Jemima Harrison

[Kraigoaks]

Now we are in a situation where it is all beginning to happen, and more breeders are walking away. You don't need me to tell you, simply look at the numbers of puppies bred. They do shape up with other years, but as the population increases the pup numbers should increase too.

Some people who would like a purebred dog simply cannot have one, and with new regulations in the pipeline, more breeders will leave. Initially, they will be replaced by young inexperienced breeders. They will not have the mentoring or advice of previous generations, and will probably leave fairly quickly.

And more regulations will bite harder

Here are the numbers

ANKC pup registration

1990 87,768 pups registered

2010 66,040 pups registered

In the past 20 years, a drop of 21,728 ANKC pups.

Yet the number of mix bred, cross bred and unregistered pups born in Australia each year has increased dramatically (some say by 100's of thousands a year) which is very hard to pin down as they are all unregistered BYB breeders and puppy fams.

There is no question that the constant attacks on purebred dogs and the (inadvertant??) promotion of puppy farms and BYB by animal rights groups, the unis, the government, the AVA may well bring an end to purebred dogs in Australia.

Is it not possible that the drop of ANKC reg pups is due to the ANKC organisations and breed clubs weeding out those breeders who shouldn't have been breeding anyway?

Or stopping breeders from doing a litter that should have never of been done in the first place?

Don,t you think that a lot of the decrease could be due to:

The introduction of limited registration. (Stopping pet owners from registering the pups from "pet only" parents)

The introduction of having to do a basic course in animal husbandry to gain a prefix and registering pups

The introduction of various mandatory health tests?

The introduction of various optional health testing that should be mandatory.

A greater knowledge of the genetics involved in breeding dogs by breeders.

Then you have the dissemination of information now. With the electronic world that we live in now, information is so much easier to access.

With this knowledge, breeding choices have become more informed.

Just a different line of thought to ponder.

Kraigoaks

[poodlefan]

I don't think it matters how inaccurate Ms Harrison's findings now prove to be.

The horse has bolted.

Your average prospective dog owner wouldn't recognise her name. All they will recall is hearing or seeing information that supports an oft held view that purebred dogs are inbred and sickly.

[shortstep]

Now we are in a situation where it is all beginning to happen, and more breeders are walking away. You don't need me to tell you, simply look at the numbers of puppies bred. They do shape up with other years, but as the population increases the pup numbers should increase too.

Some people who would like a purebred dog simply cannot have one, and with new regulations in the pipeline, more breeders will leave. Initially, they will be replaced by young inexperienced breeders. They will not have the mentoring or advice of previous generations, and will probably leave fairly quickly.

And more regulations will bite harder

Here are the numbers

ANKC pup registration

1990 87,768 pups registered

2010 66,040 pups registered

In the past 20 years, a drop of 21,728 ANKC pups.

Yet the number of mix bred, cross bred and unregistered pups born in Australia each year has increased dramatically (some say by 100's of thousands a year) which is very hard to pin down as they are all unregistered BYB breeders and puppy fams.

There is no question that the constant attacks on purebred dogs and the (inadvertant??) promotion of puppy farms and BYB by animal rights groups, the unis, the government, the AVA may well bring an end to purebred dogs in Australia.

Is it not possible that the drop of ANKC reg pups is due to the ANKC organisations and breed clubs weeding out those breeders who shouldn't have been breeding anyway?

Or stopping breeders from doing a litter that should have never of been done in the first place?

Don,t you think that a lot of the decrease could be due to:

The introduction of limited registration. (Stopping pet owners from registering the pups from "pet only" parents)

The introduction of having to do a basic course in animal husbandry to gain a prefix and registering pups

The introduction of various mandatory health tests?

The introduction of various optional health testing that should be mandatory.

A greater knowledge of the genetics involved in breeding dogs by breeders.

Then you have the dissemination of information now. With the electronic world that we live in now, information is so much easier to access.

With this knowledge, breeding choices have become more informed.

Just a different line of thought to ponder.

Kraigoaks

Well could be, do you have any evidence to that effect?

It could also be that many people do not want to be held liable for puppies that they breed.

It could be that many people have decided there is no bennifit in being a member of the ANKC (not the best of reputations these days).

Could be that many breeders are no longer interested in breeding for show ring and are joining other registries that better meet their needs.

Or is could be that many breeders just have quit due to negative public perceptions and very few are coming along to take their place.

All we know for sure is that purebred dog breeding is taking a big dive in numbers and that what ever we are doing to try to counter act this is not helping, at least not yet.

Edited February 17, 2011 by shortstep

[Staranais]

As for service dogs, many of our civilian SAR dogs do come from shelters, and many more come from unregistered breeders. Our police breed their own service dogs, pretty sure they don't register with the kennel club. Not sure about the guide dogs.

The demise of the purebred dog might be sad for any number of reasons, but I don't see it leaving service dogs in the lurch.

[poodlefan]

As for service dogs, many of our civilian SAR dogs do come from shelters, and many more come from unregistered breeders. Our police breed their own service dogs, pretty sure they don't register with the kennel club. Not sure about the guide dogs.

The demise of the purebred dog might be sad for any number of reasons, but I don't see it leaving service dogs in the lurch.

Indeed, the rise of service dog specific breeding programs has in part been created by the divergence of 'show' and 'working' lines in some breeds.

[Steve]

Now we are in a situation where it is all beginning to happen, and more breeders are walking away. You don't need me to tell you, simply look at the numbers of puppies bred. They do shape up with other years, but as the population increases the pup numbers should increase too.

Some people who would like a purebred dog simply cannot have one, and with new regulations in the pipeline, more breeders will leave. Initially, they will be replaced by young inexperienced breeders. They will not have the mentoring or advice of previous generations, and will probably leave fairly quickly.

And more regulations will bite harder

Here are the numbers

ANKC pup registration

1990 87,768 pups registered

2010 66,040 pups registered

In the past 20 years, a drop of 21,728 ANKC pups.

Yet the number of mix bred, cross bred and unregistered pups born in Australia each year has increased dramatically (some say by 100's of thousands a year) which is very hard to pin down as they are all unregistered BYB breeders and puppy fams.

There is no question that the constant attacks on purebred dogs and the (inadvertant??) promotion of puppy farms and BYB by animal rights groups, the unis, the government, the AVA may well bring an end to purebred dogs in Australia.

Is it not possible that the drop of ANKC reg pups is due to the ANKC organisations and breed clubs weeding out those breeders who shouldn't have been breeding anyway?

Or stopping breeders from doing a litter that should have never of been done in the first place?

Don,t you think that a lot of the decrease could be due to:

The introduction of limited registration. (Stopping pet owners from registering the pups from "pet only" parents)

The introduction of having to do a basic course in animal husbandry to gain a prefix and registering pups

The introduction of various mandatory health tests?

The introduction of various optional health testing that should be mandatory.

A greater knowledge of the genetics involved in breeding dogs by breeders.

Then you have the dissemination of information now. With the electronic world that we live in now, information is so much easier to access.

With this knowledge, breeding choices have become more informed.

Just a different line of thought to ponder.

Kraigoaks

I have pondered all of your points and while I do think there are some other influences I dont think the ones you have sited are any I would say I agree have had such a drastic impact.