11/03/2023
To Breeding Outside The Standard ?!
The world of dog breeding is a complex and often contentious one. Some breeders are passionate about preserving the integrity of a specific breed, while others are more focused on producing healthy and happy dogs regardless of breed standards. In the world of the American Kennel Club (AKC), there are breeders who are fiercely dedicated to the preservation of purebred dogs, and they can be very vocal and even angry when they see breed standards being compromised.
Many AKC preservationist breeders believe that the breed standards set forth by the AKC parent clubs are the only true representation of a particular breed, and they feel that any deviation from these standards is a betrayal of the breed. They argue that breeding outside of the standard can lead to health problems, temperament issues, and a loss of the unique characteristics that define a breed.
However, there is a bit of hypocrisy involved when it comes to breeding a specific breed. All ancestors eventually come from the same population of dogs through the AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) process until the stud books are closed when making new breeds. This means that even the most purebred dog has ancestors that were mixed breeds or came from other breeds. In other words, there is no such thing as a completely purebred dog. They standardize a breed look after getting so many dogs that look “similar” and then they refine what they want based on a human desire or fancy. That can sometimes be in form, conformation, or sometimes it can be for function. Their hypocrisy also lies in the fact that breed standards have revisions over time. In other words they can and have changed, depending on who is in charge and popular acceptance by the public.
For example in the Labrador retriever the only retriever that was a good retriever was initially black. Then slowly yellow became accepted, and then later the color chocolate which was entirely undesirable at one point and accused of having all sorts of coat issues, has now become quite acceptable in the breed. It does not go without mention that many breeds including the Labrador Retriever have vast differences between show and hunting or working types, to the point where some might believe the are entirely separate or different breeds altogether.
And even so, some breed standards can be so strict that they can actually be harmful to the breed. For example, some breeds have been bred for exaggerated physical traits, such as short snouts or overly large heads, which can lead to breathing problems, joint issues, and other health problems. Breeding outside of the strict breed standards can actually help to reduce these problems by introducing new genetic material into the breed. The variations in the Labrador breed come from the multitude of various dogs bred in the Labrador as they formed the standard.
It's important to note that not all AKC preservationist breeders are militant or hypocritical, and many are genuinely committed to preserving the health and welfare of their chosen breed. However, it's also important to recognize that there is no such thing as a completely purebred dog, and that breeding outside of strict breed standards can sometimes be beneficial for the breed. Rather than being militant or angry, breeders should be open-minded and willing to learn from others in order to produce healthy and happy dogs.
