geonni banner Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 This is an entirely stupid argument. Conformation breeders will breed Border Collies for conformation regardless of whether we think it is wrong or not, and regardless of whether we think their dogs are ugly or not, and regardless of whether we think their dogs have a horrible life going from show ring to show ring. Why will they do this? It strokes their ego to win ribbons and titles, and it fills their pocketbooks to sell, show, and train conformation Barbie Border Collies, and because they can. Sport breeders will breed Border Collies for Agility, Frisbee, Doggie Dancing, Dock Diving, Puppy Polo, CaniCross or whatever other games someone can come with that someone can do with their dog. They will claim it is "work" and that their best dogs come from "strong working lines". They'll do this regardless of whether we think they are delusional, and whether we think they are ruining the breed. Why will they do this? It strokes their ego to win ribbons and titles, and it fills their pocketbooks to sell, and train Sport Border Colllies, and because they can. "Herding" breeders will breed Border Collies for "herding" because they won a ProNovice trial once or show interest in stock and their great-great-great-great-great granddaddy was ##Wiston Cap. They'll do this regardless of whether or not we label them "backyard breeders" and mock them. Why will they do this? Because they can, because they think their dog is the greatest thing since sliced bread, and because someone will buy their dogs. People who want Border Collies who can work stock and want to do so, will go to the people who have been consistently breeding good working dogs and buy from them. Some of them will take the time, and make the effort, to learn what it takes to breed good working dogs so that there will be another generation of a small group of breeders who produce good working dogs. Why will they do this? Because they need good working dogs, and because they care about the breed. They rarely produce enough dogs to make any money off it. Some can make money training and teaching. All we can do is continue to get the word out that such people exist and guide people who need good dogs to them. Let the sport breeders breed the Sport Border Collie. Pretty soon they'll all be Border Jacks or some such thing. Let the conformation breeders breed the Barbie Border Collie, Pretty soon there will be three (or more) breeds. The Border Collie breed is only 150 or so years old. That's about 30 generations. The Australian Barbie Colllie is well on its way to being a new breed. The sooner the better. Unless every breeder of working dogs is prepared to either not sell into pet, sport, or show homes, or only to do so with a strict and enforceable "spay/neuter" contract, and not to let their dogs be used for breeding with sport or conformation dogs this will continue. As for the annual round of "look at the ugly conformation dogs, aren't we superior with our non-fluffy, covered in shit, skinny "working" dogs", it's pointless, arrogant, and juvenile. The best way to support the betterment of the breed is to get out there and work your damn dogs and let the general public see you doing it. The conformation and sport breeders won't go away as long as there are prizes to be won and money to be made so don't waste your breath on them. Spend your effort on supporting the true working breeders and, more importantly, real working dogs. Pearse Reading in the FAQs threads... Man! I'm really glad I stumbled onto the BC Boards. The things I thought I knew something about - and the things it never occurred to me to wonder about... The above entry really hit home for me. It was (I think) on page seven of the thread, and some of it was rough going. But I'll be thinking about this for days - rearranging synapses to accommodate all these concepts. Thanks so much to everyone here - the clueless and clued in alike. This is what I call stimulating conversation. Look Ma! I'm learnin'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat W. Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Thats why they pay us the big bucks LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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