Several years ago I came close to buying a young gyp out of JT. Still young but extremely promising. After Bob showed me the pedigree I passed. If you follow the dogs back from JT to Teddy to Ace you get to Krystal . . I don't remember her pedigree from memory but I think Bob got her thru or from Benny Cowart. This is Krystal . .
She was from before my time but a very good dog, by all accounts. Bob bred her to Gus which was one of the best he ever owned. He was a grandson of Punch on the topside and on the bottom he went back to a littermate of Punch and Jordan's Henry. This is Gus . .
Gus X Krystal produced really good dogs. But 2 generations later some of their offspring started showing Hip Dysplasia. Basically, all of the ones that were doubled up on Krystal. Dogs going crippled at 2-3 years old. Pups being born crippled up from shallow and deformed hip sockets. So Bob culled everything he owned that traced back to Krystal, regardless of their quality in the woods. Which was pretty courageous, I think . . since it meant culling everything he owned that went back to Gus. And Zeke. And Hoss, etc.
If you have Krystal in your dogs' pedigrees . . it might not mean anything. May never affect you. But KRYSTAL WAS ABSOLUTELY A CARRIER OF THE GENES THAT PRODUCE HIP DYSPLASIA. look at what Hip Dysplasia has done to the Lab and German Shepherd breeds. those breeders have learned that you can not breed it out of the dogs. You just take precautions and hope it doesn't show up. Kind of like meeting a supermodel who offers you sex. Now imagine that you know for a fact that she is HIV Positive. Do you take a chance? You might not catch it from her. Maybe.
