"Pedigree Dogs Exposed" - programme on BBC 1 20/08 at 9pm

[the peggsta]

No, these are the creme de la creme of breeders . crufts champions

 

This is the point i was trying to make early,cruft champions"THE BEST BREEDERS"all for financial gain rather than the love of a breed

[fox20thc]

I took out a lifelong policy for my dog, so if we get a condition she will be covered, and she to all KC standards is a mutt, though most think she is a full staffy

[Strix]

Yes but that is how the breed was developed that is not a natural tail, and it is a short tail rather than the docked type tail.

how do you genetically modify tails if they're from a genetically complete dog that's docked?

[Moonbird]

The boxer seemed happy when it wasn't fitting - i.e. when in was sitting - so I would disagree. I wouldn't euthenase a human with epilepsy, so why a dog? I agree that the Cavi though - he clearly had no quality of life.

 

The programme was really good and I am glad it raised these issues but it I would have liked a little less bias so I could make up my own mind. Like Vikki I know responsible breeders who don't cross breed and health check their dogs - I don't think they got a fair hearing.

 

Wasn't that the dog that she had to help walk into the house from the garden though?

 

I don't really see it as biased because what you see with your own eyes cannot be disputed, there are obviously breeders who care about the health and life of their dogs, but really none that continue to breed in abnormalities that will cause suffering and a shortened life expectancy can be seen to be good breeders.

 

And that calls into question the whole issue of the breed standards needing a total overall and dogs being bred to live the sort of life that they should, and not just for looks or to make money.

[geckoqueen]

That is the first time and hopefully the last time i see a dog having a fit, how distressing, it has really upset me.

 

I watched one of my rescue dragons have it fit a while back. I knew she had them, I was warned when I took her, but it was really distressing. The worst part was that there was nothing I could do

[Strix]

This is the point i was trying to make early,cruft champions"THE BEST BREEDERS"all for financial gain rather than the love of a breed

Who gives them the title 'the best breeders'?

 

I know there are those here who think I'm a pedigree snob of some description, but I keep trying to tell people the difference between a good or reputable breeder and one who's too interested in telling you how many rosettes/BIS trophies they have

[Lotti]

A dally breeder once told me she had 2 perfectly healthy pups destroyed because they developed a spot over one eye ............ apparently not a good trait, i didnt realse until then what heartless swines some breeders are but this programme takes it to another level. Im disgusted

 

That's disgusting! I'm not sure if it was ever proven but it has certainly been discussed that patches, although not desirable in show dogs, actually are better to breed from in some respects due to a lower risk of deafness!

 

Never has there ever been a health reason not to breed from a patch dally, only possible health benefits.

 

 

Peggsta, I missed this programme but I have to say... when I say on here 'responsible breeder' I do not mean a breeder that gets good show dogs or cute companion dogs. I mean a breeder that checks for health conditions and breeds from dogs with sound conformation as well as temperament and has good results from health testing.

 

It aint difficult to produce a cute puppy - that's not what a responsible dog breeder does

 

I wish I'd seen this... it sounds like it's actually labelling pedigree dogs as unhealthy whilst they could've done with portraying to the public that if you're getting a purebred pup go to a responsible breeder (responsible being what I described above). Did they do this? BYBs and puppy farms need to be shown for what they are and people must learn that by buying a puppy to save it, they may well fuel the breeder to produce another litter of 8 pups that they cannot 'save'.

 

I know it's all meant well but I wish people would call the authorities in on breeders who have no consideration for their dogs rather than buying from them

[vikki]

The boxer seemed happy when it wasn't fitting - i.e. when in was sitting - so I would disagree. I wouldn't euthenase a human with epilepsy, so why a dog? I agree that the Cavi though - he clearly had no quality of life.

 

The programme was really good and I am glad it raised these issues but it I would have liked a little less bias so I could make up my own mind. Like Vikki I know responsible breeders who don't cross breed and health check their dogs - I don't think they got a fair hearing.

 

im not being nasty but they were pushing the dog up the stairs to me that was a unhappy dog i know som one whose dog had fits and during them he became so ill she had him PTS im not sayin everyone should but the dog looked like he was 12 not 2!!!!

[Moonbird]

how do you genetically modify tails if they're from a genetically complete dog that's docked?

 

I have no idea I must admit, but according to wikipedia that is the case.

You do get dogs though with a naturally short tail such as a border terrier, but how they do it...I really don't know and probably wouldn't like it if I did.

[fox20thc]

you can watch it on Iplayer Lotti