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Interesting article


imported_Matty

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Since I have been reading so many posts about people mistaking purebreds and saying they have one type of purebred and some one else saying that its not that breed at all. I was just doing some reading on Purebreds and I found this site. I thought it was kinda interesting. :wink:

[url]http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/tutorial1.html[/url]

This part I found interesting especially since I just started reading this book. It was suggested on this forum to read, so I bought it :D

[quote]Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin and Behavior
This controversial book by Raymond Coppinger lays out a persuasive case for why purebred dogs are in serious trouble today.
In the past, I followed the traditional "party line" about purebred dogs. Here are Three Sacred Truths held by virtually all dog clubs and virtually all show dog breeders:

Purebreds must be preserved. The loss of any breed would be a tragedy.

Responsible breeders should try to improve their breed.

Breeding to "show standards" is the best way to preserve and improve breeds.
Then I read Ray Coppinger's book. And I was upset. Because Coppinger shot serious holes through the Three Sacred Truths. He challenged many other ideas, as well. I tossed the book aside. I brooded about it for awhile. And I decided to give it a second chance.

I'm glad I did.

Because once you get over your indignation, once you recognize the inescapable truth of Coppinger's insights, you realize, to your shock and dismay, that NONE of the Three Sacred Truths are true.

You realize, in fact, that if purebred dogs are to survive through the 21st century, our entire system of dog breeding must change.

This is a sobering concept.

And of course it is a threat to many current breeders, especially show dog breeders. They will need to get over their own indignation and their past ideas and adjust to new methods. In a dozen years or so, it is likely that many of Coppinger's ideas will be firmly rooted in the world of purebred dogs. This is a good thing.

This brilliant book is a must-read if you have any interest in breeding your dog. It is a must-read for the serious student of dog breeds and dog behavior. And it is a must-read for anyone who is interested in a scientific approach to dogs.

It is not the easiest book to read. Some chapters require some knowledge about genetics. But you can pick and choose which chapters you want to read -- and Chapter 7 (Household Dogs) makes eye-opening reading for everyone.[/quote]

[quote][b]Purebreds are prone to health problems [/b]

Bone and joint disorders that cause lameness
Eye diseases that cause blindness
Sudden heart disease that causes early death
Epilepsy/seizures
Immune system diseases
Neurological diseases
Skin diseases
Bleeding disorders
Cancers and tumors
Over 300 genetic health defects have been documented in dogs, and in many purebreds, the incidence of defects is extremely high. Reasons for this include:

A limited and closed gene pool. Most breeds were built on relatively few founding dogs, so the same sets of genes have been reproduced over and over since the breed began. Registries such as the AKC require that all future offspring come from the mating of dogs registered with their club. This restriction eliminates the vast majority of other dogs that would otherwise be available for breeding.

Without the introduction of new and unrelated genes, in the long term all living creatures suffer "loss of genetic diversity," which inevitably leads to weaker animals with health problems. This is happening right now with purebred dogs.

Breeding dogs to a detailed standard of appearance. Show breeders seek to produce dogs who match a written Standard of Conformation (for example, eyes a certain shape). To get these details right, show breeders limit the gene pool even more by rejecting breeding stock who might be healthy and good-tempered, but who can't "deliver" in eye shape.

Breeding to some standard is how breeds are developed in the first place, but eventually it results in loss of genetic diversity, which as we've said, leads to problems with health and vigor.

Breeding the same champion dogs over and over. This floods the breed not only with the same sets of good genes, but also with the same sets of bad genes.

TEN-SECOND BIOLOGY LESSON:
The average dog carries an estimated 4 to 6 defective genes in his DNA. These genes are usually recessive, which means a dog needs TWO of the same gene in order for the defect to be expressed. If he has only ONE of that gene, that means its partner gene (genes come in pairs) is normal and will "cover up" the defective gene. Such a dog will be a "carrier" of the defect, but he isn't himself sick.

But when the same few dogs are bred repeatedly, as is done with the most successful show dogs, their particular defective genes become more common throughout the breed. Then the chances are much greater that two dogs with the SAME defective gene will get bred together -- and the defect gets expressed.

Frequent inbreeding. Many, many pedigrees show the same dog, or even several of the same dogs, listed twice in the first few generations. By breeding together two dogs who are closely related (who share many of the same genes), you run a greater risk of the same defective genes coming together in the puppies.

Show breeders only call it "inbreeding" when they breed parent-to-offspring or brother-to-sister. They call it "linebreeding" when they breed grandparent-to-grandchild, uncle-to-niece, aunt-to-nephew, or cousin-to-cousin.
But geneticists say that this is simply splitting hairs. Within the small gene pool of purebred dogs, all of these pairings are inbreeding.

Making dogs larger and heavier. If you fool around too much with Mother Nature, you get increased bone and joint disorders, and a much shorter lifespan (7-10 years in many large breeds, compared to 13-16 years for smaller dogs).

If this risk is okay with you, and if you can afford the potential vet bills, fine. Just so you're aware.

Breeding for unnatural builds. Breeds with short faces (such as Bulldogs and Pugs) are sweet dogs, but they can't breathe normally and are prone to many health disorders. Breeds with long bodies (such as Dachshunds) are prone to crippling back problems and paralysis.

If this risk is okay with you, and if you can afford the potential vet bills, fine. Just so you're aware.

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All About Health Testing
Breed clubs are working hard to identify and manage the defects and diseases that are wreaking such havoc in the dog world. Committees and foundations have been formed, and millions of dollars have been spent on research.

As a result, medical tests have been developed for some disorders. These can show whether a dog has the disorder, or not. For example, x-rays can detect hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia, which cause crippling. An ophthalmic exam can determine the presence of PRA and cataracts, which cause blindness. A cardiac exam can detect certain heart diseases.

Someone who tests prospective parents for specific disorders before breeding them together has the breed's best interests at heart.

Most health tests simply show whether a dog is displaying the disorder at the time of the test. Even after testing clear, he could still develop it next month. And he could still have it hidden in his genes, to be passed on to his puppies.

You'll have to do some research and decide for yourself how much faith to put in the different medical tests as predictors of how healthy a puppy may be.
DNA Testing Is Much More Reliable
DNA testing for some genetic diseases is just beginning.

A DNA test can determine with certainty whether a dog has, or carries, or is completely clear of a specific disease.
For example, the DNA test for Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Labrador Retrievers will show whether a Lab has, carries, or is completely clear of PRA, a dreadful disease that leads to blindness.
At the current time, DNA testing is limited to only a very few diseases AND only a very few breeds. For example, there is a DNA test for detecting PRA in Irish Setters... but not (yet) in Golden Retrievers or Cocker Spaniels.
In other words, DNA testing is breed-specific.

[b]Geneticists warn us that even if DNA testing included all diseases and all breeds, we wouldn't eliminate genetic disease from purebred dogs.

Why? Because of the current breeding practices I described above. A continuing loss of genetic diversity leads to less healthy, less resistant animals. Even if the current canine diseases were eliminated through DNA testing, different diseases would simply pop up and take their place in the closed, weakening gene pool. If current breeding practices continue, purebred dogs are stuck in a hopeless loop.[/b]
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Many show dog breeders will be upset by what I've written here. But this information is well-known to dog people who have studied the science of genetics.

[b]"We shall all have to rise above our own narrow individual interests and perspectives if we are to save our purebred dog world from genetic disaster." Dr. Jeffrey Bragg, author of "Purebred Dog Breeds Into The 21st Century: Achieving Genetic Health For Our Dogs." [/b]

If you'd like to learn more about the serious problems that purebred dogs are facing, and how current breeding practices might be changed for the better, send an email to [email][email protected][/email]. I will email you some eye-opening articles!

Purebreds can be very expensive
Finally, many dog breeds are extremely expensive: $500, $800, $1200. You can cut these prices way down if you stick with adolescents or adults from animal shelters and rescue groups, and sometimes from classified ads in the newspaper. The trade-off is that virtually none of these dogs come from parents who were screened for genetic health defects.

In some breeds, certain health disorders are a virtual epidemic and you are taking a much greater risk if you acquire a dog whose parents weren't officially tested and declared free of these specific disorders. In other breeds, the risk is much less.
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To sum up, a purebred dog can be a fine choice...

if you know exactly what characteristics you want in a dog

if there is a breed who actually HAS the characteristics you want

if you're willing to accept whatever other traits that breed happens to have

if you acquire your puppy from someone who consistently produces puppies who grow up WITH those characteristics -- or if you acquire an adult dog so you can see that he ALREADY has those characteristics

if you raise and train him correctly

if you're willing to accept the potential for genetic defects and health problems (much greater in some breeds than in others)

and if you're willing to pay several hundred dollars for your dog -- unless you find one through an animal shelter or rescue group
[/quote]


I just thought this was interesting and I stumbled upon it by mistake.

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I have to agree, and I've been saying this for a long time now. You CANT jack with genetics and expect a good outcome. A closed gene pool is a nightmare waiting to happen, and i understand the genetics of inbreeding and linebreeding. What they should be doing is letting the "appearance" scenario slide a bit, and breeding with dogs from outside of their gene pool. that means that some puppies in the litter will not be show material, it may even take more than one litter to get a few, but it keeps the dogs healthier and the gene pool cleaner.

I keep harping back to ancient Britain and France, where the royalty was only allowed to marry royalty. what came of that was children with hemophilia, (blood cant coagulate), neurosis, and even the disaese that spurred on the vampire stories. there is a disease that people get (not common now, but occasionally still) where they can not be out in the sunlight, they are extremely anemic, and weak. They are very pale, and look as if they have no blood in them. In the past, people would drink blood to overcome it.

people wrote laws a long time ago to prevent this kind of genetic black hole from happening. you cant marry your siste, brother, first cousin, father, mother, etc. thats all because of things that have been attributed to genetic failures in children of people who do. The same logic should be applied to dogs.

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