Westminster

[Sharon]

Wow. That's good news.

( Another breed ruined by popularity is the Jack Russell Terrier. Sees often in movies etc and bought by many. Not a "first time dog " so many end up in shelters. The breed club has now changed the look/names to Russell Terrier and Parson Russell Terrier. )

[welsh]

And in the same vein, this is what you can be facing if you don't address your problems:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-envi...form=hootsuite

In short: researchers at UC Davis have suggested the English Bulldog does not have enough genetic diversity to fix its various breed-standard-related health issues without outcrossing with other breeds.

Both these reports are from the UK, where there's a high level of consciousness of these kinds of problems. On the other hand, that has produced a high number of nitwits who think all pedigreed dogs face the same issues and all breeders are unethical greedheads....

[bardern]

good info Welsh. After reading the steps the British Kennel Club is taking to try and rectify the deformities now seen in many breeds it is encouraging. For many breeds it looks like it is too late without interjecting genetics from similar dog breeds.

It really borders on inhumane practices to breed British Bulldogs in Britain given the litany of genetic issues now inherent in the breed. It is heart wrenching to see the difficulties those dogs now face.

[Roper]

Good for the British (and Germans) - they know/love their sporting/working dogs like no other. I doubt sporting/working standards will change back to intended standard without their involvement.

[yellow dog]

Good for the British (and Germans) - they know/love their sporting/working dogs like no other. I doubt sporting/working standards will change back to intended standard without their involvement.

Well said Roper.

[terrym]

Pretty sure my DD is safe...thank God

The German breed club that manages the DD will never let the breed be ruined. Some DD's may get ruined but not the breed. I like the Brittany thinking. My dog's mother is a DC. Field and show finished champion.

[yellow dog]

The German breed club that manages the DD will never let the breed be ruined. Some DD's may get ruined but not the breed. I like the Brittany thinking. My dog's mother is a DC. Field and show finished champion.

Unfortunately we all know of purebred working bloodlines kennels that have questionable looking specimens that resemble somewhat the breed. I was at a English Springer Spaniel field trial and really thought the one dog participating was an English Setter. I had to ask one of the other participants why a setter was participating. He laughed and said that it was indeed an English Springer Spaniel with a big grin on his face. Don't get me wrong i believe many breeds need improvement and genetic diversity can be a huge benefit.

[welsh]

On the topic of Westminster ... every time a sporting breed wins it (most recently a GSP) we see a lot of fretting about how the new popularity of the breed is going to ruin the breed, send thousands of dogs to shelters, etc., etc.

Turns out, not. Hal Herzog got his mitts on the AKC's registration data from 1927 - 2005 and crunched the numbers. Winning Westminster had no noticeable effect on the popularity of a breed, as measured by the number of puppies registered annually.

What does have an effect is movies, TV, what breed the President chooses, and so on.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...ns-westminster

[bardern]

shows are not so much popularity of the breed but a modification to an interpretation of the breed standard that makes for a fat lab.

For sure Welsh I doubt many folks outside of dog show world watch it anyway, not much to see here with athletic humans trotting alongside pampered pups lol.

I think Sharon mentioned Frasier screwing up JRT's. Good case it point.

[welsh]

shows are not so much popularity of the breed but a modification to an interpretation of the breed standard that makes for a fat lab.

Yup, two separate issues. But since we had a Westminster thread going I thought I'd mention it here.