As of July 14, 2008, the Shiba Database Committee has been reorganized into four sub-areas:
1. Design
2. Documentation and Procedures
3. Testing
4. Implementation
The information on the webpage is a bit out of date. Larry had to resign as chair for personal/business reasons and I took over as chair. We are currently in the process of putting together a design document to present to TWO vendors. We hope to have the design spec ready to present to the those vendors in a few weeks or less and begin testing/implementation by the end of the year.
About the Project
The National Shiba Club of America would like to offer an open Shiba Inu database for tracking genetic, health, awards, breeders, and other relevant information about our breed. This database would be open to Shiba Inu owners around the world and would provide a documented repository for the broad range of health and physical data about our breed. People can contribute information about their Shibas and view information about Shibas elsewhere easily and quickly from any computer connected to the internet.
This database would work with the same software engineer who designed the Berner-Garde Database for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America and most recently redesigned his software for the Labrador Database for the LabraData Foundation. The database software can be easily customized to suit the needs and requirement for our breed.
The Database would be accessible from a link provided on our NSCA Website to allow anyone to enter the system for browsing or submitting data. The database is only as useful as the data it contains, so we would need to encourage Shiba owners worldwide to make their dogs part of this permanent, living history of our breed. NSCA would create a Standing Committee to steward the system and its documents, assign data operators to update records, and solicit suggestions for future development and improvements.
A database of this type would require some initial costs for licensing of the software and complete conversion of all screens and data tables to capture and present information unique to our breed. With the generosity of NSCA Member’s donations work could begin on adaptation of the software and online system to serve the Shiba community worldwide. Depending on the type of software license agreement, there may be additional costs of ongoing hardware and hosting expenses as the database grows. To cover this maintenance, there may be a small one-time fee per record ($3 - $5) for processing the data that Shiba owners submit.
Although the “people-work” for maintaining the database would be done by volunteers, other expenses for technological hardware/software improvements, addition of “archive dogs” data to provide historical information for the breed will depend on the support of Shiba enthusiasts like you. NSCA is currently seeking support from local Shiba clubs, Groups, or individuals who wish to contribute with donations and In Memoriam/In Honor/With Gratitude Gifts may also make a pledge toward this effort. We hope that Shiba enthusiasts from every corner of the world will contribute to this storehouse of data and support its operation so that it can become an historical reference tool for breeders, owners and Shiba lovers of the future.
Please complete the pledge form below so the Board of Directors can determine if there is enough interest by the membership to move forward with the database project. If you would like to make a pledge of $25, $50, $75, $100, or other amount to support this endeavor, please complete and send the pledge form included. No checks need to be sent, until the Board determines that there is enough support to move forward with this project. You may also mark the appropriate choice if you prefer not to pledge a donation but either support or do not support this project.
About the Data
WHO can enter data?
There are many different types of records in the database. Each is intended to be submitted by specific individuals. For security and privacy reasons, the People records may only be submitted by the person they describe. A privacy and accuracy disclaimer on the form must be signed by the individual submitting the information. Dog records require that the same privacy and accuracy disclaimer be signed. All pertinent health, test, certification, award and other specific information for a dog should normally be submitted only by the owner. Litter records may be submitted by the breeder, however information diagnosed after relocating a dog is treated as "hearsay" information until verified with the current owner. The exception to these is information from existing public records. For example, dog records that are created as part of a pedigree entry do not require the owner’s permission as they will not usually be linked to an owner. Information about a dog or owner from a catalogue, book or magazine, and health or test data that is available from public sources like OFA, CERF or similar organizations may be used to make entries more complete. These sources will typically be used when entering “archive” dogs for historical purposes. As an optional add-on feature OFA Data can be automatically imported into the Shiba Database on a regular basis.
WHAT kinds of data can be entered?
The intent of the system is to make any type of information relevant to the breed available. Several different types of records have been developed to collect and display this information.
People records contain contact information for both owners and breeders. These are linked to individual dogs as they are entered into the system. Eventually these can be expanded to include Veterinarians and Researchers that are frequently referenced in the other types of records.
Dog records contain descriptive and identification data about the individual Shiba Inu. For registered dogs, it can include official name, registration number, registry and DNA profile. For unregistered dogs, there are fields for the name it is usually called, physical description data like height, weight, color, etc., method of identification such as tattoo or microchip, and a place for both birth and death dates.
Certifications/Tests records have information about specific health or other tests of an official nature. This is where data about hips, elbows, eyes, DNA evaluated disorders, heart clearances or other similar tests are stored. The organization providing the test or certification, what was tested, certification or test number, findings, date of the test, and information about the source and time of entry are included in these records. If the source is shown "underlined" it is a link to the website for that organization. The "View" button for an entry presents an image of the document in a pop-up window.
Health records may contain any type of other health information that is not related to an official certification or test. Conditions or traumas that require veterinary treatment or medical management can be recorded. Diagnostic reports and information on cause of death are all included in this type of record. The "View" button for an entry presents an image of the document in a pop-up window.
Titles/Awards records may contain any type of achievement earned by the dog. This includes official titles given by a registry (Champion, Obedience titles, etc.) as well as awards or titles granted by clubs or performance organizations (ROM, CGC, etc.). Even civic awards (Animal Hero, etc.) may be entered here to become a permanent part of the dog’s history. The "View" button for an entry presents an image of the document in a pop-up window.
Litter records are used to link dogs to a sire and dam or offspring so that accurate pedigrees can be generated by the system. At first, these records will frequently be created by the Data Operators from an official pedigree submitted with the other information for a new dog entry. As more dogs are entered into the system, many of these litter records will have already been created and littermates can be added to them. In addition, breeders may enter information about entire litters before they even go to new owners. In this way, initial data about registration, color, microchips and other facts can be gathered to create a new dog record for each member of the litter. When an owner then enters a dog from this litter for the first time, the record will already exist and can be linked with the new owner to collect additional information – such as registered name, etc. This record is important to the framework of the system and to searching for relevant information about related dogs. Family health histories, physical trends, performance or other information can be easily accessed using the links provided by these records.
Photo records may be linked to either individual dog or people records. These are simple image files and can be submitted in electronic format or as actual printed photos. They are cropped, if necessary, and resized to meet the file size criteria. The "View" button for an entry presents the photo in a pop-up window.
WHERE can data be entered?
All of the different record types mentioned above can be entered using the three simple data entry forms linked from the Submit Data screen. A Personal Information Form is used to enter detailed contact information for an individual. It includes all the information that is typically entered at the time of a dog submission, but also can collect information on kennel name, website link and club memberships. This form must be received for each individual that is to be linked to a dog. The Dog Submission Form is the primary tool for collecting information about the dog as well as the owner, breeder and litter for an individual dog. Health, test and awards entries may also use this form or be uploaded directly from the dog's database record. The Litter Submission Form allows breeders to enter initial information about an entire litter so that individual dog records for members of that litter can be created. Each of the submission forms has a privacy waiver and accuracy assertion that is automatically endorsed by submitting the form.
Once a dog record is viewable in the database, additional documents can be uploaded to update the record. Tests/Certifications, Health Data, Titles, DNA Profiles and Photos all have an upload utility to simplify adding those record types without using the submittal form.
WHEN will data be available for access?
Once the selected submission form has been transmitted to the system, a page containing the information will be displayed and can be printed by the user for reference. The transmitted data is sent to a Data Manager for review and assigned to an individual Data Operator. The Data Operator will then contact the person who entered the data with any questions requiring clarification and instructions for where to send the supporting documents and fees. Supporting documents may include copies of any registration certificates, certified pedigree, test reports or certificates, veterinary statements, laboratory reports, title or award certificates and/or equivalent documents. When the data entered has been verified by the documentation and fees paid, the information will become a permanent part of the Shiba Database online system. Updates, additions and changes can later be made to those records over time without any additional fees.
WHY is data submission done this way?
The database is envisioned to be a long-term data repository for access by all types of users. Owners, breeders, prospective buyers, researchers and those just wanting to learn more about our breed will all have free access to the information stored in the system. In order to make that information easy, consistent and reliable to use, the data is entered in a particular format using searchable keywords and document verification for accuracy. The Data Operators use special entry screens with keyword lookup so that all data of a particular type is coded the same way. The documentation is checked to be sure numbers, names and dates are all correct. Although this does create a bit more effort for both the submitter and the Data Operator, it assures that the information stored in the system is as accurate as possible so that it can be used for reference long after the dog is gone. The database system is designed to be a living history of the breed for users of the future as well as a convenient reference source for today’s enthusiasts.
Sample Screen Shots*
