What does betterment of the breed mean to you?

[love_me_cody]

A while ago, there was a big argument about the petition of not opening a new Petland on Craigslist. The way the petitioners were going at it was wrong and there were very rude. Some one called them out on it and told a particular poster that they wouldn't follow someone like her because she was very rude and they wouldn't follow someone who were rude and whatnot. She would receive better results if she went about her attitude another way. I agreed because she was very, very rude and everyone know how I like to call people out on their rudeness, so I fully agreed! LOL

Anyway, they argued back and forth, calling each other names. The petitioner then accused the other person of supporting Petland. The other person then started to explain that she wasn't supporting them but was trying to prove the point that the way she was going about getting her point out was rude. She said she is a breeder and people sometimes call her and accuse her of being a backyard breeder and puppy mill then they try to talk her out of breeding but they do the same thing the petitioner does and act very rude at it so she doesn't give them the time of day to give their opinion.The petitioner then starts to call her a BYB. The other person then started talking about how she use to show but then didn't see what the point was after a couple years. She said that you are suppose to better the breed but then all you're doing is breeding healthy, beautiful dogs of a standard to create another beautiful dog. And all you're doing is doing that over and over. She said that there wasn't a point to it because all you're doing is showing how you were able to breed to create the beautiful puppy that you are showing. Nothing else. That is what you're basically doing, breeding to create pretty pups so they are able to breed and create more breeding pups that have no purpose but to breed to create more pretty pups and provide love to a new home.

She said she didn't need someone to tell her her dogs were beautiful so she got out of it and bred to the standard but just bred to create healthy puppies for families to love and are beautiful. She then continue to say that they should also start petitioning dog shows, too. That the breeders aren't helping because they are just breeding to create more dogs and is keeping families from looking at shelters, too. (I think she was being sarcastic). And yadda, yadda, yadda.. (What I needed is above, everything else was right back about the petition.)


She breeds Chinese Crested I believe because she mentioned that breed but I was skimming fast so probably missed a different breed discussed and could have been the breed she bred.

What I said above isn't word for word. Before I realized that this could be a YT topic and could go back to copy, it was flagged. So I'm relying on what I remember!! Some points were missed and left out!


ANYWHO.... What she said got me thinking, What does betterment of the breed mean to you?

We always here breeders say it, but what exactly does it means to them, right? I would like to know what everyone else thinks, not just breeders. So I can get a feel what each individual think breeders should do.


AND PLEASE...... don't be rude in this thread!!!

[memphismomma]

i dont know about that stuff but i do know i wouldnt want my babey to BE "better" as i love the way he is infact i think most of us would never say gee i wish i had a better breed of yorkie BUT i too am curious what this term really means !!

[MyFairLacy]

Breeding for the Betterment of the Breed to me:

Breeding excellent examples of the breed. Each breed has a standard set by a parent club (many people knowledgeable of the breed). This standard defines the unique qualities that makes each breed its own individual breed - what sets them apart from all other breeds. It defines physical structure, appearance, movement, attitude, etc. In order for a breed to continue, dogs must be bred to this standard. Otherwise, all you get are a bunch of "purebred" dogs that don't resemble the breed they are supposed to be and all breeds would start to look alike. A breed cannot continue to be what it is without following the standard. To breed for the betterment of the breed, a breeder must be breeding excellent examples of the breed - ones that clearly meet the standard.

It also means breeding HEALTHY dogs and striving to only produce HEALTHY puppies. If a breeder truly has the best interest of the dogs in mind, they health screen to the best of their ability and eliminate any problematic dogs from their lines. If a health problem arises, the breeder researches the problem and does what they can to fix it and keep it from happening again. Breeding unhealthy dogs only causes suffering for the dog and heartache for the owner. Striving to breed healthy dogs is a MUST in order to better the breed.

I think it also means loving the dogs and having a strong love and passion for the breed in general. Someone can't go into breeding half-heartedly...they must do it with a purpose and a goal in mind. They must always have the best interest of the dogs at heart - otherwise what is the point?

It's more than breeding pretty dogs over and over again. It's about preserving this breed that we love so much and continueing to have the Yorkshire Terrier as it has always been known. It's about breeding healthy dogs that can lead long, healthy, happy lives. It's about making sure they go to wonderful homes where they are loved and cherished. It's for the love of the dogs...that's what bettering the breed is

[memphismomma]

Thank you this makes a lot more sense to me now

[Baron]

To me, breeding for the betterment of the breed means that I select the male and female I breed from researching the past generations of each dog to make sure that there are no genetic health problems that are apparant, and checking that the personalities and structure traits will conform to the standard of this wonderful breed. It means that I will have my breeding pair checked for any health problems by having the dogs examined and blood tests done before I breed them, not after. It means that I am going to devote the time and necessary means to make sure that the puppies are socialized properly. It means I will not just put 2 dogs that look nice together and wait to see what happens.

[SET Yorkies]

All of us love our girls and boys really regardless of their "looks." I think uniqueness is important and certainly welcomed to an extent in our kennel….. I defiantly can’t grow a show coat or wrap it like a professional, but I can sit behind a microscope and look at slides all day, run fecal samples until I think I am one, and study genetics to the point that now my kids call me a NERD. So, to me.... Betterment is an internal issue…..that means slowing down the crippling effect of PSS, detecting the gene abnormality, and removing carriers from the breed, finding out why digestive abnormalities and other odd abnormalities are cropping up that did not exist prior to the last 10 years, working toward producing dogs much less susceptible to Hypoglycemia, eye disease, and developing stronger teeth sets to reduce decay..... For me betterment has always been a biological and physiological issue.... Every year the gap between "show quality" and "pet quality" widens. For some reason, "pet quality" some how now means "less than." In the pet quality world, the vast majority I am seeing are very small, typically easily frightened, psychologically and physically unsound puppies. Rarely anything that resembles the health and stature of their show quality "cousins" as I call them since the gap is soooo wide. The gap between show quality and pet quality in both health and appearance needs to shrink and this can only be done by a conscientious breeding programs left up to breeders who are prepared and willing to put a great deal of time, effort and money into this.... I constantly have buyers who refuse to purchase puppies from me because we contractually require puppies to be altered by 6 months of age. Breeding really shouldn't be a "hobby." I work everyday in the hope that we will eventually reach a place where the everyday pet owner can have a nicely sized, nicely conformed very healthy puppy. Every single time a dog full of genetic faults is breed and it’s offspring are sent out into the breeding pool, I take 10 steps backward…think for a moment how far behind I am….that will be the downfall of our breed. Yorkies are increasingly becoming an unhealthy, highly needy breed, far removed from its ancestry. That just isn’t what buyers are looking for and thus their popularity will decline, and so on.... Of course, the economy is going to help our case greatly by reducing the lucrative earning of selling dogs…Our breed is being crushed by folks "just breeding" with no clear breeding objectives beyond personal satisfaction, financially or emotionally, never really considering external betterment or internal betterment as a real part of their plan....

[matilda99]

[QUOTE=SET Yorkies;1880431]All of us love our girls and boys really regardless of their "looks." I think uniqueness is important and certainly welcomed to an extent in our kennel….. I defiantly can’t grow a show coat or ......

[For My Coby]

Krista, SET Yorkies, the only affiliation I have with breeding Yorkies is owning an adorable one. But I was very curious of the responses to this question as well. I must say your answer was very clear to me as you truly focused on the health of the breed and tied in the phycial differences. I know that most breeders would agree to your definition, but somehow the language you used gave me an "aha" moment. It made it crystal clear that "betterment of the breed" to you was focused on offering, those of us who just want babies to love, healthier babies to love - simply. To be really honest, most of us every day yorkie moms and dads aren't horribly disappointed if our yorkie turns out not to meet the breed standards physically. But we all want healthy babies to love for years. Thanks!

[roxynfritz]

For HEALTH.
To perfect the breed for physical reasons only is selfish...and the discourse surrounding it has a 'racist' undercurrent that wouldn't be tolerated if applied to people. I just can't apply that discourse to anything I love, not even dogs.

[linda44]

Its not just health. You cant get a male one place and a female another and just because theyre pretty and healthy have the perfect yorkie.

I dont know alot about line breeding, but Im learning, and I know unless you know everything about both your dogs for about 8 generations, you could be in trouble.

Come on, dog lovers, all dogs are adorable in their mommies eyes. Perfect or not, but if people dont take breeding seriously, what happens in say 20 or 30 years from now maybe when our great grandkids want a yorkie. Will they look like yorkies then? Not if breeders are not serious. Good breeders breed for health, coat, posture, size, straight backs, correct size of head, nose, eyes, ears, ears that stand etc etc. If you have two that throw something not standard then they shouldnt be bred again.

I know this is going to upset lots of people, but if we want a yorkie to look like a yorkie years from now, we need to be consious of what the breed is and stands for.

[roxynfritz]

Linda-
I agree with you to some extent. For me its' just a mental block I have...for me, it is the rhetoric surrounding breed perfection that is more of a problem than the idea itself. I think the GOAL should be to produce a healthy dog- and if I would have to sacrifice the breed ideal for my dog to be healthy I would do so- it's the reason we don't breed teacups/don't want to, right? Because the teacup is inherently unhealthy. So long as the Yorkie standard is healthy, there's no problem with it.
Also, 8 generations? I mean, I know back 3 generations- so in 5 generations we'll know back 8- so I think it's pretty much an arbitrary number. I think safeguards are great, adn the more information you have the better...but there's a certain line people cross when they obsess over this sort of thing.
I should add that I'm in this to have pets, not show dogs, and my pup is fixed.

[bjh]

The Yorkshire Terrier was first introduced as a 'ratter' or hunting dog. Through selective breeding it evolved into a better looking companion dog and then through more selective breeding the Yorkie was developed into a 'glamor' dog. There have always been not so glamorous Yorkies around. Just look back at some of the old Yorkie books and you will see how the Yorkie has evolved. It is the show breeders that have worked hard to make the Yorkie the glamorous breed it is today. Those that were not into showing continued to just breed companion dogs that were not as glamorous and that is why there are so many different looks. Take the Beagle for example, they were originally breed for hunting and then some breeders decided to make them pretty, more balance, softer face, etc. Since I bred Beagles at one time I can tell immediately looking at a Beagle if it is from show stock or hunting stock. Just because a hunting stock Beagle is not as pretty as a show quality Beagle, it still has its purpose. The key to the betterment of the breed, whether it is to breed companion dogs or show dogs, is to breed healthy and sound dogs that conform as closely as possible to the YTCA standard. The Yorkie attitude and soundness that was originally bred into these little dogs is being bred out. To me, first and foremost, for the betterment of the breed we should all be breeding sound healthy dogs with proper attitude. We should try to breed within the standard and if we all do that then we will be breeding for the betterment of the breed.

[For My Coby]

Originally Posted by bjh

..... Just look back at some of the old Yorkie books and you will see how the Yorkie has evolved. It is the show breeders that have worked hard to make the Yorkie the glamorous breed it is today.

That's very interesting. Would you be able to find and post a picture of an EARLY Yorkie. That would be very interesting. Perhaps some of us lay people should think of "betterment of the breed" backwards as well as forwards.

[linda44]

Originally Posted by bjh

The Yorkshire Terrier was first introduced as a 'ratter' or hunting dog. Through selective breeding it evolved into a better looking companion dog and then through more selective breeding the Yorkie was developed into a 'glamor' dog. There have always been not so glamorous Yorkies around. Just look back at some of the old Yorkie books and you will see how the Yorkie has evolved. It is the show breeders that have worked hard to make the Yorkie the glamorous breed it is today. Those that were not into showing continued to just breed companion dogs that were not as glamorous and that is why there are so many different looks. Take the Beagle for example, they were originally breed for hunting and then some breeders decided to make them pretty, more balance, softer face, etc. Since I bred Beagles at one time I can tell immediately looking at a Beagle if it is from show stock or hunting stock. Just because a hunting stock Beagle is not as pretty as a show quality Beagle, it still has its purpose. The key to the betterment of the breed, whether it is to breed companion dogs or show dogs, is to breed healthy and sound dogs that conform as closely as possible to the YTCA standard. The Yorkie attitude and soundness that was originally bred into these little dogs is being bred out. To me, first and foremost, for the betterment of the breed we should all be breeding sound healthy dogs with proper attitude. We should try to breed within the standard and if we all do that then we will be breeding for the betterment of the breed.

Thats exactly what I was trying to get across. Thank you for stating it so much better than I did. Linda

[bjh]

Originally Posted by For My Coby

That's very interesting. Would you be able to find and post a picture of an EARLY Yorkie. That would be very interesting. Perhaps some of us lay people should think of "betterment of the breed" backwards as well as forwards.

I have a book called 'The Book Of The Yorkshire Terrier', it is 352 pages, written in 1984 by Joan McDonald Brearley. I bought it on ebay for $30 and it has many pictures of the older Yorkies and while they were beautiful in their time, many of them appear to have dark cottony coats. The book has a excellent history of the breed in it and many wonderful pictures.