posted 10-27-2003 09:04 PM         

First, all the breeding stock should be registered with a reputable registry. There was a list of various registries in another post, but two best known reputable registries are the United Kennel Club and ADBA. Then, the stock should be proven in some sort of work, or in conformation shows. Since APBTs are supposed to be working dogs, they SHOULD be proven in WORKing, like weight pull, or the like, but it's also important that they have correct conformation. All breeding stock should be tested for the following genetic diseases (parenthesis are groups that will analyze and list the results):
Hip Displasia (OFA, PennHIP)- done once, OFA after 2 yrs of age, PennHIP after 16 weeks (I think)
Elbow Dysplasia (OFA)- (done once)
Luxating Patellas (OFA)- (once)
PRA and other eye diseases (CERF)- yearly
Cardiomyopathy(sp?) and other heart diseases (OFA)- I think these are yearly
Thyroid imbalances (OFA)- yearly
In addition to those on the list (and there are probably a few I'm missing), some colors have other health problems associated with them... white dogs should have their hearing tested (BAER)- for breeding stock and you really SHOULD test any white or predominantly white pups before they are placed. Dilute colors (blue, fawn) can have a disease called Color Dilute Alopecia, which causes thin and/or patchy coats in affected dogs.

There are other health problems which are genetic, but either cannot be tested for, or are easily diagnosed without professional tests. Dogs with Allergies should not be bred. Dogs that have or had generalized Demodectic mange as pups should not be bred, as this is a sign of a weak immune system.

In addition to all the health concerns, temperament also needs to be considered. Dogs with shy, nervous, aggressive, overly dominant, or unpredictable temperaments should NOT be bred. All breeding stock should be able to pass either a CGC test or Temperament Test.

Breeding stock should also be checked for doggy STDs before bred. Some of those diseases are fatal to dogs, and can be passed to pups or even to humans handling the pups after whelp.

Here are some links to direct you to more information:

OFA website: http://www.offa.org/

PennHIP website: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers/pennhip/

CERF website: http://www.vet.purdue.edu/~yshen/cerf.html

Hip dysplasia: http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/medical-info.02.html#HD

More links on HD and Elbow Dysplasia: http://www.workingdogs.com/doc0090.htm

Luxating Patellas: http://www.pawfectchihuahuas.com/LuxatingPatella.html

PRA: http://members.tripod.com/cockerpages/progress.htm

Heart disorders: http://www.cah.com/library/cardiac.html

Thyroid imbalances: http://www.mirage-samoyeds.com/thyroidofa.htm#background

A site that lists genetic disorders by breed: http://www.siriusdog.com/genetic.htm

Info on deafness, white dogs, and BAER testing: http://www.deafdogs.org/faq/

CDA: http://www.italiangreyhound.org/cda.html

Allergies: http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/medical/canine-allergies.html

Demo: http://www.geocities.com/schlosser44/Demodex.html

CGC test site: http://akc.org/love/cgc/index.cfm

TT site: http://atts.org/

posted 10-28-2003 05:58 AM         

There are more than enough pit bull puppies to go around AS IS. Why not fix your dog. I don't remember the numbers, but thousands of pits are euthanized every year (I'm sure it's more), and thousands of them go to bad homes because people are constantly breeding these animals.

Instead of breeding, how about you let people save the ones that already need a home rather than create more that could just get thrown away?

posted 02-04-2004 05:42 AM         

They should wait until at least 2 1/2-3 yrs....that should be the up most earliest, a dog can not be proven before that. They are not fully grown until then, and honestly, you can't really tell how "good" a dog is until its fully matured.