Page 59 - The Sloughi Review - Issue 9

T H E S L O U G H I R E V I E W
In the distant past, the criteria for breeding
selection were basically based on the dog's
performance, and appearance was only a
secondary consideration. In the last 150 years,
this has changed because dog breeding is
closely oriented to the defined 'breed
standard', and this primarily determines
appearance. The incentive for a dog owner to
win an important competition with his male
is great because lucrative stud fees beckon
afterwards. This puts breeders in a conflict of
interest. If, for example, a DNA test shows
that a dog with all the desired breed
characteristics is also a carrier of a serious
hereditary disease, should he then be excluded
from the competition? This could lead to
breeders not having their dogs tested at all as
a precaution. If, however, the winner of a
competition does indeed carry the trait ... and
subsequently becomes a popular stud dog, he
will sire many offspring, at least half of which
will carry the trait once. ... If a popular stud
dog is a carrier of a hereditary disease, this is
a serious problem.
Whether the genetic health of dogs can be
improved ultimately depends on the
breeders." (47).
Bryan Sykes also shows us that it is possible
to breed a genetically healthy stock over
centuries. He uses the English Foxhound as
an example.
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Foxhounds are a dog breed that
originated in England. You don't see them
at dog shows. They are only bred for
hunting in packs. The pack Sykes writes
about is the Hounds of the Belvoir Hunt
of the Earl of Rutland in Leicestershire.
"... The English Foxhound is a very robust
breed that has been carefully developed
over the last 200 years. Stud books have
been kept since the end of the 18th century,
when foxhunting increased significantly
due to the decline of the deer population.
The animals are bred for endurance and
sociability, which are essential for working
in a pack. They lead a kind of life of their
own, never appear in the ring of a dog
show and do not have to conform to any
Kennel Club breed standard.
... There are only five English Foxhound
packs in Great Britain. As the problems of
inbreeding have been known for a long
time, animals have been exchanged
between the packs since the 1750s to
maintain a healthy size for the gene pool.
... Most pedigree dogs are bred for
characteristics that please people. The
sloping croup in the German Shepherd, for
example, which is expected of a pedigree
dog, also brings hip disorders. In the case
of Foxhounds, one would not select an
animal for breeding at the slightest hint of
a deformity.