Finn is, in fact, a third generation descendent of the excellent Irish Red + White outcross programme which crossed working Irish Setters in to the IRWS. In the screamier reaches of the purebred world where far more distant outcrosses induce outrage, this makes Finn a mongrel.
National Purebred Dog Day, which describes individual dog breeds as "museum pieces with a pulse" claims it celebrates diversity....
In truth the IRWS outcross initiative, supported by the Irish Kennel Club, is not a huge leap. The Irish Setter and Irish Red + White Setter were all one and the same breed until the 1970s. But, still, it has met a lot of opposition within the show community - see here and here.
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To its credit, the UK Kennel Club supports the initiative and, today, outcrossed IRWS are proving successful both in the field and in the show-ring.
It's great news for the breed.
Museum pieces with a pulse. How appropriate: divorced from any functional context, decaying and propped up only with extensive and ongoing effort. Perfect.
ReplyDeleteWell put.. people so often disregard the quality of life their dogs are living, all for their own selfish reasons. It is often shocking to me how common it is for A LOT of people to think their pets are little more than machines, or simply an extension of themselves. If they look good, they must be healthy and happy.. those people are simply incapable of empathy. More than sad, thats a disaster.
Deletethird generation descendent of the excellent Irish Red + White outcross Terrier Dog Breeds
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