Read a Wedding/Breeder Poster
I realized during a casual conversation that wedding posters are just gibberish to the average person. So, since I reveal mine after my pregnancy ultrasounds, I thought it would be helpful to break it all down a bit, to make it clearer for you. And it might even be a little fun to decipher it all!
It is primarily up to the breeder to create a poster, whether for a mating or simply to present a breeding animal, often males. This way, they keep potential families, as well as other breeders, informed about litters or available stud services!
These posters are designed, initially, to convey important information such as pedigree, health tests, colors, etc.
Let's take the first wedding poster with Yuna as an example :
Logos
Firstly, these logos reveal much more than one might imagine:
The logos of the French Kennel Club (Centrale Canine) and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) are linked to stud books, in France the well-known Livre des Origines Françaises (LOF). Therefore, we can deduce that the mating is between purebred dogs, and that the puppies will be registered with the LOF. The FCI can be seen as a union of countries that adhere to the same breed standards, which, among other things, facilitates exports.
The breed club logo, in this case the French Club of Nordic Dogs and Japanese Spitz (CFCNSJ), indicates the breeder's membership in this club. While it doesn't necessarily guarantee quality, it clearly demonstrates the breeder's commitment to the improvement and national development of their breed. We will discuss the breed club's activities in more detail later.
The farm's logo, of course, to affirm the identity of the breeder, or the owner.
Pedigree
This section is used to verify the genetics of the puppies, their parents, grandparents, etc. It is intended for breeders but also for you because with a little research you can find all the information on the health tests of the parents and grandparents.
You can find most of the information at:
https://www.centrale-canine.fr/lofselect
Or specifically for the Shiba Inu:
https://www.shibapedigree.com/
Or for Japanese Spitz:
https://nihonken.pedigreedatabaseonline.com/en/
On some sites you can even go back very far in the generations, and have fun seeing who your dog most resembles and looking at its genealogy, it's much easier than with us !
Health test et cotations
Health tests are breed-specific, and since we're talking about Shibas, we'll stick with that as an example! The health tests relevant to the breed are available on breed club websites, so that's a good indicator to see if the breeder is doing them, and they should normally be able to provide you with the official results.
I've attached the Shiba's information sheet for you :
https://www.centrale-canine.fr/club-francais-des-chiens-nordiques-et-des-spitz-du-japon/articles/race-le-shiba
For the tests, we have 3 recommended and 1 mandatory:
1/ DNA: DNA identification of breeding animals has been mandatory since September 2024 for registering a litter with the LOF (French Kennel Club). Note that this refers to parentage, not color tests, etc. This measure helps prevent fraud and ensures true traceability of pedigrees.
2/ Hip Dysplasia (HD): This test identifies breeding animals that do not have malformations of the hip joint. Results range from A (No dysplasia) to E (Severe dysplasia). To learn more:
https://www.centrale-canine.fr/articles/la-dysplasie-de-la-hanche-hd
3/ Patellar Luxation (PL): This test examines the laxity of the patella (kneecap). Normally, it should remain aligned. The test is performed simply with a visit to the veterinarian, who determines a grade from 0 to 4. To learn more:
4/ Hereditary Ocular Diseases (HODs): A comprehensive overview of diseases found in canine ophthalmology with a genetic link. Several conditions are possible, such as PMP, Cartaract, Glaucoma, etc. The test is performed using gonioscopy by a specialist veterinarian. To learn more :
https://www.centrale-canine.fr/articles/le-depistage-des-tares-oculaires-0
Now we move on to the ratings, which are a bit of a summary of what we've seen before!
Ratings are "rewards" for a dog's qualities, based on its health, temperament, show results (generally related to the breed), pedigree, and, as a bonus, its offspring. The Breed Club, in conjunction with the French Kennel Club (Société Centrale Canine), establishes a rating system that ranks all its results. A dog must achieve a perfect score to be eligible for a rating. This rating system applies to the Shiba Inu:
So the higher a dog's rating, the more boxes it has filled to get there.
I also haven't told you about the CSAU and the TC.
They are referred to as "Utilization Tests" in other breeds; hunting or sledding tests may also be required depending on the breed's utility.
The Certificate of Sociability and Aptitude for Use (CSAU) is a test of "Good conduct" of the dog with tests on character but also on the ability to listen to its handler.
The Temperament Test (TC) focuses primarily on the dog's sociability. It assesses whether the dog exhibits aggression or fearfulness in everyday situations (encounters, handling, etc.).
Colors
And what you see in the last line with the A's and E's are the color genes to predict the colors of the puppies that may come out.
Locus A is the dog's color:
Since red is dominant over all colors, if a dog carries the red gene, it will inevitably be a red dog, regardless of the second gene. Black and tan, on the other hand, is recessive, so the dog must be at the atomic age to be black and tan.
As for white, we are talking about locus E. There are 3 cases: EE, Ee, and ee.
• EE the dog with 2 non-white genes
• The dog has a white gene; it is a "carrier of white".
• ee the dog with 2 white genes
White acts like a blanket on the dog; if the dog is ee, white predominates over the A gene, and the dog will therefore be white.
Of course, all of this applies to the Shiba, but each race has its own color rules, so don't hesitate to contact your breeder to better understand them!
You now know how to read a poster ! Congratulations 🎉