Health Registries
Breeding healthy dogs requires a thorough commitment to sound breeding practices and an understanding of several sets of complex information:
• Breed standard and type
• Pedigrees and potential breeding partners
• Health problems that the affect the breed and the particular breeding partners.
All members of the STCA sign a Code of Ethics which states that STCA Breeders must make use of available DNA testing when needed in order to produce Scottish Terriers free of genetically transmitted disease, and they must disclose known hereditary defects, health, and physical condition of any stock offered for sale or breeding purposes.
Having a more complete picture of the health and background of potential breeding pairs is possible if breeders test their dogs and register the results to enable the best choices for current breeding programs. Since breeders often study many generations of a pedigree, a Registry can be a very useful tool for breeders in the future as more research provides answers to currently frustrating health issues.
How can a Registry benefit all Scottish Terriers and their owners?
• By providing a centralized, independently managed repository for recording health data on all Scottish Terriers;
• By providing a readily accessible, open data base for pedigree analysis and research;
• By recording the incidence of many genetic diseases as well as carrier and clear status where DNA tests are available;
• By providing registration for any affected Scottie free of charge.