Why are we breeding deformed dogs?

Question

The video below is a vet speaker at the British Veterinary Association congress. She makes a lot of sense, why has this cruelty been allowed to go on for so long?

http://vets.tv/video.php?vid=115&cid=10

Answer 1

The vet is of course the sainted Emma Milne, well known for her dislike of all pedigree dogs, who says all racing Greyhounds should be killed at the end of their racing career.

I might be able to take her more seriously if she had bothered to check the current wording of the breed standard.

The Shar Pei standard:

Dark, medium size, almond-shaped with frowning expression. Amber and lighter colours permissible in paler shades. Function of eyeball or lid in no way disturbed by surrounding skin, folds or hair. Any sign of irritation of eyeball, conjunctiva or eyelids highly undesirable. Free from entropion.

Breed standards were rewritten with health in mind - 20 yrs ago.!!

Answer 2

Great video

Something needs to be done to stop these breeders breeding these deformed dogs, it's not fair on the poor dogs.

Answer 3

Money.

Answer 4

Because the UK Kennel club is only interested in taking money off people & couldn't really give a monkey's cuss about the animals. Did you know you can become an accredited breeder for an extra £10 a year and they rarely make the checks that they promise?

I have 2 beloved Cavaliers and the way that the 'breed standard' ie: what certain people perceive to look beautiful, in the show ring has changed immensely in the last 20 years or so.

I would never go to a breeder just because of what they had won in the ring. I would want copies of both sire and dam's health checks - in the case of Cavaliers I would want up to date copies of cardiology reports, ophthalmologist's reports and also proof that they had scanned clear of syringomyelia. I would also want to know that the breeder either had a few generations of long lived healthy dogs or could refer me back to their breeder who had long lived healthy dogs (as everyone has to start somewhere).

I would not say that people who breed and don't show are back yard breeders as most care more about their dogs health and welfare than some of the show circuit who drag their dogs around the country whilst leaving others at home alone all day long.

I know breeders who show and breeders who don't. Some of the worst breeders are the ones who win the most prizes :~O

If any of you watched 'Pedigree dogs exposed' on tv in the UK last week you will understand what I mean.  As far as I am concerned, some breeders should be shot for what they are doing to our beloved breeds.

Answer 5

I cant's agree more with calbri and guess who

Answer 6

Because 'we' like seeing dogs limping around the place, scratching themselves to death from skin problems, blind as bats, fitting etc.etc.

Sorry for the flip answer, but basically last time I looked, I was trying my darndest not to breed deformed dogs. And what's more, after I heard that the sire of my, as it turned out, last litter had started fitting in later life, along with his mother, when the two 'puppies' I kept were over 2 years old, I had my b*tch spayed, before she'd had a litter, and refused any enquiries for studs from her brother - and that was the end of my line!  My ****** (now sadly no longer with us, and she didn't die of epilepsy either) and her brother who is now 11 have touch wood, remained fit-free, but I couldn't risk passing this on.  

And once again I say for every breeder who is, apparently, breeding for cash and not for the improvement of their breed, there are hundreds who are trying to do the right thing.

Edit - I was going to look at the link - until I read the name Emma Milne.  Decided for the good of my BP that I wasn't going anywhere near it.  That woman is poison.  I don't know what her problem is, but she's been going for 'pedigree dogs' for years now and her generalisations about certain breeds are truly gobsmacking.

Answer 7

Good video and an excellent speech. ln answer, two main factors. The first being peoples egos, to be seen with a showpiece or fashion accessory. Secondly, financial gain from the breeders. I suppose if it wasn`t for the first point, we wouldn`t have breeders would we?

Answer 8

Three words.People,money,uncaring.Although I strongly disagree with California's new dog laws.I can see the point of only being allowed to own 2 dogs or 2 cats.Really the vast majority can only afford that number if you give your animals high quality food and regular vet visits.Just because you can have more doesn't mean you should.Myself included I have a habit of taking in strays and you can get overloaded fast.Someday we may find a way to overcome this problem,hopefully.

Answer 9

Because people want to breed for money, and don't test their dogs for genetic defects before breeding!

Answer 10

Like the other answers the reason for the animals on this video is money. But there is another reason too people not getting there animals fixed and them inbreeding.  This is another reason for birth-defects as well.  Some people don't think or maybe don't know.  Good luck 2u.

Answer 11

I'm 100% against it!

the average life span of your pug is often up to 7 years shorter than your average mongrel or pedigree dog as they often have breathing difficulties etc.

mongrels have been known to live longer than either pedigrees or the breeded dogs like chiuauas or pugs etc.

Personally I think what these people do to animals is disgusting and it SHOULD be illegal.

I totally agree with what she was saying!xx

Answer 12

Interesting video. I agree with many the sentiments above but there is another, insidious, side to this coin. It is not just organisations like the Kennel Club and Cat Fanciers clubs that perpetuate this obscene practice of breeding deformities and, as a result, shortened lives, into our pets. The answer is simple - don't pay a fortune to some fancy breeder for some fancy pedigree dog, get a Heinz 57 from the RSPCA or PDSA or some other rescue centre! And what is the likelihood of that ever happening may I ask??? We all like our Yorkies, German Shepherds, Collies, Lhasa's, etc etc etc - all of whom have had some kind of deformity bred into them. We can all shout and scream about the injustice of it all but in the final analysis, when most of us get our new Yorkie, German Shepherd, Lhasa etc etc etc, most of us seem to have no qualms about perpetuating the situation by buying them in the first place!

Answer 13

money and snobbery or breeding status though the owners will look after the dogs etc they dont feel the pain that animal will go through my friend has a bulldog she loves it to bits but the dog struggles all the time for air yet its a lovely adorable pet apart from the rear end exhaust but the breathing is an inbred problem that's gone on for years

Answer 14

Because humans are selfish and like the fact that we can distort dogs into cartoon like characters, apparently it's worth the sacrifice made on health. It really is sickening.

Answer 15

the style of dog and exaggerations took over from common sense the prestige of winning has changed some breeds to affect their health but it is not the only reason that health has been affected, not just not testing for the genetic faults (thought this to be is inexcusable to do) the vaccination damage and the degeneration damage of kibble (high grains and poor ingredients and preservatives etc is part of the problem as well as even mutt are in poor shape, so it is not all inbreeding that is the problem.

Answer 16

The problem here is that it is already too late to make any changes as all it will do unfortunately will be to make matters worse.

As a breeder and competitor in both show and performance all i can follow is the breed standard that were long ago in place before i like many others started breeding.

Answer 17

I agree it is cruel and the RSPCA should do something to stop it.

The vet in the video Emma Milne wrote a very good book titled "The truth about cats & dogs" A must read for anyone thinking of buying a pedigree dog

Answer 18

Interesting video.  And I agree.  The problem is most people don't recognize it cruelty to breed something like a beagle and a pug.  And then there's the issues of judges at shows not being educated or vets not being consulted in the writing of the breed-standards.  And then there's issues of dog breeds who would go extinct if not bred for.  The Scottish Deerhound, for instance, doesn't hunt anymore or are really  used for anything.  If the breeders didn't continue breeding (and trying to match the looks of the old working ones) then this breed would be gone.  And I tend to love it.

What needs to happen is the standards being rewritten for health issues.