The Matter Of Dog Breeds
by Richard Horowitz
Filed under Dogs
If “fashionistas” are obsessed with brand names, dog lovers are hooked on dog breeds. The value of the dogs depends on its breeds and the dogs considered as purebreds are on top of the list.
Dogs are classified into groups of distinctive physical characteristics and personalities and kennel groups have identified and recognized over a hundred different breeds.
It is not easy however to exactly differentiate dogs of different breeds because there are many shared character traits. Some pups in breeding farms will be born with little similarities with their parents.
In dog breeding, experts contend that the offsprings should have the same characteristics as their parents, both physical attributes and behavior. If things proceed according to expectations, the puppies of Retrievers should have black coats just like their parents.
This is not always the case because some Retrievers are known to have given birth to golden colored puppies. These different colored puppies will not be accepted as legitimate breeds by Kennel clubs. The puppies are considered as an aberration and will be “humanely” killed by euthanasia, justifying the act as necessary to prevent the propagation of this imperfect breed. This particular issue has long been debated by many dog experts and scientists because of the fact that there are certain instances wherein genetic consequences may intervene.
It is also contended that dog breeds are not based on specific scientific fact and even DNA testing cannot identify nor establish the specific dog breeds. So there is no assurance that puppies will be born exactly like their purebred parents.
However, because of the existence of dog breeds, Kennel clubs only consider pure dog breeds on their competitions.
Out of 160 or so dog breeds listed by the Kennel clubs, less than two dozen can be easily recognized by the average person. The so-called dog experts themselves cannot say with certainty if a dog is a purebred or the result of cross breeding.
It is not therefore entirely accurate to judge the behavior and personality of a dog based on its alleged breed. A dog belonging to a supposedly friendly and people-oriented breed may prove to be hostile to people.
Whether or not a dog will bite is not based on its breed, but more on the existing situations and prevailing circumstances. It is the prevailing opinion of experts that a dog regardless of breed will not bite a person without any provocation. This means that 99.9% of all dogs will not attack anyone as long as there are no viable reasons that will trigger the attack.
The point of contention is that there is no such thing as a purebred dog because of continuing genetic influences. Hence, the foundation of classifying dogs according to their physical attributes and behavior may be affected by different factors.
What happens is that a dog breed listed in a kennel club will not be recognized by another.
Any baseball fan will love these mlb gifts – a complete Topps team set. We carry baseball team sets for all major league teams.
Related posts:
