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Have we talked about the Crufts controversy yet?
I support reputable breeding, but I think is huge, much-needed first step in reforming the practices in some of the breed clubs. Wish AKC would do something like this.
What do y'all think?
Veterinarians Kick Out Champion Purebreds at Crufts Dog Show For Poor Health
Something so unprecedented and astonishing that it would have been unimaginable just five years ago happened this week at the world?s biggest dog show, the four-day English extravaganza known as Crufts.
Veterinarians sent the Best of Breed?winning Bulldog and Pekingese packing, denying the dogs the chance to win the prestigious competition. They did so after finding that the extreme structural features of the dogs were incompatible with life as normal, healthy dogs. You can see a video of the eliminated Bulldog, Ch Mellowmood One In A Million, below.
Unhealthy Champions
The Pekingese is from the same breeders as the dog who won Best In Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last month. The Westminster win sparked widespread controversy; it didn?t take a veterinarian to see that the snub-nosed dog struggled to breathe as he walked the green carpet during judging.
I have little doubt that had officials at Westminster asked for an independent veterinary review of that dog, American veterinarians would have done the same as our British colleagues did at Crufts. Veterinarians are tired of seeing dogs like this, tired of treating preventable health problems in purebred dogs.
Count me as one of those veterinarians. In my three decades in practice, I?ve had to deal with the intentional defects found in so many purebred dogs. In Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs and other short-nosed breeds ? we veterinarians call them brachycephalic ? we find ourselves often recommending surgery to the dog?s nose and soft palate so the animal can breathe.
That?s right: There are breeds so deformed that they sometimes need surgery to breathe. Breeding for appearance within closed gene pools has also produced dogs with high rates of malformed hips that need surgical replacement, and dogs with such high rates of cancer (40 percent of dogs in some breeds are dead by age eight) that it would be considered a terrifying epidemic in the human population. Instead, it?s just business as usual in the dog show world.
Or it was until today.
The Times, They Are a Changin'
Change is coming to this country too, and what happened at Crufts will only bring that change more quickly.
Deliberately creating preventable health problems just plain goes against everything we stand for in veterinary medicine. It wouldn?t be acceptable in human medicine. Can you imagine permitting, even encouraging, serious health issues in our children? Would we allow beauty-pageant directors to oversee such a system ? but not ask doctors and the world?s best medical schools to be involved?
Of course we wouldn't.
Not all breeds have problems as severe as the Bulldog. And I know many reputable breeders who work within the system to produce well-socialized dogs who are as healthy as they can be. I have had many of them as clients and friends, and I have known many healthy, long-lived purebred dogs, more than a few of whom have been part of my own family. Right now I have ?grandpugs? who belong to my daughter, Vetstreet dog trainer Mikkel Becker. But they would be no less adorable and lovable with muzzles just a little bit longer for better health.
I also know many breeders, pet owners and veterinarians who are fighting for changes even now. The show system that encourages and rewards extremes in appearance has been heading down the road to a dead end for many decades. It's not there yet, but clearly things are changing.
At last some common sense is creeping in and the expert opinions of my veterinary colleagues are being heard. I hope that the trend continues, for the good of the dogs we so love, dogs who are counting on us to end this insanity.
"The hardest thing is to live richly in the present without letting it be tainted out of fear for the future or regret for the past." - Sylvia Plath
Re: Have we talked about the Crufts controversy yet?
Y'all know what I think about breeders, reputable or not. I don't understand the focus on aesthetics at the expense of health. And if this is what "reputable" breeders are producing...things are in a sorry state.
While racing greyhounds aren't bred for looks but rather performance, the incidence of osteosarcoma is an unfortunate result of their genetics. The prevalence among greyhounds is much higher than among other breeds. It's a devastating cancer that can kill painfully and quickly. Greyhound sires can have over 10,000 offspring. Seems like most of the dogs we get into rescue these days either came from Kiowa Sweet Trey (12,445 offspring), Dodgem By Design (10,663 offspring), or Gable Dodge (10,814 offspring). Considering that roughly 11,000 greyhounds are born every year into racing...that's a lot of potential inbreeding.
My Lunch Blog
Good point re: the osteosarcoma. I think the brachysephalic breeds tend to be emblematic of where breeding goes wrong, but there are other more "hidden" defects in some breed clubs, like high cancer rates or, even more distasteful, breeding merles to merles, and those things should be taken seriously too.
I really love the diversity of breeds and the way each breed was created to perfectly do a certain job, so I would be sorry to see all breeds go away. (Although I respect others who disagree). But I definitely think there's a big need for reform.
I saw a good article about this topic after Westminster. I'll have to see if I can find the link.
"The hardest thing is to live richly in the present without letting it be tainted out of fear for the future or regret for the past." - Sylvia Plath
I'm glad this was posted because I really would like to read more about it so I can educate myself. It seems like a contentious issue, and I am a bit torn about it. I support reputable breeders, but based on my (admittedly limited) reading on these issues, it sounds like there is a need for reform in many breed clubs. I also appreciate the diversity among breeds but also recognize that many breeds have inherent problems (as PP said, some more apparent than others), and some breeds that were near extinction at one time or another were brought back using a very small group of dogs, which makes me think inbreeding probably (must?) have occurred.
I have 2 pugs and can't imagine not having a pug, but they are a brachycephalic breed with prominent eyes and are thus prone to breathing issues, sensitivity to extreme temperatures, and eye issues (dry eye, injuries to the eye, etc.). What's more, the pugs that are the best examples of the breed (at least by current standards) tend to be the ones with the flattest faces and the most "cobby" bodies, which can make them even more prone to some of these issues than pugs like mine that don't conform as closely to that standard (both of my guys have a bit of a snout, which helps them breathe better and are quite slender for pugs, which helps them be a bit more athletic as well).
I saw this on another forum and came her to post it... great minds think alike!
I love this for so many reasons, and it is definitely a step in the right direction!
Really interesting article.
I'm by no means an expert on dog shows; however, my understanding is that a champion should personify the breed standard-- looks, temperament, physical health (e.g. dogs with hip displasa are DQ'd), etc. Unfortunately, I think that appearance piece has eclipsed everything else. The Crufts decision seems to promote a more well-balanced competition less centered on looks-at-all costs.
I agree. These dog shows are supposed to reward the best examples of the breed and, from my understanding, the winners are supposed to be bred to continue those lines. If they are creating champion dogs that have terrible genetic traits, what is the point? Why have a breed that can't survive without intensive medical attention? If that peke can't breathe, it shouldn't be bred. If it can't be bred, what's the point of a champion title?
Happy Spring!.
Good points. I'm glad that they are cracking down.
Thanks for sharing the article!
Same, but I have Persian cats, who are also brachycephalic. Mine are doll-faced rather than pansy-faced, which means they have a bit of a muzzle, but I can't pretend they are well bred, either (they have other breed-specific health problems and are from a rescue, and came from a pet store before that). I DO know that in the UK the "doll-faced" persians have become more popular on the show circuit, and they have less breathing issues, for sure (though mine do have runny eyes), but this has yet to catch on in the US.
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