Dog politics

"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats) 02/16/2017 at 12:21 • Filed to: None

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This is a pretty good overview of why breed standards and dog shows can get fucked. The amount of health issues being selectively bred into dogs is insane.

Look at this shit:

These are German Shepherds from the 1930s.

This is what the “breed standard” looks like today.

From Wikipedia:

One such common ailment is hip and elbow dysplasia which may lead to the dog experiencing pain in later life and may cause arthritis.[50] A study conducted by the University of Zurich found that 45% of the police working dogs were affected by degenerative spinal stenosis, although the sample studied was small.[51] The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals found that 19.1% of German Shepherd are affected by hip dysplasia.

And it’s not just German Shepherd. All sort of dogs get selectively bred for all kinds of bullshit cosmetic reasons. Look at brachycephalic dogs like Boxers and all of their health issues.

Fuck dog shows and show breeders so hard. This kind of bullshit is a relic of the 19th century, and if it’s going to be kept around, then we should bring back eugenics as well so we can weed out the kind of dipshits that do this sort of thing.

Honeybunchesofgoats > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:25

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I spent thousands of dollars on replacing this dog’s elbows and sending her to physical therapy, and this fucker still ignores me when I call her.

jimz > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:27

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I think the worst offense is what they’ve done to the English Bulldog.  

Over 80% of Bulldog litters are delivered by Caesarean section [20] because their characteristically large heads can become lodged in the mother’s birth canal. The folds, or “rope”, on a Bulldog’s face should be cleaned daily to avoid infections caused by moisture accumulation. Some Bulldogs’ naturally curling tails can be so tight to the body as to require regular cleaning and ointment.

and the worst part is they’ve done all that to arrive at what is (IMO) a terribly ugly dog.

my folks have basically moved to adopting dogs from a local animal rescue group. They have two (mostly) Cocker Spaniels who are the best dogs ever.

Ash78, voting early and often > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:27

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You know how they say that animal cruelty is a big issue (in part) because it’s a strong predictor of human cruelty and psychotic behavior? Dog breeding should viewed akin to Eugenics. (EDIT: I see you made a similar reference there.)

Honeybunchesofgoats > Ash78, voting early and often 02/16/2017 at 12:28

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Great minds think alike.

TheJWT > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:28

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Rescue mutts are the way to go

For Sweden > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:29

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A post about Germans and eugenics...

I’m not paid enough to moderate this.

PotbellyJoe and 42 others > jimz 02/16/2017 at 12:31

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My brother has an EBD, love that dog. But you’re correct, she’s not the prettiest thing in the world.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > For Sweden 02/16/2017 at 12:32

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This is good kinja

RutRut > jimz 02/16/2017 at 12:37

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I have an English bulldog and wouldn’t trade him for the world, although at 2 he has had zero health problems largely due to a healthy diet and weight. A big problem with bulldogs is people wanting them to be chunky and feeding them terrible things to fatten them up, and a fat dog will always have more problems.

Also, do you know how hard it is to rescue a dog from some organizations? We talked to a group who wouldn’t interview my wife and I for any animal because we both had jobs on the same shift.

Textured Soy Protein > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:47

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Basically the only purebred dog breed that’s not all messed up health-wise is the greyhound. Probably because they’re bred to be athletic and not for looks. Personally I like their spindly legs and doofy looking grins.

DipodomysDeserti > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:49

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Step 1. Go to the humane society or local shelter

Step 2. Buy mut

Step 3. Enjoy your healthy mut who will much appreciate not being killed or forced to live in a shelter.

Step 4. Repeat if necessary

Chariotoflove > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 12:55

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Breeding for temperament and functional characteristics is understandable. That’s how we got many glorious breeds. Breeding for cosmetics is just stupid. I wonder how many breeders don’t understand genetics or just don’t care.

Honeybunchesofgoats > RutRut 02/16/2017 at 12:56

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I can confirm. I’ve had good experiences with dog rescues, but some are run by complete psychotics.

I remember once having a girlfriend in college who desperately wanted to rescue a dog. With one place we went to, it was sort of a sticking point that she had four hours of classes most days of the week, but then the woman asked “And what about when you graduate? Are you going to get a job?” “I assume so.” “And then who will be looking after the dog while you’re working? You’re not in a position to provide a long term plan for caring for a dog.”

In other words, my ex was denied an adoption because she couldn’t guarantee that she’d be unemployed for the entirety of the dog’s life. She ended up rescuing a beagle.

Future next gen S2000 owner > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 13:00

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Mutts are the best.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 13:24

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Mixed feelings about the Westminster Dog Show and similar events that promote the idea of “pure-breeds” being better than others. One of our rescues is very obviously a mutt, the other looks very close to the AKC’s idea of a “rat terrier.”

Do we care? Wife and I briefly considered getting a DNA breed test thing, but meh ... to us he’s Midnight, hyperactive poop-factory extraordinaire, and that’s enough.

AfromanGTO > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 13:47

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The breed standard by the AKC is stupid. Especially with the Alaskan Malamutes. They took these huge freight pulling dogs.

And mixed them with the Canadian husky.

And call them the standard for a Malamute.

Then they argue and say the larger ones aren’t up to the standard, but are pure blood unlike the under 100 lbs mixes. They call the larger ones Giant Alaskan Malamutes, because they aren’t the mixed breed standard.

Both of my puppies (15 months) are taller than me when then are on their back legs, and have their paws on my chest. They can put their heads on top of mine, and I’m 6'2.

However the AKC wants them to be smaller to be shown competitively. Because someone with money over 40 years ago decided the breed needed to be smaller, and they agreed with that person.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 14:53

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I got into this a bit on the AKC facebook page, but the GSD that won the Westminster show the other day, despite what the show folks say, is not a GSD. At least that is not what they were supposed to be. That dog can’t stand, walk, trot or run normally. It simply isn’t the same breed as my Head of Security, and after watching some video of it, I wouldn’t trust that dog to protect anything or anyone.

GSD were originally working dogs, and at least the German/East German/Czech working lines still largely are. The American lines should be more properly called American Gliding Shepard, as that is about all they are good for. They are unsound physically, and they lack the temperament and intellect to be useful working dogs. They would be dangerous to train as protection dogs, as they become fear bitters.

Our Head of Security is most likely out of the East German or Czech lines. We don’t know her history, as she was a very nearly starved to death stray taken in by a friend of ours who couldn’t keep her, but a close friend of mine used to train and breed European line GSDs for Schnutzhund competition and police K9 work looked at her for about two seconds before declaring that she wasn’t from the American show or backyard lines. With her size being bigger than most males (and GSD females are considerably smaller than males), big bone structure, paws almost as big as my hands and wide head, she is almost certainly from the working lines, and from her size, probably the DDR/Czech lines.

We knew right away that her protective instincts were off the charts, and there were some behaviors that I started to recognize from my time serving as bait for military working dogs. That started some backyard trialing of her and a friend with a bite sleeve. We learned that she knows most of the schnutzhund commands, and she has most certainly been bite trained. It turns out I lock my doors (and she knows how the deadbolts work, even if she can’t quite successfully open them) for the safety of other people, not mine. We had to alter our relationship a bit from doggie/person to doggie/handler, but now we spend time nearly everyday working commands and tracking hidden objects in the yard. I would do more bite work with her, but I don’t often have a volunteer to put on the sleeve. She is slightly more nervy than I would’ve chosen in a dog to train for protection work, but that could also be a result of her unknown past and being on her own long enough to nearly starve to death.

A GSD working dog is an incredible animal, and I thank my luck stars that our Head of Security ended up with us. She is a dog that probably wouldn’t work out as a pet for many people, but with some adjustments on our part, she does for us. The bond between handler and working dog is pretty incredible. I know understand why people pay lots of money for trained a GSD from the European an working lines

When we go places, the head of security guards the car. She is especially vocal in warning people walking on sidewalks toward the car. The lab/pitbull mix is a big baby, but she is our big baby. Soft places to lay are very important to her.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/16/2017 at 15:24

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jordang1028 > Honeybunchesofgoats 02/17/2017 at 00:23

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Here’s my sideways mutt. Best dog in the world. After owning a purebred westie I will never own another purebred. That dog had skin, ear, and eye problems from 2yrs old onward.