DPU
You are picking and choosing what standards and ethics to follow. Isn't that what some of the Pet Quality breeders do and then are labeled irresponsible. "Reputable" responsible breeders can't have things both ways. I don't understand why culling is not addressed in every breeder's ethic statement
I think I can see what you are trying to say but no it is not the same. For decades the RRs reputable breeders culled the ridgeless. NOW there is a current study that has been documented by the Swiss and being followed up on here in the States , Our breed has a specific problem with Dermoid Sinus , I think I already explained what they are and how they can be life threatening. In the study they have not simply found , but are proving that the RRR (ridgeless ridgebacks) have such a substantially smaller degree of incidence with DS that they are now concluding that all of these years the healthy RRR pups who were culled could have been surgically culled at most and very possibly the outstanding examples may have been what some lines needed to reduce or eliminate the DS in the lines! As a breed we are a LONG way off from breeding ridgeless to ridged without being part of a documented study. By the same token less than 15 years ago many breeders were culling puppies with excessive white. Here is the thinking on white... in the African veldt white could be a give away to a predator causing the loss of an animal. I could buy that..... but the very last time I saw a lion in my neighborhood...... so what I am trying to say is IF I was breeding specifically for a working dog IN Africa I might think twice. Here in the States at most excessive white should be surgically culled by spay nueter , removing the dog from a breeding program. While I would not wish to include excessive white in my program it will not in ANY way prevent a dog from being a perfectly acceptable pet or companion. They do not run , move or think based on color. Until the early 50's Brindles and multi colored were common place. When bringing the breed to the US they used the Dalmation Standard adapted to pass our breed into the AKC ranks. So where we have seen RRs with stockings like a basenji make it to Champion and NO they should not have, in our kennel they are adored , loved and if they have white above the toes , they are NEVER bred.
To breed a sound RR you would be better suited to decide the purpose for the dog. Any dog unfit for possible breeding. ( and in our contracts they must be finished then Chic'ed and Temperament tested) should at the appropriate age be altered, again surgically removing it from the breeding gene pool. While in the begining yes they hunted Lion and Wild Boar, here in the US they are better suited as a family pet, companion, agility ( we have many MACH in RRS) Coursing, hunting ( deer, javelina, etc) tracking, S&R, Therapy .... the dog is so incredibly versital that a GOOD and ETHICAL Breeder is going to find a way to breed for thei gaols and then use, yes USE, every dog produced. NOT every Champion should be bred. Scandolous I know but a firm belief. You Pick only the VERY best. you combine it with your best possible choice and then you go the extra yard in placing it.
As far as having it both ways , YES you can. We back up every , yes EVERY puppy for life. It can always come home to us. If at 13 years old a genetic flaw appears ( hasn't but say if) We would back up that puppy 100% We stay so involved we can be counted on for any and all information the family could ever need, we manage any and all care for dogs needing boarding or training. And currently have a 9 yr old who when a bump was spotted even though we were reasonably sure it was just an old dog fatty tumor we paid for and managed his rehab . Why? We really are invested in our breed.
IF We bred many , many litters I would agree we would have to limit and even cull for things that we now are able to incorporate and manage with each pup we have ever produced. There is a breeder in the South who may have as many as 6 litters at a time !!! Yilkes. This person rarely culls because she is able to sell , there by make a buck off of any puppy produced. By selling with a rather pitiful contract this breeder puts dogs who should NEVER be bred out in the world with zero follow up. And yes I have had her puppy folk call and ask to use my stud or to lease a girl because They want to make the money back on the dog !! Ay Yi Yi the head ache and the hours spent trying to educate these folks.
If I was breeding my hound for the Scent side ( we are classified both sight and scent) and I choose to ignore and use a dog with smallish terrier ears, or flews that were very tight how could I fullfill the desired result? If I wanted to push for the sight hound and rather than working with a dog who's eye was not simply strong in color and shape but skip the Cerf then how could I hold my head up and think this is a dog who will be able to hunt or course by sight??? In our most recent litter we wanted to improve one thing and one thing only I wanted more upper arm, This is essential for reach and drive and for a dog who was engineered to run all day acrossed the veldt . Our dogs should ...fingers crossed , if the prey drive is as sound as it always has been be champion lure coursers, solid and fast, intelligent which will be our major down fall since RRs love to cheat at the bunny!
A Pet Breeder does NOT invest the heavy monies into the program to clear the dogs on hips, elbows, patellas, Baer, Thyroid,Cerf, Cardiac... then add the finishing and socialization , then cross train and not just knee jerk the top dog for breeding but actually spend enormous time working the pedigrees and establishing a relationship with the breeders you are working with. In a recently annouced frozen litter thhe breeder spared no expense, had 12 puppies, 7 with show ridges, 1 flawed ridge and 4 ridgeless.... there is a huge waiting list for the pets out of this breeding as the dam and sire were beyond wonderful. Less than 12 years and therer would have been 5 dead puppies.
BUT an ETHICAL breeder has to understand the "target home or family has a specific desire. If you are wanting an elegant well bred dog with as great a health profile as possible to live with you, grow with your family and adore you then YOUR Ethical breeder has to do all of the tests I mentioned above, talk for hours with you and then know .....the puppy !! If this one is a hugely prey driven hound then a family who wants an adoring family pet is going to have HUGE challenges !! If you have a very active owner who is motivated to agility or ??? Then please why would an ethical breeder take a puppy who is the ulitmate couch hound and say Here ya go??? In all of these with the exception of a health issue very little that folk used to cull for would have any , I mean any point in making the perfect pup. Only in conformation and Lure Coursing will ridgelessness be an issue and again if a family wants a devoted hound how can a cosmetic issue be the end of the world? Last but not least culling is final. Period. In the 80's many breeders HATED to see Liver noses pop up in a litter. Acceptable but at the time harder to place. They later realized the livers helped keep the glorious red color in our breed or all of them would be golden to very pale wheaten. My girl Born in the realy 90's when finishing a Liver took twice the money and work went on to be my foundation dam and my seizure alert dog. Only 10 years earlier and no one would have blinlked had she been culled for being difficult to finish or place.
Ethics and beliefs can NOT be designed for you. YOU have to develope what , where and why and at the very end of your years in your program YOU have to be able to look in the mirror and know..did YOU do the breed harm or did you make a contribution??
Bonita of Bwana