Breed Club Update

March 2000

Detailed below is the distraction index (DI) laxity profile for the Spinone Italiano breed. This information is to be distributed  to the breed club members. Thank you for your interest in PennHIP.

PennHIP does not make specific breeding recommendations. Selection of sire and dam for mating is the decision of the breeder. As a minimum breeding criterion, we propose that breeding stock be selected from the population of dogs having hip laxity in the tightest half of the breed (less than the median DI). Higher selection pressure (i.e. Lower DI of breeding stock) equates to more rapid expected genetic change per generation. In other words, mating tight hipped dogs to other tight hipped dogs will bring about the greatest expected change.

By implementing selection based on hip laxity, our evidence indicates that the breed average DI over the years will move toward tighter hip configuration, meaning lower susceptibility to hip dysplasia. The PennHIP database accounts for this response to selection pressure. Therefore, the average laxity and range of laxity for a particular breed will change over time.

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*The mean (average) distinction index is calculated only for those breeds having 20 or more dogs.

**Half of the DI's in the laxity profile are less than (tighter hips) the median DI and the remaining half are greater than (looser hips) the median DI. The median is calculated only for those breeds having 20 or more dogs.