Saturday 4 January 2020

Wasabi win confirms show-world commitment to cruelty


Apparently oblivious to the welfare concerns of breeding an extreme brachycephalic dog utterly swamped by its coat, Wasabi the Peke won Best in Show at the 2019 AKC Nationals in Orlando - which took place last month but aired on Animal Planet last Wednesday.

Literally nothing makes the dog show world look more outdated, ridiculous and cruel than breeding and rewarding dogs like this.

That is all.

Well not quite all.

Wasabi's grandfather is Malachy, who won the Westminster Dog Show in 2012.

Oh, and Wasabi's great-grandfather is Malachy, who won the Westminster Dog Show in 2012.

Ah, and Wasabi's great-great-grandfather is Malachy, who won the Westminster Dog Show in 2012.

Here's the pedigree, evidence that inbreeding is still considered perfectly acceptable in many parts of the show-world.


Wasabi's great-great-great grandfather is, in fact, Danny the Peke (Ch Yakee A Dangerous Liaison) who won Crufts in 2003 (and who, as we revealed in Pedigree Dogs Exposed, had been diagnosed with BOAS and had undergone surgery at Glasgow Vet School to alleviate his breathing problems before his BIS win).



This is what lies beneath the coat of a champion peke - a skeleton deliberately deformed to ensure the breeding typical "rolling gait" enshrined in a breed standard written long ago.



Now the Peke has always been compromised by its conformation, but at least they used to have moderate coats - a kindness in a breed that struggles to thermo-regulate because of its squished face.

1910 Ch Broad Oak Beetle
Kylin Faithful and Fearless 1909-1924

There is literally no one anywhere in the whole world outside of the show-ring who thinks today's show Peke is an improvement on these dogs. No one.

It's particularly depressing to see the fawning coverage from journalists and broadcasters in the US. Have a look at this on Good Morning America as a cringing example.

There are so few people speaking up in the US about the morality of breeding dogs like this and until they do, it is not going to change. Although there is a glimmer of hope in the comments on the AKC's Facebook post about the win (please do hop over there to comment if you feel strongly about this issue)




Barely-walking dust-bunny in fact. I have rarely seen a less animated dog than Wasabi. Perhaps hoping that if he keeps his head down, it will all go away.

EDIT 5/1/20: The AKC has now removed Vicki Brusellis Hummel's comment on its Facebook - likely because it had got so many likes that it was by default showing as the top comment.  They have deleted other 'negative' comments too although it's heartening to see that comments from those expressing concern/dismay still far outweigh the positive ones.  



21 comments:

  1. Perhaps change the name to show dogs exposed? Without keeping some track of bloodlines there's no way to avoid inbreeding. The pedigree can be coupled with health and performance data to produce dogs that are better fit for purpose

    ReplyDelete
  2. So sad. I know what it's like to not breathe right. Poor dogs. Not beautiful at all to struggle to breathe

    ReplyDelete
  3. Why don't you get a life!

    ReplyDelete
  4. So sad that politics is in the show ring. Best in show is suppose to show what the breed standard is.. Close to perfect..I wouldn't call it standard or no where near perfect. Damn Shame!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is just one more reason I boycott these ridiculous shows.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm sorry, but that's not inbreeding. Having one dog in a pedigree repeated in the 3rd, 4th and 5th generations of a 6 generation pedigree is not unusual. It called "line breeding", attempting to bring forward the traits you want but allowing enough diversity. There is nothing wrong with this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jk, I am unsure if you have any scientific information behind your claim that so called line breeding is not inbreeding nor does it have anything wrong with it.

      Care to ask a vet, who would have definite scientific information behind his or her training, about line breeding?

      Delete
    2. The dog in question is already more inbred than usual MateSelect has him at a COI of 14.95%
      That ONE dog that is represented THREE TIMES in the pedigree is already more inbred than the average Peke. And Pequest Lucy and Pequest Devon are half siblings because they share the same father. Their FATHER Yakee Easily Persuaded has a COI of 18.3% The annual breed average is 9.1% Yakee is literally more than 2 times more inbred than the average Peke.

      "12.5% would equate to the genetic equivalent of a dog produced from a grandfather to granddaughter mating"

      An entire THREE generations of dogs are related to one another on every side of his pedigree.

      Literally the Kennel Club itself calls it inbreeding. Line breeding IS INBREEDING. That is coming straight from the horse's mouth.

      Delete
    3. Linebreeding is indeed inbreeding. The possible negative outcomes are lower than if you mated full siblings, but over the generations, can be devastatingly cumulative.

      I suggest you start here: https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-breeders/inbreeding/

      Delete
    4. That certainly sounds like inbreeding, just given a nicer sounding name and being, in theory, somewhat distant inbreeding. I'm pretty sure most people here know what "line breeding" is, but disagree that there's nothing wrong with it. "Line breeding" has absolutely led to some real high coefficients of inbreeding among purebred dogs, as Jemima has highlighted in previous blogs, because it is inbreeding. We can argue about how much inbreeding is acceptable for the sake of certain traits, but line breeding is inbreeding.

      Delete
    5. Linebreeding is inbreeding. The only reason that people think it's okay to do this is because it takes several generations for the negative effects to be fully realized.

      Let me put it this way; you'd be hard pressed to find a cow with a coefficient of inbreeding as high as Wasabi's, and we eat cows rather than expecting them to live healthy long lives!

      Delete
    6. A rose is a rose... line breeding is inbreeding. What is Wasabi's CoI anyway?

      Delete
    7. line-breeding is definition is literally inbreeding why is it that everyone who comes to this blog are the dumbest "dog people" on the planet noone on here knows a thing about dogs not even jemima.

      Delete
  7. I grew up going to dog shows and spending time with "dog people", and I've come to understand that maybe only 30% of the people at dog shows actually LIKE dogs... and those ones tend to cycle through and drop out pretty quickly.

    The rest are there because they like the human camaraderie, or because they like being an expert at something, or because they've made this their profession and can't imagine having any other job.

    Sure, these people like the IDEA of dogs, and they're generally capable of keeping them fed and alive, but liking actual dogs? Dogs, those noisy, bitey, pooping animals who like to run and chase things and roll in stuff? Most dog show folks aren't really into those.

    How else to explain the persistence of crooked-legged, short-faced animals that struggle to breathe? How else to explain the continued production of dogs who are so genetically unsound that they are lucky not to develop a fatal cancer by age 8? How else should we view the standards that have no basis whatsoever on the dog's actual function or fitness?

    It becomes apparent that whatever it is that these folks love, it isn't dogs...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've thought this too.
      They may love the breed as a hobby /obsession. But they do not like the individual dogs.
      That's why many just put their older dogs in pet homes and bring on a new puppy.

      They are objects, and easily replaceable

      Delete
    2. a dog show wouldn't always be a good place to find dog lovers because a lot of people at a show exhibiting the dogs are professional handlers. There is a difference from a breeder proud of their dog and someone who is showing dogs literally for the money since it's their job.

      Delete
  8. perhaps you Jemima should ask David ( the owner breeder handler) about the winner..ask about health tests . how the dog lives . etc if you are so concerned.. go to the source..or get your judging license and straighten it all out . LOL

    ReplyDelete
  9. become a judge make sure you only put up dogs you like . meanwhile why not ask for the health test on this gorgeous dog .. kudos to his owner breeder handler . quite an accomplishment

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why would anyone with the brain to recognise the abominations show breeders have turned these dogs into, want to judge them? This isn't about simple dislike, this is about 'desired' features that directly harm a dogs quality of life. The problem is people like you who are too blind and stubborn to recognise that fact.

      Delete
    2. OK tell me what you are doing to help the situation I'm waiting.....

      Delete