tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post678000638829915068..comments2024-03-17T08:06:06.686+00:00Comments on Pedigree Dogs Exposed - The Blog: New campaign targets Crufts - Parody or Peta?Jemima Harrisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05092892697145388048noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-42789804104658657932011-03-07T17:48:03.236+00:002011-03-07T17:48:03.236+00:00Manda, your idea makes perfect sense to me and may...Manda, your idea makes perfect sense to me and may be the breed's only hope for survival.Annienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-54936007849538512952011-03-06T16:37:33.234+00:002011-03-06T16:37:33.234+00:00I know what I would do with the Cavalier problem a...I know what I would do with the Cavalier problem and I will probably get shot for saying this, but here goes:-<br /><br />I would be looking to outcross with another similar breed but without the S.M. problem or the heart problem and I would try to re-create the breed but in a much healthier form, with very selective and careful breeding and plenty of health testing.<br /><br />Cavaliers are such wonderful little dogs and it would be such a shame to lose the breed as they make fantastic pets for children, elderly and basically anyone. My first dog was a Cavalier, a Ruby one, and I competed in Obedience with her and she did great. Sadly she dies at 11 from a heart attack, but was pretty much a healthy, sound little dog.Mandanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-54668265537005747922011-02-18T00:53:23.340+00:002011-02-18T00:53:23.340+00:00Anon wrote: "Am very surprised to hear that B...Anon wrote: "Am very surprised to hear that Battersea won't call a purebred dog a pedigree just because they don't have papers" the Dalmatians you keep on harping on about arnt pure bred but do have papers, would you call them non pedigrees then?!? you say one thing to suit your self but twist it when it doesn't"<br /><br />That doesn't make a blind bit of sense, Anon... Want to have another go?Jemima Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05092892697145388048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-72545360981462320502011-02-18T00:48:06.218+00:002011-02-18T00:48:06.218+00:00If it was really up to me, I'd say "stop&...If it was really up to me, I'd say "stop". I think the little dogs have suffered enough. <br /><br />I think the only way that the continuation of the breed is justified would be if it was possible to establish a Cavalier Breeding Council made up of respected,health-focused breeders, geneticists and epidemiologists. The CBC would approve every breeding and only pups from those breedings are KC-registered. It goes without saying that the matings have to meet or exceed all current breeding guidelines and tackle the tricky issue of genetic diversity too. Every pup is monitored for life, fully screened etc. Every result is published. This sounds horribly big-brother but the situation is serious enough to warrant it.<br /><br />I think a properly thought-out outcross project should be established as well, perhaps trying a variety of options.Jemima Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05092892697145388048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-81682032821721796622011-02-18T00:29:28.071+00:002011-02-18T00:29:28.071+00:00"Am very surprised to hear that Battersea won..."Am very surprised to hear that Battersea won't call a purebred dog a pedigree just because they don't have papers" the Dalmatians you keep on harping on about arnt pure bred but do have papers, would you call them non pedigrees then?!? you say one thing to suit your self but twist it when it doesnt.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-62808070769649943892011-02-18T00:13:46.870+00:002011-02-18T00:13:46.870+00:00Jemima what is the solution to the Cavaliers probl...Jemima what is the solution to the Cavaliers problems? What would you do with them if it were entirely down to you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-10044955420563692222011-02-16T16:49:58.613+00:002011-02-16T16:49:58.613+00:00Yes, take the point made about a Battersea mongrel...Yes, take the point made about a Battersea mongrel being a real mix in the past. <br /><br />The reason this no longer happens is because dogs do not stray like they did. <br /><br />But I still want to contend re the purebreds. Here's a link to the GSDs currently listed at Battersea. Not one of them is purebred:<br /><br />http://www.battersea.org.uk/applications/dynamic/gallery_dogs.rm?filter_breed=generalanimalinformation_root.dogbreeds.germanShepherdDog&filter_size=&filter_gender=&filter_centre=&filter_ages=&filter_livedogs=&id=46<br /><br />And here are the labradors: all crosses<br /><br />http://www.battersea.org.uk/applications/dynamic/gallery_dogs.rm?filter_breed=generalanimalinformation_root.dogbreeds.labradorretriever&filter_size=&filter_gender=&filter_centre=&filter_ages=&filter_livedogs=&id=46<br /><br />I realise this is just a snapshot of the current situation; perhaps it is different at other times.<br /><br />Am very surprised to hear that Battersea won't call a purebred dog a pedigree just because they don't have papers. As they say, it's easy enough to tell. Have to say I've never heard of a rescue organisation taking this stance. (And I do work in rescue myself.)Jemima Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05092892697145388048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-71742713606405544722011-02-16T16:34:46.116+00:002011-02-16T16:34:46.116+00:00Hi Jemima - I spoke to Battersea and though they k...Hi Jemima - I spoke to Battersea and though they know a pure bred dog when they see one, as most of their dogs are strays they have no paperwork to prove they are pedigree - so they cant always call them that. But an experienced dog person can usually tell by looking whether a dog is likely to be pedigree or not and they have, or have had, many GSD's, Jack Russell, Labs and Rotties that they are happy to describe as pure bred.<br /><br />As for the Heinz 57 mongrels I referred to, the 42 mongrels you mentioned are bullie/staffie crosses - not the mish-mash of breeds of the mongrel of old. Battersea recognises this distinction.<br /><br />Battersea's Customer Service Manager Carlton Spears told me “Years ago a Battersea Mongrel would be a medium to large sized dog with a bit of everything in it. Today our Mongrels often have some Staffordshire Bull Terrier . . ." <br /><br />To me these are Staffy crosses, not "old fashioned" mongrels.Maurice Mezakhttp://petstreet.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-2038977563208129542011-02-14T16:45:04.056+00:002011-02-14T16:45:04.056+00:00Thanks for the comment, Maurice. When this website...Thanks for the comment, Maurice. When this website refers to "filthy half breeds" in rescues it is having a poke at the Kennel Club and breeders for their attitude towards purity. <br /><br />Yes, we mentioned the parallels between Kennel Club breeding practices and eugenics. Not the first and won't be the last.<br /><br />Have a look at Pat Burns' take on this (inc the Comments). Sharply worded as ever, but his references are sound:<br /><br />http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.com/2011/02/canine-neo-nazis-have-their-panties-in.html<br /><br />Re the claim that many dogs in rescues are pedigrees - just checked Battersea and they currently have 42 mongrels and a lot of crossbreeds available. The dogs listed under Labrador and GSD are all crosses, not purebred. Only one springer, one cocker, one greyhound. Lots of staffies, of course (although a lot of those are crosses too) and a fair few Rotties. But it is not true to say that rescues are overflowing only with pedigree dogs.<br /><br />JemimaJemima Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05092892697145388048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-67606814476876751052011-02-14T15:01:29.481+00:002011-02-14T15:01:29.481+00:00Hi Jemima - Wasn't there a sequence in Pedigre...Hi Jemima - Wasn't there a sequence in Pedigree Dogs Exposed that compared pedigree dog breeding with Nazi eugenics? What did you mean?<br /><br /><br />You also say above that this website "makes the point that people should adopt a rescue dog than buy a pedigree pup". Many support that sentiment, however the website you refer to says that people are not adopting rescue dogs as they are "filthy half breeds". I dont have accurate data but I think that many dogs in rescues are in fact pedigrees. It is actually very hard to find a "heinz 57" mongrel nowadays - they just dont seem to exist.<br /><br />I support your efforts in highlighting some of the health issues in pedigree dogs and the resistance of certain breed clubs to accept change. <br /><br />But I believe that as a pedigree dog lover you are providing succor and support to an animal rights agenda that you know full well is totally opposed to all companion animals. Where's the logic in that?<br /><br />Maurice Melzak<br />Editor PetStreet.co,uk/Maurice Mezakhttp://www.petstreet.co.uk/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-7658490726028934592011-02-14T06:35:07.515+00:002011-02-14T06:35:07.515+00:00Most people who support PeTA don't know that P...Most people who support PeTA don't know that PeTA wants "total animal liberation." I think many of the celebrities who show up at the big PeTA fundraisers have no clue.<br /><br />Here's a quote from PeTA president and founder Ingrid Newkirk (who is British, right?):<br /><br />“I don’t use the word 'pet.' I think it’s speciesist language. I prefer 'companion animal.' For one thing, we would no longer allow breeding. People could not create different breeds. There would be no pet shops. If people had companion animals in their homes, those animals would have to be refugees from the animal shelters and the streets. You would have a protective relationship with them just as you would with an orphaned child. But as the surplus of cats and dogs (artificially engineered by centuries of forced breeding) declined, eventually companion animals would be phased out, and we would return to a more symbiotic relationship – enjoyment at a distance.”Katenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-18292867217712808582011-02-13T12:47:57.135+00:002011-02-13T12:47:57.135+00:00Not what I said, DP... I said that Peta doesn'...Not what I said, DP... I said that Peta doesn't have any clout in the UK. There are, indeed, other more powerful groups in the UK - although none calling for the abolition of pets as far as I'm aware. That is not a message that would get support here.<br /><br />JemimaJemima Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05092892697145388048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-56844448606479682232011-02-13T12:41:39.505+00:002011-02-13T12:41:39.505+00:00You don't think that the animal rights people ...You don't think that the animal rights people have much clout in the UK?<br /><br />What about the Huntingdon Laboratories case and who do you think was instrumental in passing the "Hunting with Dogs" law??Dorothea Penizekhttp://www.claremorris-parson-russells.atnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1183957703077342201.post-40143293379536047232011-02-11T17:32:23.402+00:002011-02-11T17:32:23.402+00:00There is an equally bad animal rights group in the...There is an equally bad animal rights group in the USA: the Humane Society of the US (H$U$). PETA and H$U$ are a pair. H$U$ uses its massive contributions to fund anti-pet and anti-breeder legislation in states, counties, and municipalities throughout the USA. It does not operate any animal shelters or pet adoption centers, and less than 1% of its monies are used to support shelters for homeless dogs and cats. See humanewatch.org for more info. -- Rod Russell, USAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com