has overbreeding damaged the canine bloodlines?

Question

i know that there are "legitimate" bloodlines for dogs, the ones that need papers to show proof. but considering that there are only so many "families", has it affected the canine?

i know that if you breed certain animals too close to the bloodline, it may cause genetic problems, i also know that if there are too many similarities within a species, that it makes it more suceptable to the fact that one disease could wipe them out. so are the dog breeds in that situation now?

although i don't know the specifics, i've heard that certain dogs have very specific health problems (it's specific to their breed). is this going to get worse as the years go by? i mean, is this going to become a more common occurence where more and more of the dogs within a breed are more suceptable to a certain health problem? and is anything being done to try to remedy this?

oh i don't own a dog of any particular breed (he's a mutt and fixed). a friend of mine was thinking of getting a bulldog and was telling me of some of the things she would have to do in taking care of it and some future problems she might have to look out for and it got me interested in finding out what other problems might be attributed to inbreeding and what (if any) solutions had been implemented.

Answer 1

If dogs were bred correctly, then genetic difficulties would be minimal. Greyhounds are the perfect example of that. They are the only large breed dog that doesn't have hip problems. Why? Because of selective breeding. A dog with hip or bone issues can't race, so a race minded breeder is only going to breed dogs with NO hip or bone issues.

The antithesis to this are the retriver breeds. When Labs have to be put down at 6 months old because of hip displaysia, this is because of overbreeding poor breeding stock. Every tom dick & harry with an AKC lab decided to breed, even breed those dogs with hip problems, simply so they could make money (or LOVE dogs, or LOVE their perfect dog, or whatever other lame excuse). If dogs that showed hip problems had NOT been bred, then the issue would no be as rampant.

As far as inbreeding, it is kind of a moot point. There are so many dogs out there right now that keeping a genetic line healthy is EASY without inbreeding. The only real exceptions are with the perfecting or creation of a new breed. And then, it should ONLY be done by experienced breeders - and it's still frowned upon.

In short, when dogs with problems are allowed to breed, then yes, health problems will continue to increase.

To remedy this issue, parent clubs, rescue groups, good breeders, and animal welfare groups try to educate the public as to what responsible breeding is. It's genetic screening, health tests, and whatever it takes to remove genetic issues from the breed.

But, backyard breeders and puppy mills get in there and screw everything up for the average person. Just take a look around here. How many questions in the last week are people asking BYB questions? 25%? 50%? Higher? And how many questions are from people who bought poor quality animals? 75%?

Until further legislation is enacted to prevent anyone and everyone from recklessly and irresponsibly breednig their animals, the problems will continue. As long as people (consumers) continue to buy pet store puppy mill backyard breeder dogs because they are in a movie, or Jessica Simpson has one, or because their neighbor has one, or because it's "hypoallergenic", etc, BYBs and puppy mills will still churn out dogs for them. Supply. Demand. And no educated needed to write a check. : (

http://www.grca.org/acquiring.htm#breeding
http://dogplay.com/Breeding/index.html
http://www.akc.org/breeders/resp_breeding/index.cfm
http://www.gsmdca.org/breederseducation/index.php

Answer 2

The answer is "yes", and "no".

There are many dog breeders who have worked diligently to uncover the problems that manifest within their breeds. Genetic research, radiographic evaluation, echocardiograms, blood tests, and many other avenues are now available to today's breeder that wasn't available even ten years ago. Modern breeders who are interested in the survival of their breed use all of these modalities to help improve their dogs, as well as their quality of life.

On the other hand, there are those individuals who do nothing to help improve the breeds. These breeders are in the "dog business" and their main concern and goal is to make money. Consequently, they will not do the necessary testing, or invest the money, to insure that the dogs they are breeding are sound.

You also have a group of people who like to buy a puppy and say that they want to have "just one litter". There are thousands of dogs that are born through this modality of behavior. These dogs are not screened as well.

There are a lot of things that are being done to improve the health of purebred dogs. It's just that there are not a lot of people who are willing to invest the time and money that goes into it.

If you are looking to buy a purebred dog then I recommend that you look for the individual who is putting a lot of effort into their breeding program. Otherwise, dog breeders, who do not care about the future of their dogs, won't quit breeding these animals. They won't quit until the money dries up.

Answer 3

Yes, in breeding has had detrimental affects on a number of breeds, and it almost predictable to know which breed will begin to show up with genetic problems... just pay attention to any breed that gets really popular and desirable, like Dalmatians did when the 101 Dalmatians movie came out, before them the Irish setter suffered due to the exposure of them in a 1960(?) flick called Big Red, other example are sadly to easy to come by.

Proper breeders guard against close family breeding almost to a fault, but the back yard breeders that only want a $ will breed litter mates and parents with offspring without the slightest hesitation. Know the pedigree of any animal before you bring it home!

Answer 4

What damages canine bloodlines isn't "overbreeding" it is breeding by irresponsible breeders.People who think just because they have an intact male, intact female or dog with "papers" that they simply must breed it. it is people who don't do health testing, study bloodlines carefully, breed to standard.
Purebred dogs aren't more prone to health problems if they have been bred responsibly.Unfortunately there are more irresponsibly bred dogs then responsible bred ones. The problems will get worse IF people continue to breed without regard to doing it responsibly and as long as people continue to buy puppies from BYB/Mills and pet stores.
The parent clubs are working hard to try to educate people but it is a long hard uphill battle.

Answer 5

Oh my have you take a gloom and doom pill today????
Really, there are very good breeders out there doing their very best to make sure what you are talking about doesn't happen. Sure some dogs have specific problems but the good things in each of these breeds out-weights the bad.
People in the reputable breeder world have and are still doing everything in their power to maintain the breeds they have selected to be the best they can be.
The people you should concern yourself with are the puppy mill people and the backyard breeders in this world. Who don't care how they breed their dogs at all and just want to make money.

A true breeder can't make a ton of money because it all goes right back into improving the breeds they have.

The breeders I know are doing everything in their power to keep their lines clear and clean of any problems and at least to improve on them. I worked for a very long time with my own kennel doing this. We do it for the love of the breed, not the money, because beleive me none of us got rich from our dogs.

Put your energy into something positive for the dog world and make things happen.

Answer 6

Brown. Scotch Irish Dutch Cherokee

Answer 7

Great question!

As long as BYB (Backyard Breeders) and Puppy-Mills are legally allowed to breed, then yes, the problem will continue and get worse.

"Real" breeders protect the breed and strive to better it. There are also "hobby" breeders that care about their breed and know what they're doing, but don't breed all of the time.

Several states are trying to pass laws about having to register as a breeder, but unfortunately, most "real" breeders would not qualify for the type of certification that they are trying to pass. More of a "Politicians answer to trying to please Animal activists" if you ask me.

Answer 8

Theoretically, yes, the way dog breeds are developed and kept pure is by inbreeding. This just inforces bad genes to get worse, but there are things that are being done to help this situation like genetic testing, genetic test your dogs before you breed so you can eliminate those with problems, and work to purify them.

Answer 9

Big time.

German shepherds have hip problems
Pugs, lhasa apsos, bulldogs, and similar breeds suffer with breathing problems.
Dalmations are prone to deafness.
Cocker spaniels are notorious for incontinence.

for a more complete list go here:

http://www.dogpack.com/health/healthproblems.htm

Answer 10

not over breeding really. the biggest problem is in-breeding. for the blood line to remain pure, there can be no new geans. bacicly you mate the two parents, then the females are mated to the males from the same litter, or the mom or dad. and so on and so on.