Double muscle dogs : (

Recently in the news they've been talking about genetically altered, lab-created "super beagles" with double-muscles. They talk about them like it is a wonderful, healthy new creation towards the perfect dog. But double muscles are not natural, and have been known to lead to health problems like trouble giving birth, shorter life-span, and joint problems in the famous Belgian Blue Cattle, which often need C-sections just to give birth!
Why would anyone spend millions to create an unhealthy dog more likely to suffer from chronic pain? It makes me feel so sad. There are ways to select for healthier dogs, genetically altering may even be the answer, but the whole purpose of double-muscle dogs is so they can run faster. They even want to select for it in racing dogs simply so they run a little faster.

Sigh.

Horrid, and as this seems to have taken place in Chinese labs, I doubt that anyone will take notice of any protest. Though it is sad that any animal has to endure a brief, deprived life in one of these places, it breaks my heart that, once again, it is the kindly, free spirited Beagle which is the research tool of choice. I suppose they must have some kind of valid application in mind, because just doing this to make animals run faster can only lead up a biological cul de sac. Sad.

We've been selectively breeding and cross-breeding to get the variety of dogs including some of the "designer" dogs we have now.

But genetically modifying is a step too far in my opinion.

Myostatin is a myokine, a protein produced and released by myocytes that acts on muscle cells' autocrine function to inhibit myogenesis: muscle cell growth and differentiation. In humans it is encoded by the MSTN gene.
Myostatin is a secreted growth differentiation factor that is a member of the TGF beta protein family.

The more breeders try to create a 'super dog' the more things go wrong and we end up with poor dogs riddled with health problems.

When will we learn that when we meddle with nature, nature tends to fight back