Just to put in my two cents...
I find it decidedly hypocritical to advocate the breeding of a pure-bred dog above that of a mix. I've volunteered in two shelters in two states over a period of several years, and I guarantee that shelters see "responsibly bred" dogs just as often as those horrible, ghastly mutts. There are too many dogs and not enough homes. There will not be any more homes if all the shelter dogs magically turn into finished champions.
And the fact that people seem to miss is that because of their genetic variability, mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier throughout their lives because they aren't sucseptible to the same genetic diseases that pure-breeds are. Selective breeding for specific desired traits has opened our dogs up to nearly debilitating genetic flaws that would not have developed if variety had been maintained in the gene pool. Because of what we've done, pure-bred dogs are far more likely to develop nasty mortal illness and psychologically rooted behavioral problems. Selective breeding alone is to blame for the malformations advocated by people who claim to "love the breed" while they continue to instill the very traits that are KILLING THEIR DOGS. So many dogs are in chronic pain because of structural defects implanted through selective breeding. So many don't have control of their own minds for the same reason. There are thousands of dogs that are completely miserable because of the shapes we've forced their bodies to take, both externally and internally.
There is such a thing as a "reputable breeder". There are breeders who genuinely care about their dogs and want to share their love for their breeds with other responsible owners. But these breeders produce the minority of the pure-bred population, simply because a BYB will produce more pups faster. By attempting to keep the gene pool pristine, we're just plunging these poor animals deeper into genetically recessive misery.
I love every dog. I've never met one I didn't want to take home. I've never met one who couldn't learn. But I've met enough mutts and enough pure-bred dogs to understand that the mutts have it easier, gene-wise. I think this goes far beyond the ethics of individual breeders. It comes down to entities such as kennel clubs and the FCI who promote the breeding of animals for "desirable" physical characteristics and use social pressure to make the general population believe that breeding mutts is "wrong" and ethical breeders only breed pure animals. They've succeeded in convincing us that mutts are inferior. Even the term "pure-bred" implies that mixed dogs are lesser individuals. Nothing chaps my ass like listening to someone list off their 30 finished champions who all died of liver failure at the age of 7. But gosh, were they pretty!
Very little demonstrates mankind's selfish narcissism quite like the dog breeding industry. The extreme physical circumstances that dogs are forced into by birthright can kill them. But that's okay, because it's cute.
I'm stepping off my soapbox. But the bare bones are here: stagnant genetics are responsible for more pain in more dogs than we'll ever comprehend. There's no reason to expose innocent animals to this. Our only excuse, which we've covered up with layers and layers of justification, is that we want to perpetuate our control in making an ever more "perfect" dog.
While the dogs suffer.
But at least they were cute.
I find it decidedly hypocritical to advocate the breeding of a pure-bred dog above that of a mix. I've volunteered in two shelters in two states over a period of several years, and I guarantee that shelters see "responsibly bred" dogs just as often as those horrible, ghastly mutts. There are too many dogs and not enough homes. There will not be any more homes if all the shelter dogs magically turn into finished champions.
And the fact that people seem to miss is that because of their genetic variability, mixed breed dogs tend to be healthier throughout their lives because they aren't sucseptible to the same genetic diseases that pure-breeds are. Selective breeding for specific desired traits has opened our dogs up to nearly debilitating genetic flaws that would not have developed if variety had been maintained in the gene pool. Because of what we've done, pure-bred dogs are far more likely to develop nasty mortal illness and psychologically rooted behavioral problems. Selective breeding alone is to blame for the malformations advocated by people who claim to "love the breed" while they continue to instill the very traits that are KILLING THEIR DOGS. So many dogs are in chronic pain because of structural defects implanted through selective breeding. So many don't have control of their own minds for the same reason. There are thousands of dogs that are completely miserable because of the shapes we've forced their bodies to take, both externally and internally.
There is such a thing as a "reputable breeder". There are breeders who genuinely care about their dogs and want to share their love for their breeds with other responsible owners. But these breeders produce the minority of the pure-bred population, simply because a BYB will produce more pups faster. By attempting to keep the gene pool pristine, we're just plunging these poor animals deeper into genetically recessive misery.
I love every dog. I've never met one I didn't want to take home. I've never met one who couldn't learn. But I've met enough mutts and enough pure-bred dogs to understand that the mutts have it easier, gene-wise. I think this goes far beyond the ethics of individual breeders. It comes down to entities such as kennel clubs and the FCI who promote the breeding of animals for "desirable" physical characteristics and use social pressure to make the general population believe that breeding mutts is "wrong" and ethical breeders only breed pure animals. They've succeeded in convincing us that mutts are inferior. Even the term "pure-bred" implies that mixed dogs are lesser individuals. Nothing chaps my ass like listening to someone list off their 30 finished champions who all died of liver failure at the age of 7. But gosh, were they pretty!
Very little demonstrates mankind's selfish narcissism quite like the dog breeding industry. The extreme physical circumstances that dogs are forced into by birthright can kill them. But that's okay, because it's cute. I'm stepping off my soapbox. But the bare bones are here: stagnant genetics are responsible for more pain in more dogs than we'll ever comprehend. There's no reason to expose innocent animals to this. Our only excuse, which we've covered up with layers and layers of justification, is that we want to perpetuate our control in making an ever more "perfect" dog.
While the dogs suffer.
But at least they were cute.
