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Originally Posted by Nancy1999  I think many people read these threads and wonder what's all the fuss about. Why can't people just buy whatever pup they like, they are all beautiful. As the OP understood in post 12, this is not about beauty, it really is about the health of the dogs. I'm an advocate of good breeding, and I feel that breeders, who specialize in any rare trait, whether it is the Parti trait, extra tiny size, or apple head, are hurting the breed. Some breeders don't believe that they are harming the breed, but since they sell their dogs to others for breeding purposes, (many with no real breeding credentials) and also encourage the popularity of the anomalies, they are indeed hurting the breed. Good breeding involves many different things; it's a science as well as an art. As I have done more research on the subject of breeding, I've come to believe that because we kill millions of dogs yearly in pounds, responsible breeding is extremely important. Reading the sick and emergency forums reiterates the need for responsible breeding, not just beautiful dogs. There is a very real concern with breeding for the recessive trait, and offspring should be monitored and tested for the incidence of disease. So for me, this isn't just about beautiful dogs. Now I'm sure some of you will say, there's way more normal looking yorkies in the sick and emergency forum than there are partis, and I just want to say, "UNCLE." |
Isn't this true of any breeding program, though? Breeding for any trait besides health reduces the gene pool, and makes the breed less robust. Even in breeding for health, you might reduce the chances for one disease and accidentally increase the chances for another. In fact, simply breeding pure breds at all by definition indicates you are working with a limited gene pool.
Personally, I'm curious as to whether the parti coloring is controlled by one gene or many. It would appear to me to most likely be the later. Any opinions?