with a temperament test which they label Working
Aptitude. The criteria is much higher than what we had for GSD. They have 90
dogs with a CHIC number. Dobermans are ranked 15th in 2009 so there are
fewer Dobermans but they do more tests and achieve higher number of CHIC dogs
than GSD before the change.
So since August 2010 GSDs now have close to 500 dogs in the CHIC
database--and all but about 70 of them are for hips and elbows and TT. That is
quite
a few dogs since 2005 that have passed the temperament test.
While temperament is not health, it was Bob Penny's passion and I worked
closely with him to understand that it is critical and essential in a GSD. We
have a test for it. I will make a point of evaluating, with the other
members of the Health Committee, the other test options that were suggested.
In time we will have other recommendations to add to the CHIC criteria and
it will be supported by research and the health survey. Whether the
committees recommendations will get adopted is another question.
We will be doing more with the GSDCA Health Award of Merit. Watch for some
new promotion to come on that using the previous criteria that the original
CHIC was based on and we will resurrect the Certificate.
Those dogs that have gotten a CHIC number will always have one even if the
criteria changes.
I am passionate about this and was disappointed, but will work to "get it
right".
Ginny Altman
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