Pedigree Dogs Exposed

  Last night, I was able to catch a special presentation on the Canadian Broadcasting Channel: The Passionate Eye, Pedigree Dogs Exposed.

This documentary has been out for awhile I guess, but given that I don't live in the UK or Canada, I hadn't seen it (I don't believe it's run in the US at any point).

The documentary focuses on the many health problems of many pedigreed dog breeds in the UK.  While the documentary focuses on the UK, similar problems exist in the US.  The problem is that so many of the dog breeds have gotten to where there is such a limited gene pool for pedigree dogs that they are becoming very inbred. There are several breeds in the UK that have thousands of dogs in them, but the gene pool is the equivelent to there being about 50 dogs in them.

Others have written about this before -- Christie over at the Pet Connection recommmended opening up the breed registry to introduce new genes into the pool.  Meanwhile, Terrierman has his own recommendations -- and suffice it to say, he is suspicious if the pedigree dog people and the breed clubs, the people who actually created this problem, have the ability to change what they've done.

Needless to say, something needs to be done. The limited gene pool has caused many breeds to have genetic health problems -- because for too long, the pedigree dog people have been focusing on looks, and not the overall health, of the dogs.

The show touches on the problems of a lot of different breeds:

Syringomyeliea in the Cavelier King Spaniels.

Back leg issues with German Shepherds (this one I've notices a lot in "show quality" German Shepherds of late).

The shortining of the legs in Bassett Hounds and Dachshunds.

Spina-bifida issues in Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

Breathing issues in Pugs and Peekaneese (this is also prevelant in many Bulldog breeds).

Epilepsy in Boxers.

That in spite of many of these genetic disease faults, many of these dogs are considered "show quality" by The Kennell Club (UK) because of how they look -- and are allowed and even encouraged to breed.

It's an interesting watch. I'm sure that the video highlights the worst case scenerios and is not indicative of all purebred dogs. But I also think, from the people I know who know way more about these issues than I do, that these types of health problems are a major concern in the US as well and something we need to work to correct before it gets worse.  Otherwise, many of the breeds as we now know them could become extinct.

You can watch the entire video here.  It's nearly an hour long, but worth the time. 

I think this is an important show to watch for anyone in the animal welfare world. I think it is important for breeders to fix the problem. I think it's important to realize that mandatory spay/neuter ordinances, if they are done on a grand scale, may increase this problem. I think it is important for someone who wants to buy a pedigree dog to know the breeder and be sure they are doing the proper health screenings.  And I think it's important as humans to know that we are responsible for our own actions.

I'm going to use this as a platform for another discussion later this week -- (and it's probably a different topic than you think).  So watch the video....

Comments

[Fred]

This doc really had me bummed. Seems dogs are being exploited more and more from every corner, from the legislators, the media, the fighters, the retailers, the general abusers and now the "reputable" breeders. Soon dogs'll need their own planet just to be safe from us.

[Brent]

"Bummed me out" is probably the best way to describe it Fred. If the very people who are supposed to be protecting breeds aren't doing it, then who is?

[JAL]

Caveat has a great post on the subject today, well worth the read