Sunday 20 September 2015

The dog delusion



The stench of cognitive dissonance is never so pungent as it is when a bunch of Neapolitan Mastiff show breeders and owners get together.

Last month, there was a UK get-together of the UK branch of CACEP. 

Wazzat?

CACEP is a group of Neapolitan Mastiff breeders and owners "devoted to the revival of the true Neapolitan Mastiff", as Sheila Atter reported in last week's DogWorld.

There, she gave CACEP's mission statement:
  “'The Neapolitan Mastiff of the future will be a dog chosen from individuals with strong muscle tone, dryness and muscularity of the trunk, athleticism with balanced type, general wrinkles, divided dewlap that best represent the unique expression of our breed. 
 "“CACEP will demonstrate to the latest generations of fans, who often have a distorted idea of Mastino Napoletano, made up of excess hypertypical dogs, that the Neapolitan Mastiff is not done with too much skin and too much weight, but of muscle, power, strength and physical endurance. This is the Neapolitan Mastiff that our ancestors gave us. This is the Neapolitan Mastiff that we have a duty to choose and leave a legacy to our children.”
Oh, and....
“...the Mastino Napoletano must have the soul, the psyche of the true Neapolitan Mastiff, an indomitable dog, indifferent to pain, with a powerful bite, with courage. A dog capable of being an incorruptible, unsurpassed guardian of humans and defender of property. A terrible opponent for anyone."  
Goodness! Well, I suppose they could sit on a burglar... suffocate them with their wrinkles?
Drown them in slobber, perhaps? But at least it's a relief to hear that they're breeding them to not feel pain given the state of their eyes.


You think I'm joking?



The UK arm of CACEP is the initiative of Kim Slater, former health rep for the main UK Neapolitan Club who gave up the health co-ordinator's job because...well, various reports, but essentially I think her frustration with the resistance within the breed club to embrace real change.

Slater talks a good game when it comes to health. She has done a lot to encourage breeders to health-test their dogs - and that is something. There was even a vet and Philippa Robinson of the Karlton Index at this event, the latter doing a health survey.  But pin Slater down and she confesses to liking "typey" dogs (i.e. dogs that anyone outside of the breed would consider overdone).  And, in truth, if she was really that concerned about Neapolitan Mastiff health, she would ask the KC to de-register the breed on the entirely valid grounds that the show-bred version of this breed is a disgrace to dogdom.

But no. Slater wants to be seen to be proactive on health while still embracing a dog that is very over-exaggerated. That this is somehow justified because of the dogs'  "ancient" roots is laughable.

Now there were certainly Mastiff-type dogs on Roman murals. But they looked like this:


Not like this.


The breed was, in fact, recreated in the 1950s  - see Terrierman's excellent piece on that here. They remained clean-lined, reasonably moderate, imposing dogs for the next 20/30 yrs.  The dogs below are from the 1960s and 1970s and they have real presence - particularly the first two. You'd think twice about entering their property, wouldn't you? And while they're big and solid, they still look athletic. You can also see their eyes and they have open nostrils (many of today's show-dogs are stenotic).





But then the show-ring really got hold of them. And before long, we ended up with a dog that couldn't even see an intruder, let along intimidate one.








Oh. And every single one of the modern dogs above was bred by or belongs to the man that Kim Slater invited over to judge at the CACEP event in the UK.  Here he is, on the right at the CACEP event - Nello Vacarro of the Della Rupe Mastino Kennel.


Vacarro is from Rome and looks rather scarier than his dogs, so hope I'm not risking life and limb by calling him out here. His Facebook page is open (well, as I write this) so you can see for yourself what kind of dogs he likes.  Now there are one or two recent more moderate dogs there but, really, way, WAY too many that look like the ones above - and this one below with red pits for eyes.


Have a look, too, at the "magnificent"trophy awarded at the CACEP event.  As I pointed out in the Comments section on Sheila Atter's DogWorld piece - all I see is a sad, mutated, mutilated dog. And, boy, those roses....!



The whole thing is completely delusional. 

If the 2014 KC Health Survey reports findings as bleak as I expect with this breed (it isn't just the hideous conformation, it's that they're lucky to make five or six years old before keeling over), I will be breaking a personal rule and launching a petition - to persuade the Kennel Club to de-register them until breeders can demonstrably show the dogs can lead longer, less-encumbered lives.  

Seriously, anyone who buys into the current sleight of mouth should be ashamed of themselves. And that includes those facilitating this nonsense by trotting round the CACEP event with clipboards.

Sure, the KC registers only about 60 a year. But these are almost all show-bred and if there wasn't a show-ring for them to lumber round, there would be no incentive to breed them.  

The absolute quickest and kindest way to cure the Neapolitan Mastiff's problems is, quite simply, to not breed them.

Watch this space.

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45 comments:

  1. Looking at the state of those dogs makes me want to cry.

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    1. Surely this is way beyond breeding and more systematic animal abuse? Are there no European laws?

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    2. I think there are "European laws" that have set precedents for banning this kind of breeding in other domestic animals like Goldfish. I expect it would cover this absolutely.

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  2. Disgusting dogs - Rude, but true. I'm all for the petition to de-register them. There is a Neo that lives up the road from me and I hate seeing it try and walk and fetch a ball.

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    1. It isn't the dogs fault anon 1604. It's the people who are breeding for deformity and if you had to live your life with such disabilities you too would be unhappy. The dog close to you, it's probably an absolute sweetheart but because he probably smells from his excess skin, can't see because of his excess skin, can't eat because of his excess skin, can't sniff because of his excess skin, can't move because of his excess skin, that isn't his fault, it's his breeder and the KC who allow deformity and cruelty to be bred into these dogs and others. It's never a bad dog anon, but I'd put money where my mouth is and say it is a bad human. Have a bit of compassion for that poor dog please he wants to walk and fetch balls, he wants to be a dog but he has been bred deliberately not to be a dog. How anyone can put in a breed standard able to take pain stoically is one sick organisation and an organisation is made of people.

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  3. Anonymous, it´s not that disgust. It´s the heartless ignorance of their breeders. Jemima, if you do start a petition, let us know. We are many wanting to sign.

    Bodil Carlsson

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  4. That is just sad. How anyone can see that as a desirable appearance and not abject pain is beyond me.

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  5. awful to see this pain. And thanks again for making it so visible!

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  6. Horrible and painful. Thank you again for making this so visible!

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  7. Sure recipe for disaster: create a breed out of two individuals, chosen to try and match dogs found on an ancient mural . . . and then allowing selection to be dominated by the show ring and a breed club/judges that prefers 'typey' individuals, with NO attention to function.
    We need more attention to what's behind a pedigree (I could do without the zombie images).
    Creation of new breeds is fine . . . if it's done right. The rat terrier (aka Teddy Roosevelt terrier) is a pretty spunky little breed. But they were bred from several breeds and many lines, selecting for function.
    Btw. it would be interesting to run the KC software on the dogs you have shown and try and work out their putative COI's. The KC software drops dogs from consideration if they originate outside the UK . . . so I'll bet these guys all appear as 'not-inbred' despite all originating from a founding pair (or were a few other dogs brought in . . . in either case . . . they are highly inbred). Big problem for managing genetic diversity.

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    1. FYI, the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is the short legged dwarf version of the Jack Russell Terrier. It is not a Rat Terrier, which is a feist type of dog of normal proportions. Rat Terriers, like all feists, were primarily used as overland hunters. They have to be leggy & fast. They will go to ground, but they're a more generalist type of varmint dog. Short legged dogs cannot keep up.

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    2. The Teddy Roosevelt Terrier is not a Jack Russell Terrier. It is a dwarf version of the Rat Terrier. There are dwarf versions of JRTs, but they are not called Teddy Roosevelt Terriers.

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    3. Thanks for the correction. I read somewhere that the rattie was known as a Teddy Roosevelt Terrier in the UK. Guess not

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    4. Never heard of the Teddy Roosevelt Terrier in the UK..

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  8. If the KC follow through on their promise to patrol the ringsides and remove any dogs that are unfit and possibly suffering then someone needs a good kicking. Because if they have martialled this breed and let these types through it means that the KC could be held responsible for allowing real cruelty being bred into this breed. I would definitely and absolutely say that some of the dogs shown above suffer and that the relevant authorities should be involved. How the KC can pass these exaggerations is disgraceful, but they are being reckless with other breeds too and if a petition is going to be raised, I'm a definite signee. I notice, with relief, that after the hammering the KC have just taken on the facebook page about Assured Breeders Scheme that they have removed the promotion for now. Several people have picked up on sites that are advertising kc reg pups, I have looked at the site and the wording is vague, just as vague and misleading as the wording about the ABS. Hopefully there will be an expose about that too, because there are a lot of people waiting for replies and responses from them. The KC are rapidly killing themselves by their own hand. As for the breeder I looked on his site, shocking.

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  9. It's a train wreck of a breed always has been from what I've seen over the years. Front ends jammed onto back ends, dipped hollow backs, croup high, splayed limbs, flat feet, excess wrinkling......

    One look by anyone even vaguely versed in confirmation to function would instinctually turn away and instantly!

    However lingering as a judge must, surely the fact that this is a mess of a breed cannot be going unnoticed. Even if showing judges are so desensitised as not to see the obvious welfare problems its just not a pretty, functional, sight.

    No matter who quite honestly is the beholder, it's not a pretty functional sight!

    Its interesting that the Romans 2000 years ago had infinately more sense, their dogs looked terrific. I too can gain inspiration from those depiction's.

    Instead what do we see?

    To be honest the whole look is impotent, like the foreskin of a flaccid geriatric penis.

    Imagine dragging that along the pavement for walkies!? Expect some oohs and aaahs most definately.

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    1. When it comes to judges of a dog show, I believe they have to award a ribbon no matter how poor the specimens are. A dog, presumably the least non functional Neo, must win. A judge cannot refrain from awarding a ribbon because all the dogs are non functional. It is not up to them solely. They apply the standard and pick a dog. Areas of concern include the whole showing model, breed standards, breeders and pet owners.

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    2. Anon 10:30 in the UK a judge has a responsibility to judge the dogs in front of them on the day. If they see a poor specimen they have right to withhold awards. I think the word "functional" is a red herring. Dogs regardless of breed, should be able to breathe and move, see and hear, be in good body condition,happy. The UKKC supposedly monitors ringside at shows and have the authority to remove unsound, exaggerated dogs, which I believe is then subject to a vet check. So breeds like Neopolitan Mastiffs of the types shown above in the photographs should never be allowed to be judged because anyone can see that those dogs are damaged and suffering. Until KCs take responsibility and act on their promise to promote the wellbeing of dogs breeders will continue to breed for disability unless the KC publicly remove these poor disabled dogs and show that they are serious about bad breeding practices. It almost needs for the breed standards to be revised and state that exxaggerations of the like above will result in dogs being removed and the breeders/owners fined.

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    3. Georgina, can you point to an instance where a judge has "withheld an award"?

      I believe the dog showing model uses ring side checks to remove dogs unfit for the show. Therefore, out of those that make it into the ring, one must be awarded the ribbon.

      The whole dog showing model is broken.

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    4. No ring side checks in the UK. And judges can withhold - and can dismiss from the ring for e.g. lameness.

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    5. Yes fair enough Jemima. The point I am hoping to highlight here (I am Anon 10:30 and 01:29) is that judges play a big role in the dog showing world, which is the setting for a lot of the misery surrounding purebred dogs. You and Georgina reckon judges can 'withhold an award'. I do not see this happening at all, let alone occasionally. Judges need to be brought into our views (as people concerned about the welfare of purebred dogs). They can become a key to improving the state of affairs, using the KC's own game: Dog Showing.

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    6. Oh no doubt you're right that the judges could be a powerful force for change - and I think the judging guidance in Scandinavia and the UK has had *some* impact. The problem is that it's very evident that many judges don't know a dog's arse from its elbow. So much of the stuff they're taught is bollocks. And much of the problem, in my view, lies in breaking dogs down into component parts. I don't think they see them as a harmonious (or disharmonious) whole any more. They might be able to judge a breed point, but they've lost sight of the dog.

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  10. I totally agree this breed needs to be deregistered. And not only because of the exaggerations causing serious health concerns, but because of temperament. In the world of 2015, we do NOT need a single dog on earth to fit the description:

    "indifferent to pain, with a powerful bite... a terrible opponent for anyone."

    We already have this in the U.S. with the American Pit Bull Terrier, which kills twice as many humans (> 30) and orders of magnitude more pets (> 18,000) every year than all other 300 breeds COMBINED. Owning a dog bred specifically to attack people AND have a high pain tolerance is like walking around with a loaded AK-47 on the streets. I worked as a dog behavior consultant for many years, specializing in aggression, and I probably worked with every Neo in my state at some point for attacking people.

    In a famous incident at an international dog training conference in the 90's, a Neo was brought to the stage to demonstrate the use of treats--given by the owner at a distance--for desensitization to strangers. The dog broke free and almost immediately began mauling the speaker with no provocation of any kind.

    I love the diversity of breeds, and there is a place in 2015 for dogs that do agility, obedience, herding, scentwork, etc. However, we need zero dogs bred for aggression. No matter what the job, there is no reason why every breed cannot have the same temperament breed standard of my dog's breed (the Papillon). In full, it reads:

    "Happy, alert and friendly. Neither shy nor aggressive."

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    1. You are absolutely incorrect. Police dogs, military dogs, livestock guardian dogs all require a certain level of aggressiveness to do their very important jobs. Your fear of canine aggression does not equal a worldwide need to eliminate this integral trait from our finest domesticated predator, the dog. Don't equate badly bred dogs with incompetent handlers with some kind of crisis that calls for the elimination of all forms of useful aggression.

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    2. Couldn't agree more....

      Breeding dogs with euphemisms for difficult to socialise and a propensity towards aggression to people and animals which they have to live with should be called out for what it is.

      STUPID, SELFISH AND IRRESPONSIBLE.

      This is the 21st century. Install an alarm system and try boosting your ego some other way....People who own these large, predatory breeds look pretty ridiculous and definitely not tough.

      Breed standards can be ripped up. They only exist on paper. They are not the holy grail.

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    3. I wonder how many of those alleged killer "pitbulls" are actually even remotely purebred APBT. A dog like that is a very small an athletic thing, designed only for killing dogs of its own size. I can't imagine a 15 kg dog pulling down and killing an adult human, as supposedly happens. They must be crosses with larger dogs, and pretty much ANY dog that is displaying aggression can be labeled "pitbull" by the media and police.

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    4. S.K.Y "I love the diversity of breeds, and there is a place in 2015 for dogs that do agility, obedience, herding, scentwork, etc."

      Including in et cetera would surely be gaurdian, shutshund, vermin control, hunting types in general. Working dogs don't stop with herding and scent work, or the recreational type activities such as agility.......

      Yes many don't make good pets. I dont think Border Collies make good pets, this doesn't unfortunately stop unsuitable people from keeping them.

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    5. Border Collies can make amazing pets for reasonably active homes. Some can be very soft/biddable and not at all hyper. I know.. I have one!

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    6. Oh Ok yours excluded. (: I also had a lovely pit-bull called Lilly. She was a bless. As happy snuggling up on the settee as killing king cobras in the garden.

      Yes I think Border Collies can make good pets but it's not the norm. Not a breed I would recommend for your average household because putting it mildly the chances of ending up with a hyper, extremely intense, high drive nut-job is rather high. For dedicated owners with every second of their lives to spare and more, yes why not.

      In general they will drive you completely around the bend within a week. My JRT's would do the same.

      Glad yours turned out OK, but I suspect you knew that already or you wouldnt have taken it on board. I often think the intelligence but in a calmer model would be absolutely ideal for a medium sized dog.

      Maybe a cross....

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  11. That 'award' is beyond belief. I don't know if I'd have recognized it as a dog.

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  12. This article really highlights two big problems with dog pure-breeding today:

    1) The historical fallacy - Until 200 years ago, there was basically no such thing as a pure breed of dog, at least not by today's dogdom definition, which prohibits mixing. There were regional varieties (landraces), and people simply bred good dogs to good dogs, giving rise to a variety of types, such as primitive, sighthound, scent hound, molosser, and earthdog (terrier). People kept records, but there were no registries, and no stigma against outcrossing. Genetic diversity was much higher than in today's purebred dogs.

    2) Dogs were functional - Until the advent of dog fancy, the vast majority of dogs (with the exception of a few lapdogs) had a job to do. Whether it was hunting prey, herding livestock, or guarding estates, dogs had to be healthy because they had to be active. The modern show ring has forgotten about fitness, and therefore tends to engender unfit dogs.

    Both the inbreeding depression and the extreme body types we see today are legacies of 19th Century biology and ideology. They are extremely bad for dogs, and given how closed-minded dog fanciers appear to be, it's going to take more than sound logic to reform things; it's going to take regulation.

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    1. Yes.

      A very interesting breed example (amongst quite a few) is the strikingly handsome Patterdale terrier. Despite a fair amount of variation and tweaking by working kennels etc what a uniformly smarty pants dog it always seems to be. The Patterdale looks like it could walk out any show ring streaming with lovely blue and red ribbons just as it is, unmolested by generations of show breeding.

      As strikingly perfect as they are they aren't recognised by the KC or AKC, however they are by the UKC in Kalamazoo. That's in Michigan USA. In Kalamazoo Im not sure what they've been up to but UKC registration seems founded very much on closed stud books at least to me. Anyway what happens in America stays in America one hopes at least for the Patterdale.

      Recognition as a breed within a closed registry is the first step to any breeds ruination, and at this point in time its better a breed go extinct than find itself bred for the show ring alone within a closed register. Of course there is nothing wrong with registration itself, far from it.

      The Patterdale, beautifully put together, and yet it was never bred for aesthetics, or the show ring, but for function alone.

      This is the problem with pedigree pet dogs, show dogs. These aren't bred for work the work of being a pet, but for aesthetics sometimes very dubious aesthetics alone with the only function to be as exaggerated a specimen as possible to win on the day. Its quite true in my opinion many unregistered backyard equivalents make a better bet as a pet as a result.

      Yes it's true the Patterdale doesn't make for a good pet, at least not outside of a small enthusiastic minority. Those few that dont make good hunting dogs do of course make good pets.
      For a dog to make a successful "working pet" and companion it needs to be as robust health wise as any other working breed. They need constant tweaking to achieve this and as we all know this just cannot happen within closed registers.

      Of course a Patterdale with a lot less prey drive wouldn't exactly be the Patterdale we know and love. However Im sure something like it would make a lovely pet as long as its not bred for aesthetics alone within a closed register. I would have no problems with the Companion Patterdale idea even though I personally would if I was up for one prefer the hunting version.

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  13. All of those dogs look deformed and in pain to me. How anyone can breed dogs with eyes like that and be proud of it I don't know.

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  14. What a pity that you didn't include the photo of the dog that the Italian judge selected as the type that breeders SHOUD be aiming for - instead of just posting images of very exaggerated dogs.

    Kim Slater is working very hard to encourage the breeding of sound, healthy Mastinos. Instead of denigrating her efforts, shouldn't you be supporting her?

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  15. Kim is doing nothing, she talks the talks but doesnt walk the walk. if you look at the pups her male produced, and at the pup,she did breed,who won best puppy on cacep day and you know something of the breed than you must see this! Atu has, just like his Mother and grand mother very straight stiffles! And the pup.that become second on this video is a son of her vanila ice (his brother is severe epileptic) http://youtu.be/2zw91SWmsxY Never seen a pup with such a bad rear in a lot of years. Kim started cacep just because she wanted to be important again and to get back at club by stealing members.I quit cacep in my country after the show in the uk. Cacep stand realy for making the breed healthy again, but if you see wich dogs won their class. Freddo was a correct winner of the day, but a lot of dogs were not alowed to come. I like Freddo but he could have better eyes, but the thing for me is i downloaded pics of him while he was allready standing and running around before he was officialy born??? If they even lie abouth day of birth what else do the lie abouth? He had a different Mother to the first months. I know the breed a bit and the history of it, and i am Sad to say that cacep in uk is a step backwards instead of forwards. if you look at shows in uk the last few year then you allready see a lot of difference! Still not perfect but Rome wasn't build in a day. Cacep worldwide also promise a lot like doing healthtests and so on but i never seen results yet! I myself was defriended by Kim on fb just because i had the guts to ask about hipscores of freddo, with the answer i should mind my own business. Some people realy do what they have to in the breed but trust me, it is not cacep! Do you know one of the comité in uk (who is also not in neapolitan mastiff club no more) had allready more than 5 litters this year and parents were not healthtested. I do not say they are not healthy but cacep say we need to do healthtests. Cacep uk is a just promotion for their own dogs!

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    1. Could you provide evidence for the quite serious allegations you make above? i.e.. that there is a dispute over Freddo's date of birth (why would anyone lie about that?); that Kim defriended you for asking about Freddo's hip-scores (she's pro health-testing so that sounds unlikely), and that a CACEP committee member has bred five litters from parents who were not health-tested?

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    2. Goodness me! On that East England Show 2015 Puppy class there are some serious problems. 602.. was completely lame its right hind kept giving way, strangely enough it wasn't removed from the ring. Nor was fourth in line (dark brindle) with grotesque exaggerated broken down sickle hocks, third in line had pole straight hinds, roach backs, dipped backs, roach and dipped backs, elbows in and out, one couldn't even trot it ambled disunited in a odd camel like movement which is usually indicative of seasoned HD. 6017 looked like it should've been put to sleep right there and then. I've never seen a dog (a puppy in this case) with such completely and utterly dysfunctional movement, its back end has already completely given up the ghost! It looks to have severe ataxia, 6034 one hind is stiffly and permanently going west! Wobblers all of them! How can that be?

      This is a line up of absolute horrors and I couldn't even see their eyes.

      These are broken dogs and they're still puppies! What kind of a life can they expect? It's truly an outrage. They look to be such lovely, gorgeous characters too. An absolutely unforgivable tragedy.

      What can these people be thinking????!

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    3. Physically handicapped puppies, by design.

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    4. My goodness. Just watched that video. The reserve pup was quite obviously lame. Terrible hips and should have been dismissed. The winner was the only one that was remotely sound. The others... beyond awful. I was particularly worried for 6017 - there was something seriously wrong with that youngster.

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    5. Report the video to the RSPCA?

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  16. Jemima I suggest you ask Miss Slater for the health test results of the dogs she has bred and is breeding...they are not allegations. As with the other CACEP UK committee member who has bred numerous litters this year from mostly un health tested stock. Talking the talk is one thing...but when its all 'just talk' is another. If the health testing certs can be proven prior to litters being born then people will have more respect for these people. Prove the health testing in the ways that everyone else does (Using the health testing schemes where the results are published) and then people can say and believe that health tests are being carried out on the dogs and that health is a priority. Breeding from bitches at 6 years of age having their first litter, Sound like someone who truly cares about the health of dogs? Considering (as you say) that this breed rarely makes it past 6 or 7 I think that in itself says a lot! The one dog that Miss Slater did hip score didn't have the best hips; and yet was used to a dog with no hip score results let alone any other health results. And the Sire did have cherry eye as a puppy and the cherry eyes were removed before coming to the UK. There was pictures for all to see on the public profile you noted. Saying a dog is health tested is very different to providing the certificates of proof. All eye tests, hip tests and heart tests come with a certificate to prove they have been done. There is proof that Slater's dog's parentage and DOB was in question, this dog had all of his puppy points removed that he was awarded. It was in the KC breed notes. The dog at various shows in each catalogue was under 2 different dam's. Maybe it was a mistake! but I certainly know the name of the Dam of any puppy I bought long before I start entering my dogs for shows!
    Some people are very good at saying what people want to hear, above a post has been posted which shows what Neapolitan breeders are up against. In the you tube video the dogs being shown and judged are all part of CACEP UK - If CACEP truly believed in health then these dogs would not be exhibited. They are all puppies so they are clearly new dogs that have recently been bred. If judges really wanted to help this breed instead of awarding bad dogs because they do not wish to bring more publicity to the breed, then they should take a look at the breed in general and withold on placing bad dogs, bad eyes, lameness, dogs that do not do the breed any favours. Only then can the breed move forward. Sadly CACEP has become a scapegoat in the UK for breeders who do not wish to change anything but like to talk about changing everything.

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  17. Yes a judge can absolutely refuse to award a ribbon. It's called "lack of merit". Very, very few judges have the chutzpah to make this move, however.

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  19. This article makes me sick. The Neapolitan mastiff deserve to live, better living, but deserve to live. This Cacep association is new, lot of people from all the world are interested in this idea because the Neapolitan mastiff is in a bad situation, and not only because of actual breeders, but also from long time ago. Owners wanted also the biggest puppy, the most wrinkled puppy... Things are changing, but it will takes years to go back and do great job for this breed who deserve it. Considering that "eyes" problems are very important in this breedis true... But try to start breeding Neapolitan mastiff and you will SEE that there's other problems, many problems... This man you attack with pictures, is one of the first italian guy who was involved in Cacep idea. Is one of the first who want really a mastino who can run, who can play and who can do his job.... (guarding). I know as breeder, that Mastino is used as companion dog in our countries, but the mastino is really not a big lazy dog, who do not wake up when someone enter in the house.... You really should look closely to the dogs of this man, you really should take more informations about mastino situation in the all world. Things are changing, it will take lot of time, but I beleve in this idea and I hope for a beter future for this wonderful breed. Is too easy to make a judgment and say "this breed do not deserve to exist".

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    1. Why does it deserve to live on as breed? Its so completely messed up that it's only salvation is going to be if it's reinvented as another breed entirely?

      Whats so important about a name? Is ego more important than welfare?

      Any breed thats intentionally bred to suffer shouldn't be allowed to exist.

      How is this breed going to recover within a small closed registry of cripples?

      It's not possible.

      When I think for a moment that what you see in the ring is the cream of the crop Im aghast! Completely stunned that this is allowed to happen in any civilised society. Can you imagine what the show rejects then look like, those so called "pet" quality dogs????!!!!

      Its simply a kindness to end the breeds suffering. Breeders because of what they have to work with even if they had the will patently will not be able to do so.

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