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Location: UK
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 7,723
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Originally Posted by
Lizzy23
But isn't this another example of dogs evolving to fit modern needs, there isn't as much call for collies to be herding sheep and jack russels to be ratting as we have other ways of doing it in modern times, so isn't flyball or agility just another job?
I have thought like that for a while but I have though more about it and I am against it for several reasons
Mixing two different breeds like this can give you a total mix of looks and abilities in the puppies
Of course the plan in making this cross is to make a smaller collie shaped dog with the best speed drive and courage from both breeds
In reality you can end up with a collie size body and jrt legs (seen a few of them) a jrt sized dog or a collie sized dog or anything in between
and personality wise you could end up with the collies brains and cunning and the terriors headstrong stubberness - and reactiity and agression from both breeds
Breeding and buying a dog only for a hobby is wrong imo - even with the best breeding a dog may turn out unable to do agility - then what? The dog is cast aside just because he cant perform a hobby?
In agility the bond and training is as important as anything else, many rescues and crossbreeds do great at agility
- its about doing something together with your dog that you both love, if you inderstand each other well you can train to overcome your failings
For most people if you buy a dog and focus only on training it to win at agility - you will fail
If you get a dog, train it to be a great pet, do lots of fun things with it and play agility with the same joy as playing fetch - you will suceed
Originally Posted by
Jackbox
I would have said the worse was the little crossbreed.
Good conformation is extremely important to the health of a dog, as it is for any animal, if the confirmation is not right then it can trigger of a domino effect through out the skeletal system.
A dog with flat feet can effect other joints, the wrist joint and so on it goes,
Cow hocked , bowed legs, weak hips , will all impact on other joints,
For breeds such as the spaniel that is expected to work tirelessly on a days shoot, having bowed /deformed front legs is only going to put excess strain on other joints, and strain on joints sets off arthritis, you dont have to have a degree in genetics to understand that.
Being in horses for many yrs, when looking for a competition animal, looking at conformation is extremely important, you are not going to buy a horse with cow hocks , fallen pasterns if you want something to perform with the least amount of stress on his joints.
its one of the first things you look at,t he conformation of the horse, you want something that its conformation is going to support the rest of his body, from the feet upwards, a fallen pastern will put pressure on the Fetlock, which may put pressure on the hock,
You want something that has good construction that gives support and balance to whats sitting on top of it. hence giving the animal the best "shock absorbers" to work as he should.
The same goes for dogs, deformed front legs gives the dog ahead start to problems with arthritis and other joint problems.
Of cause arthritis , can b ea result of trauma, but when a dogs conformation is wrong, you are upping the anti to problems over one that is structurally correct.
yes that is true - but in that case isnt the healthiest conformation for a dog to be is that of a wolf?
Yet so many pedigree dogs are a long way away from that - many breeds are only the shape they are because of the deformaties that have been bred into them
I agree with what Dawn is saying tho that a breeder of working dogs should always be looking at the long term health of the dogs bred
(same for any breeder)
But imo that stands as well for pedigree breeders, with our carefull selection improved food and vet attention our dogs should be vastly outliving their wild cousins
The fact that some breeds dont even make it into double figures is heartbreaking