Should pedigrees be banned?

[Warthog]

I have a pedegee Boxer and a pedegree black labrador. I dont have a problem with either of these breeds but when you have breeds that cant breathe properly (some bulldogs) or are prone to problems such as easily damaged backs etc then yes ban that breed - but no, NOT all breeds..

Several sports bike riders have been killed locally recently due to stupidity - should ALL bikes be banned???

You get the gist..

If studpidity had been bred into bikers, then perhaps yes...

Genetic weakness develops over gnerations of essentially inbreeding. Certain characteristics are favoured and other characteristics then risk being lost to the gene pool as some dogs are not chosen for breeding due to not being up to standard. The gene pool shrinks and weaknesses arise.

I'm glad your two breeds are healthy, but if breeders continue to try and keep their whelps' phenotype within certain parameters, in keeping with the breed, weakness may well follow.

But do you really want to wait until that stage to say "ok, scrap that breed now. They are utterly f**ked! Next!"

So with healthy breeds I'd argue that mixing in another breed's genes every few generations would be no bad thing.

Boxers are actually an example of another aspect of how dogs are manipulated: tail-docking. Starting to decline now, but still a practice that denies a dog one of it's most effective means of communication, for an aesthetic result.

I've seen Rotties with a full tail: I like it.

[Warthog]

By the way. Where did that poll come from?

I didn't put it there....

[pdsquire]

Genetic weakness develops over generations of essentially inbreeding.

You've met my family then?

[Lumiya]

Boxers are actually an example of another aspect of how dogs are manipulated: tail-docking. Starting to decline now, but still a practice that denies a dog one of it's most effective means of communication, for an aesthetic result.

I've seen Rotties with a full tail: I like it.

Yet a docked tail will have no effect on breeding and it won't be passed genetically from line to line.

I agree that tail docking, ear clipping should be stopped but it is going off the topic of breeding for the sake of malformation

Perhaps if people list what effects selective breeding has on certain breeds the rest might understand more what this thread is on about.

For example Yorkshire Terriers tend to be bred for smallness, this can induce weak hearts into most of the breed and King Charles spaniels are bread for maller skulls which then induces brain problems later in the breed..

[Warthog]

Yet a docked tail will have no effect on breeding and it won't be passed genetically from line to line.

I agree that tail docking, ear clipping should be stopped but it is going off the topic of breeding for the sake of malformation

Off topic, yes, but also illustrated society's general attitude and priorities regarding dogs. Consider it mentioned and left alone.

Back on topic: Found these links. Not sure how complete they are.

Canine Health Problems by Breed
Breed Predispostion

In fact the second looks a lot more thorough even if it is comprised of medical terminology. When in doubt as to the meaning simply remember that each listed predisposition to a given condition, severe or mild, is not something you'd actually want...

[Lumiya]

In answer to the thread question I believe it's a resounding NO.... The breeds are not at fault it's instead the people selectively breeding within the breed for a particular result..

[Mabels Old Man]

It's not the dogs it's the breeders. I had a GSD with an immense pedigree. He was from a working strain and lived until he was 15 with no problems at all, apart from age related ones.

[Lumiya]

It's not the dogs it's the breeders. I had a GSD with an immense pedigree. He was from a working strain and lived until he was 15 with no problems at all, apart from age related ones.

Thinking of renaming Timber to Old Moaner, it's like living with an old man!!!! And he's only 6

[Warthog]

In answer to the thread question I believe it's a resounding NO.... The breeds are not at fault it's instead the people selectively breeding within the breed for a particular result..

Yes, the breeds are a product of breeders.

However, I have not made mention of persecuting the dogs themselves. Clearly if one wants to curtail, revise or abolish the effects of pedigree breeding it is with the breeders that one must start.

After all, any male dog, pedigree or otherwise, will hump anything given half the chance. Left to their own devices, dogs would not have these problems: only a few traumatised Chihuahuas when Great Danes are feeling frisky

So my question could be rephrased, with the same meaning, as "should the practice of breeding to acheive a particular type of dog be banned?"

Is your answer still no?

[Lumiya]

But why restrict breeds or a type of dog? What needs restricting is the archaic show rules that specify a score for a small head or a bulging eyes..

If you took any KCS and bred it with any other KCS you would 99% of the time get a healthy KCS so why prohibit that. Instead breeders are breeding small headed KCS's with another small headed KCS which means problems for the offspring all because the rule book says that small headed KCS's score more points in the shows..

The Kennel club themselves says that they don't promote small headed KCS but their scoring system ensures that the way breeders go..

If you remove the breeds then all they'll do is start turning this selective breeding towards other dogs and in the end they'll become the new pedigree.. (how do you think all the pedigrees came about???)