Pedigree Dogs Exposed

[liz]

It was basically about all the problems that are caused by intense breeding. It leaves the dogs with any number of serious illnesses / disabilities. Most of them mean at best discomfort, and more often than not - severe pain and life long suffering.

I watched it. The best part of the programme was when they showed the dogs compared with what they used to ( should ) look like. I mean, it's ludicrous. A German Shephard that won Crufts actually looked deformed!!! My god.

My own dog who we rescued from a breeder that is notorious for inter-breeding suffers from epilepsy. She was the result of a son to mother mating.

I'm not even going to start about the Ridgebacks. I grew up around two Ridgeback's. B*stard breeders. They talk utter cr*p. UGH. ( for those who didn't see the programme - they put down puppies who don't have the 'ridge' on their backs )

The kennel club is a joke. A KC registered dog supposedly means you have the best possible puppy you could have. What it really means is that you have some kind of mutant which is a health disaster waiting to happen. Sad. But true.

If you want a dog - rescue. Don't go to a breeder.

( And one final point - that IDIOT who said "I think we've improved them" about Bassett Hounds. How in the hell can you improve something's natural state. )

* shakes head in disbelief *

[Havanah]

I also watched (most of) this program the other night and found it horrible.
However, I also found it grossly biased to tell the truth. There are a few breeders that will put dogs down even if they are healthy but there are many more who do not and I don't feel that this particular program covered that aspect well. From the first 1 minute 12 seconds (yes I looked it up on Iplayer again) it was obvious the slant it would take.
There is another side to all this though.
Most breeders (and through out this mini-rant I can only refer to most) love each and every dog in their care. They also know much more about their breed of dog than most other people and know exactly how best to look after them. This often isn't what the RSPCA et cetera say because those groups can only tell you the blanket care ideas whereas that breeder will know their particular dogs needs.
Erm - kind of lost my train of thought here.
I also have a cousin (shes my dads cousin so I'm not sure how that relates to me quite so she's just my cousin) who is a dog breeder. She breeds Havanese - a rare pedigree breed and also Newfoundlands. Quite a contrast there. Now she is the top Havanese breeder in the country (I can say that pretty safely) and has won best in breed at Crufts more than once but none of her dogs are ill. In fact as she often shows them herself they are more like pets to her and her family.

I think the danger lies in breeders who breed to sell. The dogs are fine until a few years later and no-one can blame the breeder because the dog was fine with them.

Anyway, I could continue but I wont because this is way too long ¬_¬ and if anyone managed to finish reading my (not so) mini rant congrats

[liz]

All breeders breed to sell, otherwise they wouldn't breed.

The show was not saying that breeders don't love their dogs, or don't know anything about the breed or how to look after it. In fact, that line in itself backs up what the programme was about - how best to look after the breed. Which basically means, how best to deal with the problems that intensive breeding has caused them.

Unfortunately, problems that occur later after the puppy has left the breeder, can be blamed on intnsive breeding, and therefore, yes the breeders. Of course not every pedigree dog is ill, but they are being mutated to a degree that health problems are more and more likely.

Sorry, I'm not being argumentative, just responding to what you said.

[Amiee♥TH]

I think the breeder we got our dog from was good.
I think we were lucky to go with them.
She didn't do constant breeding and there was deffinitely no interbreeding going on.
We were allowed to go and see all of the dogs (weren't that many) before we picked up our little bugger.
I think you have to be careful who you choose from to be honest.

I can't understand how people can make their dogs interbreed, it's cruel and gah I could slap them all with a bulldoser (sp?) ;D

[Havanah]

Some breeders get most money out of their showing. There are those that sell and those that don't and those that mix it together. Didn't put that clearly in the other post I ment:

"I think the danger lies in breeders who breed purely to sell. The dogs are fine until a few years later and purchaser can't blame the breeder because the dog was fine when in their care. Therefore the breeder has nothing to loose by inbreeding and can gain from the original apearance of the dog."

Sorry that isn't much clearer. Not my day for writing literately.

I think the point that Aimee made was very true as it depends on the breeder and of course the breed. It is the people who actually interbreed their animals that we should be angry with not all who are in that proffesion.
And don't worry Liz you aren't being argumentive at all, just voicing your opinion and I can see where you are coming from and agree majorly

[liz]

Yes, but it isn't just inter-breeding that is causing problems. It's breeding to exaggerate specific features of a breed - for example, German Shepherd's hind legs, Bulldogs 'squashed' faces. . . That is the result of selective breeding ( by this I mean selecting a stud dog that has what they consider a good pedigree - which means those features will be prominent ), not inter-breeding.

[Havanah]

Yeah.
The KC do have much to answer for though. They seem to be the one's who put pressure on the breeders to change the animals. Oh and the buyers often want those features to so they are to blame too.
I just wanted to add another dimension to this thread really (everyone seemed against the breeders lol) and has anyone seen the statement made by the Kennel club about this program. I just found it www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/1995/23/5/3 and it covers the other side that wasn't shown in the program.

[Natty]

Aug 22, 2008 7:33:42 GMT 1 liz said:

The kennel club is a joke. A KC registered dog supposedly means you have the best possible puppy you could have. What it really means is that you have some kind of mutant which is a health disaster waiting to happen. Sad. But true.

I agree with pretty much everything you said, about how it's horrible what some people put dogs through to create their image of perfection. But that one bit^^, I don't really agree with.

My mum has had 3 dogs in her recent past (and including our present one), all of which have been or are pedigree. Not one of them has been ill / deformed.
The dog we had before our present one was an Airedale terrier and he was a pedigree. He was kennel club registered too. His Dad was a champion show dog, as were both his Grandmothers,
He was never ill or deformed, and he lived to a good old age.
I know this is only one dog, but it just goes to show that just 'cause a dog is kennel club registered, they're not all 'mutants.'
I think the show was a bit biased just showing one side of what was happening, but I suppose the BBC just wanted to get their point across. And I think it definitely worked.

Sorry for rambling and if it sounded bad or anything
Just wanted to put out my opinion.

However, I do also agree with getting a rescue dog. Our dog atm is a rescued greyhound (ex-racer) and he's awesome

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[liz]

I use the word 'mutant' in it's actual sense - meaning that the breeds are mutated - bred to look different from how the breeds used to / should be.

Obviously not every dog is ill. Not everyone who smokes dies from cancer, but we all agree that it's bad for your health! Intense breeding IS causing health problems amongst pedigree dogs. Are we saying that it's acceptable that some suffer terribly to produce some that don't? That it's some kind of acceptable price to pay for the ones that are healthy?

And finally, just to respond to the couple of comments that the show was 'biased'. Well, I don't want to state the obvious but the show was about the problems that pedigree breeding is causing. So yeah - it's gonna be about the problems! I mean, does Crufts cover the problems of intense breeding? No. See where I'm going with this?

Anyway. I've said my bit. I'll duck out at this point. Lol.

And natty - greyhounds! God, beautiful dogs ;D I have a lurcher also.

[Amiee♥TH]

My dog is registered with the KC ;D
He thinks he's human LOL.

I've also been to crufts (:
It's huge :0

[EmzieAngel]

I really do have a lot to say about this, but I'm not going to go into it, it upset me enough watching it.
I would love to have another rescue dog, but seeing as I'm going through a stressful case with one now, it kinda puts me off.

But anyway, I know many good breeders round here, my auntie included and I'm not just saying that because she is my auntie and I agree very much so with what Liz has said.
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