What do hip scores mean for gundogs?

Should I avoid buying a dog if it hasn’t been scored?

Gundogs
PETER BLATCH
Hip and eye scores are a guide to the condition of a pup’s sire and dam but it’s not a guarantee that their offspring will have the same scores – they could be higher, or lower.

If you look on the Kennel Club website it will give you ideal scores for each breed.

Labradors are usually shown with a hip score because some lines have had problems in the past.

Hips can be done by your vet who will X-ray your dog.

The normal age for this to be done is about 12 months.

The vet will then give you an idea of how good or bad they are and if they are worth sending off to the Kennel Club.

If you intend buying a dog that’s more than one-year old, particularly a Labrador, it would pay you to get it checked out first – especially if it’s a bitch you want to breed from.

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