Quote:
Originally Posted by Nancy1999  ...shows are a way for breeders to get "confirmation" that their dog does indeed meet standard. |
I emphatically disagree.
Until animals that have not had their little bodies mutilated in order to conform to the standard, perfectly acceptable dogs will be overlooked by the show breeders. If you won't dock ears and/or tails, your dog can't be shown, even if it perfectly conforms to breed standard in all other ways, and if the dog can't be shown, that "confirmation" is not possible.
I readily concede that there are a lot of people who indiscriminately breed (intentionally or otherwise) dogs that pass on a poor genetic heritage but you cannot be equally indiscriminate in judging those who breed and do not show. It is tantamount to...and no more valid than...stereotyping.
I won't know for several months yet how well my girl conforms to standard. But I won't mutilate her tail...it's actually illegal here for a vet to dock tails and ears for cosmetic purposes...and the breed standard has not changed, so she can't show, no matter how perfect she may turn out to be. But if she is good enough to show and her tail is what is keeping her out of the ring, I will not allow a lack of "confirmation" from a show judge to prevent me from breeding her if that is what I want to do.
It is dangerous to put your full faith in an "authority" at the expense of your own common sense. And while some people may be blinded by their love of their dogs or are motivated by an expectation of profit, it is not true of us all, which makes this generalizing grossly unfair. And, even if an expectation of profit exists, if it is not realized at the expense of the well being of the animals involved, I fail to see what is so bad about it.
It is elitist to put forth the idea that only dogs that have received "confirmation" from show judges should be bred. It IS snobbish. What you are saying, in other words, is that dogs that are not show winners should not be allowed to breed...sorry, but dog show aspirants are the SMALLEST market for purebred dogs and there is absolutely nothing wrong with breeding otherwise healthy dogs that do not conform to championship standards. They won't get into the shows, they won't breed with the show dogs and pollute their bloodlines, and they have no less right than the show dogs to walk the earth and and bring love into the hearts of people who simply cannot pay the kind of money a show dog's offspring must fetch.