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Add to FavoritesThe motto of the American Kennel Club (AKC) is "We're more than champion dogs. We are the dog's champion." Although the AKC has given lots of money to dog charities, they do more harm to dogs in general than they do good. One of the ways they do this is by promoting and perpetuating breedism (promoting pure bred dogs over mongrels or mixed-breeds).
A pure bred animal is an artificially induced clone, designed to completely mimic the parents as close as possible. Pure bred animals, over the generations, not only enhance desirable characteristics but also enhance undesirable characteristics. Pure breeds are less healthy than mixed breeds, whether in animals or in people.
In the long run, a pure bred animal does not make a good pet or have a good quality of life. One tragic example of this is seen in Thoroughbred race horses, which are so fragile, that thousands die during their racing careers. Champion Dubai Millennium died at the age of 4 from an allergy to grass. When a horse can't eat what Nature designed them to eat, then something is seriously screwed up.
In the dog world, we see many health problems in dogs like the popular Pug. They are entirely dependant on man in order to survive. They usually need Caesarian sections instead of having a normal birth, because their bodies are so small. Because of their squashed noses, they are notorious for having breathing problems. Also because of their squashed and heavily wrinkled faces, they cannot clean themselves properly and rely on people to clean them. This is not a dog that would survive more than a few weeks in the wild.
The AKC also promotes even more artificiality on their show dogs by requiring certain purebreds to be shown with docked tails and cropped ears. These are purely cosmetic surgeries that do no medical good for a dog. Any surgery exposes a dog to infection and other health problems. They defend their position by stating that cropped ears and docked tails "preserve the character of the breed."
If the AKC really had the interest of all dogs at heart, they would get rid of promoting breedism and promote classes that promote the talents and athleticism of dogs. They would throw open the registry books so that any dog could breed could breed with any other breed of dog. This would make for much healthier generations of dogs and a lot less suffering.
Besides, take a close look at yourself. Aren't you a mongrel?
Learn more about this author, Rena Sherwood.
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Yes
Asking whether the AKC should perpetuate breedism is like asking whether or not you've stopped beating your wife. Any response, yes or no, implies that a person believes that the AKC does, in fact, perpetuate breedism. This is not necessarily true. There is no such word as "breedism." (My spell checker keeps red-lining it.) What the AKC does perpetuate, among other things, is the registry of dogs by breed, with careful records on the ancestors.
A better question would be, "Should we humans continue the concept of breeding any animal (horse, dog, sheep, chicken, etc.) by controlling the selection of the animals so that certain physical characteristics are retained or changed according to a pre-determined standard? I believe that it is important to do so, because people benefit when we do..
The existence of animals with similar appearance characteristics was not the brainchild of the AKC or any other contemporary animal registry. The concept of "pure" ancestry has been around for a thousands of years, which is much longer than the AKC has been in existence.
Such selection occurs naturally in the animal kingdom. Geography and isolation are the primary reasons many breeds of animals originated, not selection by humans. We capitalized on this when it occurred, because uniformity means predictability. In many cases currently, purebred animals are maintained in order to save that type from extinction (for example , those listed in the Rare Breeds Conservancy). Maintaining that line of genetics is important to preserve genetic diversity for all other animals of its species.
Maintaining and improving a line of animals based on their appearance has benefits to humans. In the sheep and cattle industry, for example, we know that certain breeds have certain characteristics regarding mothering ability, carcass quality, hardiness, and so forth. There is no perfect breed, and some breeds do better in one geographical setting and not as well in others. With dogs, we selected based on working ability (and yes, lap dog is a real job.)
We perpetuated those dog breeds that had naturally occurred and were already useful to us, such as herding, hunting, companion and carting breeds. In cases where the dogs available could not fill a certain need, we created a dog to fill that need. The German Shepherd and the Doberman are two older examples, and in our current century with the enormous demand for small dogs, we have Yorkipoos and Mini Aussies and Cockapoos, all in great demand and all mixed breeds. All our purebreds were once mixed breed dogs.
Tiny mixed breed dogs with pushed in faces have the same health problems as tiny purebred dogs with pushed in faces. Large mixed breed dogs are just as likely to develop problems with hip dysplasia as large purebred dogs, and possibly even more likely to do so. Responsible purebred dog breeders screen their dogs for hip, eye and other genetic problems for which we have developed tests. Randomly bred dogs don't get health screenings.
The argument that "breedism" (the word is meant to be associated with racism) is a bad thing and should not be permitted is part of the guilt trip put forth by PETA and other organizations, along with the idea that every purebred dog purchased takes a home away from a shelter animal. This is extremely ironic coming from an organization that kills 97% of the animals it gets its hands on. The fact is that no purebred dog took a home away from a shelter animal, because that home did not exist in the first place.
People want what they want. If you go into a bookstore looking for a book on genetics, you're not going to leave with a Martha Stewart cookbook even if that's the last book in the store. Even when people go to a shelter looking for a mixed breed dog, they have something definite in mind. They are looking for a certain size, a certain color, a certain age, a certain type of hair coat, a certain type of personality.
Dogs are not interchangeable cans of peas on a shelf. Each is unique, and picking a purebred simplifies the selection process because of its predictability in height, weight, color, and other traits. For example, when I want a dog that can work sheep, I want a Border Collie, which I have carefully selected from parents who were also working stockdogs, and whose ancestry is known for its working ability and has been screened for health problems. "Just any old dog" from the shelter won't do.
Trying to build up your business by tearing down the competition is counterproductive. I don't see the Kia dealers picketing the Lexus, Audi, and BMW dealers because some people want to buy a luxury vehicle. The Kia dealers are not complaining that every Lexus sold takes away from their potential sale of Kia. They know their market, and plan accordingly.. If people want to see more mixed breed dogs in the world (and the PETA people must not want to see more mixed breed dogs, or they would not support spay/neuter programs), they can polish up their marketing skills and present these mixed breeds so they become more desirable.
If people want to promote mixed breed dogs, they can set up programs to honor and encourage the owner of the mixed breed dog (and some people already have.) They can set up mixed breed registries and certification programs and various other recognition methods that make the owner feel their mixed breed dog is as valuable as a purebred. This would be more helpful than attacking an organization that contributes millions, from its registration fees of purebred dogs, to health and welfare research organizations that benefit all dogs regardless of parentage.
Learn more about this author, Karen Clymer.
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