"I've got a bad hip, irritable bowel and wear glasses" a dog friend recently complained. "Gosh,I guess I'm not really breed quality...don't tell the kids!" she giggled.
She's right; she is not breed quality. And neither am I, or anybody else. And none of our dogs are either. You know why? Because every individual carries some bad genes.
It’s a fallacy to believe that perfection of health exists, and an even greater delusion to believe that we can produce that perfection if only we would eliminate dogs with health problems from our breeding programs.
This fallacy has been perpetrated by the soft-hearted animal rights people, believed as gospel by the general public, promoted by short-sighted veterinarians and bought into by AKC and breeders at large. We “test”, we cull, we sell on co-ownership agreements, spay neuter contracts and on limited registration.
Never mind that when you eliminate a dog from breeding, you also could be eliminating very valuable genes along with him! Never mind that breed standards have absolutely NO relationship to function, health or fitness. We dutifully linebreed to achieve a “look” that fits the standard and of course that WINS above all else…. And then wonder why robust health and immune function are just a distant memory in our breed.
Never mind that the dog with one testicle may be the absolute healthiest in the group. He’s outta there!! Never mind that bigger dog with great teeth; his cute brother who had to have all his puppy teeth pulled under anesthesia is more likely the champion whose genes will be carried forward.
Dog shows are fun, but why are points and championships and all that sort of fluff so almight important to people who SUPPOSEDLY want to breed good dogs? Is it the dogs you are concerned with or your own ego?
A question we do well to ask ourselves from time to time.
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