First some background information, feel free to skip to the bottom if you don't want to read. I watched a documentary a couple days ago about AKC dogs in the UK and it was quite sad. Basically, it was about how much dogs have changed throughout the years and some of the changes are causing physical problems for the dogs.
Here are some examples:
German Shepherds in the 1800s/early 1990s
German Shepherds now
Pugs
The painting on the left is from 1880 by a man named William H. Hopkins. The other two photos are of pugs today. As you can see their noses have been squished in.
Some problems German Shepherds may have include arthritis. As you can see they've changed a lot. I've always wondered why law enforcement usually have darker german shepherds, but according to the documentary that's how german shepherds ought to look. You can also see that their hind legs are much shorter than they were before, which may be a cause for hip dysplasia and arthritis.
As far as the pugs go, most have trouble breathing and they sound like they're snoring because of their breathing. Their tails have changed as well and are far more curled than they were before, which causes a curvature in the spine also known as scoliosis.
Boxers are also really prone to epilepsy and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are prone to syringomyelia.
tl;dr: basically, of course dogs are going to be genetically prone to certain things just for being in that breed, but the documentary questioned inbreeding and how it's worsening the situation. some of the members of the kennel club don't mind breeding canine relatives, like grandfather and granddaughter. they also disapprove of canines that don't meet the exact requirements of a given breed, like a Rhodesian Ridgeback has the have a ridge on it's back (when in fact that's a genetic defect that may lead to the dog's death).
So my question is, C-A when getting a new dog is being purebred important or do you prefer mutts? What do you think about dog inbreeding? Or the Kennel Club? Is change within canines/species inevitable?
Here are some examples:
German Shepherds in the 1800s/early 1990s
German Shepherds now
Pugs
The painting on the left is from 1880 by a man named William H. Hopkins. The other two photos are of pugs today. As you can see their noses have been squished in.
Some problems German Shepherds may have include arthritis. As you can see they've changed a lot. I've always wondered why law enforcement usually have darker german shepherds, but according to the documentary that's how german shepherds ought to look. You can also see that their hind legs are much shorter than they were before, which may be a cause for hip dysplasia and arthritis.
As far as the pugs go, most have trouble breathing and they sound like they're snoring because of their breathing. Their tails have changed as well and are far more curled than they were before, which causes a curvature in the spine also known as scoliosis.
Boxers are also really prone to epilepsy and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are prone to syringomyelia.
tl;dr: basically, of course dogs are going to be genetically prone to certain things just for being in that breed, but the documentary questioned inbreeding and how it's worsening the situation. some of the members of the kennel club don't mind breeding canine relatives, like grandfather and granddaughter. they also disapprove of canines that don't meet the exact requirements of a given breed, like a Rhodesian Ridgeback has the have a ridge on it's back (when in fact that's a genetic defect that may lead to the dog's death).
So my question is, C-A when getting a new dog is being purebred important or do you prefer mutts? What do you think about dog inbreeding? Or the Kennel Club? Is change within canines/species inevitable?