Barked: Sat Jul 7, '07 9:57am PST |
 |  |  |  | Rocky writes: "Cavaliers, as well, cannot be bred until after they are 30 months . . . that is if the breeder is following protocol. Most, even the top show breeders at Westminster, are not."
Rocky, I'm not familiar with the Cavalier's code of ethics, so I had to look it up. And I think that it is not written with care for genetic diversity.
http://ackcsc.org/ethics.htm
I'm not surprised then on this comment of yours, and I agree: "I find the show community has been quite rocked by the geneticists finding that all the linebreeding they have done has produced the problems, and many are sticking their heads in the sand waiting for a DNA fix, but continuing to ignore geneticist's breeding recommendations."
I agree, this is so wrong. I personally have a huge database with thousands of dogs in my breed, tracking the majority to country of origin and it really does take some knowledge of the limited numbers in a breed's foundation to help structure a better plan for the breed.
Unfortunately, show registries such as AKC are closed ones, and founding members of the clubs tend to be quite resistant to change.
The popularity of flashy boxers and the genetic issues that it prolongs is also a problem.
I'm not "antiAKC" nor "AntiShow". I tend to be willing to point out problems with assumptions and point out the need for better perspective. The spay neuter thing of this thread also plays havoc with elements of genetic diversity. Several of my dogs have been champions but my breed is rather new to AKC and many of the foundation dogs have been LOCKED out of the AKC studbook for little more than personal vendettas between dog importers. Country of origin does not have a kennel club. So I'm in a very unique position regarding my critical analysis of what is accepted as status quo.
What is the average COI in the Cavaliers in the US? The fact that you are suggesting that Cavaliers have a significant number of problems (they are a modern and refined breed, so that tends to follow) and the closed genepool and the forced spay and neutering is sad.
I think there are many reasons that dogs should be raised to near middle age before neutering. This helps unmask many issues. Breeders do sometimes neuter mismarks for such things as white markings in the wrong place, and in a genetically compromised breed, eliminating mismarks for minor white spotting issues is suicide to the genepool.
Mandatory health testing is more useful than mandatory neutering if we want to preserve a breed.
I so agree with Bet Hargreaves!
"Is this now the time for Cavalier breeders, for the future of the breed, to bite the bullet in order to widen the genetic pool of Cavaliers and start using Cavaliers for breeding that are not winning in the Show Ring?"
Rocky wrote: "And since I've seriously taken this thread off topic, for any readers following, I feel this is the kind of knowledge you do need to delve into before you even contemplate breeding a dog. Physically even being capable of ensuring your in heat female isn't bred is just the beginning."
Rocky, I'm sure that there are forums where people do have a genetics background and can help you. I do not believe that everyone on Dogster is standing around with scapels to neuter every dog. Some of dogsters I am sure are aware of the serious issues that some breeds face.
There is a serious Yahoo genetic forum you can write to me about. It is all breed so the Tower of Babel in breed terms is alive and well, yet it is refreshing if you can keep up with the volume of mail. The topics are diverse and include behavioral, structural, immunological and other issues in breeds. Some of the posters are at different levels of being 'purist' on diversity, most are closer to middle road. In order to join it, you have to use a real (no yahoo) email address. It is a list that has had such members as John Cargill (deceased), Bruce Cattanach, John Burchard and others. Mostly it is in support of the late Dr John Armstrong's work in Canine diversity studies.
Wishing you the best! Sorry for my dry and odd posts. Please remember we cannot all think alike. Practical and applied genetics is part of the spay/neuter issue and keeping our dogs healthy.  |  |  |  |  |
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