Kennel Club Petition re Responsible Dog Breeding

[bella39]

Don't know if any of you are interested, but the Kennel Club are putting together a petition about repsonsible dog breeding:

here

That's good on one hand, but on the other, the kennel club itself is responsible for creating the breed standards to which show quality dogs must conform much to the detriment of their health in the case of many breeds. Why don't they begin with altering their breed standards to encourage normal, healthy dogs to be bred and bred to a practical "fit for purpose" standard rather than a "looks pretty in the showring" standard.

Isn't tha a bit illogical coming from the Kennel Club? Obviously I support a push for responsible dog breeding but it seems to me a bit of a ploy to try to stop people thinking the KC are the bad guys in lots of situations without having to actually change their policies and practises

(Or am I too cynical?)

Yes, I do share your cynicism, KC - the KC (oh, never realised your had same initials!!!) have been on a PR offensive ever since that Panorama docu.

If, however, it helps to make puppy farming illegal, it might be good.

I am not endorsing the KC or the petition, merely flagging it up for people. I got an email about it because my pup is KC reg, but other people may not have seen it.

Oh no, it is well worth flagging, like I said a very worthy initiative.

It is a shame the panorama programme was so badly done really, if they had had their facts straight it would have been much more compelling to me. However, I have always questioned the KC on the grounds that puppies being put down for incorrect markings is wrong on so many levels - but I worked that out as a child so it was not surprising to me

I know, but you could also argue that greed, on the part of owners, not just the KC is to blame.

If people didn't want to win shows/breed 'perfect' pups to sell for a lot of money in the first place, then the whole pedigree pups with genetic abnormalities issue would never have arisen. It's a bit like drugs - no point just tackling supply, demand has to be stemmed too. If people were willing to pay more money for healthy mutts than inbred pedigrees, the whole thing would stop.

Rant over

Yes I agree there, my problem with the KC is more about the rules they impose. Giving breeders permission, in the form of a rule of guideline, to PTS eg dalmations who has oversized spots rather than to neuter and rehome them is irresponsible IMO. I have never "got" the idea that anything non-standard should be killed, why on earth can't they be neutered - they then pose just as little "threat" to the breed as if they had been PTS but are alive - and can make money for the breeder too (who is a business after all!).

Anywya, I am well aware I am preaching to the converted here! It just gets me!

The whole supply and demand thing is a bit of a chicken/egg though, if people weren't selling it then people couldn't pay for it. If the KC weren't "selling" the pedigree is best line then people would be less sucked in by it IYSWIM. Of course it is all a bit late now as te message is fairly ingrained but a generation or two of sensible knowledge being passed on to our dc could make a whole world of difference to dogs!

I know, but then humankind is quite seriously skewed in favour of the aesthetically pleasing - hence plastic women all over the place.

I can admire certain 'types' of dogs but, like most of us I suspect, draw the line when looking that way makes the dog ill. Sadly some people don't have those scruples...

You are right, like I said, chicken/egg, are we like it because it is natural to be or because we have been taught to be...

I agree about health problems, I am sure people would say it was wrong to enhance children to have small noses that looked cute but then couldn't breath properly, I don't really understand why it is different in any other animal, what is wrong is wrong IMO and causing birth defects by design counts as wrong in my book