Originally posted by MalteseJane+Feb 12 2005, 11:47 PM-->
@Feb 12 2005, 03:43 PM
The ONLY reason to breed is to IMPROVE the breed. <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=35049
Sorry Jackie but I don't agree with that statement. If the breeders would breed only for shows, they would not make much money. And not many people would be able to get a pet. If they would not have done all that inbreeding to so called "improve the breed", all those pure breed dogs would be healthier. I am not a fan of dog shows. I compare them to the child beauty pageants. They should not breed to "improve" the standard, they should breed to "improve" the HEALTH of the dog. Most people don't care if their pet is up to standard, all they want is a loving and healthy pet. How can the show people say they love their dogs when they raise them to go to shows so they can breed them and once they cannot breed them anylonger they give them away for a pet to somebody else ?
<div align="right">
index.php?act=findpost&pid=35095
[/B][/QUOTE]
Janine, too much inbreeding is a problem in mills, BYBs, and show breeders. There are some breeders who do way too much of it. To keep the genetic health of the breed, outcrosses are very important. How many BYBers have semen shipped across the country for a good outcross consider health, conformation, temperament, etc? I doubt any of them.
Breeding to improve the breed does not only take into account the standard, but also temperament and health. The standard is set and it is what makes a Maltese a Maltese. If we throw that out the window, then there wouldn't be any purebred dogs at all.
Some show people certainly are not the best. Showing itself does not equal a good breeder, but for me, not showing a representative sample of breeding stock is a big red light. Even show dogs who are sent out with handlers are loved and missed by their owners. However, the handlers they use are usually wonderful with the dogs and adore them. Most breeders are very attached to their dogs and they do end up keeping a number of their retired dogs and bitches at home. The ones they place are ones they feel would be happier as the only dog or maybe with only 1-2 other dogs. What do mills do when a bitch is done breeding? Auction her off or let her die...if they're nice, they euthanize her.
I did not have a good impression of the "show world" until I started going to shows and got to know some good breeders. Sure, there are politics, but there are also judges who really know there stuff and will point out your dogs faults and strengths. Nothing is perfect, but at least making an attempt to utilize the tools available to produce a Maltese that holds the essential characteristics of the breed is important to me as a Maltese lover. I adored my first dog, a Maltese Bichon mix from a small mill, but I also love the Maltese look and she sure did not have that (large, curly-haired, prominent muzzle, flat top skull, long in the back). If a BYB doesn't learn about structure, genetics, etc. which is all part of showing dogs, then what will a Maltese look like in 30 years?