The "perfect" breed

[Andrew]

I just finished reading this article I found… its a little lengthy, but discusses purebreds vs. hybrids ("designer dogs"). It just made me all the more thankful for our breed, one that nature designed rather than man. Maybe its just me, but I find that man tampering with genetics by trying to create something not already found in nature is a little scary to say the least. I will always prefer mutts or "primitive" dogs. What do yall think about this fad?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/magazine/04dogs.t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

[JazzysMom]

My niece is always teasing me about my "dog wannabes", the Basenjis, and says she prefers "real dogs".

LOL, I have to keep reminding her that MY dogs ARE the REAL dogs, and hers are all man-made! LOL

[sharronhurlbut]

So many dogs have health issues.
Our b's did, but the committed breeders are working to make sure this natural breed is as long lived as possible.
That is the differences between our breed and some of the others.
Our breeders care about the quality of the lines they produce, not just the show ribbons they can earn.

[tanza]

I have not read the entire article.. but I loved this statement about breeding Pugs and Beagles from a Pug breeder

"So now you’ve got a dog with wanderlust and no doggie sense.”

[Quercus]

@JazzysMom:

My niece is always teasing me about my "dog wannabes", the Basenjis, and says she prefers "real dogs".

LOL, I have to keep reminding her that MY dogs ARE the REAL dogs, and hers are all man-made! LOL

Ha! Honestly, who out there thinks Basenjis really want to be dogs!! Maybe "royalty wannabees'? I think Basenjis really wish people would quit calling them 'dogs'

[Andrew]

I have to remind myself not to sound haughty when a stranger asks, "What were these dogs bred for?" and I reply "They weren't. They were created naturally adapted to their environment."

[lvoss]

That is not entirely true. Man has played a role in basenji evolution. Basenjis may not have been selectively bred in the same sense as some other purebred dogs but tribesman have played a role in which basenjis breed and which don't. Basenjis live with humans in Africa and need to have adapted to living with humans. Humans have played a role in shaping that adaptation.

[torchsong]

@Andrew:

I have to remind myself not to sound haughty when a stranger asks, "What were these dogs bred for?" and I reply "They weren't. They were created naturally adapted to their environment."

I get this one every now and then on walks. Usually I say they're considered part of the hound group, but are one of the (I believe there are eight) "ancient" breeds of dogs, and primarily had to be domesticated by African tribal hunters to assist in the hunt and stuff like that.

Usually that throws them…that such an elegant looking dog is actually one of the earliest examples of what a dog actually is, as opposed to the breeds that have come after them.

Then she baroos and freaks them out.

[sharronhurlbut]

Folks come up to me and say "barkless dog"?
I say yes, and my girl barks to show me someone is invading out area!
Its a hoot.
She only does one bark…but that is enough to prove mom a Fool!

[Andrew]

@sharronhurlbut:

Folks come up to me and say "barkless dog"?
I say yes, and my girl barks to show me someone is invading out area!
Its a hoot.
She only does one bark…but that is enough to prove mom a Fool!

Lola does this to me, too. Haha. I try to tell her she's not a barking dog, but she doesn't seem to believe me.

[sharronhurlbut]

My husband calles her the barking basenji beagle!
she is purebred fyi.

[YodelDogs]

That was a very good article. Thank you for sharing the link.

[Andrew]

@YodelDogs:

That was a very good article. Thank you for sharing the link.

You're very welcome. I figured there would be others who would find it as interesting as me. I was appalled at the description of just throwing a male of one breed into a cage with several females of a different breed "just to see what would pop out." I don't necessarily have a problem with hybrids in theory, as most breeds are "man-made" in a way, but just throwing a bunch of dogs together just to see what's going to happen is a little sickening.

[wizard]

Yes indeed a very good article – one thing (actually two) that popped out at me was -- this guy had over 400 puppies in his kennel and that he was basically indiscriminately throwing breeds together just to see. Talk about a puppy mill ...

[bizrandom]

@lvoss:

That is not entirely true. Man has played a role in basenji evolution. Basenjis may not have been selectively bred in the same sense as some other purebred dogs but tribesman have played a role in which basenjis breed and which don't. Basenjis live with humans in Africa and need to have adapted to living with humans. Humans have played a role in shaping that adaptation.

Yes the reasearch I have done over the years has basically come down to this… Good hunters and useful basenjis - ALIVE, bad dogs - Stew pot (sorry if this disturbs some of you)

Add this to our breeding programs over the last 80+ years, and one has to conclude that this is a "groomed?" pariah dog

[ChaseandZahrasmom]

@tanza:

I have not read the entire article.. but I loved this statement about breeding Pugs and Beagles from a Pug breeder

"So now you’ve got a dog with wanderlust and no doggie sense.”

Yup, I agree. I love my Puggle (Pug and Beagle), he was my first dog and he is so cool.

[Robin_n_Jack]

I was at a board meeting the other day that was followed by dinner, and we go to talking about dogs, and I said I have a Basenji.

No joke, here is the response:

"So, that is a cross between a Bichon and a what?"

um….no.

[sharronhurlbut]

I was down at the park, 2 ladies with nice dogs were walking toward me and admired the b's.
I thanked them and said, oh, your Yorkie is very cute…and then looked at the over dog who had a pap head, but the body was all wrong...
So, I said your breed is??? and she said papoodle, its a new breed.
I without thinking and not trying to be mean said...Oh, so you have a mix...
Sigh.
Didn't win any friend that day.
Really these "designer" breeds are just mixes with a good PR agent.
Sorry if I offend, but I have to say, breeding mixes when there are so many in the shelters is offensive to me.

[MacPack]

A couple of years ago someone sent me an url that showed about 20 photos of dogs, for each pair (they looked almost just alike) you had to pick which was the expensive 'designer dog' and which was the shelter rescue. I was correct on about 80%, which shows that the new designer dogs are MIXES…as Sharron says, with good P.R.!

Anne in Tampa

[sharronhurlbut]

I think its more than 80 %. In my limited knowledge of dog breeding, all of these Mixed advertized as a designer breed don't breed true, so they breed mutt to mutt and "try" to get one that looks like what they advertise.
Just bad business to someone like me who works in rescue and sees dogs put down in shelters every since day.