I happened to catch an episode of Real Sports on HBO last night, and one of the story's was titled Unnatural Breeding. It discussed health problems with pure bred dogs because breeders are trying to get the perfect show dog. While in some cases there is some truth to bad breeding, but once again it throws breeders and the AKC in the middle of all the evils of breeding. I have attached a link to the story.
Everyone needs to realize that the anti-breeding loons will never stop. In their eyes we are the enemy, and they fight to win. It's very concerning to see just how organized they are....
Thank you for posting the link to UNNATURAL SELECTION, which is a short
and quite compelling documentary for an HBO sports program about problems in purebred dogs. Most of the footage is AKC dog shows, but UKC President Wayne Kavanuagh represented the sport of purebred dogs compassionately and well. The two very young AKC representatives did not represent AKC or purebred dog breeding well and were mocked by Bryan Gumble after the documentary.
Everyone needs to realize that the anti-breeding loons will never stop. In their eyes we are the enemy, and they fight to win. It's very concerning to see just how organized they are....
Mike
Make no mistake about it, this was a direct attack on dog show breeders and the sport of showing. It was nothing more than a one sided, Animal Rights Propaganda piece. Clever editing and spin left most of what the AKC repsonded to on the cutting room floor. As for the UKC, Wayne can change the standards at any time without any input from breeders or a parent club. He is nothing more than an appeaser. It's time to realize there is in middle ground with the AR Groups. It's like trying to appease the crocodile in hopes that it will eat you last.
The sad thing about it is that it does have an impact on the viewing public and is only an attempt to demonize show breeders painting them all as egotistical, greedy people only in it to win a prize at any cost.
When will breeders wake up and fight this kind of crap? We're too busy fighting each and the AR nuts know it. Mike you're absolutely correct, they are very well-organized, not to mention well-funded too. Bill Maher, also on HBO, sits on the board of PETA. Enough said!
AKC sent two clearly junior staff to be interviewed. They did not represent AKC well and had no answers for the interviewer's pointed questions about selecting for dysfunctional characteristics (e.g., Bulldog heads that prevent breathing and natural birth) and about breeding to win (e.g., inbreeding of winning Westminster dogs). I was very disappointed in AKC.
As President of UKC, Wayne Kavanaugh expressed appropriate concern about problems in both breeding and judging and gave his approach to correcting those problems. He has been giving judges' education seminars and rephrasing breed standards to de-emphasize fads and exaggerations in breed standards and to emphasize dogs who can function in sports other than conformation. I've seen his judges' seminar about changes in breeds over the decades related to exaggerations and fads; it is excellent.
Kavanaugh came across as passionate about improvement without being antagonistic to AKC (for which he once worked). He did not come across (and I have not ever heard him to be) pro-AR. To be pro-AR would undermine what he is trying to do for dogs and performance sports.
Only thing that makes me cringe is when a show breeder "poo poos" health clearances because they are "only breeding for themselves" ...obviously only going for the dog that wins...I hate to think of the people that get the "pet" quality out of their show litters...wonder how they convince those people that they don't do all their health clearances? Question the "validity" of the tests???
