I have to say, while I don't necessarily agree with everything that has been posted.. I find this a very interesting topic!!!
Ok... this is not happening. If you look at pictures posted on Collies back in the early 1900's they look much the same as they do today. Sure some bloodlines might have shorter or longer heads.... honestly the last show I was at I never saw so many fat/heavy headed collies!.. which is incorrect, as opposed to dogs that are getting longer heads or noses as you say. Some people would say SOME of my dogs have a bit more width of head than what is preferred but it doesn't bother me.
I know this is a bit off topic.. but can you honestly say the heads are longer today than back in the early 1900's?
Born in 1899
Born in 1902
Born in 1922
Born in 1966
Some current pics...
Lindsay
Bree
BTW in 1886 the Collie Club of America was formed, and it was the 2nd breed club to join the AKC. Now if you want to see some Collies that have REALLY changed since the early 1900's check out the European Collies. A huge difference there. They look nothing like the dogs from 100 yrs ago.
If you breed purebred dogs, you have to breed for type as well as everything else. You cannot not breed for type. Type is what sets one breed apart from another, without type, there would not be all these breeds. Breeding for "Type" is different in each breed. Collies for example, breed type is in their heads, everyone knows a collie from their head and sweet, soft expression and intelligent eyes. Without type a collie wouldn't look like a Collie. However as the great Steve Field, of Parader Collie fame (one of the most influential breeders of the Collie in America) once said, "A Collie is a herding breed, it does not walk on its head" you also need to breed for correct, sound structure. Collies were used as all around farm dogs, they need to be sound to work all day, without correct structure and movement they would be no good, however if you have a Collie with correct structure, but poor breed type, its not going to look like a Collie either. You cannot breed for one and not the other.
I agree with this, however a believe a large part of this falls into the hands of the judges who judge these dogs at dog shows. If they did not award dogs with incorrect type, structure or bad qualities, with big wins, people would not breed for these things. The fact of the matter is, if something won't win in the show ring, MOST of the big wigs in that particular breed won't breed for it, and so it won't become a popular thing.
I agree with this! Luckily the Collie breed standard hasn't been changed in over 30 yrs (1977) and that was just to add color headed whites as an allowed color. Its POSSIBLE it will soon be changed again, but only to allowed sable merles as an allowed color. There is a huge debate about it right now, however even with sable merles not listed as an allowed color, many are shown and finished so its not a huge issue. Actually the #1 smooth collie in the country right now is a sable merle.
While I agree people need to health test their dogs before breeding, doing something like this I don't think would be the answer. Besides that depending on the breed, and what health tests needed to be done, that would pretty much put an end to showing puppies, which I happen to love doing! I love taking a happy, goofy, clownish puppy in the ring, they are lots of fun to show!!
Also if everyone with a purebred dog was allowed to show, even if they know they won't win, its not likely people who are showing them just for fun, even if they don't win, are breeders, and there for probably wouldn't be doing many if any health tests.
Just earlier this year they finally found the DNA marker for PRA in Collies and there is now a test available for it. Luckily PRA is not a real commonly seen problem in Collies, though back in the 70's it was a HUGE problem (a VERY popular stud dog ended up being a carrier for it!!) and many breeders worked hard doing test breedings to breed it out of their lines. Its MUCH MUCH less common today than it was back then, but its still out there and pops up on occasion so its good to have a test for now!













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