Boo Hips Have been scored and she will enter our breeding program in 2024. Boo has had adjustments from a renowned greyhound trainer who has been in the business for a long time, and he was very impressed with Boo's condition, muscle mass and hip tightness.

We will be carefully selecting stud dogs to ensure our puppies are the healthiest they can be. This is a health condition that affects many different breeds of dog, and is particularly serious in larger, heavier breeds like Labradors. Although this is found within the Border Collie world. Our aim is to use stud dogs that will compliment Boo and will ensure they have lower scores to minimise the genetical risk.

Hip dysplasia actually has low heritability. The hips of the parents are not good predictors of what the hips of the puppies will be like. Environmental factors play a large part in the incidence of hip/elbow dysplasia. All puppies are actually born with perfect hips. Here at Bellamiscela we strive to provide a safe environment for the pups to grow up on.

We provide a non-slip surface in the whelping box and varying exercises throughout their growth including feeding the best diet.

The next opportunity to help give your puppy great hips is when you take your puppy home. And it is thought that there are three main ways that you can help.

The first is by avoiding inappropriate exercise, the second is by feeding for an appropriate rate of growth, and the third is a little more controversial as it involves delaying neutering until your dog is mature.

Exercise

Puppies don’t need long walks or vigorous exercise. Playing in the garden is sufficient for pups under five months old. Avoid steps and stairs, studies have shown that puppies climbing stairs at an early age were more likely to develop hip dysplasia. So, it is a sensible precaution to carry your small puppy up and down steps. Most experts recommend you don’t teach or encourage dogs to jump until they have stopped growing and this seems a sensible precaution.

Diet and growth.

Everyone wants their puppy to grow big and strong. But optimal growth does not mean rapid growth. It is now thought that slower growth probably allows for healthier hip development. Make sure you keep your puppy slim, with a waist, and you should be fine. So don’t be tempted to ‘feed your puppy up’ if he seems on the small side, without talking to your vet first. He may just be naturally small, and you don’t want him to grow too quickly.

Hormones

At one time we used to whip away our puppies’ reproductive equipment without a second thought. But the hormones produced by your puppy’s ovaries or testes are now thought to be important for his or her health in a number of different ways.

In fact, recent evidence has shown that neutering is implicated in a number of health problems, and hip dysplasia is one of them. We advise to neuter your dog, waiting until he/she is physically mature may reduce the impact of hormone loss on his joint development.

Please read our before and after you get your puppy information so you can become familiar on how to care for your puppy.

Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to hips, we can only try to minimise the risks.