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Originally Posted by Buster Brown  But do some of the dog clubs standards actually better the breed? I watched this documentary and found it to be very troubling. It seems with some breeds the standards caused genetic issues to be reinforced. King Cavalier Spaniel head size causing seizures, Pugs bulging eyes and curled tails, German Shepard's slopped back causing hip problems, Rhodesian Ridge back's Ridge skin disorder, Bulldogs large head causing breathing and natural birth problems. I feel genetic testing should become a more important factor in breed standards if we truly want to better the breed. |
There is no genetic test for some diseases/afflictions. Knowing your lines is also important.
I agree that the standard for some breeds actually harms the breed. That's a different issue, though. What you described are dogs being bred to a standard that creates an unsound dog. I don't see the breed standard for the Yorkshire Terrier being one that promotes health issues. Though every breed has its own health concerns, I see nothing about the YT standard itself that inherently causes health problems in the dog.