Hi Everyone~~
Thanks for responding and for speaking out for and from those who choose to breed and who do so wisely.
I should try to explain my reasonings for replying to your post, jicksies, and to say sorry for this and the last soap box...
There is a huge dog park near where I live, (very populated urban part of town), that is the only one close by for those who own dogs but don't have backyards in their loft apartments/condos or who just want to take a walk with their dog.
In the two years I've had Sigmund, (my two+ yr old), and since a major cell phone company came out with tv ads featuring many Boxers), there has been an overwhelming amount of new Boxer pups coming to this one park. (Personally, Sigmund and I love that fact and the dogs have a great time). :D
However, the majority of these dogs are having similar genetic health issues, all that can be followed back from two major, (Candian Kennel Club members), breeders. They were all from separate litters and only one of the pups had the same sire as another. Interestingly enough, both dogs had cryptorchidsm, (a genetic condition that most vets most likely won't see once during their entire career). Some of the others had similar Cancer issues.
Many of the owners contacted the breeders to let them know that their animal was sick, others didn't get follow up calls from their breeders and didn't think to call them but later said they had called to let them know about their pups.
Then add into the mix, those who own gorgeous dogs, want another one, or see a profit to be made, (through not following optimum or even knowledgable breeding practices), and there's a genetic soup that is pretty unhealthy in my area.
As the dogs who did have serious genetic predispositions for illnesses were all under 3 at the time, it can fairly be said that not much in a preventative way could have been done to effect that.
The largest problem that I see when making the decision to bring more animals into this world is in not knowing the genetic predispositions for health problems of both lines and then going ahead and doing so; perpetuating them unnecessarily.
Due to a higher desire to purchase dogs, more are bred to fufil need and continue lines. I would think it near impossible nowadays to find any one pup out of any litter, (and probably more accurate each dog), that did not have one recessive gene for any of the known genetic problems.
Knowing that there are many to be had, cancer,hip dysplasia, heart problems, diabetes, etc., it baffles me how some people who decide to breed, do so when they know of dominant problems in either of the sire or dam and/or have similar genetic problems on both sides.
So, enough said about what I'm noticing in my area and thanks for allowing me to explain it further. It seems we are all saying the same thing in this regard; no truely reputatable breeder would ever breed two known health concerns and dominant genetic problems. To do so would leave themselves with unhealthy lines preventing future benefit. My concern is more for the un-noted health problems in some Boxers that are continued because some of those who are breeding their animals do not know the previous genetic health issues of the lines they are continuing.
I really should have only responded to your orignal post, jicksies, by saying, I wouldn't breed another dog with any history in it's line of a similar genetic problem and as long as your pup checks out healthy, one can only do their best to act in a more preventative way towards certain genetic health perpensities, since most dogs will have some somewhere.
Now if only the backyard breeders would consider this.
Sorry if I wasn't clear and for the rant.
I'm so disliking seeing so many gorgeous Boxer pups, coming to our local park, having to go through such terrible illnesses.
It's really sad and unfortunately some Boxer rescues know this senario too well as well. :(
Thanks,
Charlotte & Sigmund
