Page 43 - Chow Life - Summer 2018
P. 43
best of the dog’s ability, but also to that physicians did not understand and judges do to correct problems
preserve life. that if you continue to linebreed due to phenotypical adaptation? It is
and inbreed exclusively, you will difficult and very time-consuming.
eventually develop a line with a Unfortunately, even if there are
Judging and Genetics consistent, severe fault that first good specimens of the breed, they
As a Working Group judge, I occurred somewhere in the line’s may not be shown because breeders
sometimes hear exhibitors say, past.
“What’s happened to my breed? A typical
They’ve lost their movement, the case may be A good judge will reward the best
structure we used to have is no seen when a
longer there, the dogs are long, particular dog dog who has the breed’s required
overangulated,” and so on. In becomes a
genetics, this process of change strong breed characteristics.
is called phenotypical adaptation. winner, ether by
In some cases, such modification merit, perpetual
produces poor structural showing, or other factors. This dog
development. For example, if may have an evident—though very fear that the good specimen cannot
missing teeth is not a fault, we slight—structural or movement win if he is not like the others in the
may begin breeding missing teeth defect, or an ancestral structural ring. This is not true. Good judges
to missing teeth with no thought problem that is far removed from will recognize what characteristics
for the consequences: We will the immediate pedigree. The dog the breed requires, and will reward
eventually develop a breed that is may be bred repeatedly to a variety the best dog with those traits.
almost toothless. of bitches, but if he is exclusively Breeders who are aware of the
A personal experience will serve line- or inbred by breeders hoping dilemma will begin to select good
as an example of the consequences to produce the same winner as the spec imens and breed to other wor
of phenotypical adaptation. In sire, those past faults can reappear. thy specimens. But even when
England, two elderly retired Eventually, judges are presented breeders find the desired dogs,
physicians had been breeding these dogs in the ring. They all seem they must not fall into the same
chinchillas for many years. They to show fair-to-poor fronts, rears, problem again by exclusively line-
came to me with several chinchilla coats, or whatever the less-than or inbreeding. By carefully breeding
skulls that showed advanced desirable characteristic may be. This the best specimens, in time they
malocclusions and wanted to know type of dog then becomes typical of may be able to correct an ongoing
the cause. They felt as though the the breed. This is all the judges have structural problem.
problem might be due to a disease to go by, and in time some even Have faith that those who
factor, possibly a virus. I asked become used to this presentation. developed a breed’s standard knew
about their breeding protocol. They what they were doing and why. If
were adamant that they had bred Once we come to accept such we breed to the standard and judge
the same chinchillas to each other dogs as representative of the breed, by the standard, everyone will
for 10 or more years! I was amazed this becomes an ongoing problem.
Breeders breed to the benefit— and the dogs most of all.
finished dogs that
exhibit the particular
problem. Breeders
want to win. Since
this dog with the Peter Emily teaches at Colorado
common faults has State University in Fort Collins and
won and is finished, is a Working Group judge.
they breed to him.
They want a dog just
like him (or her) so This article first appeared in the March
that they may win, 2009 issue of the AKC GAZETTE and is
too—that’s what’s reprinted with permission.
important. The
features that were
once representative of
the breed become a
distant memory.
What can breeders
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