"Breeding Winners to Winners and the Unhappy Results (Part 1)" by Dr Carmen L Battaglia, is the featured article in this month's Canine Chronicle.
Dr Battaglia undertook a comprehensive study of pedigree breeders and their breeding practices and noted that "few breeders reporting having any knowledge of genetics or how the genes would behave in a breeding". She also noted that most breeders produced disappointing litters because they "relied on the idea of that breeding the "best to the best" would produce better than average results."
Further analysis by Dr Battaglia revealed that most of the decisions breeders made about matings involved an emphasis on only one or two traits (nice head, nice coat, etc) and very few breeders interviewed had any idea of the genetic strengths and weaknesses in their Dam's and Sire's pedigrees.
We're lucky at Kitaco. With a reproduction vet at the helm, we fall into that small demographic of breeders with a "knowledge of genetics and an understanding of how the genes behave in a breeding".
Neither do we subscribe to the idea that a Champion title is any guide to the quality of a dog, and it certainly says nothing about it's health.
Some of our dogs, who are shining examples of health, type and construction, have no interest whatsoever in being a show dog and we have no interest in forcing them into the ring just to put a title on a pedigree that in no way guarantees a healthy dog with a good temperament who will go on to lead a long and happy life. These puppers are much happier with their weekly outing to our Puppy Playgroup than standing on a table (sometimes in the rain) allowing some weird stranger to stick their fingers in their mouth or feel up their dangly bits, just for a treat.
A famous judge once said "not all pets are show dogs but I can assure you, all show dogs are pets" and she most definitely spoke the truth. If you're looking for a companion that will bring you joy and happiness for a long time to come, ask any prospective breeders you talk to what they know about the health and temperament of their sire's and dam's ancestors, and don't be blinded by shiny things like titles.
