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02-05-2011, 06:56 PM | #1 |
Donating Senior Yorkie Talker | Designer dogs? I've been reading a lot of posts on the subject of mixing breeds and have a philosophical question. I don't plan on ever being a breeder and I would not buy a designer dog so I'm not in any danger of supporting the industry but... Isn't the Yorkie a designer dog? Bred from several different ancestors to include the " best" qualities of each breed? What is the difference between the interbreeding of the 19th century and earlier and today's selective breeding practices? If you could breed out a hereditary condition by adding a new gene pool to the mix wouldn't that be a good thing? I'm not talking about puppy mills that are churning out Yorkiepoos... I think most of us agree that repeadly breeding dogs that spend their entire lives in cages is bad. But what about the breeder who does everything by the book - except they mix breeds for a specific purpose? At some point, if breeders only mate Yorkies with Yorkies, aren't they going to eventually be so inbred that all of the hereditary problems we all dread will appear with more frequency? Not in the next twenty years, perhaps, but generations down the road? Hope you don't consider this question heresy, but I really would like to know what responsible breeders think. Last edited by boopster; 02-05-2011 at 06:57 PM. |
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02-05-2011, 09:30 PM | #2 |
Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mississippi
Posts: 2,564
| That's a whole bunch of questions. I'll take a stab at a couple of points. On the subject of what is a pure bred dog, it all depends on how you look at it. You could say that all pure bred dogs are designer dogs since they were created from mixing various dogs until a desired type was set. Shoot, you could even turn that around and say that all dogs are pure bred, in the strictest sense, since they were all bred from the wolf. Of course, that isn't REALLY true as there are many sub-species of wolf, so you're back to square one. So let's stick with the modern notion of a pure bred dog. Yes, breeds can become messed up, but not because of their being a pure bred. If that were true, there would not be the ancient breeds among us today, and there are quite a few. It's what man does to a breed, once established, that determines its fate. You suggest that inbreeding would be the downfall of any breed. That just isn't true. It's the breeding of individuals with health defects or being carriers of that defect that can wreak havoc on a breed. One of the healthiest groups of dogs are the seeing eye dogs bred in Morristown, N.J. and they have one of the highest breeding co-efficients (rate of in-breeding) among any group of dogs. It goes to show that it's intelligent breeding and not simply avoiding in-breeding that affects the overall health of a group of dogs. Most will say that a reputable breeder will adhere to the breed standard and will breed for that standard. That's great, except that there are some breeds that have had the standard changed to the point where breeding to the standard will produce a dog with problems. This has occurred in the GSD, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the flat faced dogs, among others. Philosophically speaking, I'm not sure you can breed to the modern show standard and be responsible with those breeds. As you probably know, some of these breeds' standards are up for review by the Kennel Club due to the inherent health problems associated with the standard. While the Yorkshire Terrier does have its share of health problems, it is not due to the breed standard. There is a large enough gene pool to draw from so breed vitality isn't an issue. I feel the various YT breed clubs have been good stewards of the breed and I don't see the breed being threatened so long as those breeding adhere to the standard and ensure they only use healthy dogs as breeding stock.
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02-05-2011, 09:41 PM | #3 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posts: 12,693
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To the response I have a question: Other than the Cavaliers, which has been discussed on this forum before, why is it a problem to breed brachycephalic(flat faced) breeds to standard? Is it the problems with breathing/eyes/inability to reproduce safely on their own
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02-05-2011, 09:53 PM | #4 |
Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mississippi
Posts: 2,564
| It's more the breathing issues, eye and dental problems and the fact that they are very heat sensitive. Here's a link describing some of the problems. Brachycephalic I think the inability to deliver in some breeds is more due to the proportional size of the head rather than the shape. You can look on the internet and browse some of these breeds. Take a look at old drawings and photos from a century ago and then modern photos. While some of these breeds are quite old, it's the modern standard that has pushed the dogs' features to the extreme, creating the problems. That's where good stewardship of a breed comes into play IMO.
__________________ ORANGUTANS ARE DYING FOR THE SAKE OF CHEAP PALM OIL....AND YOU USE IT!!! http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ani...m-oil-you.html |
02-05-2011, 10:29 PM | #5 |
Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mississippi
Posts: 2,564
| As an example of just how much a breed can change due to the breed standard, take a look at the Bull Terrier. BULL TERRIER HEADS PAST AND PRESENT
__________________ ORANGUTANS ARE DYING FOR THE SAKE OF CHEAP PALM OIL....AND YOU USE IT!!! http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ani...m-oil-you.html |
02-05-2011, 10:33 PM | #6 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
Posts: 12,693
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__________________ Littlest JakJak We miss you Kaji | |
02-05-2011, 10:58 PM | #7 |
Donating Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Mississippi
Posts: 2,564
| Here's a good link discussing that, and also the temperament changes that may accompany physical changes. Vanator Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, Chinese Imperials, Our Goals
__________________ ORANGUTANS ARE DYING FOR THE SAKE OF CHEAP PALM OIL....AND YOU USE IT!!! http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/ani...m-oil-you.html |
02-06-2011, 06:31 AM | #8 |
YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lexington,Ky Go WILDCATS
Posts: 460
| One question How can you trust a breeder who sells mixed puppies {yorkie/pom or yorkie poo} and pure yorkies of the same age? Would you? Now in this area it's a comon nasty thing that a breeder/greeder will pick what looks pure slap ckc papers on them and sell as pure. and those who look mix the same thing with a cute name. it's all about the ethics. [/I]
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02-06-2011, 04:53 PM | #9 | |
YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Washington
Posts: 837
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__________________ Kendra | |
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