Friday, January 12, 2007

How's YOUR hybrid.....?

From YAHOO ANSWERS:

Boston/Pug breeding question....?
I have a 1 1/2 yr old Bugg (Boston/pug mix) that I want to breed, but I don't know if I should breed her with a Boston or a Pug. I know it would be best to find a male Bugg, but in my small town I have the only one that I know of, I am sure there are more just don't know where. Which should i breed her with? She is getting ready to go into heat in the next few weeks. Thanks.
********************************************************************************

OK, there is no such thing as a Bugg or a Schnoodle or a freakin Labradoodle!

Take one dog with bad genes (any breed) add another dog with bad genes (any OTHER breed) and you are still going to get a dog with genetic issues. Breeding two different breeds May reduce the change of overlapping issues-but I bet Bostons/Pugs, being small, short snouted dogs, have similiar issues anyone. Somewhere, someone's registered something mated with someone's registered something else, and they got a great marketing idea......and a "green sounding" buzzword-hybrid dog.

And papers www.akc.org are about as much of a guarantee of health as the breeders of the hybrids "word". They are a guarantee of the dogs lineage or pedigree, but necessarily the soundness of the dog. Just because a breeder can supply you a "full blooded" (oh god I hate that term) dog with "Papers" (used to mean AKC ,but could be UKC, APRI, etc.) doesn't mean they know what they are doing.

Horse people, cattle people etc. seem to have a little more sense, maybe it's horse sense. A sound animal, suitable for the purpose for which it was intended, is just that, papers, full blooded or not. Dogs seem to be more like furry barbie dolls, where you trade papers and pedigrees like pogs.....(does anyone else remember pogs?)

Now Toy breeds don't need much in the way of physical prowess to be suitable for the purpose that they are meant for-they are meant for laps and visiting nursing homes and lots of other wonderful things (like piling on top of me while I doze in the recliner). But we still have an obligation to breed dogs that can ambulate without pain, unlike Greta (or Dottie before her knee surgery).

People out there, instead of spending thousands of dollars so you can brag about your Chug (chihuahua pug) or you Morkie (maltese yorkie), go out and find a dog like Greta and take care of her and then if you want to brag about all the money you spent.

Let's make Rescue Dog the new chic thing. (And while you are at it, spay/neuter).


On a happier note-Greta has permission to join me at the Senior Center for "our" recovery. Cody will most likely come along too-he wouldn't like being the only poi at the kennel so we are all set with the little girls going to stay with Grandma in Oklahoma.

1 comment:

Rachael said...

I hate the whole "designer dog" trend. I always tell people you can find a smorgousboard of "Designer Dogs" at your local animal shelter, or humane society. For hundreds of years they've been known as "mutts"...a mongrel dog by any other name.....

I'm with you, I can't wait until rescuing a dog becomes the in thing to do.