Retriever Rescue

Did any of you see the programme lastnight on Pedigree Dogs?

There is a similar thread going on the Lab Rescue site http://www.homealabrador.net under "General Doggy Chat" on the forum with some interesting points raised.

I didn't see it myself but saw an interview on Richard & Judy last night with the reporter and the head of the KC. I saw the clip of the GSD with the bad legs in the showring and how the breed standard has altered over the years. I was horrified that they thought it was acceptable.

I don't know what the answer is - but I think (only my opinion) that kc registrations are given too readily to any breeder that produces a litter from 2 kc registered dogs without health checks but I suspect that to clamp down on registrations will be a loss of revenue.

yes i saw it, some of the ill dogs shown were very upsetting. it highlighed some very good points. i hope it will make prospective buyers more aware. most jo public go to a breeders with champion blood lines, assuming that the dogs are very fit and healthy and assume that being kc registered they have been checked.

i did my homework looking at retriever clubs, council etc and the tips they advise about when looking for a puppy, hip scores, eye certs, mom with pups etc. if the breeders love their dogs and not in it for the money they should do the health checks. alot of breeders are doing this and now this programme has been shown i hope the kc take note of the failings. it has opened up a can of worms and alot of debate.

the programme could of hightlighted the checks that are carried out to show that all breeders are not in it for the money. also, what about the puppy farms that are not respectable, maybe they should do a programme on them. from what i have read and seen they could be the reason alot of the ill bred dogs are out there.

I too watched last night's programme and was upset and disturbed by what I saw.

I am in no way an expert on breeding or showing dogs, but the German Shepherd's didn't even LOOK right to me, and some of the breeders were in complete denial that their breeds had faults, and that inbreeding was causing pain and huge problems for their animals. Obviously status and winning is of greater importance to them.

All I can say is that with our first Golden, Leigh, I was fortunate in being put in touch with a breeder who cared about his dogs.

Jean

The Kennel Club registration is just that a register of puppies born. The Kennel Club do not guarantee quality it is just a list. I had many years asking them to stop registering them but no. Then there is the new Pet Lovers registration which is just another list of puppies born. It does not mean they are any less than K.C. registered just different. But even now the public think that K.C. registered is a guarantee of quality. They bring in all the tests for hips eyes heart shoulders and forget tht the dog should look like a Golden and have the right temperament which is the most important thing. It is no good having a sheaf of certificates and a dog you can't go near. Granted people who want to breed and show their dogs do have the tests done and if they fail everone will know as it is published so then what happens to the dog.? In many cases these checks except the Hips do not affect their health. You can have all the ckecks and then have a dog with epilepsy or enzyme deficiency all debilitating.

Puppy farms do produce some poor specimens but then again so do breeders. Some of the dogs from puppy farms have wonderful temperaments some have not. SOme of the worst temperaments in some of the dogs I have handled have come from top breeders.

Yes Jean I do know the breeder of your Leigh and he was and still is a caring person. He now has a rescue from me since all his others have died. Not everyone is like him I have to say.

Reading this back I sound an old grump but I have seen so much that it does get rid of the rose coloured spectacles. I think my cage has been rattled.

However this is Rescue and all you lovely people who take a Rescue dog are not bothered about it's pedigree just that it is a Golden needing a home. Thank Goodness for you all.

Thanks Jan for echoing some of my thoughts. I think our past has well and truly erased those rose coloured glasses.
When will some of those people stop bleating about the good of the breed.
You only had to watch lastnight to make you say "PARDON".
The poor little Cav' that was shown, screaming in pain and thrashing about, how could any caring person say that was right? I had a somewhat restless night to say the very least
Carolyns comment about the G.S.D. how could a dog that couldn't walk do his days work? I shudder to think.
I know which side of the fence I'm well and truly on. As supposedly, a superior race, we have a lot to answer for looking at some Breeds.
Is it right that a dog can't breath, can't walk, born with congenital heart defects, suffers from skin problems, spends its' life with an awful headache.etc.etc.All in the name of GOOD OF THE BREED.
Sorry, I'm letting off steam.

A quick P.S.to Jans comment about Rescue, and our Willow. As I've said to Jan previously, we know so little about her, but she is by far the sweetest Golden we have had. She may not be true to standard in some
areas, but we wouldn't change her for the world. A truly beautful ambassador for the breed, that we love dearly.

I don't usually watch anything that may involve cruelty (or any vet based-hospital programs), we know it goes on as we see it daily on the news and in the press but we both sat and watched this program whilst we were away (got back last night) and thankfully missed the first 20 mins. So Rhodesian ridgebacks are culled (this is stated in their breed standard) if they are born without their 'designer' ridge which is a DEFECT and is a form of spine bifida, spare me the excuses from the breeders, especially when they denied that a WINNER at a show had sired over 20 litters and they knew that he was a carrier of the 'enzyme' in his poor little cavalier body. I've seen how dogs are left in caravans whilst the 'competing' dogs are taken to be judged and the others left for up to 8 HOURS in a hot caravan, and then the owner comes 'poncing' across the field with a rosette on with the dog who has been placed. As for the poor bassett hound with 'furnishings' (wrinkles of skin all down his legs) who bore no resemblance to a photograph of one 60 years ago, I'm glad that I have never had anything to do with these bigoted people who are supposed to care about the dogs they breed. The rest of how we both feel is totally unprintable.