Re: [pyrnet] Dwarfism

[JGentzel@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/26/00 9:10:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
bamb@monmouth.com writes:

<< He was happy, healthy, and certainly all Pyr! >>

Certainly they would be, which makes it all the more tragic.  Such a noble 
fearless heart and soul in a compromised body.  We created them, denied and 
ignored them for much too long, and now we must care for them, but the 
emphasis must be on not breeding any more of them.  The goal must be, lets 
stop it here.  To legitimize their competition at any level while it may be 
sympathetic and compassionate to the individual dog, it could send the wrong 
message about their desirability and actually promote them.  Don't think it 
will happen?  I am sure the individual dogs care nothing about titles as this 
is a human thing and the dog itself will be very happy doing what it does.  
So there is no harm to the dog at all.  Most of us dog people are just ole 
softies anyway, so our love and empathy can get the best of us.  Lets look 
after the breed as a whole.  We can do this without hurting or dishonoring 
these dogs that hopefully we will less and less of in the future.  

As far as the number of Dwarfs and surveys, the number reported will most 
likely be very incomplete.  The GPCA has made it more difficult for folks to 
be members and thus offended many.  Also most of the working breeders care 
nothing for the GPCA and in fact look on it as some beauty pageant holder, 
and openly, aggressively scoff at it.  So the reports of dwarfs are very 
probably greatly diminished.  You think the BYB and puppy millers care a whit 
about the GPCA and any surveys?  I know of reports of several litters with 
dwarfs in working hands that will never be counted.  I think it highly 
probable that the GPCA and its membership including the regional clubs 
comprimise a much less than majority of the activity around the breeding and 
owning of the dogs.  Then when you throw in the crossbred the numbers seem 
staggering in its potential ramifications.  

I am told that the National Dairy Goat organization anctually recommends that 
people who need dogs to guard their goats recommend not using a breeder who 
is connected with the AKC and show world.  The point is we are only seeing 
the tip of the iceberg I fear.

Joe