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Team 1:
Dog Breeding
September 16th 2008
BTS330
Greg Krilov
Cesar Gomes
Matthew Lam
Julia Vasserman
Dog Breeding
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Introduction:
Dictionary.com defines breeding as “the improvement or development of
breeds of livestock, as by selective mating and hybridization”i. This is a very
general definition; dog breeding is a lot more complex than that. Dog breeding is
a complicated and scientific art. It takes full commitment of time, and money.
Dog breeding is not simply the mating of two dogs; however the main goal of dog
breeding is to improve the breed as set by the breed standards. Breed standards
are rules and guidelines that determine if a dog is healthy and a purebred. Breed
standards are set by kennels. Kennels are clubs which keep records of pure breeds
and breed standards. Kennels also keep registries of dogs who meet breed
standards. A registry usually contains the dog’s name, type of breed, owner and a
chart of ancestry. A dog cannot be registered unless their parents are already
members. A chart of ancestry might be the most important information in the
registry, as it contains critical information when determining if a dog is a
purebred. Genetics is a very important aspect of breeding. A dog can inherit
positive and negative characteristics from its parents. A dog which has medical
conditions or diseases will not be used for breeding due to the chance that they
will pass those characteristics to the litter. On the other hand, if a dog is smart or
has a great coat, breeders will use this dog to pass on those characteristics onto
another litter. A breeder must carefully choose a sire and a dam that will produce
a litter with the desired traits while avoiding the negative traits. A breeder must
have extensive knowledge of dogs to be able to breed successfully. They must
have knowledge of breed standards, genealogy, pedigrees, documented problems,
issues when mating or raising a certain breed and any possible health issues.
Becoming a responsible and experience breeder takes years. A responsible
breeder will accompany their dog with a contract, which states that the dog is of
purebred and is in good health. The unethical world of ``puppy mills`` will not
offer a buyer these guarantees. The goal of puppy mills is so produce as much
dogs as possible and use them for sale. Puppy mills are mostly used by pet stores.
A significant amount of inbreeding and poor selection of parents results in dog
with long-term medical problems. Puppy mills are constantly under attack due to
its unethical practices. The government has set laws to help control the abuse of
dogs. These laws can result in the confiscation of property, fines, or
imprisonment. The following report will cover in detail all the aspects and
processes that people need to consider when either purchasing a dog for
themselves or beginning to breed dogs.
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What is meant by breeding dog?
Dog breeding is the process of producing dogs with or without certain
characteristics. A well-conceived and executed breeding program typically
demands a significant investment of resources, such as time and moneyii. The
breeder must take an active and informed role at all stages to ensure success. This
immediately begins at procuring suitable breeding stock based on the desired
objectives, to providing adequate care for all parents and resulting offspring, and
accurately judging and disseminating the quality of the resulting animals
(appearance, health, sociability, etc.). Additional professionals such as
veterinarians may also be enlisted to aid the effort i. The ultimate economic goal
may be to sell the resulting animals. The breeder must be prepared to pass on
relevant information concerning the sold animals to the prospective buyer such
that the buyer may be better prepared to take care of the animal and attend to its
idiosyncrasies. If the initial buyer is a retailer then such information may then be
passed on to the end purchaser. Such an undertaking produces a wide range of
information that may be useful if compiled and organized. Each animal may have,
amongst other things, genealogical, medical and sales records. Administrating the
process may require compiling expenses or maintaining appropriate permits and
other legal documentation.
Genealogy
An animal may exhibit advantageous or negative characteristics, or traits.
Genetics heavily influences which traits are expressed. Carefully choosing the
parenting animals maximizes the probability that the resulting animals will inherit
the gene combination necessary to exhibit the desired traits while avoiding
negative traits. Choosing animals as parents based solely on their expressed traits
is insufficient. The animals' lineage must be accounted for. For example, this
would allow the breeder to assess the risks of close inbreeding, or aid the
detection of recessive genes, especially those associated with negative traits. ii The
more detailed the information the breeder has of the animals lineage the more
successful the breeding program is likely to be, especially if it undergoes
numerous iterations beyond the initial offspring. Compiling the data for easy
retrieval and analysis may prove daunting to a human if the data set is large or
becomes larger.
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Why is dog breeding popular?
There are several reasons as to why owners decide to breed dogs. Usually
it starts by having a dog that the owner really likes. As they spend time with the
dog they discover that this dog is loyal, friendly and well behaved. These
characteristics make the owner want to invest time and money producing a dog
just like the one they own. They believe that breeding will result in either an even
better dog or similar to the one they have. Since there are a lot of pet lovers and
families with children, owners assume that the demand for dogs is high. Dogs are
good companions and they are friendly to children therefore breeding dogs would
result in a positive profit for dog breeders. Owners may decide to start dog
breeding as a business on the side to gain extra income, since breeding is not as
stressful or time consuming as a full-time or part-time job. Another reason for
why breeding is popular is because parents want their children to witness the
process of birth.iii Children at a young age are naturally very curios and wonder
about things like birth. Breeding is an opportunity for parents to educate their kids
on the wonders of birth.
What is an ethical breeder?
An ethical breeder first and foremost is a responsible breeder who abides
by certain “rules” established by their club, these rules are usually the same rules
established by the majority of clubs and are plain simple a common courtesy and
good practice to follow by all breeders iv. Belonging to a club means the breeder
is serious about his work, with that being said the breeder knows it is in his best
interest to follow the ethical code of conduct as the breaking of a rule can cause
suspension or depending on the seriousness, complete revocation of his license
and expulsion from the corporation; not to mention losing the trust of many
people. A few common rules from different club’s ethical code of conduct are as
follows: providing a safe and loving environment, no cross breeding, no selling of
dogs to pet or department stores, no using dogs for illegal/immoral activities v. A
computerized system can be used to store a club’s ethical rules and the
consequences to breaking them.
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What must the breeder know about dogs?
Dog breeding is not a job that can be done by a regular dog owner. It is a
very extensive and scientific art. A successful dog breeder will possess an
extensive knowledge of not only dogs but also best practices when it comes to
raising and mating dogs. Before a breeder even begins breeding they should spend
a large amount of time researching several topics. A breeder must research about
the breed standards, genealogy, pedigrees, documented problems, issues when
mating or raising a certain breed and any possible health issues. A breeder must
take into account that both the sire and dam posses strengths and weakness.vi
These strengths and weaknesses need to complement each other to produce a
superior litter. This can be complex and needs to be performed by a responsible
and experience breeder. A breeder must also have knowledge in modifying
undesirable inherited characteristics, such as temperament and social skills. vi
These can be modified by training and breeding. A breeder must take desired
attributes and strengthen them with each generation. Finally, a breeder must
possess endless knowledge and experience in professionally raising dogs. Being a
dog owner is simply not enough; it takes years to become a responsible dog
breeder.
Registries
The purpose of registries is to maintain information about dogs. The most
common registries in North America are the Canadian Kennel Club, American
Kennel Club and United Kennel Club, those are the multi-breed registries.vii The
type of information that the records hold are usually the dog’s name, the type of
breed it is, and who owns the dog.viii The records also include a pedigree which
breaks down the ancestors of the dogs and the titles the ancestors received, if
any.2 Since registries provide information about the dog’s ancestors it helps
buyers select a purebred, if they are looking for a dog that can participate in
competitions. It is only through competitions that a dog can earn titles and
establish his quality. When a dog is registered it only guarantees that a dog is of a
purebred, but it does not mean that the dog comes from ancestors who are healthy
and are show worthy.ix The two reasons for why it is important to register dogs
are if the owner wants the dog to participate in pure breeding or in order for the
dog to take part in shows. The information that could be collected on a
computerized system is the information about the dog, same information that is
collected for registration. Such as dog’s name, owner, color of the dog, etc.
Knowing this data will help identify the dog and his owners, it will also be useful
for forming a pedigree for when the dog has puppies. Keeping track of pedigrees
will allow users to view the dog’s history and select the right dog for breeding. As
well maintaining information about the titles the dog earned and the health of the
dog will better help buyers in their choice.
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Puppy Mills
Breeding operations that seek to 'mass produce' animals for commercial
purposes may be referred to as puppy mills. Puppy mills driven by the overriding
desire for profit may only be concerned with outer appearance. Significant
inbreeding, coupled with inattentive selection of parents in general, frequently
results in animals with medium- and long-term medical problems. Also,
inadequate care during the animals' raising may exacerbate later conditions in
addition to causing sociability problems. xPuppy mills help to sustain pet shops
and oversaturate the market for such pets. The overproduction also contributes to
the mass euthanization of animals every year, either because of medical issues or
simply because there is no place for them in shelters. Less conscientious puppy
mills may be in violation of local animal rights and cruelty legislation and lead to
the confiscation of property, fines, or imprisonment of violators. xi
Genetic Defects
Genetic defects or disorders in the dog breeding world are characteristics
such as illnesses and bodily abnormalities exhibited by dogs which are inherited
through parental genes and possibly from the environment.xii A common practice
to reduce the breeding of dogs with genetic defects is to not breed using the
particular dog or any of its close relatives. While there are many genetic defects
which are breed specific such as hip problems in dogs of certain weight, there are
certain illnesses which have nothing to do with breed in question but are obtained
through bacteria, parasites, and lack of nutrition. A computerized system can be
used for tracking genetic diseases for a certain breeder. A breeder can use the
system to see which dogs were bred from which and by doing gives the
opportunity to predict possible defects and plan ahead.
Exclusions from Canadian Kennel club registry
The Canadian Kennel club is a non-profit organization which registers
purebred dogs. The club contains 174 different breeds and acts as a
“communication organization informing all people interested in dogs”. xiii In order
for a dog to be registered by the CKC there are a few rules to the registration
process. The dog must have registered parents in order to be registered himself.
He also must meet breed standards that are judged based on size, coat and color,
shape of the head, body, tail, etc. For example, a Doberman Pinscher can be
disqualified from the CKC and not meet standards if he is shy, vicious, has more
than four missing teeth, or his height does not meet standards.xiv A dog that does
not want to be examined and rejects to stand for the judge or fears him would be
considered as a shy dog.5 The age of the dog plays a big role in registration as
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well. A dog must be registered when it is still young. If it is three years old or
older and was not recognized when it was less than one year old it will not be
considered for registration.6 Unless the first owner can provide a reason for why
the dog was not registered at a younger age.xv The CKC also has a list of breeds
that it accepts to its club, breeds that are not on the list cannot be registered. The
information that should go on a computerized system is a list of all the dogs that
can be registered. This would be practical for the user if he was to type in a name
of the breed and find out if his dog is eligible to join the CKC.
Warranties
Even though dog breeding is a passionate and scientific art, it is also a
business. The difference in receiving a dog from a dog breeder and a regular pet
store is breeder guaranties. When you purchase a dog from a breeder you also
receive a contract. Some of the guarantees and information provided in this
contract include: a chart of ancestry, several certifications proving that the dog’s
eyes, hips and joints are in good health, the dog will not inherit any conditions or
diseases, grooming information, and guarantee that the dog was well raised and is
well-socializedxvi. In this contract it also states that a breeder can relinquish
ownership and will again own the dog if the new owner is unable to care for the
dog. These guarantees are offered by any responsible breeder.
Legislation governing dog breeders
As with any other businesses, there are rules set to govern dog breeders in order to
insure safe, proper, and legal execution. In the dog breeding industry these rules
are established mainly to protect the interests of dogs and dog buyers. Laws can
vary greatly between countries and provinces and therefore potential breeders are
greatly encouraged to do extensive research regarding laws before starting a
business; many places require a potential breeder to first acquire a licensexvii. To
obtain a license a breeder must typically be able to comply with certain rules,
these rules usually being such as providing dogs a suitable environment; many
rules are breed specific, for example some dogs need a warmer climatexviii. On the
other hand, there are rules that are set to protect buyers. Rules meant to protect
potential buyers include socializing of dogs from a young age, this includes both
socializing with other dogs and socializing with people because of the fact that
dogs socialized from a young age are easier to train and live better with people
overallxix. A computerized system can be used to store a breeder’s breed specific
rules he must follow in order to keep his license.
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Conclusion
Storing and organizing the information accrued during the process of dog
breeding would be greatly aided by using a computerized system. Each dog
would amass medical records, training reports, behavioral notes, and legal
documentation. In addition, each dog would have associated pedigree and/or
genealogical information, breed standards, or even prior or (in the case of sold
dogs) current ownership information. The accessibility of genealogical records
would be particularly important given its role fundamental importance in a dog
breeding program. Displaying genealogical for easy analysis would simplify the
task of choosing suitable breeding pairs and detecting potential medical disorders,
especially those related to recessive genes. Easy extension of such genealogical
records to include new animals also aids ongoing breeding programs. A
computerized repository allows the breeder to easily compile and present
interested buyers with information concerning each dog, allowing potential buyers
to choose an animal suited to them and, in the case of a successful purchase, to
care for the dog afterwards. Registering a dog requires the animal to meet certain
standards. Tracking a dog's traits electronically may allow for automatic
matching against a registrar's database. This makes it easier to determine whether
a dog is eligible for registration under the criteria of different organizations such
as kennel clubs. When a breeder receives their license and joins a specific club,
they can check club specific rules in the database. Along with club specific ethical
rules, a breeder can also access breed specific and universal rules regarding dog
breeding. A computerized system has the potential to simplify a breeder's data
management issues and improve the quality of their work.
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Works Cited
Legislation - http://www.web-rover.com/doglaw/breeding.php
"breeding." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 14 Sep. 2008.
<Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/breeding>.
i
ii
“A Guide to Breeding Your Dog.” American Kennel Club. 2008. 11 Sept. 2008.
<http://www.akc.org/breeders/resources/guide_to_breeding_your_dog/>
Krista Mifflin. “Why People Want to Breed Dogs, and Why They Shouldn’t.”
About.com.
2008. The New York Times Company. 11 Sept, 2008
http://dogs.about.com/cs/generalcare/p/no_breeding.htm?p=1
iii
iv
"Making a Difference: Being a Responsible Dog Breeder." Dog Play.
10 Sept. 2008
<http://www.dogplay.com/breeding/ethics.html>.
v
"Code of Ethics." United States Bordeaux Corporation.
10 Sept. 2008
<http://www.users.interport.net/b/l/blkmask/ethics.html>.
Shea , Theresa. "A Guide to Breeding Your Dog - Step Four - Choose A Suitable
Mate". American Kennel Club.
<http://www.akc.org/breeders/resources/guide_to_breeding_your_dog/step_4.cf>.
vii
P.Mitchelle. “Dog Breed Registries in North America.” Canada’s Guide to Dogs.
3 Feb 2006. 10 Sept 2008
http://www.canadasguidetodogs.com/breedregistries.htm
vi
viii
“About Dog Registries and Kennel Clubs.” wonderpuppy.net.
5 Oct 2004. 10 Sept 2008
http://www.wonderpuppy.net/kc.htm.
ix
“Talk:Canadian Kennel Club.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
29 Nov 2006. 11 Sept 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Canadian_Kennel_Club
x
“Puppy Mills.” The Humane Society of the United States. 26 Nov. 2007. 11 Sept. 2008.
<http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/get_the_facts_on_puppy_mi
lls/>
xi
“Stop Puppy Mills.” Stop Puppy Mills. 2007. The Humane Society of the United
States. 11 Sept. 2008. <http://www.stoppuppymills.org/>
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xii
"Genetic Defects." University of prince edward island.
10 Sept. 2008
http://www.upei.ca/~cidd/intro.htm
xiii
“Who We Are.” Canadian Kennel Club.
11 Sept 2008. http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=75
“Canadian Kennel Club Breed Standard for the Doberman Pinscher.” Canada’s Guide
to Dogs.
5 May 2008. 11 Sept 2008.
http://www.canadasguidetodogs.com/doberman/dobermanarticle1.htm
xiv
xv
29.11 “Age a Factor”, By-Laws
May 2007. 11 Sept 2008
http://www.ckc.ca/en/Portals/0/pdf/Bylaws_en.pdf
Mifflin, Krista. "The Advantages of Buying From a Breeder". About.com.
<http://dogs.about.com/od/dogbreeders/a/why_buy.htm >.
xvii
"Dog Breeding Law." Web Rover.
10 Sept. 2008
Legislation - http://www.web-rover.com/doglaw/breeding.php
xvi
xviii
"Dog Breeding Law." Web Rover.
10 Sept. 2008
Legislation - http://www.web-rover.com/doglaw/breeding.php
"breeding." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 14 Sep. 2008.
<Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/breeding>.
xix
Dog Breeding