“Associations would do best to work in ZooEasy with a small team”, suggests Frank Beiboer, chairman of the Nederlandse Rottweiler Club (NRC), based in the Netherlands. “That way you will be able to more effectively manage your database.” The NRC has been using ZooEasy for more than 11 years to register their dogs, and they now have more than 110,000 Dutch and foreign dogs in the database.
Health
Breeders, who are members of the NRC, can access the database. For this they pay the association a small fee each year. Frank says, “The breeders look at the health of their dogs. In addition, they want to see the show and work results, so that they breed dogs with a good character.” For example, breeders can see health characteristics, such as hip dysplasia (HD) and elbow dysplasia (ED). Juvenile Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy (JLPP) is also included, a condition that paralyses the vocal cords or larynx. “We have recently found that JLPP is a hereditary disease that also occurs in Rottweilers,” says Frank. “With this disease, puppies die within six months. Fortunately, we now know that it is easy to prevent. When one of the two partners is JLPP-free, the puppy will not inherit it.”
Working dogs
In addition to the health records, the show and work results are also important for the breeders.
Frank has also bred Rottweilers and knows. He says, “Well-raised Rottweilers are well trained, obedient, reliable, agile and good at IPO-sport (Internationale Prüfungs Ordnung). They are also good at tracking, obedience exercises and defensive work.”
Tip: Have a small team
Frank has some tips for associations that want to start with ZooEasy: “Do not let too many people work with the database. This will enable you to manage it better. Also, set roles so that only a small group can enter and change data. We check the data that is submitted by breeders before entering it. Our breeders can look up data, but do not change anything themselves. We also use it to post breed and birth messages on our website, and to create catalogs for events, so the data is always well maintained.”
Tip: A database is never finished
Frank Beiboer continues: “Once you know what is possible, you can adjust your database so that it functions more conveniently for your team.” At the same time, he gives the tip to be aware that a database is never finished. “Four times a year we import data from the Dutch Kennel Club. If the name of a breeder or dog is spelled slightly differently, for example if separated by a dot or dash, a new contact will be created. This is a well-known IT-related problem, and one which requires careful attention. This is why we must always check this information before updating the database. “