And I'm going to run on him based on research and much investigation in to his bloodlines and answers on this forum. Dr. Keller says I should not worry as much as I am. He reviewed the sires x-rays too and his hips are so mild.

I doubt many others would use him even if he is clear and a very good representative of the breed but in my case he mainly for my use and if someone else wanted to use him way on down the road that would just be a bonus. If he passed on HD in a litter I would neuter him.

I would never have used a sire that was prelimed before a year and 1/2 .. in this case dad was prelimed by the OFA at19 months, there was no reason to suspect that he wouldn't pass, but this also teaches me a lesson that even at that age hips can and do change.

I know many breeders breeding their boys off of prelims done at or before 12 months. Now that is very scary to me.

Thank you all.

I think the statistics are that %10 of Labradors will develop hip dysplasia. That would mean that you can expect that 1 out of every 10 pups in a litter will have HD. So it would seem to me that if this boy of yours sired 10 pups or more he has a good chance of producing HD even if all of the dogs behind him have good hips. So if you plan on neutering him if he produces just one case of hip dysplasia, then you should just go ahead and neuter him now, because the odds are he will produce it

Are we still talking about the boy who'd sire didn't pass his final OFA's? Why do people keep recommending such drastic measures. Unless you have limited space in your home or kennel, why wouldn't you just keep your boy until he's old enough to be OFA'd and then make your decision then. OK, granted I am not as 'serious' about the sport as some as I would never rehome a dog who didn't pass his clearances...I would keep them, alter them, and have fun in performance events. Then again I don't have an agressive breeding program. Just a tiny hobby kennel...

Not that this is exactly your situation, but I think it still applies:

FROM THE OFA WEBSITE:"Do not ignore the dog with a fair hip evaluation. The dog is still within normal limits. For example; a dog with fair hips but with a strong hip background and over 75% of its brothers and sisters being normal is a good breeding prospect. A dog with excellent hips, but with a weak family background and less than 75% of its brothers and sisters being normal is a poor breeding prospect."

There is a chart somewhere that talks about the % of CHD produced by Excellent dogs, good dogs, etc. Can't find it though. Saw it at a lecture with Carmen L. Battaglia, PhD. http://www.dogstuff.info/reducing_breed_defects_battaglia.html

Also, some think that if we really wanted to get rid of Hip Dysplasia, we would be doing Pennhip. Maybe you should consider Pennhipping your boy:

http://www.therottweilerchronicle.com/trc8_lanting.htm

from the above link: "TRC: In essence, you feel the PennHIP is a more accurate evaluation than the OFA?
FL: Absolutely! The leg-extended position shows only half or slightly more of the story, the arthritic or degenerative changes. And in young dogs, before you put in the money training, showing, and feeding them, that degeneration is seldom there. Laxity does not hide from the distracted view, and is an excellent (the best) indicator for risk of future degenerative changes."

Best of Luck.

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Replying to:

And I'm going to run on him based on research and much investigation in to his bloodlines and answers on this forum. Dr. Keller says I should not worry as much as I am. He reviewed the sires x-rays too and his hips are so mild.

I doubt many others would use him even if he is clear and a very good representative of the breed but in my case he mainly for my use and if someone else wanted to use him way on down the road that would just be a bonus. If he passed on HD in a litter I would neuter him.

I would never have used a sire that was prelimed before a year and 1/2 .. in this case dad was prelimed by the OFA at19 months, there was no reason to suspect that he wouldn't pass, but this also teaches me a lesson that even at that age hips can and do change.

I know many breeders breeding their boys off of prelims done at or before 12 months. Now that is very scary to me.

Thank you all.

http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/ofa-mating.html