Another One Bites The Dust

[Clyde]

In about16 yrs of working with dogs, I dont think I've ever come across a pedigree Maltese.

I have a friend who breeds and shows her Malts...

T.

I'm sure they're out there, I was just making a point that they're not common at all IYKWIM.

[Steve]

I find it interesting that the Maltese type of dog is so so common/popular, but it's rare to come across an actual ANKC registered Maltese or one from an ANKC registered breeder. As a groomer the vast majority of swf's we groom have Maltese in their heritage, but rarely are they 'purebred' or 'pedigree'. Maybe clubs like this could benefit from trying to bring these non purebred 'Maltese type' owners under their wing on some sort of associate register, and then they have more membership as well as a ready audience to sell the benefits of purchasing a 'purebred' or 'pedigree' in the future?

ANKC breeds clubs are extremely unlikely to embrace cross breeds or their owners as members. Their general focus is on the breed survival and the show ring.

Yes it is but unless they start looking at ways to increase interest in their registered pure bred dogs it won't be long before they don't have to worry about it at all.

Especially in a breed like Maltese where there is actually massive popularity in the type of dog I just see a huge opportunity to run an associate membership where to join the dog must be chipped/desexed & council registered. Then have fun little 'shows' a couple of time a year along side regular shows where they can just have classes like best groomed, best child/dog, basic elimination obedience contest with sit, drop, stay where last dog standing wins, best trick etc.....all the while the pedigree breeders have a captive audience to show off their dogs too . If jo public felt like part of it I just about guarantee that the demand for ANKC purebred Maltese would increase. It won't happen overnight but neither will just pushing the same old barrow. What better way to fight fire with fire. Reel in all those owners with pet shop bought dogs and gently encourage them towards registered breeders.

Oh well dreams are free!

Sounds good but in reality the breed clubs are in existence to advise the ANKC about breed specific issues etc regarding registration and the standards of their breed and to deal with things associated with showing their breed. .The various state bodies have associate registers to enable dogs without pedigrees to participate but it would make a major change of culture for a bred club to accept cross bred dogs and their owners as members.

Yeah I know.

It just seems such a shame that with just a few hundred ANKC registered dogs annually that is a very small group to draw membership from, where in reality there are 10's of thousands of 'maltese type' owners out theer that would probably jump at the chance to feel included and venture out with their much loved dogs. I am by no means putting these ideas forward as promoting the cross breeds, quite the opposite. Reel them in to promote the pure breeds.

I would love to hear of other innovative, fresh, inclusive ideas because with memberships, entries, clubs, registrations dwindling unless someone comes up with something they're doomed. Pushing the same old agenda is clearly not working for purebreed dogs everywhere.

I'll make the analogy to what's happened with the sport of cricket. They took a look at the dwindling interest in a sport lacking relevance to todays faster pace here & now society and made changes that turned the sport on it's head, but also ensured enduring interest & popularity by making it more interesting & accessible.

As much as it isnt the popular politically correct suggestion for a solution we need more people breeding more of them.

There isnt much point in the club surviving if there isnt anyone who can maintain the defined purpose of the club's goals and cross bred owners are not going to do much to determine what is best for the breed.

[Elenbah]

Jo Public has being encouraged to turned away from purebred dogs by certain groups....What we are starting to see is the results of their campaigns...Where are their beloved pets going to come from down the track... It's too late once they have gone.... It's all right to say they should do this and they should do that but the breeders of our pure bred canines are hitting their heads up against brick walls ...we are damned if we do and damned if we don't.!

[WExtremeG]

I've noticed in my area that dogs are a bit like the pirated movies... most don't want the shiny glammed up expensive health tested ones but will be quite happy to pay for less than half the price for one that potentially (lol to them anyway) looks the same as the more expensive version without the extra "add ons".

[pebbles]

Malts aren't the only breed in decline. You only have to look at the numbers at a country show, overall the numbers are declining and some breeds are missing all together at Country shows. All these new rules, Councils, media hype,DD's etc. have turned so many away and there's no help from the ANKC or State Bodies.

[Guest Panzer Attack!]

TBH I think there is a lot more Bichon and Poodle in most "Maltese" we get in through grooming. I have one pure Maltese on my books and he looks NOTHING like ANY of the "Maltese" or "Maltese x" that we see nowadays.

They are amazing little dogs and I'm so sad that no one can see the beauty of them. If pure Malts were more in the public eye I think the public would be much more keen on owning them... I know through having Scooter that a lot of people who have met him have become huge Papillon fans!

On a slightly different note I was invited to join the Cav club even though my Cav has no papers. I was STOKED. Pet ownership has changed and will never go back to how it was with pet shops, BYB and online puppy sales being so popular - the purebred dog will die out if the breeders and clubs don't get creative.

[Dogsfevr]

Yes it is but unless they start looking at ways to increase interest in their registered pure bred dogs it won't be long before they don't have to worry about it at all.

Especially in a breed like Maltese where there is actually massive popularity in the type of dog I just see a huge opportunity to run an associate membership where to join the dog must be chipped/desexed & council registered. Then have fun little 'shows' a couple of time a year along side regular shows where they can just have classes like best groomed, best child/dog, basic elimination obedience contest with sit, drop, stay where last dog standing wins, best trick etc.....all the while the pedigree breeders have a captive audience to show off their dogs too . If jo public felt like part of it I just about guarantee that the demand for ANKC purebred Maltese would increase. It won't happen overnight but neither will just pushing the same old barrow. What better way to fight fire with fire. Reel in all those owners with pet shop bought dogs and gently encourage them towards registered breeders.

Oh well dreams are free!

Nearly all breed clubs have associate members & alot have pet members BUT these same people also need to put there hands up to ensure the clubs survival

When i was part of the Dachie club we ran a number of fun days each year but like everything else the same people are left to do the work & it gets to a stage that people just can't do it anymore & to keep clubs running you need willing workers/members to fund raise .

The current club im on does 2 major fundraising events each year & i can tell you now members suddenly become invisible when you ask for help .

Running events whether it be show or fun is costly with ground hire fees ,advertising etc etc .

We board & groom quite a few pure Malts from good breeders but Malts often don't have big litter sizes.

Many breeders are importing dogs to show instead of breeding & like any good breeder don't have pups just because .

Pet people can certainly be very active in any breed clun if they wish

[BlackJaq]

How sad

Not sure what to do about it but I honestly think we need more ethical pure bred breeders.

It is said that you are not supposed to breed "just because", but only to better the breed, but pet dogs will have to come from somewhere and if the registered pure bred breeders do not supply them, then puppy mills and BYB and "one off" breeders will.

Rather than swinging the "overpopulation" stick at breeders, maybe people should realize that there is an oversupply of "unsuitable" dog, rather than dogs in general. I do realize that on DOL I am pretty much preaching to the choir though :p

So... Please breed more well bred, health tested, well socialized pure bred litters? lol

[Sheridan]

Malts aren't the only breed in decline. You only have to look at the numbers at a country show, overall the numbers are declining and some breeds are missing all together at Country shows. All these new rules, Councils, media hype,DD's etc. have turned so many away and there's no help from the ANKC or State Bodies.

Particularly the terrier breeds. Terriers are just too much hard work for most people.

[Dame Aussie]

I think the majority of the general public would be happy with SWF and various oodles.

[Guest crickets]

Everyone is making very good points in here!

[jerry lee]

Malts aren't the only breed in decline. You only have to look at the numbers at a country show, overall the numbers are declining and some breeds are missing all together at Country shows. All these new rules, Councils, media hype,DD's etc. have turned so many away and there's no help from the ANKC or State Bodies.

Particularly the terrier breeds. Terriers are just too much hard work for most people.

Just curious.

Can you eloborate on why you say terrier breeds are to much hard work?

Most terriers are very low maintenance, so I'm assuming you mean temperament wise.

High prey drive & hyperactive..... that sort of thing?

Since the taildocking laws were introduced there has been a drop off in some the previously docked breeds such as rotties & dobes....the O.E.S is pretty rare sight these days as well.

High travel costs & entry fees are hitting country shows pretty hard.

The smart ones seem to be gravitating toward three shows on the one w/e as a way of attracting entries.

Which is a good plan, it makes the trip worthwhile.

As for breed clubs, the feifdoms that develop within some clubs is responsible in no small way for the fall off in memberships.

[dee lee]

JerryLee, we get that you are a terrier fan, but you need to accept that all breeds/types have pros & cons.

Terriers have very forceful personalities that require a certain kind of owner or problems can develop.

My next door have a Maltese. It's a real PITA. Cute as a button & one of the most vicious dogs I know.

Bad combo that seems quite common for the breed. Possibly why they aren't as common as they used to be.

[megan_]

Deelee is it a purebred? It seems like most small white fluffy dogs are called Maltese these days

[dee lee]

To my eye it looks to be purebred. I can't see any other breed in it and it's owners are elderly & foreign (ie- not up to confirmation! :laugh: ).

I quite like Maltese, they are a spunky little breed with a great look, but over the years (though i admit, more in the past)I have seen too many spoilt ones that have been aggressive due to being treated as lap dogs. It's a shame.

[moosmum]

I find it interesting that the Maltese type of dog is so so common/popular, but it's rare to come across an actual ANKC registered Maltese or one from an ANKC registered breeder. As a groomer the vast majority of swf's we groom have Maltese in their heritage, but rarely are they 'purebred' or 'pedigree'. Maybe clubs like this could benefit from trying to bring these non purebred 'Maltese type' owners under their wing on some sort of associate register, and then they have more membership as well as a ready audience to sell the benefits of purchasing a 'purebred' or 'pedigree' in the future?

ANKC breeds clubs are extremely unlikely to embrace cross breeds or their owners as members. Their general focus is on the breed survival and the show ring.

Yes it is but unless they start looking at ways to increase interest in their registered pure bred dogs it won't be long before they don't have to worry about it at all.

Especially in a breed like Maltese where there is actually massive popularity in the type of dog I just see a huge opportunity to run an associate membership where to join the dog must be chipped/desexed & council registered. Then have fun little 'shows' a couple of time a year along side regular shows where they can just have classes like best groomed, best child/dog, basic elimination obedience contest with sit, drop, stay where last dog standing wins, best trick etc.....all the while the pedigree breeders have a captive audience to show off their dogs too . If jo public felt like part of it I just about guarantee that the demand for ANKC purebred Maltese would increase. It won't happen overnight but neither will just pushing the same old barrow. What better way to fight fire with fire. Reel in all those owners with pet shop bought dogs and gently encourage them towards registered breeders.

Oh well dreams are free!

Sounds good but in reality the breed clubs are in existence to advise the ANKC about breed specific issues etc regarding registration and the standards of their breed and to deal with things associated with showing their breed. .The various state bodies have associate registers to enable dogs without pedigrees to participate but it would make a major change of culture for a bred club to accept cross bred dogs and their owners as members.

Yeah I know.

It just seems such a shame that with just a few hundred ANKC registered dogs annually that is a very small group to draw membership from, where in reality there are 10's of thousands of 'maltese type' owners out theer that would probably jump at the chance to feel included and venture out with their much loved dogs. I am by no means putting these ideas forward as promoting the cross breeds, quite the opposite. Reel them in to promote the pure breeds.

I would love to hear of other innovative, fresh, inclusive ideas because with memberships, entries, clubs, registrations dwindling unless someone comes up with something they're doomed. Pushing the same old agenda is clearly not working for purebreed dogs everywhere.

I'll make the analogy to what's happened with the sport of cricket. They took a look at the dwindling interest in a sport lacking relevance to todays faster pace here & now society and made changes that turned the sport on it's head, but also ensured enduring interest & popularity by making it more interesting & accessible.

For what its worth Crickets,I agree with your idea whole heartedly.

I think it would see a huge surge of interest in pedigree dogs and foster more responsible and informed attitudes in dog ownership/breeding.

[Salukifan]

Crickets.

Yes it is but unless they start looking at ways to increase interest in their registered pure bred dogs it won't be long before they don't have to worry about it at all.

Especially in a breed like Maltese where there is actually massive popularity in the type of dog I just see a huge opportunity to run an associate membership where to join the dog must be chipped/desexed & council registered. Then have fun little 'shows' a couple of time a year along side regular shows where they can just have classes like best groomed, best child/dog, basic elimination obedience contest with sit, drop, stay where last dog standing wins, best trick etc.....all the while the pedigree breeders have a captive audience to show off their dogs too . If jo public felt like part of it I just about guarantee that the demand for ANKC purebred Maltese would increase. It won't happen overnight but neither will just pushing the same old barrow. What better way to fight fire with fire. Reel in all those owners with pet shop bought dogs and gently encourage them towards registered breeders.

The ANKC has an associate register that pretty much does this for folk who want to do dog sports.

Some breed clubs have fun days but it's a hell of a lot of work and generally restricted to pet owners of purebred dogs.

I can understand why Maltese folk might not want to open the doors to crossbred owners. It's all those crossbred breeders and buyers that have pretty much led to the demise of the Maltese as a pet. Hard to put your heart into something like that. As a poodle owner I feel the same way about oodles. The breed I love has been exploited and abused to produce a pet that's often not much like a poodle at all.

How does providing encouragement to oodle owners to show their dogs 'convert' them into becoming poodle owners? Half the reason these dogs sell is because their owners have bought into the hybrid vigour misinformation and the tripe about getting the best of more than one breed.

Edited December 19, 2012 by Haredown Whippets

[dancinbcs]

Maltese registrations are down from their highest level of 2006 in 1994 making them nearly as numerous as Border Collies. At the time they were still a rare breed in the showring due to the coat maintenance on a showdog but were extremely popular as pets. Well bred purebred Malts are wonderful little dogs, very smart and quite easy to train. I have never seen an aggressive one and had a friend who used to successfully trial several in obedience. I cannot see what you could improve on by crossbreeding them.

For some bizzare reason the ill informed public prefer the crossbreds.

[PRADA68]

I know what I would like to say but I would be hung and quartered on here for doing so, I blame part of this problem on the limited register good in theory bad in practice.

[moosmum]

Crickets.

Yes it is but unless they start looking at ways to increase interest in their registered pure bred dogs it won't be long before they don't have to worry about it at all.

Especially in a breed like Maltese where there is actually massive popularity in the type of dog I just see a huge opportunity to run an associate membership where to join the dog must be chipped/desexed & council registered. Then have fun little 'shows' a couple of time a year along side regular shows where they can just have classes like best groomed, best child/dog, basic elimination obedience contest with sit, drop, stay where last dog standing wins, best trick etc.....all the while the pedigree breeders have a captive audience to show off their dogs too . If jo public felt like part of it I just about guarantee that the demand for ANKC purebred Maltese would increase. It won't happen overnight but neither will just pushing the same old barrow. What better way to fight fire with fire. Reel in all those owners with pet shop bought dogs and gently encourage them towards registered breeders.

The ANKC has an associate register that pretty much does this for folk who want to do dog sports.

Some breed clubs have fun days but it's a hell of a lot of work and generally restricted to pet owners of purebred dogs.

I can understand why Maltese folk might not want to open the doors to crossbred owners. It's all those crossbred breeders and buyers that have pretty much led to the demise of the Maltese as a pet. Hard to put your heart into something like that. As a poodle owner I feel the same way about oodles. The breed I love has been exploited and abused to produce a pet that's often not much like a poodle at all.

How does providing encouragement to oodle owners to show their dogs 'convert' them into becoming poodle owners? Half the reason these dogs sell is because their owners have bought into the hybrid vigour misinformation and the tripe about getting the best of more than one breed.

By demonstrating to them 1st hand the predictability of what they could be getting,and learning of the care that goes into their breeding from people who are passionate about them.Showing faith in them and their ability to captivate others as much as yourselves.By having these people where you can reach them to present the alternative,and the ideal of breeding responsibly.

There will always be some who will happily have or breed "mongrels",but I bet numbers would drop when they are reminded good breeders have goals other than sheer profit.

A sense of belonging would promote community awarness and belonging in real issues.

Edited December 19, 2012 by moosmum