How can we help?

Please, treat this as hypothetical I am not reopening a closed thread and please if you have nothing constructive to offer then say nothing.

Whilst the epilepsy thread was open I was wondering how one could help, even if we were given the names of all the animals who had been used from the conception of these new breeds to the present day we would also need the cooperation of the breed clubs, societies and breeders of the component breeds to track down which lines were involved in the present problems and any in the future.

Given that most breed enthusiasts are unhappy about their breed being used to create a ‘new breed’ would they be willing to help?

Because of the above fact is it likely that unregistered/unrecorded dogs have been used at some stage?

Do people think that care in the breeding from now on will in the end produce breeds that are free from hereditary problems?

Or do you think that there is no hope if the breed is being bred by novice or unskilled people and that its future is in jeopardy?

This is a job for a genetic expert but unless correct and detailed records of the dogs involved in the construction of new breeds are available they would, even if they were willing, be unable to help.

How can the breeding of dogs be regulated so we are not guilty of allowing the production of animals who’s future is likely to end in pain and distresses to them and their owners.

Sorry, I am beginning to feel despair about the amount of careless breeding taking place, some by the greedy, but most by the naive and inexperienced who do not realise how their one mating could lead to the eventual destruction of that line of a breed.

Going back 20 years the original dogs used could well have come from lines that no longer exist and the breeders themselves may well have passed too although as hipscoring was around then then there may be some way of tracing some sort of health records.
I've just come off the phone from the ETT Secretary as I have recently discovered that they do the same scoring for luxating patella as me but by using x-ray so I wanted some more info on that and we discussed this but basically came to the conclusion that until it becomes compulsory to health test breeding dogs, regardless as to recognised or not, then problems will continue to persist.
All people can do is be honest in their own breedings and do the best for the pups they produce and this means testing for, at the very list, the most common ailments in their breed.
We all have to start somewhere and if the only available stock has a problem then, with care, it should be possible to breed away from the problem without restricting the size of the gene pool but in order for it to work then it must be with the co-operation of the majority of the breeders in any given breed.
Becky

I too believe health testing and dna recording should be compulsory across the board.
I think every single pup born should be microchipped, with breeders details included regardless of subsequent ownership, and that all breeders should be legally accountable for the cost of the care of pups they have produced should any end up in rescue and the breeder is unwilling / unable to take them back.

Neuter should be compulsory for any dogs failing pre-breeding health tests, should be compulsory full stop for all crossbreeds full stop, and the deliberate crossing such as for the disgraceful designer dog culture should be made illegal.

I believe a completely independent body in each country should be set up to monitor and keep records of all matings, and that anyone wanting to breed should have to pay a fee which would go toward funding it all.

For too long the decision regarding the breeding of their dogs has been up to the individual, and too many individuals have completely and utterly abused that privilege, its time to regulate every single aspect of breeding.
Only by doing so and having enforced criminal penalties which far outweigh what anyone would breed for in the wrong way will most if not all hereditary diseases, [ and over population ], be brought under control.

`Accidental` matings should be treated the same as a proper one with the owners having to take the same responsibilities regarding chipping, rescue care, etc, and should have to provide vouchers for the neuter of the accidental pups. The owners of `accidental` pups should face charges if they don`t have them neutered at the appropriate time unless there is a legitimate medically diagnosed reason why any should not be neutered.
There should also be price capping on how much anyone is allowed to charge for an `accidental` pup so they can`t financially benefit from it, it must cost them to be careless, not bring them a profit.

Sadly none of what I wish for on the subject will ever happen, the human ego won`t allow it. The sort who are the cause of so many problems in the dog world as a whole will never stop bleating that it`s their `right` to breed any dogs they want to at any time they feel like it and for as much money as they can get.

Mind you, if I ever got to rule the world, I`d be exercising some choices of my own and such people would have a lot more to bleat about than not being able to make a few quid on a badly/unethically bred litter

PATCH FOR PM I had a chat to someone the other day about this, I am thinking of dna testing my lot, its the only real way to prove a pup is what you say it is,

I think the akc should have to have copies of all the vet records for each sire and dam of a litter trying to be registered or at least be able to call the vet and check on tests and vaccinations etc if a dog has fitted the vet will know this coupled with DNA testing to make sure the dogs are really who they say they are would go along way to help this situation and maybe discourage unethical breeders from even attemping it