Breed manipulation: what's your view?

[A1ex]

I agree, depends on the results. I'm sure cross breeds are generally more resilient the pedigrees for examples as there is a better section of genes available.

All breeds we have today are from cross breeding in one way or another. Can you remember the name of that program? Was it puppies in the womb?

[2lude]

I really can't I just caught it flicking through channels as they were walking into the sheds for those that didn't see it they also bred a non human liking side and if they were not in the cages they would quite happily kill anyone that went in their

[2lude]

http://cbsu.tc.cornell.edu/ccgr/behavio ... havior.htm

[Donald]

It's how they are brought up not the breed its the owners not the animal that make a good bad dog

Their are times like the picture below were I could kill him as he eat the sofa bed however its my own fault for not walking him enough so he git bored and lonely

Yes the reputation of most terriers is ruined due to the chav culture, I've been around staffies and other dogs that fall under the dangerous dogs act all my life, not once have I had a problem, but then I do know of people that have had incidents. It makes me laugh how pit bull types (there is no specific pit bull breed, the definition between a pit and staff is purely on size and shape) are banned, yet dogs used specifically for attack by the armed forces are perfectly fine to own... but that's a whole other debate.

Your sofa is a familiar sight my dog has a taste for cat flaps, I used to have a wooden back door until I came home one day to find the dog in the garden, with the cat flap and wooden door panel in pieces.

Trouble is, man has been doing this since they first met wolves 15,000 years ago and all breeds of commonly known dogs have been bred from traits. They have a foxtwo gene (I think it was called) which speeds up evolution between generations which is how there are so many types of dogs in what is a relatively short space of time.

Nothing against what has been done, I love dogs, however when the change has been pushed too far that the breed cannot survive without mans intervention (chiwowas can only give birth by c section) or they have a poor quality of life and can't breath properly for example them it's gone too far.

I saw an experiment on animal domestication before, through selective breeding they'd domesticated a bloody line of foxes in 6 generatons. Not exactly dogs, but it's an interesting fact well I thnk it is

I think the gene you're on about is FOXP2, as you said it's linked to evolution, but only through learning capabilities and sound AFAIK. The divergence in dog type is just genetic variation when the chromosomes cross over during cell division, I don't think FOXP2 plays a part in this except maybe for dogs learning commands (language/sound).

My dad was telling me about a program to do with the fox thing you've mentioned, if you can remember the name of it I'd like to know!

i have a staff lab cross that was bought purely for his colours, used to have a doberman that died of heart failure at only 6 years of age and the mrs will never have another pure breed. bailey the staff lab cross has doberman colourings but is slightly chunkier and often gets mistaken for a rottie but hopefully will live a lot longer than 6 years.
so slightly confused myself now as to whats good and whats bad, surely if you want something to live a long time then breed it with something different but isn't that the same as a labradoodle for instance ?



to prolong his lifespan i limit him to only 2 cans of bow a day

I think a lot of people get confused over wrong/right. As has been mentioned, pedigree dogs experience a certain amount of inbreeding which can lead to problems, but then cross breeding is not fault free either. I don't think there's anything wrong with breeding for colours, but again there are problems with that. I think there was a fad with buying dalmations in the 90's, but being a white dog they're very prone to skin problems and deafness. Black and tan dogs as puppies generally need a third vaccination as well.



So the general consensus so far is that breeding for cosmetics is wrong, but if it serves a purpose then it is acceptable? What do you think about working dogs? e.g. Do you think it's okay to breed longer-legged greyhounds for racing, if that's all they're going to do?

[2lude]

Just to add to this more the percentage of terrier attacks are the same as any other breed however the press love to jump on the anti staff bandwagan and report cases they are involved in

My bad experience was a staff attacked and killed my nans yorkie and then went for my nan however it turned out it had a brain tumour so that's why it behaviour had suddenly changed

Alfie above will be having his nads off soon I have mixed feelings on this but I do have 2 small children and he can get a bit boy stress at times and I have to think if the kids before his bollocks

[littlefeller]

Breed manipulation is an alteration of natural selection, by changing survival of the fittest to survival of the cutest it's diluting it's pushing the animals evolution in a different direction to how it occurs naturally.

someone else who can see the pitfalls, its wrong simples

[fweakyg]

If all the dogs in the world were running loose would they not cross breed anyway ? I know its something that we do for trait ..... But if nature did it part then breeds would cross naturally ?? I've never seen a fussy dog looking or tail thats for sure ... Think the dog motto it "any hole's a goal" after a quick sniff of course

[mercutio]

If all the dogs in the world were running loose would they not cross breed anyway ? I know its something that we do for trait ..... But if nature did it part then breeds would cross naturally ?? I've never seen a fussy dog looking or tail thats for sure ... Think the dog motto it "any hole's a goal" after a quick sniff of course

your right but the gene pool would be much larger so less defects

[fweakyg]

[mercutio]