Who would be a Dog Breeder? - A Tina’s Eye View
*This article is written entirely from my own personal perspective, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other member of this website.
Sometimes I think I must be completely crazy to be a ‘dog breeder’ and exhibitor, but at least I am in the company of many thousands of other like minded souls. I guess there are as many reasons for becoming involved in these activities as there are different people taking part, although if a recent popular media programme is to be believed, we are all money grabbing, cruel crooks, who exploit our animals to the extreme, and we deliberately breed ‘cripples’ for some strange unexplainable self gratification!
A case of the ‘ Anti Pedigree Dog Brigade’ out in force once again, or are there serious underlying questions which we should all be forced to address?
Of course the answers to anything are rarely black and white, but this TV programme did cause me to reflect upon how I came to be ‘where I am today’, and why I feel so strongly that the standards that I personally practice can never be compromised.
In the early 1970’s, before I left school and trained as a veterinary nurse, I worked at weekends for a local boarding and breeding kennels. These days their commercial breeding of numerous breeds, and their wholesale purchasing of litters of pups from other sources would rightly be very frowned upon. At 13 years old, I knew no better, and I loved looking after the various mums and playing with the pups. The staff kept the kennels spotlessly clean, but the breeding was indiscriminate and there wasn’t a health screened dog in sight. Skin problems were common in the West Highland White Terriers, and I will never forget a litter of 10 chocolate Labradors, most of whom developed severe hip dysplasia before they were a year old. This did not stop the owners repeating the mating, or clearing off to the pub at weekends, leaving the rearing and sales of all these puppies to us, the teenagers they left alone on the premises. It couldn’t happen today ……could it???
In common with the other weekend girls, I couldn’t wait to finish my work so that we could take the kennels’ own dogs out for proper walks. We used to let a dozen at a time off the leads for free running in the nearby disused quarries. Miraculously they all used to come back! I suspect that the rest of their time was spent confined to their kennel and run, and that we were very much the high light of their week.
In my lunch hours I ‘borrowed’ Foyles Handbooks from the kennel shop shelves, and avidly read my way through ‘Caring for your Puppy’, Training your Dog’, ‘Showing & Breeding from your Dog’ and numerous breed titles from Pekingnese and Cavaliers, to Rough Collies and Great Danes. They were written by respected and successful breeders of the era, a few who still judge at Championship Shows today. I learnt from these little books that there was a world apart from the place where I was working and I took on board those authors’ enthusiasm for exhibiting their dogs and the responsible breeding, rearing and homing of their pups. The seeds of my interest in dogs as more than a family pet were sown, and I decided that one day I would have my own dog to show.
I went to work one Saturday to find that the property had been sold and half of the ‘girls’ were missing from their kennel block. The new owners didn’t want the brood bitches so they were being taken to the vet, one or two at a time and disposed of by euthanasia……not even given the chance of retiring to decent homes. I was 15 years old, horror struck and heartbroken, I cycled home in tears. I begged my father to help me rescue them, and because he was just about to take over a Post Office he relented [thinking that a dog in evidence behind the counter would be a good security measure] He went down to the kennels and came back with Sheba the German Shepherd, who had the softest temperament, and who was the least likely ’guard dog’ imaginable. She lived out her days to grand old age as a member of our family, but I have never forgotten all her kennel mates that I was powerless to save.
I had learned very young, that many dogs do not get the people they deserve!
I decided that I wanted to become a vet, but it was not to be. I rebelled and left school halfway through my ‘A’ levels. My Father was incensed, and told me not to come home until I had found a job. So I left home too, and went to work in a boarding kennels in Surrey, much to his disgust. This kennel also exhibited English Setters and Cavaliers, and it was there that I met Saffy, the English who belonged to head kennel maid, Judy, and from whom eventually I bought Fleur, my first special bitch.
My job in Surrey did not last long! The dogs were beautifully kept, but the accommodation and working conditions for the kennel staff left a lot to be desired. Also, unbeknown to me at the time, my father had ’phoned the kennel owner and ’warned’ her that I was a troublesome teenager. Now I know why she spent so much time ’on my case’ . So, thoroughly fed up, I cleared off and worked abroad for 6 months, coming home only because it was my 18th birthday.
While back in the UK I was offered the chance to work in a veterinary practice and train as a vet nurse. I consider myself so fortunate to have had such an excellent vet to learn from, as not only was she a good practitioner; she also exercised a high standard of morals and ethics. She had trained German Shepherds at advanced level obedience, and also bred and exhibited Irish Wolfhounds. She was researching the condition known as ’snuffles’ which was seen at times in ’Wolfies‘, and in the process of trying to collate information, she was meeting with resistance from many of the established breeders. It made me aware, way back then, that not every one was willing to be open and honest about the occurrence of a health problem, or genuinely had the wider interests of their breed at heart.
It saddens me, beyond words, that this culture of ‘brush it under the carpet’ still exists today. We can all be great breeders when things are going right, but to me the measure of a person is how they deal with the things that go wrong, which inevitably they will from time to time, when nature and livestock are involved!
I think that it is fair to say that times have changed drastically during the past century, in terms of lifestyle, leisure activities and disposable income. The development of a breed of dog for a particular purpose is no longer the perogative of wealthy country landowners, or restricted to the privileged few. Gone are the influential specialist kennels of the past, who may have housed up to 40 or 60 working and breeding dogs at any one time. Now it seems that any body can join in and this is very much the era of the ‘hobby breeder’ who has a small number of dogs living within their home. Many of the purposes that breeds were designed for are also now obsolete, particularly some of the working breeds …I am not suggesting that illegal bull baiting, otter hunting, or hare coursing should be re-instated, but how does the Kennel Club suggest that that Bulldogs, Otter Hounds and the Sight Hounds demonstrate that they are still ‘fit for purpose’, to quote the Kennel Club‘s latest catch phrase? Does this mean that some of these wonderful old breeds and their enthusiasts will be gradually phased out? What will happen to all of our Gundogs as game hunting and shooting become no longer politically correct? Already we see that many Gundog breeds have diversified into ‘show type’ and ‘working type’ with the ‘exhibition’ dogs little resembling their working counterparts in shape , size and coat, neither do the show dogs demonstrate the instincts and ability to do the job the breed was originally designed for.
More and more the ‘pet market’ demands animals that ‘look the part’, but those purchasers do not cope with dogs who are mentally frustrated by not being able to perform the function for which they were intended. I never cease to be astounded by the number of people who enquire about Gordon Setter or Large Munsterlander puppies, who ’like the look’ of them from a picture, but have never met one in the flesh and have no idea about their energy levels and characteristics. Yet with minimal information, they are convinced that this is absolutely the breed for them!! I may refuse to sell them a puppy, but they will surely find somebody who will. Little wonder that the rescue societies are so over burdened.
However, I digress , as the number of pedigree dogs bred indiscriminately versus the number of suitable homes available opens up another area of discussion.
When I first ‘came into dogs’ over 30 years ago we did not have the medical advances or technology that have since made the Kennel Club / British Veterinary Association [KC/BVA] health screening schemes widely available. All credit to these organisations for the work already done, but I believe they could be taking health and welfare issues a lot further and faster.
In the late 1970’s the KC/BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme had just been extended to breeds other than just German Shepherds, although it took several more years for the old Pass/Breeders Letter [borderline]/Fail ratings to be refined into the scoring system that we have in place today.
I remember attending a lecture given by the respected, pioneering geneticist Dr Malcolm Willis, where he explained hip dysplasia and how to use the new screening. He also spoke at length about breeder’s responsibilities, both legal and ethical.
Much that he said sticks with me to this day, and when I came to breed my first Gordon Setter litter there was no doubt in my mind - my bitches hips had to be scored beforehand. They were not bad, total 18, but I had a problem when choosing a stud dog as very few Gordon males had been screened back then. Of those that were, none met my other criteria for the type of Gordon I hoped to breed, so I chose an older male of impeccable temperament, whose progeny I already admired, and whose pedigree I hoped would complement that of my bitch. Also he had had his hips x-rayed although not scored. Some one that I knew quite well had also used him at stud after persuading his elderly owner to let her vet x-ray him. She said that she had seen his x-ray plates and that they looked ok, but they had since got ’lost’ and were never submitted for official scrutiny under the KC/BVA scheme. How green I was! I used the dog at stud, and I have to say that I got everything I had hoped for in the litter -except good hips!! The male I kept had a hip score of 90 in total, but no one would ever have known as he moved so well. Needless to say despite being asked by one or two folk if they could use him over their bitches, I never allowed him to be used at stud. Of course I can’t blame Flynn’s hip dysplasia entirely on his sire, as my bitches parents weren’t scored either, but I did have doubts when the lady who had recommended that I use this dog got high scores in her litter sired by him as well.
I decided then, that in the future I would only breed from bitches, or use at stud officially screened dogs, and however much I liked a male, if his owners were not prepared to participate in the scheme, I would not be using him.
I still abide by the rule that I made for myself then, and apply it to using the KC/BVA Eye testing and Elbow Dysplasia Scheme , now that they too, are available.
I have learned not to believe everything that I am told. When hips or elbows have been x-rayed and some vet apparently says they are fine but plates are not submitted, or eyes are looked at out with the official KC/BVA Scheme, then as far as I am concerned the ’results’ are not valid, or worth the paper they are [not] written on! What reason is there for having tests carried out but not publishing the results officially, or for ignoring the results if they are less than favourable, and going ahead and breeding from those animals regardless of the consequences?
We all need to share health screening information openly and with everyone, so that all have equal access to the information we need before making breeding plans and decisions.
I’ve lost count of the number of times over the years that I have heard quoted ‘ a dog is not just it’s hips’ or nearly as often ‘if you don’t have breed type, it could be just any old dog, but it’s not a Large Munsterlander …Cocker Spaniel ..Whippet … whatever’
I agree with both statements ..to a degree. For me personally, the single most important thing that I look for when planning a mating is TEMPERAMENT. In this ever changing stressful world, and with everything we ask our dogs to adapt to and put up with, if they do not have a stable and confident personality they cannot cope. I do believe that temperament has some hereditary components which is why I ‘Aptitude Test’ my pups at 7 weeks old. I have found this a useful tool for indicating some characteristics and for matching the right puppy in the litter to the right home. If anyone is interested I will write another article explaining Puppy Aptitude Testing in more detail. Obviously how a pup is brought up, and it’s experiences of the world can shape it’s character too, but I think that if a dog is inherently stable and good natured it can cope with an awful lot without becoming aggressive or a nervous wreck.
Also I feel very strongly, that as most dogs have to live these days in close contact with people in domestic situations, that no matter how beautiful an example of it’s breed it is, no matter how many health certificates it has, no matter how good a worker it may be, if it has a poor temperament it should not be bred from. If you cannot ‘live’ with it, it is worth NOTHING.
As far as breed type is concerned of course I want a Large Munsterlander that looks like a ’Munster’, or a Gordon Setter that impresses me as ’all Gordon’ Bearing in mind that different people may interpret the ‘breed standard’, the written blueprint or description of the breed somewhat differently, and therefore their opinion about what makes a ‘Munster’ just that, will vary as well.
What concerns me more is when any breed starts to become over exaggerated, and when fads and fashions begin to dictate breed type. An easy example being short faced breeds with some wrinkle in the skin originally, which have been bred to have shorter and shorter faces, with more and more wrinkle. Is it surprising that these breeds have become prone to breathing problems or skin problems. When does a desirable characteristic become ‘too much’ of a good thing and why don’t more Pedigree dog breeders have the sense to say ’stop’?
And doesn’t it make them easy targets for sensationalist media programmes!
Health issues are equally important to me too and I believe it is immoral not to take part in the Schemes that are available when breeding, or to knowingly breed from dogs who have a condition, which in the modern day is known to be hereditary. So for me Type , Temperament, and Health are ALL essentials , which cannot be compromised.
I see dog breeding as neither an art nor a science, but a subtle combination of both, with a good dose of ’luck’ thrown in too. Some folk seem to have a natural ‘eye‘, but I don’t think any genuine enthusiast ever stops researching and learning, however long they have been around. Breeding can be exciting and challenging, but also heartbreaking and disappointing when unforseen health problems crop up. It would all be so easy if dogs were not complex living creatures, and if we could DNA profile every aspect of them in some magic formula, then match it to a perfect mate and guarantee to produce perfection every time! I can’t see any science managing that in our lifetime! No responsible breeder deliberately sets out to create unhealthy dogs, but conditions can appear unexpectedly just as in humans. Sometimes we expect too much and forget that Nature makes mistakes too!
If I did not feel that the majority of breeders and exhibitors are genuine dog lovers who enjoy their chosen hobby in a caring and responsible way I don’t believe that I would still be involved.
However , very sadly, there appear to be an increasing number with less savoury motives, maybe they think they can cut corners and make money through ever increasing puppy prices, maybe they find winning at shows boosts low self esteem even if they have to employ a few shabby tricks to beat others? Too many are getting away with ignoring or bending rules and regulations.
I used to think that ’education rather than legislation ’ was the way forward, but now I am not so sure. If any good is to come out of the recent negative media coverage then I would implore the Kennel Club to take some firm action. The KC has had the monopoly of the ‘dog game’ and our money along with it, for long enough. Does it really need revenue from the disreputable? It employs ‘health and welfare’ as buzz words constantly but where is the evidence? .
I would like to see litter registrations automatically refused from dogs who have not been Health screened under the official schemes, for conditions which are known to affect their particular breed: or if they have been screened as affected for an eye condition, or are above the BVA recommended breeding score for Elbow Dysplasia for instance. With current technology a computer programme could quickly and easily find the information needed to do this and identify the transgressors.
If a breeder has a strong case for breeding from an affected animal they could submit an application to the KC for special consideration and a dispensation to allow registration of that particular litter. But they would have to state and prove valid reasons before the mating took place.
The same with permission to register a litter from an ’over age’ bitch. I know personally of two bitches who were over 8 years old at the time of mating [not both the same breed] where despite their own code of ethics the KC registered the litters ,the permission being sought after they were born.
In both these situations I would say, ‘tough!‘ no permission sought beforehand, no registration. Yes, the occasional ‘accident’ happens, and once maybe IS an accident. More than once, surely, is just poor management. If folk were aware that they would not get away with it perhaps they would be more careful.
The KC claims to have the welfare of dogs at heart, yet allows many dubious practices within it's own rules. I would like to see the practice of showing bitches in season, and even more those who are in whelp made against the rules. Bitches in season are a nuisance and distressing to the males present. They are not allowed to compete in Field Trials , so why at shows? If they were not allowed at shows, the Judge could be empowered to ask them to leave the ring if found to be there.
Why any one shows an in whelp bitch, exposing her to stress and infection is beyond me. Are the bitch and her unborn puppies not more valuable than the price of a lost show entry, or the status of a show win???
Again this would be easy to legislate by computer programme. Although a bitch may not be obviously in whelp at up to 4 weeks pregnant, the dates of mating and the subsequent birth of the pups are declared on the registration application. If the dates of any show wins fall between the mating and birth then the computer programme could flag these up, and the awards be withdrawn by the KC. That way people who have mated their bitch would know it wasn’t worth entering any show for the next few weeks until they knew if she was in whelp.
Just a few ideas, and I am sure others will have many more which would help towards ’cleaning up the act’ In the end if an unfavourable TV programme has the effect of moving such ideas forward, then it was maybe time that something was said. I, for one, hope that when the dust settles positive action will come out of it all. I don't expect every one to do things the same way, or for the same reasons but surely we should all be pulling together to rid our hobby of it's undesirable elements.
Years ago a gentleman with Gordon Setters said to me, ''My dear, you will find there are two kinds of people in dogs ... those who are 'dog lovers' and those who are 'dog fanciers','' I took that to mean that dog lovers really care, and dog fanciers just say that they do! Please draw your own conclusions!