Breeding for sports
- Thread starter Laurelin
- Start date
Unless I'm misunderstanding you, this statement contradicts your previous statements. This is part of the reason we have breeds, and sub-sections of breeds (i.e. field and show). I picked out a herding mix puppy at a shelter, and she is hardly a good representation of a herding dog, in temperament. My purebred herding dog from a breeder is fairly spot on with his breed's temperament. Type vs Breed? I suppose you could argue if you went to a breeder who's 'type' of dog/lines was proven in working trials, you would be more likely to find an appropriate dog, but is that not just creating a 'breed' as well?
Ok lesson learned. No breeding threads. 
Like many breeding questions, I think the original question is very dependent on the breeder's overall practices, how divorced the new niche is from the breed's original purpose and skill set, and what is being changed. I would have thought breeding a Papillon (companion breed) around 12-15lb instead of 6-8lb (still companion sized IMO) and keeping everything else pretty much the same would be an easy win, but even here several spoke out against it, for varying reasons.
I love breed histories and traditions and maintaining that but I guess I am more of a pragmatist. I'd rather see a breed make educated, studied changes over time to balance modern demands and traditional skills than to lose the breed altogether because so few are desired that the gene pool crashes. An extreme scenario, sure, but it has happened before.
Actually, that's what many people want. If the designer breed people were actually trying to breed towards a standard of low maintenance, low drive, healthy dogs, I'd have a hard time criticizing them. There would be quite a market for them with the people that really want a stuffed dog that breathes.
They aren't, though, they're just kind of throwing random breeds together because they are "cute".
They aren't, though, they're just kind of throwing random breeds together because they are "cute".
I'm honestly curious... what are you basing this on?
Breeders of ALL kinds have good and bad motivations behind their breeding, whether pure, cross, sport, work, "designer," whatever. I think it's just as rude to dismiss ALL companion mix breeders as "throwing random breeds together because they are cute" as it is to lump ALL show breeders together under an umbrella like "only care about looks/it's a beauty contest."
Most of the doodles and cockapoos in particular that I encounter have come from breeders who seem honestly motivated to provide people with good family pets. Sure, there are some pretty weird random mixes out there, too (bernerdoodles and cockers/cavaliers mixed with everything under the sun, I'm looking at you), and that has gotten out of control... but there are out of control breeders across the spectrum of dogdom.
Breeders of ALL kinds have good and bad motivations behind their breeding, whether pure, cross, sport, work, "designer," whatever. I think it's just as rude to dismiss ALL companion mix breeders as "throwing random breeds together because they are cute" as it is to lump ALL show breeders together under an umbrella like "only care about looks/it's a beauty contest."
Most of the doodles and cockapoos in particular that I encounter have come from breeders who seem honestly motivated to provide people with good family pets. Sure, there are some pretty weird random mixes out there, too (bernerdoodles and cockers/cavaliers mixed with everything under the sun, I'm looking at you), and that has gotten out of control... but there are out of control breeders across the spectrum of dogdom.
Ok lesson learned. No breeding threads.
Stop. Making. Me. Want. A. V.
I agree with this. If Paps came in 40lb sizes, I'd seriously, seriously consider one. So breeding a bigger, drivier, Pap that still looks and acts like a Pap would be great.
Sports & working ... To the working breed dog are one in the same (to THEM that is) my cattle dogs will herd balls (fetching is a "type" of herding to a dog, for a hunting bred like a jack Russell it resembles "catching" prey) ATVs lawn mowers (they follow along making sure I'm doing it right xD) & get just as much satisfaction out of it as they would herding stock.
There is a future for the working lines & the future is sports. No reason why a working dog can't transition to sports without changing a lot.
What I DO NOT support is breeders who breed "tame" or "dumbed down" versions of breeds like BCs, labs & GSDs. The working GSD is closer to the "original" GSD then the show lines are. I have met a good few when I used to show, they are ... Well ... They are just different... The show lines that is.
If you can't handle the breed in its true state then you shouldn't own it simple as that. If a breeder is producing dogs that can't perform it's original form of function (or won't) then I won't do business with them.
There is a future for the working lines & the future is sports. No reason why a working dog can't transition to sports without changing a lot.
What I DO NOT support is breeders who breed "tame" or "dumbed down" versions of breeds like BCs, labs & GSDs. The working GSD is closer to the "original" GSD then the show lines are. I have met a good few when I used to show, they are ... Well ... They are just different... The show lines that is.
If you can't handle the breed in its true state then you shouldn't own it simple as that. If a breeder is producing dogs that can't perform it's original form of function (or won't) then I won't do business with them.