The Reason Why You Cant

[ellz]

Putting my reply here too from the UK KC....

Thank you for your enquiry. The Kennel Club Breed Standard describes the ideal specimen of a breed. Whilst some dogs may not comply with all points as described, the judge must take an overview and decide which of the dogs being exhibited most closely meets the standard. The issue of colour is just one of several points described in the standard. However, we would disagree with your view that a blue dog cannot have a black nose as required by the standard. There are blue dogs exhibited in the UK which have black noses.

We hope that this clarification will be of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Caroline Hallett

And again, it is genetically IMPOSSIBLE for a blue Stafford to have a black nose, no matter what The Kennel Club has to say about it. A dark slate nose can "appear" black but it doesn't MAKE it black!

But gee, The Kennel Club has spoken so that automatically means that many hundreds of Stafford breeders and some highly esteemed International Geneticists must be wrong!

And editing to add: I also note that nowhere in this missive does the BREED appear so in all fairness, perhaps you could post your actual letter/email TO the Kennel Club so that we can actually see that you were enquiring about the Stafford in particular.

I should also remind you that whilst the reply you received is interesting....we are in AUSTRALIA and therefore whilst the Stafford did originate in the UK, the Kennel Club is not the organisation with whom we have affiliation.

Edited November 17, 2010 by ellz

[WreckitWhippet]

speechless

[TessiesTracey]

Putting my reply here too from the UK KC....

Thank you for your enquiry. The Kennel Club Breed Standard describes the ideal specimen of a breed. Whilst some dogs may not comply with all points as described, the judge must take an overview and decide which of the dogs being exhibited most closely meets the standard. The issue of colour is just one of several points described in the standard. However, we would disagree with your view that a blue dog cannot have a black nose as required by the standard. There are blue dogs exhibited in the UK which have black noses.

We hope that this clarification will be of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Caroline Hallett

And again, it is genetically IMPOSSIBLE for a blue Stafford to have a black nose, no matter what The Kennel Club has to say about it. A dark slate nose can "appear" black but it doesn't MAKE it black!

But gee, The Kennel Club has spoken so that automatically means that many hundreds of Stafford breeders and some highly esteemed International Geneticists must be wrong!

And editing to add: I also note that nowhere in this missive does the BREED appear so in all fairness, perhaps you could post your actual letter/email TO the Kennel Club so that we can actually see that you were enquiring about the Stafford in particular.

I should also remind you that whilst the reply you received is interesting....we are in AUSTRALIA and therefore whilst the Stafford did originate in the UK, the Kennel Club is not the organisation with whom we have affiliation.

Hi Ellz.

Here's my email (sent via the enquiry page on the UK Kennel Clubs website) in full. (I've only edited the part which shows my email address).....

Dear Ms Randall

Thank you for your enquiry. The Kennel Club Breed Standard describes the ideal specimen of a breed. Whilst some dogs may not comply with all points as described, the judge must take an overview and decide which of the dogs being exhibited most closely meets the standard. The issue of colour is just one of several points described in the standard. However, we would disagree with your view that a blue dog cannot have a black nose as required by the standard. There are blue dogs exhibited in the UK which have black noses.

We hope that this clarification will be of assistance.

Yours sincerely

Caroline Hallett

-----Original Message-----

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]

Sent: 09 November 2010 05:57

To: CCS Admin

Subject: Message from http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk

The sender of this email has sent you the following information:

Name:tracey randall

Email:

Location: Australia

Telephone:

Message:

Dear Sir/Madam

I'm a long standing Staffordshire Bull Terrier owner & have just discovered your information regarding the registration of merle litters within our breed.Great news!However a question regards blue SBT's please.The colour blue (permitted in the standard)as far as I'm aware,is a dilute gene of the colour black.Therefore a blue coloured Stafford cannot genetically have a black nose (as requested in the breed standard).How does that work?What is the KC's standing on this particular issue?

Would appreciate your input.

Regards

Receive information by POST:

Receive information by EMAIL:

===================

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk

[ellz]

Interesting indeed. But the fact remains that the reply is still incorrect and potentially quite misleading. I really hope that somebody in the UK, maybe one of the clubs could take up the gauntlet here before too much misinformation creates even more problems.

[TessiesTracey]

Interesting indeed. But the fact remains that the reply is still incorrect and potentially quite misleading. I really hope that somebody in the UK, maybe one of the clubs could take up the gauntlet here before too much misinformation creates even more problems.

Let's hope so.

I believe that Veronica Brown (Public Relations Officer for GB & NI Breed Council) has frequented the BBO forum, so hopefully she'll pick up on it, or if not I'll pass it onto her.

[poodlefan]

Jacqui:

I have been trying to argue that by not working to avoid dilutes (and producing particular colours that happen to be the most popular, and not just because they're perceived to be rare - people just like blue in all animal types - cats, rabbits, rats etc it's a nice colour), responsible breeders using tested and healthy animals could help to reduce the number of BYB's not contributing to the breed, because I believe that whilst there are many people who would choose a crappy blue over a good brindle etc, they would likely choose a dog with papers and health guarantees especially if it came at the same price."

There's a considerable difference between not intentionally avoiding colours and deliberately breeding for them. Furthermore, with a 25% or thereabouts chance of breeding a blue dog with health issues why wouldn't decent breeders want to avoid the colour?

What the public seek to buy and what breeders wish to produce may not be one and the same. I'd argue that not breeding to fulfull fads is responsible dog breeding.

[Sheridan]

Blue dogs cannot have a black nose at all?

[ellz]

Blue dogs cannot have a black nose at all?

SOME blue dogs can, Kerry Blues for instance but the gene that makes them blue is different to the dilute gene that Staffords carry.