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Re: I Am SO Impressed (Reply to this comment)
by LaBruja
Sherry,
I am so glad you liked this. I knew you had done some breeding and hoped I wasn't stepping on your toes BUT it was too important to NOT say. I enjoy dog shows (though I don't show or breed) so I'm familiar with the condescending assumption that it is THEIR way or a BAD way. The fads in appearance are deplorable.
Your remarks on dentition made me smile. Certainly important in the breed. And breeders could have a 'vanity point' or two while breeding healthy, long lived, mentally sound, personable dogs. Unfortunately, most are breeding little more than 'pretty pictures', 'mannequin dogs'. Tragically it is the 'best', most respected and renowned breeders that are most guilty of this! Anyone doing it differently is dismissed as worthless, even detrimental to the breed!
Most offensive are the routine accusations that these non-conformation breeders are breeding the dogs plagued with health problems. Yet repeatedly I see dogs NOT from conformation lines that are outliving the show dogs by 5, 6 or more years!
I speak up (politely) at dog shows and to the breeders I know but it simply isn't something they're willing to face. So much weight is given to conformation titles when frankly the word 'champion' should raise serious suspicions.
I'm into a full blown rant. Anyways, I'm VERY glad that this didn't offend you. Jacinta
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Sep 17 '00
7:30 pm PDT
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I Am SO Impressed (Reply to this comment)
by sherrylee
by this commentary. This is a difficult area to approach. Although I feel myselt to have been amongst the most responsible of breeders, I have been snubbed by the conformation breeders because my dogs were too big, too muscular, etc. My dogs, however, are also totally free of dysplasia (they all come up OFA Excellent, rare for Dobies) and with low VonW ratings. No signs of cardiomyopathy, either. Elvis, my foundation stud, is almost 10. He still frolics like a pup (although he is getting a tad creaky). Echo, my foundation bitch is also 10 (she doesn't live with me, but with her old handler who she is closer with anyhow) and is robustly healthy, not even a tiny bit creaky. It will not surprise me to see them live to 15. Sugar, on the other hand, who just died recently, was 11. I think it was her heart. She had a great confirmation linebred pedigree, and had that effete 'Pharaoh Hound' look the confirmation breeders seem to like these days. She was old when she was 8. I agree that line breeding to 'fix' traits should not be common practice, but a rare thing. Health & temperament are infinitely more important than topline, etc (although I will never concede dentition), but anyone who doesn't follow their agenda gets labeled as a bad breeder. This is food for thought, too bad that the people who need to see it most aren't reading Epinions. This was great, thanks for writing it,
Sherry Lee
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Sep 07 '00
10:42 pm PDT
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Re: Excellent commentary. (Reply to this comment)
by LaBruja
Disgusting, isn't it? Too many of these dogs never get to be 'old', let alone gracefully!
Thanks for your comments. I'd agree there are temperament problems even among 'good breeders', but I don't think those have reached the crisis proportions yet that health issues grapple with. In many breeds 'healthy long lived dogs' are becoming a near impossibility to find...ESPECIALLY from 'good breeders'!
One of the real highlights of epinions is the number of passionately devoted pet people. Jacinta
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Aug 24 '00
8:19 am PDT
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Excellent commentary. (Reply to this comment)
by achoo
While I would disagree that breeders are doing their job in producing good temperaments (I see a LOT to be desired in that area), you are absolutely right that health and longevity are neglected in favor of frivolous whims and exaggerations in appearance. Sadly it is more important to many "good" breeders to get a correct topline or tailset than it is to have a dog who will grow old gracefully.
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Aug 23 '00
9:29 pm PDT
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Great review... (Reply to this comment)
by fanciladi
Thank you for sharing your insight into this important situation.
Corrine
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Aug 23 '00
9:20 pm PDT
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