I am sure this will be responded to with a fair amount of righteous indignation, but Archer’s question about line breeding and in breeding got me to thinking if we may have gone too far on the insistence of OFA certified joints and CERF certifications on eyes.
If a potential stud or dam exhibits great traits such as marking, water attitude, tractability but has a minor genetic defect, it seems that dog is avoided like the plague for breeding purposes. What about a dog with a minor joint or eye issue that was HT titled at a young age, is a consistent performer with a high pass rate % but has a hip that may be OFA fair or mildly dysplastic. Dog has a great personality, high intelligence, great training attitude, etc. and all the things that a trainer or handler would look for but he/she may not be bred for the above stated reasons. Let’s assume the dog lives to 10+ years old with no obvious physical problems. Just the usual stiffness and aches and pains associated with old age in dogs and people for that matter? Have we done the breed a service or not?
One of the very best hunting dogs I have ever trained, I got as a washout for a very low $ because he had a retinal fold. He consistently retrieved thousands of ducks and geese for several years with a large commercial outfitter in N. Alberta and I personally saw him on several occasions mark sailers that went at least 300 yards in large flat grain fields. He could see very well, retinal fold or not. He could run very long blinds and we very rarely lost a bird. He was a beautiful dog, wonderful with the hunters and also with other dogs. He had an outstanding competitive pedigree but was never bred.
Are we really doing the breeds a justice by not breeding these type of dogs?
Just being a devil’s advocate for discussion purposes.
MP
If a potential stud or dam exhibits great traits such as marking, water attitude, tractability but has a minor genetic defect, it seems that dog is avoided like the plague for breeding purposes. What about a dog with a minor joint or eye issue that was HT titled at a young age, is a consistent performer with a high pass rate % but has a hip that may be OFA fair or mildly dysplastic. Dog has a great personality, high intelligence, great training attitude, etc. and all the things that a trainer or handler would look for but he/she may not be bred for the above stated reasons. Let’s assume the dog lives to 10+ years old with no obvious physical problems. Just the usual stiffness and aches and pains associated with old age in dogs and people for that matter? Have we done the breed a service or not?
One of the very best hunting dogs I have ever trained, I got as a washout for a very low $ because he had a retinal fold. He consistently retrieved thousands of ducks and geese for several years with a large commercial outfitter in N. Alberta and I personally saw him on several occasions mark sailers that went at least 300 yards in large flat grain fields. He could see very well, retinal fold or not. He could run very long blinds and we very rarely lost a bird. He was a beautiful dog, wonderful with the hunters and also with other dogs. He had an outstanding competitive pedigree but was never bred.
Are we really doing the breeds a justice by not breeding these type of dogs?
Just being a devil’s advocate for discussion purposes.
MP