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

[slimsid2000 10]

A lot of it is down to supply and demand. Mongrols don't command any price (infact they can't even give them away often) while pegigree dogs can fetch several hundred pounds each. Then again breaders are only responding to consumer demand. Truth is most people want pedigrees.

[katkin 10]

A lot of it is down to supply and demand. Mongrols don't command any price (infact they can't even give them away often) while pegigree dogs can fetch several hundred pounds each. Then again breaders are only responding to consumer demand. Truth is most people want pedigrees.

 

depends what you mean by mongrel- mix a springer and a cocker for instance and all of a sudden it commands a high price as a sprocker, just one of the wierd and wonderful designer crossbreeds in favour at the moment

[katkin 10]

Does anybody else think bassets have gone too far now? I don't remember them looking so hideously unreal in the 1970's - I remember them looking like hounds - with heads shaped like that of Fred Basset - and more like a 'real' dog!

 

interesting collection of bassets - please have a look at these and comment

 

All that spare flesh ('furnishing', for goodness sake) just can't be right..

 

 

I grew up with all manner of crossbreeds and apart from the westie we had when I was around 2yrs old, never owned a pedigree until Ailsa. I paid £500 for the daft dobermutt almost 7 yrs ago and would do it again (and the rest) for another dobe or other pedigree, provided it was from healthy stock- so I wouldnt want to see all pedigree dogs banned, just more control over what is being bred.

[willman 10]

depends what you mean by mongrel- mix a springer and a cocker for instance and all of a sudden it commands a high price as a sprocker, just one of the wierd and wonderful designer crossbreeds in favour at the moment

 

There's no accounting for taste but anyone paying "pedigree" money for a mongrel has too much money.

[dizzybird77 10]

That's encouraging to hear

 

Any idea what her 'history' is dizzybird? how old is she?

 

She is 2 now, she was bought from a breeder who supplied my mum with her Basset 8 years ago.

I have her full generation details from breeder and got her KC generation certificate which tallied.

I wish I could post some pictures of her to show you all but I can't work out how to do it!!!!:hihi:

[estweyn 10]

Link to some pics of gsds from the past

http://www.germanshepherds-r-us.com/pastdogs.html

[LordChaverly 10]

I recently watched excerpts of a BBC programme on pedigree dogs and was disgusted with what I saw.

 

For example, it disclosed that the ridges on the backs of Rhodesian ridgebacks are a genetic defect related to Spina Bifida. And yet dogs without the ridges (i.e. the healthier dogs) are put down at birth. The chairwoman of the RR society defended the policy by explaining that without the ridges they would not be Rhodesian ridgebacks!

 

Similarly, the inbreeding of pugs has resulted in the creation of animals hardly capable of breathing without extreme difficulty and whose curly tails are the product of curvature of the spine.

 

There were even worse examples, i.e. of dogs with chronic brain, sight, limb and auto-immune system defects of various kinds, all the result of inbreeding – all in pursuit of some arbitrary ‘breed standard’.

 

Before I watched this programme I thought that the owners of the show dogs at Crufts were a particularly obnoxious lot. This programme reinforced my opinion.

[Mr Meldrew 10]

Many of the breeds, like pugs, bulldogs, bassets to name but a few, have been bred for aesthetic reasons in a way that can only be described as perverse - and I believe constitues institutionalised abuse.

It is about time the issue was recognised, and I do hope this latest publicity is kept up, rather than dying down and letting the Kennel Club carry on with its perversions.

 

As an aside, I had a Rhodesian smoothback, which was a wonderful dog. I even thought it looked better without the ridge, let alone being a quarter of the price from a breeder who at least was willing to sell them.

[pk014b7161 11]

the perception of what a dog should look like by the likes of crufts& the kc have ruined the bull dog it now resembles a frog it cant breath & can hardley walk

[deedar 10]

Yeah, totally agree, creating pedigree dogs by selective breeding is all kinds of wrong.

I've got a Westie which was apparantly bred to be pure white so they wouldn't get accidentily shot whilst hunting.

No problem there but they were also bred to have short legs and a weird, top heavy skeleton. As a consequence of that, they're prone to hip problems. Very cute but dogs weren't designed that way.

[Frank Sidney 11]

the perception of what a dog should look like by the likes of crufts& the kc have ruined the bull dog it now resembles a frog it cant breath & can hardley walk

 

 

I thought that was the saddest case. The level of changes to this breed has been astonishing! Ruined though I think; and I actually prefer they way they are 'supposed' to look; not the way they look now.

[shims 10]

It's just human elitism and arrogance. Some of us believe we can do whatever we wish with animals especially if there is money involved. (Let's hope the concept of 'karma' is a reality )

 

If you genuinely take delight in dogs, the character and companionship of a mongrel should be able to bring you as much pleasure as that of a hip pedigree breed. Don't support these breeders and elitists, there are plenty of nice animals in the rescue centres.