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Earlier quoted context omitted.
Whats the solution here?
Maybe: we stop using terms like 'purebreed' and 'mongrel'. Or reclaim 'mongrel' I like the term 'natural dog'. "I'd like a medium sized natural dog with a long coat because it's cold here."
Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275
Suppose there was a breed of, say, monkey, that was popular as a household pet. They were considered to be quite clever and could be trained, over some years, to use a toilet, fetch things from the fridge, even manage primitive forms of communication. The only problem is that they're a genetic trainwreck. They've got a pronounced, gourd-like head with a snout so compact that it's common to have to surgically remove s…
Divorcing the general notion of a category problem from individual cases of ownership is hard, and honestly, Guardian op-eds may be the best option in the short-run.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe: we stop using terms like 'purebreed' and 'mongrel'. Or reclaim 'mongrel' I like the term 'natural dog'. "I'd like a medium sized natural dog with a long coat because it's cold here."
"Natural dog" is a silly term. Dogs are a domesticated animal and breeds have been around for almost as long as writing. [1] I call mine a "mutt" - it's inoffensive and gets the point across. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_breed#History
a person regarded as stupid or incompetent.
"“Do not give me orders, mutt.”"This doesn't work. You can't convince people who's income depends on staying silent to speak out. You need to convince politicians to make it harder on people breeding unhealthy dogs. Politicians yearn for topics to fight for if it can bring them voters. Vets yearn for people bringing their sick dogs to them and not another guy.
Vets lost money by refusing to perform these mutilations.
[1] declawing cats; tail docking; ear cropping, etc.
Our dog didn't even make it to 10. She died of heart failure at 7. According to the vet this is another common problem with the breed.
I well never get a pure breed again.
The article is misleading. I own two pugs, and it's a breed that must be kept fit and healthy. They can't be allowed to run hard in hot weather, and if it is hot they need a lot of water. The folds in their skin need to be kept clean as well. This is a very old breed, and the dogs do have a decent lifespan if they're cared for properly. I don't know about Bulldogs, but I've never owned one because they're only expect…
Pugs are just one example of a breed where breed characteristics (brachycephaly in this case) have gone far enough that it can be argued that continued breeding of them is cruel, particularly f continuing to select for extreme breed characteristics.
The article is misleading. I own two pugs, and it's a breed that must be kept fit and healthy. They can't be allowed to run hard in hot weather, and if it is hot they need a lot of water. The folds in their skin need to be kept clean as well. This is a very old breed, and the dogs do have a decent lifespan if they're cared for properly. I don't know about Bulldogs, but I've never owned one because they're only expect…
I feel as though you justified the entire article in your second sentence?
Vast majority of purebreds have some serious generic issues. I'm hoping that we as a society will solve this whole situation soon. There is a BBC documentary on this https://vimeo.com/17558275
This is why mutts are the best. Genetic diversity is good. Anecdotal, but growing up my two mutts lived to the ages of 16 and 18...well past the life expectancies you see in the purebred world.
Living in an apartment I can't really have a big dog and by getting a breed dog (even if it's not really pure bread) I know it will not get too big for the space I have available.