Dalmatians and Cross Breeding

I believe that this has been happening for some time in the USA but I caught sight of it in a paper on Sunday. I was wondering what others thought of it:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...s-furious.html

Hhmmm, I think the Lua doesn't look like a 'pure' Dalmatian

I can see why they're doing it though.

The KC has accepted 'bobtail' Boxers though (and that is purely cosmetic, not health-related) so I can't see why they won't accept these Lua's?

I think it was a brilliant idea to relieve the medical problems , but it obviously isn't a Dalmatian if its a cross breed...
the spots on the healthy dog are more dappled and merged together, thats a breed fault in Dallies, isn't it ?
If I wanted a Dalmatian I'd be hoping as many of us do that by doing our home work on the breed we'd have a better chance of buying a healthy pup...and I'd want a Dalmatian, not a cross breed.

I'm not against using outcrosses to other breeds and after 14 generations back to Dalmatians these dogs genetically would be as near as makes no difference. However, there is a DNA test available (I believe) for this particular disorder and therefore it will be possible to breed out the defect without the need for using an outcross.
Becky

i think its a great idea. i think the health of the dog should be the most important thing. you can tell the difference between them but its not a big difference. besides, every breed has been crossed at some point so i dont see why some people find it such a big deal...

How can you possible make such claims.

The dog in the picture looks like a x between a great Dane and a Dalli to me... not a pure "new" Dalmatian.


After 14 generations of breeding the resulting dogs should look like a Dalmatian... not a x breed..

As for the Bobtail Boxer, there was one cross, and all resulting Boxers look exactly as their tailed cousins ,,they dont look like Xbreeds

To the untrained eye both dogs look like Dallies ... id choose the Lua
If the defective gene cannot be bred out of purebred Dallies , then surely this is a very valid , and good for the breed , option

I'd have to do some more research before making up my mind.

I would want to know such things as:
Is there, as mahooli says a DNA test to check for this? If so - this should be being made essential
What is the Lua like, *really* in comparison to a dally? Temperament wise as well as looks.
Who are breeding these Luas and where could I find one? If I couldn't find a breeder of Lua dogs that matched the dalmatian breeders I've found who fit my criteria, I'd go for the dalmatian!

I love dallies, and I'm all for sorting out any health problems they have. Whilst I know the bladder/kidney stones are a problem in the breed. I was unaware it was a quarter of them affected.

As for the comments about them not looking like dals, their spotting will be different and yes, it is a fault for dallies spots to merge (doesn't really bother me though!) but pointers are very similar in build to dallies but in the picture - it is the one on the left (the one that looks like a crossbreed!) that is a pedigree dalmatian according to the article. I think it's only his face that looks strange to me, but they have also put a picture of the Lua facing the other way which doesn't enable you to see whether she looks like a dal or not!

The Dalis are a sad case. They have other problems including deafness. Early in the history of many breeds, something else was introduced to enhance it.

I wonder what you could do sticking to Dalis, but rigidly breeding for health and temperament.

It is a fascinating subject and one on which I wouldn't like to say what they *should* do.

On one hand it is deliberate cross breeding and they are no longer 'pure' dalmatians (although apparently only one pointer was used and the percentage of pointer influence on the dogs appears to be 0.24 - 0.36% which if true is rather negligible). It still doesn't negate the fact they are cross breeds though.

However on the other hand the dogs will be healthier and they have a chance of minimising, and potentially in time eradicating, the problem from the breed.

I have had a quick read on a few sites and they seem to think that Dalmations do not carry the normal gene - therefore they are unable to breed it out without introducing this new line. I would be interested to see if this is indeed true.

Are there any Dalmatian breeders on the board who can give their opinion as they will know more about how the trait is inherited.

I guess one good thing about the initial cross-breeding was that it helped to identify what mutation caused the defect.