Hip and Elbow
MDBA RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
|
MDBA (Master Dog Breeders and Associates)
ON HD AND ELBOW XRAYS AND WHY THE MDBA IS DIFFERENT AND BETTER. |
Julie Nelson: CEO MDBA Posted September 10 at 8:31 AM ·
Mandatory Hip & Elbow Assessments – Australian Cobberdog
It is now mandatory that all Australian Cobberdogs used for breeding that are born after 1st of July 2024 to have Hip and Elbow assessments via X-ray. The MDBA has a radiology and reading system that makes our approach different and better.
Until now, many Australian Cobberdog breeders have used OFA, PennHIP, CHEDs etc. These traditional systems score Australian Cobberdogs against other breeds like Labradoodles and crossbreeds or with a very limited number of dogs. They all use different but similar grading and scoring. That doesn’t tell us the truth about OUR gene pool.
The “Smoke and Mirrors” Problem
The existing traditional scoring systems weren’t designed to define what a healthy joint should look like in an absolute sense. They were designed to create a relative, breed-based scale so that breeders could say, “I’m improving compared to my peers.” “I do all I can to prevent HD or ED by using only dogs with scores average or lower than average for the breed.”
The unintended consequence is.
• A system that normalises dysfunction where in some breeds the whole population is compromised.
• Marketing that turns a below-average score into a selling point, without acknowledging that the dog is still abnormal and at risk of suffering and producing puppies with problems.
• A culture where breeders and buyers get desensitised to what “abnormal” actually means in lived reality for the dog and their breeding programs.
• A constantly changing average for the breed depending on what dogs have been screened, how many and their results at any given time.
Why Societies Have Accepted It
There are some uncomfortable reasons this has stuck:
• Breed preservation bias: Registries and clubs want to keep their breeds viable for showing and breeding, even if health is compromised.
• Economics: It’s easier (and more profitable) to sell puppies when you can say “low scores” than to admit “this breed has systemic problems.”
• Public relations: Kennel clubs know that if they publicly declared “most dogs, in any breed are structurally unhealthy, [with abnormal hips and elbows] ” they’d risk public backlash and the collapse of some breeds.
Incrementalism: They’ve convinced themselves that grading relative to breed average is at least a step toward improvement — even if it has not improved and it entrenches mediocrity.
The MDBA Difference.
What the MDBA do differently is that we don’t accept the smoke and mirrors.
• By calling hips “normal” or “abnormal,” we keep the focus on objective welfare rather than shifting goalposts.
• That’s why MDBA’s system can feel that it may be harsher, but it’s more honest and it acknowledges the reality for the dog rather than justifying it for the breeder and ensures a better future for the breed. Based on what we have seen over the past 18 months few Australian Cobberdogs have abnormal hips or elbows.
• Ideally the aim when selecting mates is to have both parents classified as normal.
Why “Normal × Abnormal” May Be Better Than “Below Average × Below Average”
If we are armed with actual knowledge of incidence of normal/abnormal then:
• Two “average” or “below average dogs” are still compromised. Their offspring are being pulled from a limited pool of mediocrity.
• Including a parent with true normal hips gives offspring a chance to inherit a structurally sound baseline.
• Even if not all pups land on “normal,” we are introducing corrective influence rather than recycling the problem.
Put simply: one genuinely normal parent can drag the offspring’s odds upward in a way that two slightly-better-than-average-but-still-compromised parents cannot.
Don’t just breed for a lower-than-breed-average score that maybe still abnormal.
A better strategy is:
Always aim for at least one parent with normal hips.
Compare the structure of both parents (angulation, chest, front and back construction) not just their scores.
Avoid doubling up on poor fronts, backs, balance or structural weaknesses.
This keeps normal hips in circulation and improves the odds for every litter.
Structure as a Filter and Safeguard
X-rays alone don’t tell the whole story. If breeders are also asked to compare conformation traits between the two parents, we add another safeguard:
• A “normal-hipped” parent with strong rear angulation, correct shoulder layback, balanced chest, well-structured and balanced etc is a better compensator.
• An abnormal parent should be assessed for structure, to prevent doubling up on both radiographic and conformational risks.
Over time, we are breeding toward both measurable health (radiographs) and functional anatomy (structure).
What the Evidence Suggests
• Heritability studies show HD/ED risk drops more when “clear” dogs are used, even if only one parent is normal, compared to two dogs with “average” or “fair” scores.
• Populations that kept even a small percentage of normal-hip dogs in circulation reduced incidence faster than those chasing only incremental “better-than-breed-average” matings.
• This also avoids the potential “bottleneck effect,” because you’re not just concentrating the few slightly-better-than-average lines over and over.
MDBA Position
• Don’t just breed for a lower-than-breed-average score that maybe still abnormal. Instead, anchor your breeding program with at least one parent that has truly normal hips whenever possible.
• Pairing normal with abnormal [conditionally] doesn’t mean we excuse the abnormal parent it means we are actively correcting, while also protecting genetic diversity.
• Always compare the structure: a normal-hip dog with poor front or rear construction is not an ideal anchor. Look for soundness in both x-ray and anatomy
Australian Cobberdog-specific:
Why it’s better:
· Clear & honest → “Normal or Abnormal” (no curves, no averages).
· Easier for buyers → simple to explain, builds trust.
Protects breeders → Abnormal dogs can still be used when paired with Normal anchors. Messaging: “When you tell a puppy buyer ‘my breeding dogs have Normal hips, confirmed by MDBA’, that is clear, powerful, and sets you apart from other breeders who hide behind scores.”
· Protects the breed → With ~97% Normal hips today, we can stay one of the soundest developing breeds.
· Bottom line: Normal / Abnormal isn’t just different. It’s BETTER.
Normal x Normal and Normal × Abnormal is progress. Average × Average is standing still.
Requirements That Protect the Breed
• Normal dogs: Eligible for breeding.
• Abnormal dogs:
o Must undergo conformation assessment.
o Only used if otherwise structurally strong.
o May only be bred to a Normal mate.
This balances welfare with genetic diversity — we don’t throw away every abnormal dog, but we stop doubling up on weakness.
Why You Must Send MDBA X-rays
• Transparency protects everyone. The only way we can gauge incidence is if all X-rays – good and bad are sent to us even if the dog is removed from the gene pool.
• By standardising results under the MDBA normal/abnormal system, we prevent confusion and ensure buyers, vets, and breeders all speak the same language.
• Other scoring systems can still be used, but MDBA results will be the reference point for the registry.
• Submission is currently free
• Official proof requires an MDBA certificate (fee applies).
• Other systems can still be used, but MDBA’s Normal/Abnormal classification is the registry reference point
• ED and HD are not “bad luck” — they are the result of genetics, structure, and environment interacting. Traditional scoring hides the problem. MDBA’s system confronts it honestly.
About X-ray Methods
Different systems require different positioning for their evaluation:
• OFA - Ventrodorsal (VD) extended hip view (dog on back, legs extended parallel).
• PennHIP Requires three views:
1. Standard extended VD (like OFA).
2. Compression view.
3. Distraction view (using a distractor device).
• CHEDs - Extended VD hip view plus specific elbow projections.
For MDBA classification:
• We require only the standard extended VD hip view and standard lateral elbow views.
• These are the most universal, widely available, and compatible with our AI evaluation.
What to tell your vet:
“Please take a standard ventrodorsally (extended) hip view and lateral views of both elbows. Images should be high-quality in JPEG or DICOM format. Send directly to MDBA at [email protected] with the dog’s name, registration number, microchip, date, and clinic details.”
If you also want PennHIP , OFA or any other results, ask your vet to perform those extra views as well — MDBA can read these without a problem as well but only requires the standard views for our registry purposes.
Key Breeder Benefits with MDBA
• Free submissions until further notice.
• Clear results: Normal / Abnormal.
• Protects Australian Cobberdogs from the “average score” trap.
• Certificates available for official proof (small fee).
• Ability to promote yourself and your dogs over and above other breeders still only using the traditional model
In summary.
ED and HD are not “bad luck” — they are the result of genetics, structure, and environment interacting. Traditional scoring hides the problem. MDBA’s system confronts it honestly.
By anchoring every generation with at least one Normal parent and requiring structural assessment of Abnormal dogs, before selecting them for breeding, Australian Cobberdog breeders can keep hips and elbows among the healthiest of any breed in the world.
The normal/abnormal system is different and you may be concerned that some of your dogs that have been passed will be marked as abnormal, but that is unlikely in this breed and it’s actually the fairest and most protective for the breeder and the breed. It stops us from sliding into the “smoke and mirrors” of relative scoring and ensures that Australian Cobberdogs remain one of the healthiest breeds in the world.
Mandatory Hip & Elbow Assessments – Australian Cobberdog
It is now mandatory that all Australian Cobberdogs used for breeding that are born after 1st of July 2024 to have Hip and Elbow assessments via X-ray. The MDBA has a radiology and reading system that makes our approach different and better.
Until now, many Australian Cobberdog breeders have used OFA, PennHIP, CHEDs etc. These traditional systems score Australian Cobberdogs against other breeds like Labradoodles and crossbreeds or with a very limited number of dogs. They all use different but similar grading and scoring. That doesn’t tell us the truth about OUR gene pool.
The “Smoke and Mirrors” Problem
The existing traditional scoring systems weren’t designed to define what a healthy joint should look like in an absolute sense. They were designed to create a relative, breed-based scale so that breeders could say, “I’m improving compared to my peers.” “I do all I can to prevent HD or ED by using only dogs with scores average or lower than average for the breed.”
The unintended consequence is.
• A system that normalises dysfunction where in some breeds the whole population is compromised.
• Marketing that turns a below-average score into a selling point, without acknowledging that the dog is still abnormal and at risk of suffering and producing puppies with problems.
• A culture where breeders and buyers get desensitised to what “abnormal” actually means in lived reality for the dog and their breeding programs.
• A constantly changing average for the breed depending on what dogs have been screened, how many and their results at any given time.
Why Societies Have Accepted It
There are some uncomfortable reasons this has stuck:
• Breed preservation bias: Registries and clubs want to keep their breeds viable for showing and breeding, even if health is compromised.
• Economics: It’s easier (and more profitable) to sell puppies when you can say “low scores” than to admit “this breed has systemic problems.”
• Public relations: Kennel clubs know that if they publicly declared “most dogs, in any breed are structurally unhealthy, [with abnormal hips and elbows] ” they’d risk public backlash and the collapse of some breeds.
Incrementalism: They’ve convinced themselves that grading relative to breed average is at least a step toward improvement — even if it has not improved and it entrenches mediocrity.
The MDBA Difference.
What the MDBA do differently is that we don’t accept the smoke and mirrors.
• By calling hips “normal” or “abnormal,” we keep the focus on objective welfare rather than shifting goalposts.
• That’s why MDBA’s system can feel that it may be harsher, but it’s more honest and it acknowledges the reality for the dog rather than justifying it for the breeder and ensures a better future for the breed. Based on what we have seen over the past 18 months few Australian Cobberdogs have abnormal hips or elbows.
• Ideally the aim when selecting mates is to have both parents classified as normal.
Why “Normal × Abnormal” May Be Better Than “Below Average × Below Average”
If we are armed with actual knowledge of incidence of normal/abnormal then:
• Two “average” or “below average dogs” are still compromised. Their offspring are being pulled from a limited pool of mediocrity.
• Including a parent with true normal hips gives offspring a chance to inherit a structurally sound baseline.
• Even if not all pups land on “normal,” we are introducing corrective influence rather than recycling the problem.
Put simply: one genuinely normal parent can drag the offspring’s odds upward in a way that two slightly-better-than-average-but-still-compromised parents cannot.
Don’t just breed for a lower-than-breed-average score that maybe still abnormal.
A better strategy is:
Always aim for at least one parent with normal hips.
Compare the structure of both parents (angulation, chest, front and back construction) not just their scores.
Avoid doubling up on poor fronts, backs, balance or structural weaknesses.
This keeps normal hips in circulation and improves the odds for every litter.
Structure as a Filter and Safeguard
X-rays alone don’t tell the whole story. If breeders are also asked to compare conformation traits between the two parents, we add another safeguard:
• A “normal-hipped” parent with strong rear angulation, correct shoulder layback, balanced chest, well-structured and balanced etc is a better compensator.
• An abnormal parent should be assessed for structure, to prevent doubling up on both radiographic and conformational risks.
Over time, we are breeding toward both measurable health (radiographs) and functional anatomy (structure).
What the Evidence Suggests
• Heritability studies show HD/ED risk drops more when “clear” dogs are used, even if only one parent is normal, compared to two dogs with “average” or “fair” scores.
• Populations that kept even a small percentage of normal-hip dogs in circulation reduced incidence faster than those chasing only incremental “better-than-breed-average” matings.
• This also avoids the potential “bottleneck effect,” because you’re not just concentrating the few slightly-better-than-average lines over and over.
MDBA Position
• Don’t just breed for a lower-than-breed-average score that maybe still abnormal. Instead, anchor your breeding program with at least one parent that has truly normal hips whenever possible.
• Pairing normal with abnormal [conditionally] doesn’t mean we excuse the abnormal parent it means we are actively correcting, while also protecting genetic diversity.
• Always compare the structure: a normal-hip dog with poor front or rear construction is not an ideal anchor. Look for soundness in both x-ray and anatomy
Australian Cobberdog-specific:
Why it’s better:
· Clear & honest → “Normal or Abnormal” (no curves, no averages).
· Easier for buyers → simple to explain, builds trust.
Protects breeders → Abnormal dogs can still be used when paired with Normal anchors. Messaging: “When you tell a puppy buyer ‘my breeding dogs have Normal hips, confirmed by MDBA’, that is clear, powerful, and sets you apart from other breeders who hide behind scores.”
· Protects the breed → With ~97% Normal hips today, we can stay one of the soundest developing breeds.
· Bottom line: Normal / Abnormal isn’t just different. It’s BETTER.
Normal x Normal and Normal × Abnormal is progress. Average × Average is standing still.
Requirements That Protect the Breed
• Normal dogs: Eligible for breeding.
• Abnormal dogs:
o Must undergo conformation assessment.
o Only used if otherwise structurally strong.
o May only be bred to a Normal mate.
This balances welfare with genetic diversity — we don’t throw away every abnormal dog, but we stop doubling up on weakness.
Why You Must Send MDBA X-rays
• Transparency protects everyone. The only way we can gauge incidence is if all X-rays – good and bad are sent to us even if the dog is removed from the gene pool.
• By standardising results under the MDBA normal/abnormal system, we prevent confusion and ensure buyers, vets, and breeders all speak the same language.
• Other scoring systems can still be used, but MDBA results will be the reference point for the registry.
• Submission is currently free
• Official proof requires an MDBA certificate (fee applies).
• Other systems can still be used, but MDBA’s Normal/Abnormal classification is the registry reference point
• ED and HD are not “bad luck” — they are the result of genetics, structure, and environment interacting. Traditional scoring hides the problem. MDBA’s system confronts it honestly.
About X-ray Methods
Different systems require different positioning for their evaluation:
• OFA - Ventrodorsal (VD) extended hip view (dog on back, legs extended parallel).
• PennHIP Requires three views:
1. Standard extended VD (like OFA).
2. Compression view.
3. Distraction view (using a distractor device).
• CHEDs - Extended VD hip view plus specific elbow projections.
For MDBA classification:
• We require only the standard extended VD hip view and standard lateral elbow views.
• These are the most universal, widely available, and compatible with our AI evaluation.
What to tell your vet:
“Please take a standard ventrodorsally (extended) hip view and lateral views of both elbows. Images should be high-quality in JPEG or DICOM format. Send directly to MDBA at [email protected] with the dog’s name, registration number, microchip, date, and clinic details.”
If you also want PennHIP , OFA or any other results, ask your vet to perform those extra views as well — MDBA can read these without a problem as well but only requires the standard views for our registry purposes.
Key Breeder Benefits with MDBA
• Free submissions until further notice.
• Clear results: Normal / Abnormal.
• Protects Australian Cobberdogs from the “average score” trap.
• Certificates available for official proof (small fee).
• Ability to promote yourself and your dogs over and above other breeders still only using the traditional model
In summary.
ED and HD are not “bad luck” — they are the result of genetics, structure, and environment interacting. Traditional scoring hides the problem. MDBA’s system confronts it honestly.
By anchoring every generation with at least one Normal parent and requiring structural assessment of Abnormal dogs, before selecting them for breeding, Australian Cobberdog breeders can keep hips and elbows among the healthiest of any breed in the world.
The normal/abnormal system is different and you may be concerned that some of your dogs that have been passed will be marked as abnormal, but that is unlikely in this breed and it’s actually the fairest and most protective for the breeder and the breed. It stops us from sliding into the “smoke and mirrors” of relative scoring and ensures that Australian Cobberdogs remain one of the healthiest breeds in the world.
Founder's Note:
The above is just one of the many reasons that I gave this developing breed into the SOLE CUSTODY of the MDBA to protect it from the destruction by splinter registry groups that has occurred to several others, including the Australian Labradoodle (ALD).
The above is just one of the many reasons that I gave this developing breed into the SOLE CUSTODY of the MDBA to protect it from the destruction by splinter registry groups that has occurred to several others, including the Australian Labradoodle (ALD).
