It's Happened!!!!

[Bud Bass]

Here we were just discussing this topic yesterday, and today it is on the front page of the paper. "WOMAN PAYS $50,000 TO CLONE DOG". Yep, a woman had a South Korea company clone her pet dog that had reciently died. If she can do that, we can do it with any dog where there is dna available. Lean Mac, Auggie, Super Chief orders being taken now. The procedure cost her $50,000. The owners of the dna will set a dna price/cost. I will raise my yesterday estimate to $100,000 for a clone pup from a great dog. Withing 10 years the sport could be dominated by a bunch of clones of great dogs. What is the implication of this? What is already a rich mans sport will be dominated by the super rich, participation will be a fraction of what it is now, FIELD TRIALING WILL DIE !!! bud

[Erin Lynes]

I don't think it's all bad. Those few great dogs that you mentioned all came from regular, non-cloned dogs - I'm sure others could be bred that would compete with the super clones. Besides, being able to replicate the DNA of the former greats does not mean that the average handler will be able to replicate the early puppyhood experiences and the training that made them stand out.

I would be interested to see a litter of clones split up amongst various high-profile pros (as puppies) and then tune in a couple years to see who's training worked best when starting out with identical genetic formulas. Or split a litter between average handlers and pros - I think we would all see that early training has more to do with success despite the fact that we all strive so hard for that super pedigree.

Erin

[DRAKEHAVEN]

How do you register a cloned dog with the AKC ??? If they are not registered, they don't play the game.

[JeffLusk]

How do you register a cloned dog with the AKC ??? If they are not registered, they don't play the game.

thats a good question!!!

[Bud Bass]

Registration is a excellent question, it could save the sport. You need to look at this issue in it's entirity. A few of the super rich people who can afford a quarter million for a dog will have dogs on the best pro trucks. Sure, the won't win everything (dogs will still be dogs at times), but they will dominate the sport. I believe that they will win so much that many of us poor guys will drop out. Others will continue to breed for the better dog and some will succeed. I think the overall impact will be fewer and fewer field trials due to lack of people who think they have a chance agains the clones. AKC will have to address the registration issue, if they refuse to register cloned dogs, the sport will continue. bud

[Page]

Perhaps with proof of cloning they could issue special numbers. SN85867-08B, C D, and so on.

[Buster Brown]

Perhaps cloned former champions could even have special titles too. Like CLAFC (Cloned AFC) or CLFC or for hunt tests CLMH...HMMMM I may be on to something and if they clone them again then 2 time CLACF or for a 3rd time 3 time CLAFC. It may be there would come a time that two or three lean mac clones would be competing at the same time.????

Perhaps we could clone handlers too...and then maybe judges...and then finally the entire gallery!

If I can only figure out how to clone enough money I think I want a lean mac clone and a Super Powder clone!

[Bud Bass]

actually this idea has been in the science fiction world for years, clone the perfect cop, the perfect politition, perfect GI, etc. We could have a world full of perfect people before your know it. I don't think anybody in thier right mind would want to clone me!! bud

[blakegober]

I think we are overlooking a very subjective part of what makes a good dog. I think that if you did clone Lean Mac or any great dog and sold them to the highest bidder they would more than likely not be the same as the original. You could give an "A" dog to a "C" handler and its not going to be as great as it was. I think this would result in a lot of bragging about the fact that they have a Clone of Dog X but when it runs and acts just like the other 4 dogs they have trained it will prove what I already believe that "nurture" rather than 'nature" makes the dog.Nature can only do so much and there is something ungenetic about when a certain dog gets with a certain trainer and something great happens. I don't think that the same dog could be trained by someone else the same way.

In my opinion I think being able to "clone" a training method/program would prove far more powerful than a cloned dog. I think it would be a very good experiment in teaching vs. natural ability. this would take out all the other variables in that equation. I mean how can you compare the two things with out two identical dogs, now you have that ability. I would like to see two genetically identical dogs compete and thus the trainer who trained them can take all the credit, no more "that dog won b/c he was just born to win". He may have been cloned to win, but due to the inability of the trainer/handler he may not compete at the level the 1st generation animal did. Either way it would be an interesting experiement.

[blakegober]

Also, I feel really nerdy right now, it reminds of a kid when we talked about who would win in a fight between Batman and Superman....