I have been a breeder of Goldens for over 35 years and while there are parts of this blog I agree with, I also know that many lines, my own included, are regularly producing dogs that are still living 13-16 years just as there are lines whose dogs have lifespans that are much shorter. I, however, disagree with the article's premise that the breeders (and GRCA) aren't trying to change things. As with any popular breed, there are breeders and there are breeders. Most backyard breeders do not know enough about their own dogs, let alone the dogs they breed their girls to, to know if they are adding to the problem of producing dogs that will die from cancer at a young age. Most knowledgable hobby breeders, although not all, research the pedigrees of their own dog and those dogs that they are introducing into their lines and will try to avoid dogs that are known to produce cancer at a young age. The GRCA, through the Golden Retriever Foundation, has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research in the Golden Retriever. But, like their counterparts in human cancer research, those investigating canine cancers, still don't have the answers we need to cure various cancers or better still eliminate them from our stock. Hopefully the day will come in the not so distant future that we will know the answers and can improve our breeding programs by employing the knowledge that science will provide us.
Joel Pett/Lexington (Ky.) Herald Leader
I have been a breeder of Goldens for over 35 years and while there are parts of this blog I agree with, I also know that many lines, my own included, are regularly producing dogs that are still living 13-16 years just as there are lines whose dogs have lifespans that are much shorter. I, however, disagree with the article's premise that the breeders (and GRCA) aren't trying to change things. As with any popular breed, there are breeders and there are breeders. Most backyard breeders do not know enough about their own dogs, let alone the dogs they breed their girls to, to know if they are adding to the problem of producing dogs that will die from cancer at a young age. Most knowledgable hobby breeders, although not all, research the pedigrees of their own dog and those dogs that they are introducing into their lines and will try to avoid dogs that are known to produce cancer at a young age. The GRCA, through the Golden Retriever Foundation, has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer research in the Golden Retriever. But, like their counterparts in human cancer research, those investigating canine cancers, still don't have the answers we need to cure various cancers or better still eliminate them from our stock. Hopefully the day will come in the not so distant future that we will know the answers and can improve our breeding programs by employing the knowledge that science will provide us.
ReplyDeletePatricia Herschman, Camelot Golden Retrievers