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Ask Yvette

Last week we discussed dog aggression. In part two this week, we'll look at dog breeding.

Some people feel that some breeds of dogs are more prone to aggression than others. But there is a compelling research study out of Russia that may indicate that aggression may be partially in the hands of breeders. Researchers worked with foxes and developed a breeding program. Only social animals were bred further. Over time, the animals have become incredibly social and friendly. It appears that you can breed for, “friendly.”

Oddly enough, that process began to change the appearance of the animals. Their heads became narrower and their coat colour began to change. So it is possible that appearance is somehow related to behaviour. We should be able to take bad lines and fix them. We can also take friendly breeds such as Labs and Goldens and ruin them.

And that makes sense if you look at other scenarios. In the agriculture industry, some poultry producers have run into an interesting and tragic problem. Consumers want to large chicken breasts. Some farmers breed for it. Sadly, those large breasts are too heavy for the bird's legs creating lameness. Roosters then cannot posture correctly so they wind up raping and killing the hens.

Single trait breeding can result in very devastating consequences.

We do not know how selective breeding affects a dog. We do not know, but single trait breeding is generally not wise. Good breeders look to create a stable and physically healthy dog. This does not always happen.

Owners should dig further into a breeder's experience with genetics. Anyone can say they breed for temperament. Have the breeder explain how they accomplish this. If they cannot, walk away. Puppy mills, backyard and farm breeders are an enormous problem. These are places that are looking to make a quick buck. Some may be legal, but it does not mean they are working in your best interest.

There have been attempts to change animal laws over the past few decades. Some communities in North America have tried to look at breeding operations and abuse laws. These laws rarely pass. One of the reasons these laws rarely are passed involves the agriculture industry. The breeding of any animal potentially impacts a farmer's ability to breed their livestock. Abuse laws potentially impact their daily care practices.

These laws also potentially impact hunters and First Nations hunting practices for obvious reasons.

Somehow, I have a very difficult time seeing how a law cannot meet the needs of all parties. When breeders are creating aggression or failing to care for animals, it should be remembered that most go into urban environments. That creates a safety concern for the general public.

Potential pet owners are in a buyer beware situation. As a voter, you are in a position to let politicians know that they need to work out these laws. Yet again, a bill is before the Federal government to increase fines and control the care of companion animals. The crux of the law involves stiffer penalties for animal abusers. There are restrictions for livestock to be handled separately.

Politicians need to know that people want this bill passed for community safety reasons. To look up your representative, you can go to: http://www.parl.gc.ca

Yvette is an award winning pet writer and pet behavior columnist. She also is the author of Meeting Milo, a North American dog bite prevention program to reduce the approximately 2 million children bit by dogs annually. She is the owner of AwesomeDogs.ca and works as a behavior consultant in London, Ontario.

This column was originally featured in The Londoner
See more of Yvette... www.awesomedogs.ca
www.meetingmilo.com

Yvette has 2 dogs of her own, KIKI and KAYA. Take a look...

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