[ SHOWGSD-L ] To Cull or not to Cull....that is the question!

From: Barbara Galasso <uwish@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:55:55 -0500
As a person who loves to write, I am constantly looking for new material 
to write about, so either an idea will come to this "quest for 
knowledge" brain of mine, or sometimes I will go searching for new 
material on the web.  Today for some reason, I was thinking about a very 
unattractive "runt" puppy that was born in a litter that I bred many 
years ago.  Many breeders would have let her die.  I did everything to 
save her, mouth to mouth, etc.,etc.  My vet told me he couldn't have 
done a better job himself.  Yes, she lived and was sold into a loving 
pet home.   It got me to thinking about the issue of culling litters.

I remember years ago reading about how puppies were culled in Germany, 
and only the best were chosen to live and no more than (I believe it was 
6 pups???) were allowed to live.   So I looked this topic up and went on 
many other Lists of different dog breeds and there were many lively 
conversations about this issue.  As in any topic of this nature, there 
was pro's and con's surrounding this controversy.  I have heard of it 
being done in our own country years ago as well.  The thing that I found 
even more shocking was that some breeders would raise some of their dogs 
to even up to a year old and if they didn't turn out to be the 
"superstar" that they were looking for, they'd put them down.  That dog 
they're putting down, could have been someone's loving companion, could 
have helped the blind, could rescue a victim from a landslide and all 
the many other things our wonderful breed is known (and may I add) been 
bred to do.

I just read an interesting article about culling and the reasons for 
doing it.  In my opinion, there is a difference in culling (killing) or 
weeding out inferior breeding stock.  Weeding out inferior breeding 
stock would mean making sure they weren't used in anyone's breeding 
program by having them neutered and sold into pet homes.  The article 
said a lot of culling was done when some breeders would inbreed or line 
breed too close and many problems were seen......all for the sake (or 
should I say sacrifice) of looking for that one "superstar."

Yes, we all know if they were in the wild, nature would take care of 
eliminating the inferior and weak.  But they are not in the wild.  We 
brought them into the world................and no it does not give us 
the right to take them out.  If man was still living in the caves, the 
sickly would die off also, but man doesn't live in the caves any more 
than dogs live in the wild anymore.  We do whatever we can to help the 
less fortunate man who is born disabled, and because you are responsible 
for bringing that puppy into the world, you owe him the same 
consideration. 

I can understand if a puppy is sickly, and you have to do the humane 
thing of putting the sorrowful baby to sleep, but strictly for cosmetic 
reasons is a whole different thing all together.  IMHO, when one puts an 
older dog to sleep if should ONLY be because the animal is old and can 
no longer function, a very sick animal who is in pain, a very aggressive 
animal who would be a menace to society or to your family.  All other 
reasons are off.  If you brought the animal in to the world, and he's 
not quite what you were hoping for, then you have a moral responsibility 
to place that dog in the proper loving home.  When a breeder lets his 
ego get in the way, then IMO, he's not a breeder at all........he's an 
egomaniac.   Barbara Galasso

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[ SHOWGSD-L ] To Cull or not to Cull....that is the question!

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