From pugs and poodles to chihuahuas and bulldogs, dogs come in so many different varieties, and each can have a variety of health issues. There is so much variety in dog breeds that we sometimes forget that they all come from the same species. There are so many different types of “Purebred” dogs, and everyone loves them. Purebred means a good healthy dog, right? Well you’d be wrong; purebred dogs are actually some of the unhealthiest types of dogs.
Purebred dogs aren’t even a natural thing; they’re just something that humans made up. Wild dogs had diverse genes, and there was no such thing as dog breeds. This is just another one of those cases where humans messing with nature.
The Humane Society states “To protect particular characteristics,
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Dog shows became this high class society and judging standards were set for the dog shows. Eugenics, which is the belief in selective breeding to create better looking offspring, had become very popular. These dogs weren't just supposed to look certain way; they also had to have specific personality traits.
Throughout human history inbreeding was a very common thing amongst upper class families.
Sometime in the middle ages, we humans figured out that keeping it in the family is not a very good idea.
The effects of inbreeding involve physical deformities, poor immune system function, heart defects, death, etc. Dogs are having these same types of health problems and most people either don’t care, or think that it’s
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Over the years all the constant inbreeding done to these poor animals has affected their health in terrible ways. As Kennel Clubs continued to inbreed dogs, the gene pool got smaller and smaller, which made the dogs sicker and sicker.
The most common effects of inbreeding is autoimmune disorders, respiratory problems, eye problems, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, cancer, glaucoma, Portosystemic Shunt, joint problems, trachea, breathing problems, etc.
Bulldogs are one of the “breeds” that have had some of the worst side effects as a result of inbreeding. An article from New York Times Magazine states that “inbreeding and breeding for ‘extreme traits’, like the massive and short-faced head of the bulldog—are detrimental to the health and welfare of dogs.”
The article goes on to say, “There is little doubt that the anatomy of the English Bulldog has considerable capacity to cause suffering, […] the breed is noted to have locomotion difficulties, breathing problems, an inability to mate or give birth without assistance…Many would question whether the breed’s quality of life is so compromised that its breeding should be
calculation to illustrate limitations of breed-specific legislation and decreasing the risk of dog bite-related injury.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 237.7 (2010): 788-792.
There are plenty controversial issues about bully breeds and whether they are acceptable or safe dogs to own. In July a woman was mauled in her yard and killed by a dog in Montreal. Due to this unfortunate incident the mayor Denis Coderre created a bill called BSL (Breed-Specific Legislation) which was approved by the legislation. This bill states that determined by their breed or pitbull features “American Pitbull Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, American Bulldogs or any dog with strains of these breeds” will be unadoptable; they must wear a muzzle in public as well as a leash that’s 4 feet long and in most cases they will be euthanized due to their breed. BSL should be reversed because the real problem is irresponsible dog owners, the irresponsible owners will just switch breeds and any dog has the potential to hurt someone.
Most of the dogs on this list are common household pets, like the Labrador retriever, and are normally non-aggressive and very friendly. Many times these dogs show no sign of aggression and pose no threat to society. Perspective One Breed-specific laws were put in place with the expectation to help prevent dog bites and attacks. The State and Federal government both came to the conclusion that this is a positive way to promote safety from dog attacks. “Both state and federal courts consistently uphold the constitutionality of breed-specific pit bull laws.... ...
In recent years it has been the pit bull which has come under the scrutiny of legislative bodies, as their reputation becomes more and more sullied by street crime. To say “pit bull,” however, is a vague reference to several pit bull types, which are considered separate breeds by registries like the American Kennel Club (AKC). Each type has a slightly different breeding history; many began with the breeding of bulldogs with terriers to produce a loyal, compact and tenacious breed (“American Pit Bull Terrier”). The three standard pit bull types most often mentioned by name in breed-specific legislation include the American Pit Bull Terrier, the American Staffordshire Terrier, and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier. That is not the extent of the legislation, however, which also includes dogs that “substantially conform to the breed standards established by the American Kennel Club” (Melvindale)....
Breed-specific legislation is a broad term that includes laws that ban or restrict the type of dog a person can own. Bree- specific legislation, or BSL for short, is often described as something that protects people or makes the world a safer place. In reality, there are many issues with this type of legislation. The whole premise of BSL is based off of misconceptions, it punishes innocent people and animals, and it does not ultimately lower the amount of people bitten each year where it is implemented. These laws are discriminatory, unjust, and unproductive.
Every year an estimated 4.5 million dog bites occur in the U.S. BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) is a law that suggests that certain breeds are more prone to aggression than others. By banning or restricting the breeds in question, it is believed to help reduce the number of attacks. BSL determines which breeds are dangerous using statistics. These statistics cannot be relied on for two reasons. One, there is no concrete method to determine a dog’s pedigree. Thus, a victim, animal control officer, or owner is trusted with identifying the dog through appearance. According to Scott and Fuller, authors of Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog, “It has been known for decades that the cross-bred offspring of purebred dogs of different breeds often bear little or no resemblance to either their sires or dams (1965).” Visual assessments are questionable. Two, population is not accounted for. Population is important, in that it provides context to percentages. Because a dog’s breed is impossible to pinpoint, we cannot provide numbers. BSL’s cause is rendered useless when we consider these points.
The misrepresentation of Pit Bull breeds in the media has been reflected in American culture. As these dogs were incorporated into World War I propaganda, they were perceived as symbols of courage and strength, the archetype of American dog breeds5. When, in the 1920s and 1930s, American Staffordshire Terrier “Pete the Pup” starred in the comedy Our Gang, later known as The Little Rascals, Pit Bulls were considered “nanny dogs” and family-friendly pets7. When the media focused heavily on illegal dog fighting rings and gang culture in the 1970s and 1980s, Pit Bulls were called demonic and unpredictable. Through their many roles, they have shown versatility and resilience, and lately they have suffered greatly.
Educating dog owners and the general public on dog safety is a great way to cut down on dog attacks. Teaching people how to safely interact with dogs and basic rules about dogs that they don't know. Calgary, Canada has already started putting this idea into effect and have found it quite effective. Here is some of what they have found “Research shows that just 1 hour of dog safety training in grades 2 and 3 can reduce these attacks by 80%.” (Alternatives to BSL)
There are breeds that can be classified as outlaws. How can that be? It is like judging a book by its cover, and is not that frowned upon? Society has gone so far with this that there are even laws banning pit bulls in certain counties. Fines have been put in place and outrageous insurance policies must be purchased simply to own a dog. A dog is just that, a dog, until someone comes along and makes it into a monster. A dog may be bred to do something and can be trained to do an entirely different thing. For example, pit bulls have been bred to be nanny dogs. They are supposed to protect babies and ultimately care for them like they would their own pups. Some people have taken this instinct and turned it into something horrid. They have twisted the dogs mind into thinking that it has to fight to protect something all the time. Pit bulls have been classified as vicious and harmful animals. This is discrimination and is because of media skewing stories, ignorant people that refuse to listen to hard facts, and public attitudes and opinions. These laws against breeds are unconstitutional; there is no legislative basis for these laws.
Take a moment and picture a dog in your head. What do you see? You may see many different things depending on your own personal encounters with the species. There are many types of dogs out there. Some small, some large, long-haired or short-haired. There are many variances in what a dog can look like. One thing that does not change, or should not change, is the importance for every dog in this world to be given love and affection, no matter its characteristics. This is what leads me to believe that the obsession with producing and owning purebreds needs to come to a halt. Continuing to create these so-called “best dogs” is dangerous to not only the purebred’s health, but also devalues mixed breeds and can cost them their lives in animal shelters where they may never escape. My interest in this topic caused me to look into seeing what other people felt about it.
Throughout the world there are many different countries that contain diverse cultures, religions, and life styles. There is however certain aspects within these countries and cultures that acts as a common ground between one another. One dominant aspect is the existence of dogs within these cultures. Dogs are common throughout the world, either as a domestic pet, a protector on a farm, or an assistant for hunting; amongst others. Regardless of the reason for having a dog most people have either owned one for themselves or has known somebody who has owned one at some point in their life. Despite the relative normality of having a dog in your life in one way or another, the reasons for dogs coming into existence is not common knowledge among most people. Throughout a great portion of mankind’s history dogs have been an essential part of life. The truth is dogs were actually created in part by man. It was evolution from wolves in the form of natural and artificial selection that brought dogs into existence (Harris 3). This is the most modern and widely excepted theory at this time, however this was not always the case considering the theory of evolution in of itself is relatively new in our society. After evolution as a theory was accepted there were several other variations on the theory such as, the evolution being from jackals opposed to wolves, and artificial selection being the only form of evolution to have taken place. According to Jarret A Lobell and Eric A Powell of Archaeology magazine “The idea that dogs were domesticated from jackals was long ago discarded in favor of the notion that dogs descend from the gray wolf (2)”. As for the theory that artificial selection ...
Puppy mill breeding causes many health problems for the animals involved. Many dogs have illnesses and diseases because of the environment around them. Many puppy mill operators fail to remove sick dogs from the breeding area and cause other animals to become infected as well. There are many diseases dogs while being in puppy mills. Some of theses diseases are heart disease, kidney disease, endocrine disorders, respiratory disorders and many more. The puppies created often arrive in pet stores and homes with diseases as well. (ASPCA)
The downfall of artificial selection is that it decreases variation in a species. Pure bred dogs are highly susceptible to many different disorders and diseases because of the lack of variation in their genotype. With these two processes, today we have friendly canine companions.
Everyone should have heard this phrase that dog is man’s best friend. We live with them, love them, and take good care of them. When people talk about dog breed, the advantages and disadvantages of purebred dogs is always a controversial issue. Lots of people like purebred dogs because they are beautiful and cute; some people prefer crossbred dogs because they believe purebred dogs usually have genetic disease. Indeed, many evidence and research show that purebred dogs are easier to have genetic disease, and many purebred dogs die from incurable genetic disease every year. However, people still do not pay highly attendant to this problem. Even though purebred dogs are pretty, cute and inherited pure blood compared with the mixed-breed dogs, people should not excessively breed purebred dogs in order to satisfy our desire because a lot of them suffer serious genetic disease, are abandoned on the streets and performed euthanasia in shelters.
...olor and breed are not able to be changed, but by changing the behaviors of a dog, a shelter could increase the dogs appeal no matter the breed and color.