Salukifan

So we start with a dog. It will have a particular size, shape and coat type. It will have different levels of drive, bite inhibition, bite threshold, reactivity, trainability, yada yada. We mate it to another dog. It will have all those features (as all dogs do). We've focussed on structural soundness and haven't worried to much about the other stuff. Along comes a family. They have kids. They don't have two hours a day to exercise a dog and it probably won't get any formal obedience training. They'll be looking for a pretty quiet dog that has strong bite inhibition, low levels of reactivity and isn't much of a barker. How are you going to pick a pup from two sound randomly bred dogs that suits those requirements for them. They may all be sound but that won't be enough. You're not being revolutionary if you think all dogs should have basic structural soundness regardless of breed. Pat Hastings and others have been teaching and preaching it for years. Some of us have been listening.

And what if a handful of ignorant callous trainers used live baiting to attempt to get their dogs to chase better? Like has happened? Do you think novelty race meets (which, by the way have occurred for a range of breeds) would change the AR agenda? There is an infant sport in NSW called lure coursing. All breeds and crosses of dog can participate. The dogs chase plastic bags The GR Commission report has roped it in with Greyhound racing calling for any pet who participates to be registered as a "coursing dog" and criminalising ownership of small animals by LC dog owners. The reason dogs chase ANYTHING is prey drive. It shouldn't be demonised and it can be managed. We have a bunch of people who know sweet FA about dogs and care even less driving the rhetoric. They are shaping the space and dogs are NOT their purpose. The fact that many dog owners are being duped by them is a real and genuine issue. I was going to take my wheaten to the first lure coursing day in the ACT but didn't cos I had something else on. Guess I won't be bothered now. The ban affects NSW only. At this stage. The last LC day in the ACT was cancelled due to lack of numbers

And what if a handful of ignorant callous trainers used live baiting to attempt to get their dogs to chase better? Like has happened? Do you think novelty race meets (which, by the way have occurred for a range of breeds) would change the AR agenda? There is an infant sport in NSW called lure coursing. All breeds and crosses of dog can participate. The dogs chase plastic bags The GR Commission report has roped it in with Greyhound racing calling for any pet who participates to be registered as a "coursing dog" and criminalising ownership of small animals by LC dog owners. The reason dogs chase ANYTHING is prey drive. It shouldn't be demonised and it can be managed. We have a bunch of people who know sweet FA about dogs and care even less driving the rhetoric. They are shaping the space and dogs are NOT their purpose. The fact that many dog owners are being duped by them is a real and genuine issue.

That's the whole point i think. It's a complicated issue and the idea that the ANKC is the one at fault is overly simplistic. Says she watching her 18.5 year old Toy Poodle toddling past.

You tell me. You can tell people about puppy farms and they'll rationalise getting a pup from one as "rescue". Ditto pet shops.

Not when you rescue... You get to deal with the kind of people who should never have been sold the dog.

So the fact that the "elitist" ANKC allows non-pedigree and crossbred dogs to compete in their dog sports is what precisely? Mutt bashing? What's the Associate Register? Protectionist? And all the ANKC breed club rescues taking on non-pedigree dogs (mostly non-pedigree actually). What's that? Treating dogs like bastard children?

Sorry but that is quite frankly, a huge generalisation. I can show you a study that says for Greyhounds in racing condition, it is virtually impossible to feed sufficient bulk of raw food to meet their protein requirements. It recommends hight quality, high protein kibble AND raw. And guess what I feed my Whippets. After changing from a fully raw diet to a mixed one, my Toy Poodle's anal gland issues disappeared. I have researched the issue and tried a few diets. I feed what works for my dogs.

Agree. Not skinny at all. I'd actually like to see a bit more muscle definition.

WHAT change? Breed dogs so that the GP can have the 'right now' dog from us, not the pet shop? Sell to anyone who wants one rather than vet homes? Breed anything with a uterus to any dog with testicles and forget about health testing? Breed for what's popular regardless of what the breed standard says? Push pups out the door at six weeks cos they're cuter then ya know? It's not ANKC breeders filling the pounds. What seems to be the go these days is the idea that a pup can be had by anyone, at zero notice and that they are all just a standard dog in different costumes. Is THAT the change that we should be attempting to accommodate? The "its just a dog" paradigm is one that I want no part of and I expect that there is at least a proportion of society that agrees. The idea that what the majority wants is best does not fly with me.

1. Join a breed club or a show club. 2. Attend a meeting 3. Await incoming 4. Train as a steward if you meet the criteria. 1. How does one find a show club? There is only one breed club for my breed of interest and that is in Victoria. The other breed isn't in the country and not registered as an approved breed. 2. Will do so once I find where my local show club is, I hope the barrier of where I live doesn't prevent me from doing so as well. 3. What does that mean? 4. I certainly will try. --Lhok Every show has a club that runs it. Every agricultural show has its dog section. Look at the schedule of the closest show to you. It will say who's running it. Then contact the club and offer your help.

1. Join a breed club or a show club. 2. Attend a meeting 3. Await incoming 4. Train as a steward if you meet the criteria.

It's most people, including most breeders. You'd think most pet owners would be in favour of higher standards of breeder care and health testing. So why do they keep buying puppy farm dogs?

Blue is a colour that occurs in greyhounds and I have never seen a greyhound with colour dilution alopecia If the condition occurs in 25% of all blue dogs, I expect I'd have seen it at least once in greyhounds by now, especially considering I mostly deal with adult dogs. The alopecia that greyhounds do suffer from occurs across all colours- although is does seem worse with blacks- and with a lot of time and good, soft bedding, it can be resolved. Diltion alopecia might well be an issue in certain breeds but I think it's a stretch to say it's an any in all breeds that carry the dilution genes. Agree, I've seen plenty of blue greyhounds as well and all have had normal coats Ditto for Whippets

No breeder I know and respect considers what they do "work". As for blaming the ills of the dog world on the ANKC. The issue is bigger than that. The causes are myriad and a simplistic finger-pointing response that lays all blame at the door of registered breeders is a nonsense. The rise of the double income family, 450 sq m blocks and higher density living, changes to the cultural demographic and yes, animal rights campaigning are all shaping changes in attitudes to dogs. The amount of misinformation about dogs, dog breeds and dog raising is rife. I think that is the space where the ANKC best operates but when you have little money and the press prints what it wishes to, its a tough ask I'd like less finger pointing and more solutions that go beyond "they should". As I've already said, "they" should be "we".

Lhok: No, what you see is why comparisons to another country's far larger Kennel Club aren't realistic. The USA has a largely professionalised show scene where syndication of dogs is required to afford the handling, advertising etc required to get a competitive dog to Westminster. That's not something I want for here. I think things can be done but not on the scale achievable in the USA. In the meantime it is dog breeders and exhibitors giving up their time to staff the shows like Dog Expo and Dog Lovers all over the country. Those are things that pet dog owners could (and in my view should) be stepping up to help out with. Some do but more could. When people stop telling others what "they" should be doing and ask what "we" could be doing perhaps we'll get somewhere.

The AKC has 90 full time employees and an operating budget that goes to seven figures. Resources matter.

I was also going to say that what breeders look for will vary according to breeder and breed. In the larger picture, they will look for someone who has learned about the breed, considered how it will fit into their home and has realistic expectations about raising and living with one. They will want to know that you can feed, exercise and care for one of their pups for its life time. Some capacity to adjust their lives to the dog would be expected.

Tell us the breed. Half the battle with finding a pup is finding the right breeder. And the best way to do it is word of mouth. ETA: If there is a breed club and a puppy register person, that's where I'd start.

if you think working breeders are interested in being flexible about producing dogs that work, think again. If you think all dog breeds are "extreme" again, think again. There is a word in many breed standards that people need to find. It is "moderate". Ok so there's a start. Moderate. Help breeders to see it, understand it, grasp it, appreciate it, breed for it, and even allow them to win ribbons for it. By that I mean expect judges to award it rather than the other end of the lead or the current rampant rend of excess in whatever breed Its not "a start". Its been in those standards from the get go. Breed standards are not the demon in the piece. Breeding and rewarding exaggeration IS. For sighthounds, extremes of conformation are a departure from standards and a disaster for function. That is why so much effort went into bringing in lure coursing as a ANKC test of sighthound function. And now, of course, that is under threat in NSW with the Greyhound Racing report's complete over reach into the pet world.

If you can't be bothered to explain your point in language people understand then we have a problem don't we. It isn't the science that's the problem but your inability or unwillingness to explain it without the gibberish. Most concepts can be explained in lay men's terms. How is this different? AR don't give a toss about the science. They care about the outcome that the science may be supporting.

if you think working breeders are interested in being flexible about producing dogs that work, think again. If you think all dog breeds are "extreme" again, think again. There is a word in many breed standards that people need to find. It is "moderate".

The more I think, its the abandonment of breeding to a standard and a focus on profit that is seeing dogs go down the toilet. Those standards encompass far more than looks. Structure and soundness are in there. I see so many profit bred dogs with conformation faults that affect their soundness. East west fronts, luxating patella etc etc Those standards were developed for a reason. Focussing on one aspect of them is not good. Not focussing on them at all is worse IMO. I have seen what not breeding to a standard has done to Whippets. No thanks. There are also non-show breeders breeding to those standards. It pays to keep that in mind.

What problems have sighthound breeders created? Right now its damn wise to be defensive. Their dogs are in the cross hairs of the RSPCA.

That's precisely what happens now. They're called breeds in development. And of course Lurchers have existed for centuries.