Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Seeking a path towards a proof of concept

For Diversity Guidelines we Follow CLICK HERE

Over 150 puppies introduced into the world by Chatham Hill Dogs since 2004.   So we're pretty new at this.  But at an average of 11 dogs per year it can certainly be said we aren't over-breeding.  We're not making millions off of this journey so for the veterans out there that claim we're exploiting our dogs, Really now?  Are you serious?  Lets look at the outcome of the puppies produced here.  If according to the statistics I should have seen 30% of my dogs come up diagnosed with Cancer by the age of 3.  That hasn't happened.  I should have seen 40% of them pop up with a bad hip or knee before 24 months.  Well, haven't seen that yet either.  In fact We've had 2 dogs.  One Hybrid and one purebred turn up with congenital defects diagnosed within the first 8 months, which means they were born that way, possibly premature development, not likely hereditary.  Both were corrected via surgery.  All the rest.... are thus far fine and dandy.  So if I can say my outcomes don't reflect the miserable statistics provided by the rest of the breeders out there, then perhaps there's something different in how we're approaching this breeding process than the rest of them?  But, the stone throwers tend to stick to their guns and demand we do things their way?  Well, the results haven't really been stellar in their own outcomes.  So, thank you for your concern, but we'll continue doing things our way.

Outcomes are really all that needs to  be presented.  Because the outcomes are what really determine if the goals you've set out to achieve have been worth the journey taken and the best way to prove that the choices you've made are better than the outcomes presented by others.  A really simple concept.  So if we review how the status quo have been doing things the same way for several decades and the statistics have not changed significantly in either direction then see how their outcomes thus far have provided us with what we have today with respect to the overall health of our dogs.  Its clear the way they have done things for so long has not worked.  By focusing their priorities on the physical health tests and rolling the dice to achieve a value from these screenings that are determined to be satisfactory they find an excuse to ignore the detrimental effects of line breeding and inbreeding.  COI (the coefficient of inbreeding) takes a back seat to scores based on a physical examination.  DNA based tests do have merit as being conclusive indicators of passing on negative hereditary problems, but physical screenings are a toss up.  They provide you with an assessment of the dog being tested on the day of testing.  It is not a way to predict the future health status of this dog and definitely not a way to determine the outcome of the offspring produced from this dog.  In fact most breeders will put up a disclaimer on their websites or in their puppy contracts that will say that regardless of all the physical health tests performed there is still no guarantee that the puppies produced from the tested parents will be free and clear of any of the physical problems the parents passed.  


Friday, March 2, 2012

Old school breeders believe they are so righteous when they really just suck


For Diversity Guidelines we follow CLICK HERE

The status quo of the inner circles of the dog world does a bunch of funny things, even devious, sometimes just hateful and I guess in choosing their quirky way of doing things that seem very entrenched within matters of old traditions and long practiced ritualistic behavior they feel is just the only way.  In fact they believe their way is the absolute best way because whatever idealistic fantasies of reasoning they are brainwashed into has become their religious calling on behalf of their dogs and they pass these practices off to the next person they feel worthy of their mentorship and maintaining their precious lineages.  So when newbies like my family come into the equation it tends to rock their boat and if in doing so we’ve discovered a success story unlike anything the status quo has ever experienced, suddenly we’re their target for tall tales of wrong doing and exploitive practices.  

It’s sad really, because in a real life conversation with the brainwashed segment of the dog fancy outside of their normal surroundings, they’re all likely intelligent and rational people.  So its just so odd and rather amusing to experience them when they are in their element or actually on another of their intelligence gathering hate fueled missions hell bent to conjure up so many fun filled facts from their own fantasy world to explain things happening with dogs living a sweet life on a ranch far far away from them being raised by a family with two loving parents of 5 really cool kids who all enjoy and love their dogs.  You’d think they’d actually want to help such a family instead of always trying to disparage them.  Hmmmm. Let’s just call it them being jealous.  Perhaps they’ll go away.