A Victory for dogs everywhere - Unhealthy dogs barred from competing in Crufts

Dogs the world round rejoice

At this years Crufts dog show there will be no winner of best in show for the Bulldog, the Pekingese and The Clumber spaniel.

The dogs that won best in breed were checked over by an independant Vet and have been refussed to be allowed to go through to the best in group competition

www.horseandcountry.tv...


As a dog lover this to me is great news. Too many dogs are bred that are riddled with health problems because of the Breed standards that are set by the Kennel Club.

Hopefully more dogs will be refused to go through. King charles spaniels with heads to small for their brains, German shepherds with bad hips, french bulldogs and pugs with breathing difficulties. The list goes on. Hopefully this wll mean that generations of dogs to come will be bred to be healthy.

A great day for K9's

The stories that sadden me the most are of those dogs with the heavily creased faces whose folds stick shut and the skin rips and gets infected, or the folds cover the eyes. Forgot the breed, might be more than one actually. Anyway, let's hope this is the ball rolling with regards to making some of those breeds unfashionable.

reply to post by wigit


Sharpei is the breed and funny enough, mines name was wiggles!
This is not a problem however unless you do not care for your dog.
I inherited mine from my uncle when he passed.
He and his wife used to take a warm wet washcloth and wipe her face down.
When I got her I did the same until my Alpha dog took over the duty and cleaned her himself.
Soon I never had to as he took over and kept her clean.
You can have a surgery done on these dogs to nip and tuck a bit of skin but, It seems wrong to me.

Originally posted by g146541
reply to post by wigit

 

Sharpei is the breed and funny enough, mines name was wiggles!

This is not a problem however unless you do not care for your dog.
I inherited mine from my uncle when he passed.
He and his wife used to take a warm wet washcloth and wipe her face down.
When I got her I did the same until my Alpha dog took over the duty and cleaned her himself.
Soon I never had to as he took over and kept her clean.
You can have a surgery done on these dogs to nip and tuck a bit of skin but, It seems wrong to me.

Sharpeis are one of the breeds that have some major genetic problems and have been bred to have more and more wrinkles. Hence the problems that some have.

Time for the kennel club and breeders to wake up and stop breeding unhealthy dogs.

Dont blame the dog blame the breeder

Update the Neopolitan Mastif and the Mastif did not have dogs in the Group finals

The independent Vet ruled them out on health grounds

Hooray for the hounds

reply to post by wigit


hi op great news (as a doglover myself)

wigit
my uncle bought a british bulldog that has the folds you mention
it also cant breath properly due to the breed
its also got all kinds of problems
from bad hips and not being able to reproduce
this is our selective breeding that goes back at least a few hundred yrs ago
wen they were breeded to fight
cheers

I wonder when this philosophy will cross over into the Olympics?

Originally posted by davesmart
reply to post by wigit

 

hi op great news (as a doglover myself)

wigit
my uncle bought a british bulldog that has the folds you mention
it also cant breath properly due to the breed
its also got all kinds of problems
from bad hips and not being able to reproduce
this is our selective breeding that goes back at least a few hundred yrs ago
wen they were breeded to fight
cheers

Compare a modern English Bulldog to an american Bulldog. This is probably about the best example of comparing breeds that once used to be virtually identical. Many american migrants took bulldogs with them from the UK but didnt alter much from what was the breed was. Whereas back in the Uk Selective breeding took place to get us to the state we are in now with bulldogs that can jut about walk and cant breath properly

A star for this thread. I am a lifelong dog lover and my dad trained many and rescued many as I was growing up. I still am involved in rescue and adoption events from time to time and continue to keep up with the news. One of the most horrifying things facing dog lovers now is cancer. We can look at environmental causes and should keep them in mind but there is no doubt to many of us, though we have no proof to wave in the faces of breeders, that too many of the breeding programs are resulting in higher incidence of early death from cancer. The one I notice the most seems to be bone cancer, but I've seen some blood cancers, too. Then there is the ugly specter of severe allergies in some "overbred" dogs. It's a sad thing for dog and loving owner alike to have to deal with these.

I've seen dogs look so aged and weak at a mere seven years. My husband's cousin's golden retriever looked about fifteen or more when he was only seven. My own mixed breeds and non AKC recognized purebreds always managed to hit their mid to late teens with few problems. I've noticed disturbing changes in the body structure that completely erase all agility and longevity benefits enjoyed by "classic" specimens in one particular breed that used to be long lived and healthy prior to AKC recognition.

This sort of thing also goes in with cats and aquarium fish. I do not know where people get this strange aesthetic sense that severe physical extremes that are in fact deformity are what we should aspire to. Oh hell, we do it with humans, too. Look at all the models who are over six feet tall yet encouraged to weigh 80 pounds.

Why is our species so at odds with nature in such strange ways?

reply to post by SheeplFlavoredAgain


Thanks for the star. Which breed is it your thinking of that has changed since recognition by the AKC

Good thing, I was involved in the dog-arena at one stage, and it shocked me to learn how many breeds have genetic problems, but that those problems were swept underneath the table just to have them winning the competitions. My take on it was, if the standard is built around dogs having genetic defects, then maybe the standard for that dog breed should be revised. Too many times breeders just keep sight of one aspect of the breed standard, and they'll do anything to get the best, despite that the dog's health suffers.

i wonder if i can get my Dog into crufts. No health problems with him and i bet he will win hands down for the cutiest dog on Earth lol
Too many Breeders are using the same genetic stock weakening the dna of these dogs. Its about time something was done about it

MY Dog is a Victorian Bulldog and old and rare breed. He weighs in at 8 stone

reply to post by minor007


A handsome looking fella. Thats more like the bulldog used to be here. Looking at some victorians though it looks like the trend is to have a shorther muzzle. Something to watch out for

Originally posted by minor007
i wonder if i can get my Dog into crufts. No health problems with him and i bet he will win hands down for the cutiest dog on Earth lol

LOL, if it is a mongrel, bring him on!!!!
I've had many arguments with some breeders, that believe in the 'pure breeds' when they have so many genetic problems, and I said, that maybe we should stand back from the breeding standards, and get some new blood. Forget about the breeding standards, just get the breed healthy again. That was/is considered heresy. Yes, the ethical breeders look at these things, some even going as far as to stop breeding with some dogs that have obvious genetic defects, even though they would adhere perfectly to the breed standard. But for every ethical breeder, there are 10 other breeders, that just want to breed the "perfect dog", as prescribed in the breed standard.

Personally, I think that the breed-standards must take second place in some dog breeds, and everybody should just concentrate on getting the breed healthy again.

It might sound as though I am against pure-bred dogs, but I am not. I just think that the health of a specific breed should be placed above some standard, and rather have the standard change.

It is not only dog breeds that have these problems. I have seen the same with horses, cats, etc....

Heres a link to the UK Kennel Clubs Dog breeds that are at risk


www.thekennelclub.org.uk...

It seems strange to me that it is the same Kennel Club whos judges judge at championship shows, who's dogs pedigree is awarded by and who are also responsible for setting the breed standards.

Good to see they are trying to address things but many of these problems that the dogs have could have been prevented by careful sensible breeding over the years with the welfare of the dog being thought about more

So much for mans best friend

reply to post by Hellhound604


My dog is a mongrel of sorts. The Victorian Bulldog was a lost breed untill Ken Mollet wanted to bring back the breed. The woman I got the Dog off told me theres quite a dna mix in my dog. There are french mastiff, bloodhound, bulldog and a few more genes of other dogs. My dog is a 3rd Generation Victorian Bulldog and his genetics are really strong for breeding a new generation of Victorian Bulldogs. Problem is Genes can be switched off and on and unless you want to raise lots of puppies to full maturity to find out which dog has the dominant Victorian Bulldog its going to be a hit and miss for some people wanting any puppies from my dog.
Also there are too many idiots out there who want dogs for the wrong reasons and this is my biggest fear if I stud my dog

reply to post by Hellhound604


Couldnt agree more. With carefull breeding healthy versions of breeds can be made. For example I have a bassett hound, one of the breeds that is on the KC list, however she would never win any dog show because she is considered to tall, not heavy enough and her ears arnt long enough. Thats because She comes from a line of tall, light shorter eared, healthy bassetts that hasnt come from an overbred line.

She might not win any shows but she is recognisible as a basset and best of all very healthy.

I will be interested to see what happens tomorrow at crufts as it is Hound day, be interesting to see if a Bassett makes it through to the Group finals. I was there last year and some of the bassetts reminded me more hippos than dogs.

reply to post by dragonsrreal


just brushed up on some victorian history of the english/british bull dog

they were breeded to fight each other
then wen the law was changed
the bull dog was genetically domesticated over the years
sorry just lost my link for that..net playing up

reply to post by davesmart


They were also used for bull baiting as well. Hence bull dog.

reply to post by dragonsrreal


I'm not sure I should say the breed I am thinking of. I owned a very good rescued puppy mill male specimen of this breed and despite being from a backyard breeder-mill type operation he was remarkably agile and healthy and long lived. He was sixteen and had only declined toward the end when we had him put to sleep. I think he did so well despite a bad start because he didn't have generations of AKC genetic tomfoolery weighing down on him.

As a result of knowing this dog I am very passionate about preserving the breed as it was when I first discovered it. I get sick to my stomach when I see what some breeders have tried to push the breed to look like since AKC recognition was granted. I've had too many fights over the matter already and I don't need to drag that to ATS. Suffice it to say I get sick whenever I compare vintage photographs of nearly any breed of cat or dog and compare it to the "new and improved" results of generations of "fine" breeding to show standards and see what we lost or squandered in the name of vanity.

I find too much of the show world is driven by fashion and fashion is almost never practical. All the wrong traits are getting valued and emphasized.

A dog or a cat or a fish are living beings. They need to have form follow function. If they have been bred to the point they can't carry out the normal functions of life without coddling and assistance, the standards need to be rethought.