I'm no breeder and can't answer your questions, but I have a few comments about the video. The video is so sad, and this is happening among so many breeds, I read a similar article almost 30 years ago, and stopped buying purebreds because of it. A few years ago, when I decided to get another dog, I learned that not all purebred breeders are breeding as a business, and some truly love their chosen breed and really do want to do right by it. The video shows a King Cavalier that has been bred so poorly that their brains are too big for their skull. This is what happens when we are breeding without thinking toward the future, or when there is not a good breed club looking out for the best interests of the dog.
When man steps in and starts breeding, it's no longer survival of the fittest; dogs that in the wild would have no chance of survival, live and breed with human help. I disagree that it's just the breeders who show who cause the problems; the problem is caused because there was not a good mother club to protect the breed, and the standard in so many breed clubs has changed too rapidly. It's so important to have a mother club that looks after the breed, and doesn't change the standard because of popular public whims. Function must always come before some whim on physical appearance. We should not judge a dog based solely on some obscure view of beauty, and standard should change very slowly, until we are sure a change in physical appearance doesn't result in lost of function. The German Shepard is an example of a dog that has lost its structure because the mother club lost its way. The Pug, Bulldog, and Pekinese they showed are other examples, of dogs that have been bred without thinking towards the future. Breed clubs have to listen to new evidence that shows that that their written standard is unhealthy for the breed.
The YTCA is the mother club of the Yorkshire terrier, and it tries to protect the breed from the hottest new trends. For example, super tinies, rare colors, apple heads and flat button noses, are popular trends that the mother club refuses to accept. However, breeders of these trends try to convince buyers that breeders who show are the problem, and their dogs are perfectly healthy, and the mother club is too slow to accept changes. Another part of the problem I see with the yorkie is the immense popularity of the breed, and the fact that many breeders are just breeding to fill the public demand for pets. This is where much of the genetic weaknesses can be spread over and over. Poor breeders sell with open registration, to people who know nothing about breeding and will breed and sell puppies before they even know if they have a healthy dog.
I encourage everyone to only support good breeders who understand the importance of breeding to a healthy standard, and are not breeding for profit. Only support those who study the breed and understand its weaknesses and genetic faults. There are so many pets available, and if that's what you want, I encourage you to support rescue and shelters, but if you want to support the Yorkshire Terrier breed, find the best breeder you can, and become a "patron of the arts." You are not buying a dog, you are showing support for a great breeder. |