Bulldogs - should they still be bred to the current breed Standard?

Should we keep breeding British Bulldogs?

I ask because today I saw one who could hardly walk it seemed, no way though could he have run.
He was puffing and panting. No he wasn't in the middle of the park but in his own home, with two air conditioners too.

I found out from his owner that lots can't give birth naturally.
They often have eye conditions like cherry eye- where the tear gland in the eye becomes displaced.

Is it fair to carry on as we are?

Karen

I just caught the end of "Real Story" on BBC Scotland and it was about pedigree dogs. The vet Emma said "if you want a healthy dog dont buy a pedigree buy a mongrel". It was a bulldog they showed a picture of at the end.

Anyone see it, I would like to know what the programme was about.

There was a bulldog at Stars training class and although she was young she seemed full of energy and moved OK.

Here is a link to the programme


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ry/3797783.stm

I watched it- was implying that breed standards set by the KC can be responsible for unhealthy dogs- hence the "buy a mongrel" quote

Thanks, Clarence, I just caught the last minute or so.

It also mentioned daschunds (sp??) and they back problems they can have due to their length.
Although I dont entirely agree with some of the comments made by the vet- is an untested crossbreed really healthier than a tested purebreed ?
I personally think it depends on the individual breeds themselves- not all are unhealthy. Although its well known that certain breeds are reknowned for certain health problems of course..............

I was going to post a similar thread for disccusion concerning the standards set by the KC.

IMO these days they are pretty pointless,the standards that is, most breeds have two standards, one that show people breed to and the other which working people use, then theres a third standard that calls for exaggerated characteristics that people want, register them with KC and charge inflated prices for them, so whats the point the in having a standard? So you get Bulldogs that can't breathe, and tea cup? poodles for just two examples.

KC supposedly have the welfare of dogs at its heart, but if they are allowing the breeding and registering of dogs with obvious health issues then KC is just an exercise in paper shuffling, and therefore the same as the dog lovers register.

People bang on about dog lovers being pointless and worthless, but what exactly is the difference between them and KC?
At Dog lovers you can register a dog with a made up pedigree and no health checks, and at the KC you can register a dog with a made up pedigree and no health checks.

Of course there are the breeders who are committed to their breed, they get all the health checks done, breed to the standard and add nothing that shouldn't be in the dog, carefully breed using selected lines, but then there are the puppy farms and the unscrupulous breeders, and the back street man making a fast buck and all KC does is issue a peice of paper ensuring profits are higher for the bad breeder.

Just in the last week I've seen Springers as big as labradors, and 2 cockers bigger then my working springer, neither of the cockers had any health tests done, the older bitch had just had a litter and the other, the daughter was due to be the next breeding bitch. at least the gentleman was going to wait till the daughter was over a year old.

Having a brachycephalic breed with its own health problems (mainly heart & cancer) and having had my breed criticized as "unnatural", I am reluctant to criticize other breeds. However, I feel that a major criterion of a breed should be that the animal is capable of performing the tasks for which it was originally developed.

I have no difficulty in believing that a modern Boxer, given correct training, could engage in bull-baiting and the bringing down of large game.

I doubt if the current ideal of a bulldog could fulfil the job for which it was developed

That vet Emma was on GMTV this morning, saying breeding bulldogs should be banned, so we no longer have the dog or problems

Emma Milne is well known for her anti-pedigree stance. So lets all stop breeding everything, all rescue a dog from the shelter, and neuter everything else, then we'll not have dogs at all within 20 years. Thats what Emma Milne would have us do.

I was disgusted with her comments on getting a mongrel.
How stupid is she? Does she not realise now, that impressionable people will go out and get heinz 57's because of what she has said. This will lead to people specifically breeding mongrels.
As for the comments that they're healthier. Tosh. My sister has two crosses, and both have had quite bad health, long term problems too.
I love the dachsie breed which was one, i believe, was named, last night. Yes, i've had my fair share of back problems with them too. I do believe it is down to breeding.
But shouldn't we rather be looking at the breed standards, rather than telling people to go get mongrels, and encouraging a bigger population of unwanted dogs.