As long as dogs are being selectively bred for aesthetic and physical characteristics, they will continue to suffer. Selective breeding is the process in which human beings breed animals to produce desired traits in the offspring. Eventually dogs were being bred less for the ability to work and more for how the animals looked. Selective breeding does have its own benefits. The clubs keep track of the dogs and their lineage, which is helpful for telling if the dog has any family history of disease. When breeders use inbreeding or line breeding it greatly increases the chances of genetic diseases. The alternative to purebred dogs and the health problems associated with them would be buying a mixed breed. Genetic diversity is important for not just dogs but every type of animal along with human beings.
Pedigree or Poison: Selective Breeding is Detrimental to Dogs
Dog’s have been man’s best friend for thousands of years and will continue to be alongside mankind until one of the species ceases to exist. Dogs have been alongside man since they were first domesticated from wolves 15,000 years ago (Allan, 2010). This domestication has led to dogs being intertwined with everyday life for many humans. People use dogs as workers, companions, and guardians. To some people dogs are just as much a part of the family as the children. Some people even choose to have dogs instead of children. This may be for various reasons, such as cost, time availability, or just preference. Without dogs, many people’s lives would be significantly worse because pets have an impact in their owner’s life, whether this is positive or negative. Dogs can be friends and family, or dogs can be a leader to the blind. They can be used to brighten a sick child’s day, or...
... middle of paper ...
...ey are generally well diversified, a mixed breed has a much lower likelihood of having life impairing diseases. A healthy dog needs much less visits to the vet, and therefore costs less to take care of.
Many people want a purebred dog because it signifies value and luxury. What they don’t realize is oftentimes these pedigree dogs will end up very unhealthy. It’s better for the both the owners and the dogs themselves if dogs are not selectively bred for specific traits, especially when the breeders are careless or unregulated so that inbreeding occurs. Even if a breeder is careful, the limited gene pools of certain breeds can cause issues unintentionally. Genetic diversity is important for not just dogs but every type of animal along with human beings. Selective breeding is robbing canines of their genetic diversity and because of this is very harmful to the species.
Have you ever wondered how much it costs to have and maintain a pet? Burkhard Bilger, the author of “The Last Meow”, explains how Americans spend a lot of money on their pets and that people's “love affair” with their pets has gotten out of control. An observation I have made is that in many movies dogs are treated very well. When I was younger, I watched a movie called Bratz and one character would always have her dog inside a dog purse and they would even get manicures and pedicures together. The dog always had shiny clothes on and it was always very clean. Therefore, I agree with Bilger's argument that Americans “love affair” with their pets has gotten out of control.
First Friend: A History of Dogs and Humans, by Katherine Rogers, articulates the history of the relationship between dogs and humans. Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals, by Marc Bekoff and Jessica Pierce, investigates if and how dogs exhibit morality. In both texts, anecdotes and observations are used to portray instances of dogs displaying cooperation, empathy, altruism, and, by extension, morality. Consequently, it stands to reason that dogs have a capacity for sociality, but how can the sociality of dogs be described? A dog’s capacity for sociality is the ability to form long term relationships with members of the same or other species. Dogs, in particular, dogs who hunt as well as dogs who play, are able to form long term relationships with humans and other dogs through trust, love,
The organism I have selected for selective breeding is a retrieve Labrador dog because retrieve Labradors are the most popular breed worldwide. Although the research has made great progress in the development of a healthy large breed companion retrieve Labrador dog, the research is not yet complete, which means that there is still a long way to go. Labradors are selectively bred for their hunting qualities. They have been bred to have webbed paws so they can swim into water to retrieve the fowl. When retrieving the bird, it is desired that the dogs must have the softest mouths so that the bird may not be damaged.
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.
"Why Mixed Breeds Make Great Companion Animals." The Sacramento Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Sacramento SSPCA, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
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 have 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 are 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.
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)
Thesis Statement: While most owners are aware of the amount of joy and laughter dogs bring to them and their family, they are unaware that their dogs love them unconditionally and can help them have better lives
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.
It is difficult to correctly identify each dog by breed- some are mixed and tests are expensive.
“A dog is a man’s best friend” goes much deeper than the phrase might initially imply. Recently many medical journals have begun to identify with the many and varied benefits of pet ownership. Men have always relied upon animals for work, transportation, and survival. As times have changed, man has begun to appreciate a different bond with animals. Gone are the days of animals running free outside around the homestead, for now animals are allowed inside and are considered by many to be an integral part of our daily lives! Medical studies have found that animals have a much greater intelligence level than originally thought. Through proper training and experience, animals are not only household pets, but also are becoming an accepted form of medical treatment.
There are two sides of the argument, one side debating that controlling the dogs traits is good so that we can put those desirable traits to use as best we can. The other argument is that selective breeding is immoral and can cause damage to the dog physically. I believe that we should find a middle ground and that dogs should be bred naturally unless there is a special need for selective breeding to be done (ie needing a calm dog in a retirement home). I also think if selective breeding were to continue it should only be through behavioral traits but not physical because that leads to many health issues for the
Dogs are wonderful creatures. They are loyal, dependable companions if given the opportunity. In recent years I have come to the opinion that we could learn something from these animals. We should also take a look at the manner in which they are being treated. Abandonment, irresponsible breeding, and neglect are only some of the ways that humans are failing the canine species.
Eugenics refers to the science of regulated breeding to increase the occurrence of favorable traits, decrease that in undesired ones and overall, improve a species. During the years 1890- 1930- known as the progressive era, the science sparked a movement of groups in Britain and the US who supported this controlled reproduction to achieve an improved human race in their society. During this time it was highly supported as it was believed to be a method to eliminate the increasing criminals, poor and incapable workers in society. The progressive era was a time of strong desires for reform to rid of industrial and social problems in society. The sudden influx of scientific
New technological advances are being mad every day, especially in genetics. With great innovations comes concerns whether it will have a good cause or be used for bad intentions. One of these is eugenics, the idea to improve genetic composition in humans most specifically in future fetuses. The idea started in 1883 by Sir Francis Galton who wanted to selectively breed humans using desired traits to create a perfect human race. This lead to many unethical moments in history such as the sterilization of unfit humans in the 19th century as well as Hitler’s use of eugenics during WWII. However, current use helps identify possible inherited diseases/conditions in unborn children and remove those traits from the DNA. Although eugenics has been used