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Location: God's Own County
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 7,584
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Originally Posted by
Mad Huskies
Can I say something controversial? IMHO Pugs are one of those few breeds that are soooo unhealthy that cross breeding is actually doing the breed a favour.
I believe if it was done properly with proper health testing of both breeds (NOT just to jump on the designer cross breed fad) then I think it would be better off for the breed as a whole!
You are so far from the mark
In a later post you describe a Dalmatian imported from the USA that has 1 Pointer in it's pedigree many generations back as a "Dally pointer", the bitch isn't a "Dally Pointer"cross she has 1 pointer some 13/14 generations back in the pedigree. To quote the LUAdalmatian site
The “Dalmatian Back-cross Project” commenced in 1973 with the original out-cross of an AKC registered Champion Pointer sire bred to an AKC registered Dalmatian dam.
Dr. Robert Schaible conducted the breeding in an effort to address the fixed genetic defect in Dalmatians that affects uric acid metabolism and that may lead to increased urinary uric acid, urate crystals, urinary bladder aggregate formation, stones, urinary tract obstruction and even death.
This wonderful breeding program is presently at the 14th generation from the original cross.
The progeny have 99.98% AKC registered Dalmatians in their pedigrees and on parentage analysis, their DNA is 99.8% the same as AKC registered Dalmatians.
This was done with the genetic knowledge that Dalmatians would improve in health.
Willy nilly crossing any two breeds together is not the same as the LUA Dalmatian project, so simply putting to different breeds together that have similar health problems is not the way to go.
BTW not ALL Pugs are sooooo unhealthy, progress will be slow improving the health of dogs, because the health problems did not just happen overnight, but have been the result of past breeding before health testing was available.
Back in the 1960s around 20% of ISDS registered Border Collies had eye problems that affected their lives, with the development of two eye tests for PRA & CEA & simply not breeding from affected dogs & known carriers(via test matings or because offspring developed the condition)has reduced it to less than 0.01% & with DNA testing will prevent 100% of CEA affected puppies being born