Pedigree Dogs Exposed

[wiggal]

Any one else watching this?

I have a pedigree dog and a mongrel, but even 5 minutes in and I'm in tears already!

Nothing necessarily about them being pedigree, just the clips they have shown of some of the dogs.

:-(

[Rosetta]

Thank you ladies, I needed your comments, I was feeling very churned up.
Hope you feel a bit better soon Lottie

[wiggal]

We think she is definitely half terrier!
Will have to get a new picture to post to see what you guys think!

[LoftyLottie]

Night Night.

Sleep tight and try not to dwell on what you have seen tonight on the television.

I'm off to bed.

Nice talking to you on this thread.

xx

[kita1]

How can Mark Evans (RSPCA vet) criticise breeders putting to sleep pups 'because of their looks' yet the RSPCA put to sleep thousands of healthy dogs (and hundred of puppies) a year because they don't have homes (because people don't like their looks!!!).

How can anyone compare dog breeders (and the KC) to Hitler and mass killing of Jews in concentration camps?

Sorry, the blame for these poor dogs doesn't lie with the KC, in my eyes it lies firmly with the breeders AND the people who buy the puppies off them.

As long as people buy/want dogs like Pugs, etc. then people will breed them.

How many people actually know what a Kennel Club certificate looks like? Breeders often just make one up (I know breeders who have done!).

Surely the programme would have been better spent educating the public on how to choose a good breeder? On what to look for when buying a pup?

[jules77]

You can leave your comments about the programme on the dog magazine website.

http://www.dogmagazine.net/archives/701/a-mess age-to-the-bbc-on-behalf-of-true-dog-lovers-pe digree-dogs-exposed/

[jules77]

Further to my above link, I wouldnt bother leaving a post, as if you write anything positive about dog breeds, the post is 'moderated' and deleted.

I wholeheartedly agree that something needs to be done about the awful disease carried by a lot of Cavaliers, and affected dogs should not be bred from, but there are a lot of good breeders out there who really do care about their breed, unfortunately the programme makers failed to portray them.

[Rosetta]

Yes, it was a bit onesided, but you do have to confess the one side was pretty shocking.
Surely the lead has to come frome the Kennel Club to set standards etc otherwise they are just a trade association.
For example, those German Shepherds that could barely walk because of the adherence to a breed standard
1) never mind being allowed to win awards. should not be allowed to compete in shows
2) should have their pedigree status with drawn so these gentic faults are not perpetuated. Irresponsible breeders would soon learn there is not so much profit in producing "defective" pups.

[Rosetta]

cont
3) there needs to be a radical rethink of breed standards. Thes are set largely by humans and can be changed by humans. Who says beagles have to have such short legs, for example. Its clearly not "natural".
4) if the industry is to be taken seriously it must take more notice of genetic welfare issues and again this lead should come fro the Kennel Club
5) greater crackdown on puppy farms. Again this could be done through the Pedigree Registration system. Floughting of this should be deemed fraud and perpetrators prosecuted, even if this means introducing a new law.


Sorry, lecture over

[Ethel]

I have been against pedigree dogs for many years. If people want a dog because they love dogs, get a rescue dog instead of paying hundreds of pounds for a pedigree and condemning a healthy dog to death.

As for Samoyed's never in a rescue centre:

http://www.whitesamoyed.co.uk/rescue.asp

[eyeshade]

rehoming a mongrel from now on.

[jules77]

I agree the programme showed some disturbing scenes, and the KC needs to do something about the genetic diseases that some breeds carry. I certainly dont agree with the way GSD's are bred for the ring, nor the suffering the pugs and pekes have to endure with breathing problems due to the breed standard.

However, some breeds are bred for a purpose, and chosen due to their breed traits, and there is no valid argument against pedigree dogs. I adore all dogs, but only have one breed as they are also my hobby as I show them, I couldnt show a cross breed! Some of the bigger breeders are in for the glory and do not have the good intentions of the breed and their dogs at heart, and fortunately these are in the minority. The public who think dog showing is cruel are very blinkered, and have no experience of what it is all about. In an ideal world, all breeders would vet new homes, and take puppies back if the owners circumstances change, but that is blue sky thinking and doubt it will ever happen. If it did, there would be less dogs in rescue, and less cross breeds.

[wiggal]

Ethel, at the time we were not aware of Samoyed rescues, which we are now!

[Rosetta]

Tthe dogs that are bred for purpose and their breed traits, are these specific dogs (eg working dogs such as border collies for shepherding) and their breed traits (gun dogs and retrieving, labs and their laid back personality) ?
I dont think have a problem with selective breeding for positive reasons unless it unhealthy reduces the gene pool. What I do have a problem with is when the selective breeding is purely for cosmetic purposes or when a "trait" has a significant correlation with health problems like the Cavaliers, pugs, peakes
Many breed standards and undoubtedly some traits are determined by humans through selective breeding. They can also be changed by humans,eg the beagle's very short legs. But it needs the will to make these changes.
Now that we know some of the health problems from selective and interbreeding that we didnt know 20/30 years ago shouldn't we All be doing something to address it, not leave it to just the responsible and caring breeders. There nnds to be systems in place to address thes issues and I have to say I did not here much of said leadership from the Kennel Club last night.
As one practical step could breeders use dogs from the continent in breeding if this increased the gene pool?

[chas2008]

many years ago when i was a child i lived in house in north london that was split into flats it was owned by a wire haired terrier & poodle breeder, she was also a judge at Crufts. I remember quite vividly one of my fathers jobs (he use to do maintainance for her) was to bury the dead pups in the garden..the ones that were killed that didnt make the grade...

[LoftyLottie]

When I worked for an animal rescue sanctuary there were quite a few instances of puppies being dumped outside the gate at night that were very obviously not up to standard.

I still see one of those puppies regularly. She is now a beautiful 7 year old dalmation with loving owners - her only fault a slight kink in her tail!!

[wiggal]

I will just add to my last answer, that when I said about Sammies being in rescue centres, I was meaning your normal rescue centres, not the ones for certain breeds as I did not know they existed at the time!

[chas2008]

one of the reasons these pups were killed was to stop breeding from them and messing up the pedigree...

[momac]

I will never watch Cruft's dog show again,after last nights programme, it's all about money and of course the poor dumb animals are the victims.

[momac]

I will never watch crufts dog show again, as usual it's all about money and the poor dumb animals are the victims,some people who call themselves animal lovers are disgusting.

[momac]

I will never watch crufts dog show again, it's all about money and as usual it's the poor animals who are the victims I am disgusted at what goes on.