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Date Posted: 18:59:21 10/13/03 Mon
Author: DKH
Subject: Re: Hello Shea...nice post
In reply to: Cheryl, aka Filamom 's message, "Re: Culling..." on 20:23:29 10/12/03 Sun

Hi Shea, you make some very good points, I enjoyed your post. Here is what I offer.

Animal husbandry has always depended on culling practices for improvement of breeding stock. Culling can be viewed as mans extension of Natures own rule - survival of the fittest. Nature culls the old, the sick, and the genetically weak. In the environment that we provide for our earliest and dearest animal companion, we have very nearly taken Mother Nature out of the equation… we assist in the birthing process, we coddle puppies, we have Doctors that can save and salvage wrecks that Nature would have taken without question. Selective breeding programs cannot show progress without the removal of the mal-formed, the genetically inferior, the slow and the dumb. That is why we call them selective…we select the animals that offer the best genetic potential to pass on to the next generation. Culling is the systematic removal (from the breeding program) of any animal not conforming to the goals of the breeder. Culling is the prerogative and the responsibility of the breeder, methods of culling can be anything from euthanasia to placement in a new home…or it can mean keeping the animal for the other attributes the animal possesses besides breeding status. I use several cattle-dogs that offer and provide a great service…but I would not use them to breed with.

Let me mention the problem that manifests itself in the commercial dog-breeder that will not cull, the phenomenon that slowly grinds away at, and degenerates their once promising set of breeding stock into a genetic mess. I call it “Selling from the top- breeding from the bottom.” I have seen this happen many times… Breeders, especially new breeders, are excited about their prospects…not the dogs, the money to be made. When they get a litter of pups they advertise, they promote, and they sell all they can, all the GOOD ones…what to do with the rest? They decide to keep them, (won’t kill’em, can’t give’m away) maybe someone will come along. Soon the dog is grown; nobody ever came along, what to do? How do they recoup all the money in just dog-food alone? It is a “nice dog” after all…they breed it. They do this with several generations…sell all the good ones, keeping for breeding stock all the ones they could not sell, and did not cull …pretty soon there are more bad than good, do they quit? Someday they will, because their product is so bad they can’t sell it anymore.





Now to Dan G,
I am bewildered after reading the part of the post concerning ethics and business and dogs???…I believe that ethics are a crucial part of any successful business…I would also argue that breeding dogs is not limited to business or hobby…regardless of cost or profit. Some of us will have, breed, and use dogs in a day to day way that others do not…and do not understand. Some of us will breed dogs for ourselves and what we NEED…not what the market will choose. We love them, we use them, dogs are tools, much like a horse…they make life easier, they can go places we cannot, they can go faster, longer, and they can do and survive things we cannot, hell, they can SEE IN THE DARK (this is real handy)… they are, in the very worst of situations, expendable.
Do I sell pups? Yes. Are they income? Hardly. Do I give pups away? You bet. Is it an expensive hobby? NO. Do I need to sell pups to finance my need for dogs? Ridiculous. I have to have dogs for myself, they are tools I need, I have to make pups, and I can’t seem to get the bitch to just have the number I need…so I end up with extra. I can’t keep them all (Thank you Shea) and don’t want to. Extra income my behind. Placing pups is the hardest (read worst) part of breeding…not the goal.
Dan’s last statement (I have no doubt made for levity) is nonetheless indicative of the problems breeders’ face in coping with today’s politically correct, PETA, animal lover’s society. People want to hang you with statements and questions about culling and humane treatment of animals, they want you, the breeder, to be proactive in regard to THEIR VEIWPOINT on animal rights…but when THEY go looking for a companion animal…they want the PICK OF THE LITTER for themselves. I have a great idea for you Dan G. Since you started all this about culling and saving a puppy…instead of me sending you a pick of the litter pup for free…why don’t you send me a check for the crate and shipping on my next cull, I’ll send it right out to you and be confident that you will provide it with a great quality of life…we both win, you know, like Rush.

As always, JMO
DKH

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