# Need help reading two pedigrees.



## Rbeckett (Jun 19, 2013)

I just got the info on my dogs parents and their registered names. The only problem is I do not understand what I am reading or the proper way to read back through the last 4 to 7 generations and interpret what the page is telling me. I would really appreciate if one of the more experienced members could explain the proper way to read a pedigree and how to decipher what it is telling me. I have been told that red on different dogs names is either a championship or high quality dog. Any help anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated/ All I know for sure at this point is my dogs dam is from Czech imported stock and the Sire is an American dog that was mostly shown for conformation and being a great example of the breeds characteristics. Right now I am totally lost and trying to learn it all in my own. Thanks a ton Ladies and Gents.

Wheelchair Bob


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Are the pedigrees online? Do you have a link?


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## Rbeckett (Jun 19, 2013)

Yes both parents pedigrees are online at this site: The Pedigree Database - Home of the pedigree enthusiast

The dam is here: Biene Benax

The sire is here: Mein Schatz Murphy Alkarah. 

Any help deciphering the info would be greatly appreciated, it is one of those thing where you know that you don't know so I asked for help first. Thanks for the really quick reply

Wheelchair Bob


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Thanks, that helps a lot!! 

I'll assume you know nothing about reading a pedigree, so forgive me is I make obvious statements that you already know.  

In any pedigree, the top half shows the Sire's lineage, and the bottom half the Dams. the on-line pedigree has the male dogs' background coloured a light blue, light pink for the females. 

The Dam of your dog is Working lines - there are different lines in there from different origins, but I am not up on all the kennel names enough to be more precise. There are West German kennel names, Czech names and titles, and I believe Haus Antverpa is a Belgian working-line kennel.

The Sire is American/Canadian Showlines, despite the German name.

The red letters under the dog's name whose pedigree you are looking at are performance titles. For example Biene Benax has earned a Schutzhund 1, a Companion Dog AKC Obedience title, and a CGC (Canine Good Citizen). 
Schutzhund titles are not recognized by the AKC, so if you have a paper pedigree from the AKC for your dog, the SchH titles won't be on there. 


The sire does not show any titles, but it does not mean that he has not earned any. The owners of the dog input pedigree info into the database, and it could be that it is just not updated. If he has any AKC titles, it will be on his AKC pedigree.

The *BIG BOLDED* red letters in FRONT of the dogs' names in the pedigree are Conformation titles (as opposed to performance titles). Conformation titles usually are listed before the name (as in *SG* Breno Pracant), Performance titles after. Here, the software shows performance titles in smaller red letter above the dog's name (Schh, IPO, ZVV3, etc.)

G, SG, are conformation titles earned through the German SV system.

*CH* means conformation Champion, earned through AKC or C(Canadian)KC shows. I don't know that much about conformation showing, so I hope that others can explain in more detail what the AKC half of the pedigree means. 

The green lettering shows Hip ratings (HD - hip displasia). The dam's side shows German/European system of hip ratings (a1, a2, etc), and the sire's side shows OFA results (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals). You can go the OFA site and look up the dogs listed and see their ratings. 

Some of the title abbreviations on the pedigree are:

IPO, SchH, SVV 1-2-3; all equivalent to SchH titles. IPO is SchH with international Trial rules, SVV is the Czech equivalent. 

FH, FH1, FH2 are advanced tracking titles. HGH is the German Herding title - GSD style flock tending. GSDs were used to keep HUGE flocks of hundreds of sheep in one area, acting as a living fence, creating a moving border within which they keep the sheep. 

On the dam's side, Lewis von Malatesta is a well-known stud that shows up in a lot of working-line pedigrees. His titles show that he competed 4 times in the BSP - the German GSD SchH championships, and was also a competitor in the WUSV - The World SchH GSD championships. 

On the sire's side, the CH show the Conformation Championships earned, and I believe ROM stands for Register of Merit, and is awarded to dogs whose progeny distinguish themselves in the show ring (AKC Show folks - correct me if I'm wrong). 

There are a few other abbreviations in both sides that I am not too familiar with.

So I hope this is the type of info you were looking for.


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## Rbeckett (Jun 19, 2013)

Absolutely!!! That is exactly what I was interested in learning. Thank you very much for taking the time to explain it so thoroughly and in terms I can understand. Indi is my 1st GSD and it has been a learning experience for both of us up to this point. Now that I can decipher her family history I might be able to work on the traits that show up more frequently. Can't wait to tell the wife what I learned today too. This is also her 1st GSD, but she has been training dogs pretty much all of her adult life. Again, I gotta say thanks so much for the great help.

Wheelchair Bob


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## jmdjack (Oct 2, 2009)

Castlemaid's post is a great! To make things easier to view, below is the mating test for the sire and dam of your dog:

Line-breeding for the progency of Mein Schatz Murphy Alkarah and Biene Benax

As Castlemaid indicated, your dog is a cross of American/Canadian showlines through the Sire and working lines through the dam. 

I don't know anything about American/Canadian showlines so am completely unfamiliar with any of the dogs those dogs. As for the dam of your dog (Biene Benax), if you want to chase down information, there are many well-known dogs behind Biene. For example, Cordon An Sat, Mink vom Haus Wittfeld on whom your dog's maternal grand dam is linebred 3-3 (through Mink's sons Jago vom Lindenhalle and Lewis von Malatesta), Nessel von haus Antverpa, littermate to Njenta in your dog's pedigree, etc.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I have several dogs from your puppy's sire's pedigree, in _my_ puppy Russell's pedigree. The Alkarah, Mein Schatz and Kismet dogs.


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## Rbeckett (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks Diane,
I think Indi is very special and is going to be a really great dog as she gets older. She is kind of slow maturing and has some minor issues, but there nothing wrong that we cant fix with lots of love and patience. Her drive is definitely there and she just needs to be nurtured to bring out the rest of her really strong traits. I am absolutely thrilled to have a dog with a pedigree and a family history too. It is so cool to be able to look and find other dogs in her bloodline that have done great things and achieved some pretty lofty results. I really appreciate the info I got here and from some other members since she is my first purebred and my first GSD. Lots to learn, but it is still quite interesting and fun finding out all about breeding and her ancestry. 

Wheelchair Bob


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## Guest (Nov 7, 2013)

Hello my name is Sandra and I am first owner of Biene Benax.
I am from Slovakia and I will be really happy if I find some informations about her and her puppies.
If you can contact me this is my email [email protected]
thank you 
our kennel :
Úvod | KENNEL BETKIN DVOR


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## Sandra Sranda (Nov 7, 2013)

Hello,
I am first owner of Biene Benax ( and sorry for my english I am still learning )
I will be very happy if you can help me with find some informations about her and her puppies too. I sold her to True haus kennel, but I do not know where she is now... and I hope she is doing well...

Sandra
Úvod | KENNEL BETKIN DVOR


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Hi Sandra, 

Hope that Rbeckett will see your post and help you out. His dog came from an organization that breeds service dogs, Rob should be able to give you contact info.


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## Sandra Sranda (Nov 7, 2013)

Thank you. Hope that Rbeckett will see it ..... 

Biene


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

From the True Haus website:

"Biene is now being worked by one of our students, Cindy Alves. 
They just entered their first AKC trial working on a CD title. They did a fine job with third place and a 183 earning their first leg. 
6-13-2009 Cindy and Biene have now earned their second leg with a great score of 195."

I would assume that Biene still lives with Cindy Alves if she is no longer at True Haus. They are really good about placing their dogs in good homes after they are retired from breeding.


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

My boy's great great grandsire is the same as you dogs' grandsire, Kismets Heart Throb.


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