Some say cross-breeding is bettering the breed
some say purebreed strong traits are bettering the breed.
So what is it really?
Answers:
Bettering the breed is breeding with a specific, measurable goal in mind for what the dogs will turn out like.
Breeding to excel at conformation to breed standard, or to excel at whatever job it is doing, or whatever sport/activity it is participating in.
This is done by careful selection or sire (father) and dam (mother) in order to produce certain traits in their offspring. Not all of those offspring will excel at what they were bred for - but they will still make great pets for people. A man who lives near me has a labrador that was bred to work but it didn't make the grade. No matter - it's a great pet.
Bettering the breed is the practice of only breeding the best specimens of the breed to keep the breed strong and hopefully better.
Cross breeding is NOT bettering the breed because cross breeds are mutts, not breeds.
Generally cross-breeding creates mutts. However, if you only breed the small percentage of animals who are "true specimens" of the breed, you are not only enhancing the good qualities that you want to keep, but also strengthening the genes of "bad" qualities prevalent in certain breeds. For example, in German shepherds or other big breeds, you may increase the likelihood of hip dysplasia. Also, I believe there is concern that the gene pool will get too small, and eventually you will be breeding "cousins" which can lead to genetic problems.
Bettering the breed is breeding a dog that exemplifies the traits outlined in the breed standard. It goes without saying that you need conformation, temperament, and health - the total package. It doesn't necessarily matter how you get there but you won't succeed if your dogs are too highly inbred.
cross breading is never bettering the breed because it isnt a purebred. how can u better something that doesnt exist. bettering the breed means ur breeding dogs that r very high quality and are of champion potential and even have some show wins under their belts. u r trying to create dogs that r of better show quality and lets face it u can show a mixed breed dog
To better the breed is to improve the breed, to strive for a dog as close as possible to the breed standard.
It also means to test for genetic defects, i.e. cataracts, hip dysplasia, etc., etc.
The reputable breeders here will be able to provide more detailed guidelines.
Be sure to read this link, as it answers alot of the questions you've been asking.
http://st15.startlogic.com/~justonel/bre...
Thanks!
I think it means different things to different people. I would have to say that if you breed any dog with any genetic diorders you are not bettering the breed. Also if you are breeding dogs that have a high possibility of being returned to the pound later on in life, like pitbulls, you are not bettering the breed. There are people that say that mixed breeds have fewer health problems, there are also people that say that purebreds have fewer. Even though there are studies on each side, it doesn't matter, people are going to believe what they want to believe. Just like breeders don't want to believe that they are not doing a good thing by breeding. No matter how many people tell them that 4-5 million animals are euthanized each year simply because there are not enough homes for them, breeders are still going to believe that there is no problem. I would have to say that there are way more mixed breeds in the pounds than purebreds, so I don't really agree with mixing breeds.
Bettering the breed means breeding two purebreds of the same breed that both are the ideal representitive of that breed to make puppies of the highest quality.
You cannot improve a breed by introducing another breed into it's line. Then you have mutts.
Improving the breed means only breeding the best specimens in that particular breed. It means researching the pedigree of each dog and testing each dog for genetic flaws that may pass on to the next generation. It means only breeding dogs that have proven, in the show ring, their conformation to the breed standard. It also means only breeding dogs with favorable tempraments.
When you produce healthy pups that conform to the breed standard and are tempramentally stable, than you've helped to improve the breed.
Mixed breeds do not have fewer health problems. This is a myth. If you breed two dogs with two completely different sets of health issues, how do the offspring end up with less health issues? How does that produce healthier pups?
OK I had to rethink what I wanted to say lol. Some breeds, especially working breeds, came about by individuals that noticed strong traits in certain animals and made a concerted effort, through careful breeding to establish those traits in dogs to do a certain job. Along the way if certain charistics were helpful or useful to the dog to better enable them to do their work, those charistics were strengthened as well. It's why a Collie has a thick coat or why a Dachshund has short legs. But how do you better a breed by creating a mix breed? There aren't many people who have actual working dogs, say you live on a farm and raise cattle or sheep (just one for instance) and using those dogs every day for real work. What are you doing other than making just another mixed breed, same as any of the millions sitting in shelters? It's just making more mutts.. It might help you to get some books on any breed of your interest and learn about the history of that breed. It takes some time, involves some reading but it might go a long way to helping you understand the difference if you understand how any given breed came about. You aren't going to improve on it for the simple fact that they already have all the charistics and traits they were bred for to begin with..it's the breed standard. All you can do now is strive to preserve those traits and strengthen them. I just don't know how to say it or explain it better
Bettering the breed is when a breeding is done to create a dog that more closely represents the breed standard. It also includes doing testing of all breeding stock so as to decrease incidence of genetic ick such as hip and elbow dysplasia, eye diseases, heart and endocrine disorders as well as poor temperament that does not match the breed description.
Bettering the breed means removing from breeding any dogs who do not closely match the breed standard or who when bred produce dogs with faults that degrade the breed in any way.
Bettering the breed means looking at virtues as well as faults and doing a breeding to highlight these virtues while endeavoring to limit faults. (IMO a dog with no virtues and no faults is NOT a dog who should be bred as he has nothing to contribute).
Bettering the breed means looking beyond your own backyard, your own kennel, your own neighborhood, your own city and state then going to the effort of finding the dog who can best contribute the virtues your b*tch needs help highlighting whether he lives next door or across the country or the world (chilled semen is a WONDERFUL contribution to breeding dogs).
Bettering the breed means that when you own a stud dog you research what his line can contribute and you turn away b*tches who are either of low quality or have faults your dog cannot overcome.
Bettering the breed means you make the effort to monitor ALL the pups your dog/b*tch produces, not just the ones who are sold as show/breeding prospects. So you have a complete record of what your dog actually has contributed genetically.
I could go on and on... but I'll end with:
Bettering the breed means being HONEST about your dog, its faults, the faults it has produced, the genetic ick in your bloodline so people do not double up on that ick.
To me it is *trying* to create the perfect dog of that breed. Perfect in all ways: health, temperament, structure, type, working ability etc. It's an impossible goal, there will never be a perfect dog and we all have slightly different ideas about what "perfect" is anyways, but if you are trying for perfection then what you will get is generally of superior quality.
If you don't have a goal, you end up with mediocrity or worse.
Hey, now that's just mean. I'd never say that mixed breed dogs should be bred on purpose (personally, I included "designer" breeds like schnoodles in that, too) but I also wouldn't start calling mutts "fugly" and "useless"! I've never met a "fugly" mutt! I think you just insulted each of my children! :-)
That said, I think the original question has been pretty thoroughly and accuratley addressed. Bettering a breed comes form trying to create healthier animals within the breed standard.
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