[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Tragic loss of bloodlines....

From: Diane Wright <diwri@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 18:42:36 +0000 (UTC)
Dave asked:
2. Does breeding to winners ruin a program? I know, there are some winning dogs 
that I would not breed to and some that win for reasons I do not understand. 
And some winning dogs have turned out to have genetic issues that have set us 
back generations. But, to breed for mediocrity does have its down side. The 
show, after all, is our showcase, and if knowledgeable judges consistently put 
up the same dogs and the same lines, should I ignore that in preference to 
staying the course with my non-winning dogs?


I don't know if breeding to winners ruins a breeding program... but I would 
venture that it ruins the breed.

In the article the author talks about going to a big shot (my words) Pointer 
breeder's kennel & seeing dogs of every size & shape (my words again). The 
author sounded less than impressed. I'm guessing each of the Pointer variants, 
the leggy ones, the long bodied ones, etc had their own following & the 
variants finished under judges appreciating that type of dog. 

Look at practically any breed of dog, and you'll see dozens of variants in 
type. Work lines vs show lines is but one example. Within the show lines (and 
working lines too) there are often dozens of variants. In hunting breeds 
working dogs aren't as coaty or aren't as big (especially if they're supposed 
to climb into a boat).

For eons dog shows have not been about who has the dog closest to the standard 
but about which exhibitor matched his entry to the judge's preferences best. 

IMO, judges justifying their quirks/preferences over the standard is not the 
way to go if you want to keep a specific breed uniform. 

As with most things... ymmv (your mileage may vary) ;-)

Diane Wright
& Cash Thegsdog




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[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Tragic loss of bloodlines....

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