What’s Going on Here?
The Blood-Horse Magazine which is one of my favorites is all
about horse racing, breeding and sales trends. One of the editorial sections is entitled “What’s going on
Here?” It seems apropos as one
looks at the dog game to ask the same question.
Dog show entries are down as are registrations. The AKC in their infinite wisdom has
seen fit to license far too many shows just to help pay the bills. Likewise they have recognized many strange
breeds, some of which were created to kill, not for some silly purpose such as
herding, hunting or killing vermin.
In further efforts to boost sagging income we have competition for Grand
Championships and Reserve Best In Show along with various titles too long and
numerous to mention.
Legitimate breeders are being legislated out of business or
going broke because of the cost of vet bills, show expenses and the multitude
of fancy dog feeds that modern canines seem to require. Gone are the days of a few simple
choices of what to feed and dogs that could thrive on them. Today’s pampered pooches need to be
tested for food allergies, fed small meals lest they bloat, and beware of raw
beef bones! The nasty cows get
growth hormones, antibiotics, and all sorts of bad things.
With the exception of absolute puppy mills, most breeders
are so fascinated with breeding the exotic show dogs that they forget what John
Q Public wants in a dog. They
forget good health and sound temperament and concentrate on show points that in
many cases create a dog that is a sad caricature of what a real dog should
be. There are many examples of
such thinking, but one of my favorites is the Pekinese.
This breed used to look more like a Tibetan Spaniel than the
Pekinese of today. We have
intensified the breathing problems, eyes popping out, and added coat that hides
the characteristic lack of soundness.
How would you enjoy taking the Westminster BIS Pekinese for a walk
around the neighborhood? The poor
soul would probably suffer a heart attack.
Just so you know I’m not picking on Pekes, the breed I’ve
loved for sixty-five years, the Collie, has its own problems. There are far too many squinty little
eyes, excessively long, open coats, and little tiny phony ears that need to be
molded in place. The temperament
of choice is one that shows non-stop and never mind if the dog ever relaxes and
enjoys being with its owner.
More and more we see people adopting dogs from shelters
whether purebred or mongrel in preference to going to a breeder for a
puppy. Though these adoptions are
seldom cheap, and often come with lots of baggage, the new owner feels noble in
having saved a life. Now Phyllis
and I have “rescued” several dogs and cats as well. Some of the dogs were collies and some were not, but between
vet bills and adoption costs, they weren’t cheap, but they did need help and I
make no apologies.
Breeders need to step up and recognize what the puppy buyer
in the real world wants. They need
to be responsible and be willing to take back dogs that don’t work out and
encourage people to spay and neuter to avoid shelters full of unwanted
pets. If a perspective buyer wants
to show or breed they need a clear picture of what’s involved and some help
along the way.
Now I’ve been a dog person all my life and still am, but the
cat is becoming very popular as a pet and, in many cased, is replacing the dog
because of our changing life styles.
The cat doesn’t need to be walked, and does quite well with bowls of
food and water and a clean litter box.
They are subject to ailments just like dogs and many can be annoyingly
independent, but many people enjoy that trait.
Those of us who believe in Creation can also understand that
things don’t stay the same.
Evolution is a process that is natural and occurs in wild creatures
without our help as well as in domestic creatures that we control. The wild creatures evolve in ways that
help them better deal with the life they must face. If we wish to truly be successful as breeders our goal must
be to breed animals that can live as companions as well as show dogs. One of our main goals should be to
produce puppies that mature into happy, fun to be alive dogs.
Car companies over the years have evolved into some habits
that are quite annoying. To get
item “A” you must purchase a package that includes “B” and “C”. If we who love purebred dogs pursue
that line of thinking and insist that people who want a happy, healthy, pretty
pet must accept a lot they don’t want the shelters and cat breeders will be
full of smiles and we’ll only have ourselves to blame.
Think about it!
