Creating
a New Breed
By
Dr. Carmen L. Battaglia
| This article has
been reproduced with the kind permission of Dr. Carmen
L. Battaglia for the CFBA, the CIDBT, and their students
of Dog Behaviour & Training |
Background
Business-minded breeders are a growing industry at
a time when quality care and new services have both
become attractive selling points. According to the American
Pet Products Manufacturers’ Association’s National
Pet Owners Survey, Americans spent $ 35.9 billion on their
pets in 2005, more than double the $17 billion spent in 1994. Industry
estimates also show that $19.5 billion was spent on products
and services other than veterinarian care. The Census Bureau’s
tracking service of retail sales reported that Americans spent
more money on pets than on hardware, jewelry or candy in 2004.
Tufts University Veterinary School reported that dog owners
would spend $9.4 billion on Veterinary care in 2006, a 6 %
increase. Based on that trend and these figures, it seems
clear that breeding and selling pets and their related products
has become an industry with ample opportunity for growth and
creativity. From airline miles for pets, to pet care and new
breeds, the pet world has proven to be an industry in an expansion
mode. During the past decade this industry grew at a
brisk pace. One area receiving a great deal of attention has
been the efforts by some to create new breeds. Over the past half
century there have been many attempts to create exotic or designer
breeds. Most have failed because
the breeders did not take the time to understand what is required
to produce a new gene pool or what the American Kennel
Club (AKC) requires of a new breed seeking to be recognized. The
time, dedication, resources and administrative work necessary
usually escapes their notice. The following scenario
touches on some of the problems that these breeders will encounter
during the long, tiring and demanding process required to create
a new breed.
NEW BREEDS
The ideas for creating a new breed usually begin with
a group of breeders or an individual. They start with the notion
that they will share breeding animals and the resulting offspring. For
reasons which are not yet clear, those who have taken this
path rarely think about the time and the requirements of such
a breeding program. Too often the idea for a new breed is simply
to cross two or more existing breeds whose characteristics
they like with the expectation that cute puppies will appear. Once
the decision is made to create a new breed, what follows are
talk, rumor and excitement, all of which make for interesting
newspaper and TV stories. The hype typically
begins with an announcement about the new breed. This is followed
by a bombardment of questions from the media and curiosity
seekers. The motivation that drives the idea is the belief
that they can demand higher prices for their new dogs (mongrels). It
in the midst of all this excitement there is one important
question that is rarely addressed. What do they
mean when they call themselves breeders? Those who breed
animals for consumption such as cattle, sheep and hogs will
answer this question differently from those who breed purebred
dogs. In this regard, some believe that the term “breeder” means
nothing more than someone who mates males to females. In
that environment, anyone can become a breeder. There are no
entrance exams, rules or penalties for those who produce the
unexpected. Under these conditions any one of our neighbors
can claim to be a breeder. But regardless of how you define
the term, the real dilemma comes when the breeder comes face
to face with the larger question about the skills necessary
to take on such a project. Those who attempt to create
a new breed usually begin with a reason for doing it. It might
be a new purpose, a function or a special need. But for
most, it seems to be the perceived benefit of financial gain. Occasionally
there will be others who attempt to create a new breed without
cross-breeding. Their approach begins with an existing breed
and a trait within a breed they admire. Typically, they will
choose a color that is disqualified by the breed standard. What puzzles the long-time breeder is why these
individuals call themselves “breeders” when they
deliberately set out to breed dogs that have a trait that is
disqualified by a breed standard. While this approach
avoids cross breeding, it also requires isolating those with
the disqualification. The immediate affect is the impact
on a reduced gene pool and the decline in the genetic diversity
of the dogs being used. Their plan usually involves enhancing
the color that is not allowed in the belief that they can improve
it and eventually have it recognized as a new breed. As
these breedings progress, many will begin to enter these dogs
in companion and performance events (obedience, agility, herding
etc) where disqualifications are allowed in the belief that
by competing in these venues they give credibility to their
efforts.
STEPS TO A NEW BREED.
The history of breed development is centuries old.
The Chinese Crested dates back to the 1500’s and days
of Columbus. The Pekinese have a history that’s more
than 1000 years old. Other breeds date back to the 1700 and
1800’s. In each case, it was understood that careful
selection and the need for recognition by a legitimate stud
book was an important part of the process. More recently
(1980’s), Tina Barbara and Cinnamon Kennedy began an
effort to create a new breed called the “Shiloh Shepherd”.
They began by crossing the Alaskan Malamute with the German
Shepherd Dog. It wasn’t along before others claimed to
be breeding "Shiloh’s". A typical problem that
begins to surface is disagreement about how these offspring
should be bred and who would keep the records and monitor the
progress of the breedings. Without a recognized
stud book and a registration system, other interested breeders
and the public are left wondering what will become of these
efforts.
BREED STANDARDS. The path to recognition should not be
taken lightly. It requires a large population of dogs with
pedigrees that can produce consistent and predictable type.
To accomplish this, a written breed standard is needed that
describes the traits that the judges and breeders will use
to advance not only temperament and type but many of the other
desirable traits. Each standard includes the major and minor
faults and the disqualifications. For
these reasons, those who attempt to create a new breed must
craft a breed standard that fits the traits they intend to
establish. Oftentimes these breeders will overlook the
requirements and expectations that will be placed upon their
new breed for its qualities, function and purpose. The
show ring will become the primary place where breed type, temperament
and conformation are evaluated. In this regard, the breed
standard serves as the blue print. It describes the special
trait(s) unique to the breed. Standards usually begin
with a general statement about appearance, followed by a specific
description of the traits found in the ideal dog. By
design, standards focus on the traits and characteristics that
give each breed their distinct “breed-look”. One
of its primary purposes is to feature the traits that make
the breed unique, along with the qualities it must possess
in order to perform the job for which it was created. Standards
emphasize what is important; conversely the qualities that
are of little or no importance are usually only mentioned in
passing or not at all. The text of a standard must be clear
and concise. Sentence structure is usually simple and
straightforward. For example, verbs are used in the present
tense: “is” or “are” rather than “should
be”. For these reasons, any change to a breed standard
must always be given careful consideration. DISQUALIFICATION. This is a term found in many
breed standards. It is the mechanism used to eliminate a trait
from a breed. When such a trait occurs, breeders will not use
these individuals in their breeding programs. Some will place
limits on puppy registration papers or sell them on spay/neuter
contracts. Historically, the rationale for using a disqualification
can be divided into two broad categories. Breeds will usually
disqualify a trait for either esthetic or functional reasons.
For example, the German Shepherd Dog, Doberman Pincher and
the Boxer standards all disqualify the white coat but for different
reasons. The German Shepherd standard disqualifies
the white coat based on three of the breed’s primary
functions: herding, police and military work. Those who herd
prefer a dog that is not white because it is difficult in winter
to distinguish the dog from the sheep and the snow. The
police and military prefer a dark dog because it is not easily
seen making the handler and dog less of a target. The standard
for the Doberman Pinscher and the Boxer disqualify the white
coat for esthetic reasons. Their rationale relates to phenotype
where emphasis is placed on appearance and desirability. Faults
are different from disqualifications. They can be based
on appearance, weight, height, color, coat texture, missing
teeth etc. In the show ring, dogs with faults can be
exhibited. Judges are guided by the language of the breed standard
in determining how they will be penalized. CREATING A NEW BREED.
By definition a breed can be described as a unique group of
animals whose phenotype and genotype distinguish it from all
others. Both are central
to a breed’s identity. The AKC is able to
support pedigree accuracy with its DNA program that can include
and exclude sires and dams with pin point accuracy. Generally
speaking, those who attempt to create a new breed will give
more attention to the secondary traits of expression, coat
texture, pigment, eye color than to structure and temperament.
The latter are the prerequisites to having a sound dog and
are the more difficult traits to change. The
following scenario is typical of the breeders who attempt to
avoid the challenges of crossing breeding. As indicated earlier,
they will begin with a disqualified color in an existing breed. The challenge for these breeders is to understand
the requirements of the AKC and those placed on parent clubs.
Here they will find the strict requirements for breed standards,
how they are developed and how they are changed. For those
who intend to create a new breed using a color that is disqualified
in an existing breed, they must find a way to meet several
requirements. Some believe that they can request that the standard
be changed to allow the disqualified color to become a variety.
This approach avoids cross breeding. The problem here is that
the AKC has not allowed a new variety in over 50 years. Another
approach is to have the parent club change their breed standard
to accommodate their request. The requirement for any
change to a breed standard is that such a request must receive
a two-thirds favorable vote of the membership. But regardless
of which approach is taken, the process begins when the proposal
is sent to the AKC by the parent club.In order for a breed,
new or old to be recognized, the breeders must be able to demonstrate
several generations of pups that resemble one phenotype and
be genetically similar to their parents. This means that they
can be distinguished based on their appearance and genetics. For example,
breeders who choose to create a new breed must be prepared
to spend upwards of 50 years of continuous breeding to create
a gene pool that will produce entire litters consistent in
type and genetics. Recessive genes
In every breed there will be health problems to address.
This means that the new and seasoned breeders must learn how
to manage the carriers. They must give priority to the
diseases most likely to cripple, blind and cause early death.
Through the use of pedigree analysis, formula breeding and
selection methods, most breeding problems can be addressed. For
example, in the case of the German Shepherd, Doberman and Boxer
breeds, the white coat is produced by simple recessives. The
term “simple recessive” is taken to mean that both
parents will be carriers of the recessive trait. Said another
way, the mode of inheritance requires that each parent contribute
one recessive white gene to their offspring. When traits are
controlled by simple recessives, breeders can easily control
and manage the carriers just by knowing what the ancestors
and littermates have produced. In the case of the white coat
it means that a sire and dam that are colored can produce white
pups. A fundamental reason why color has not been an
effective trait on which to create a new breed involves the
genes. For example, if DNA were taken from several dogs
of the same breed, the laboratory would identify all of them
as being of the same breed. Color alone would not be sufficient
enough to separate them into different breeds and their DNA
would identify only a color variation. There are many
existing breeds that have not been recognized by the AKC, some
are referred to as “rare breeds”.
These are the breeds that have varying degrees of history and
development. They are not the same as those which have
occurred by cross breeding to produce mongrels or “pseudo” breeds. A
good example of the latter is the “Labradoodle” which
was nothing more than a crossbred or mongrel. The puppies produced
from these breedings reflected all of the variations known
to both breeds. The Labradoodle which began as a legitimate
experiment to produce a hypoallergenic service dog for the
blind was abandoned after it failed to consistently produce
the desired results. Those who pursue these fads and continue
to cross breed only puzzle the public and leave the legitimate
breeders frustrated along with the unsuspecting puppy buyers.
Those who call these breedings by their “pseudo” names
such as “Labradoodle” or “Cocka-Poo”,
etc. only give credence to the breeders who cross breed to
produce mongrels.RECOGNITION
When breeders attempt to create a new breed, one of
the concerns must be recognition by a legitimate registry.
Some of the popular routes that these breeders have taken were
to seek an organization outside the United States which might
recognize their dogs as a different or new breed. For
example, the breeders of the white Doberman and white German
Shepherd Dog have both looked to the Federation Cynologique
International (FCI) for help. Unfortunately, there
are many misunderstandings about the FCI and their role in
the development of new breeds. What gives many breeders
a false sense of security is their lack of understanding about
FCI. This is a world organization which functions outside the
United States. It serves as an umbrella for other countries
to host shows. It is not a stud book and it does not
approve new breeds or breed standards. Recognition of
a breed by the FCI begins with a member country whose stud
book and breed club intends to use their own standard when
hosting an event. Rarely does the FCI hold a show of
its own. While many national kennel clubs throughout
the world host shows under the rules and auspices of the FCI,
they pay a portion of their entry fee to FCI. For a
variety of reasons, not all countries belong to the FCI. The
American Kennel Club, the Kennel Club (England), Canada and
a few others are not members of the FCI but have working agreements
in place so that their judges can judge throughout the world.
The FCI recognizes the AKC as the only stud book in United
States and they have agreed not to hold shows in the United
States.Under FCI rules, the breed standards used at
their shows are determined by the registry in the country of
origin. For example, all FCI shows use the German standard for
the German Shepherd Dog, the Japanese standard for the Akita,
the French standard for the Papillion, etc. While AKC is not
a member, the standard used for Boston Terriers, and American
Cockers is the AKC standard and it is used whether the show is
in Japan, Argentina, France or wherever. THE FOUNDATION STOCK SERVICE (FSS).
Legitimate breeds in the United States must eventually become
an AKC recognized breed. As the worlds largest and most prestigious
stud book, the AKC is recognized as the authority for purebred
dogs. Most of the breeds recognized by the AKC were
established in some other country. But regardless of origin,
when a new breed seeks recognition, the process begins by enrolling
the breed in a program the AKC calls the Foundation Stock Service
(FSS). The process starts when a written request is received
from a breed club requesting that their breed be listed as
an FSS breed. Their request must include:
1. An AKC designed questionnaire giving details of
the breed, its registry, etc.
2. A sample of all registry documents: registration
certificates, pedigrees, etc.
3. An official written history documenting many
decades as a distinct breed.
4. An official breed standard.
5. A selection of photographs epitomizing
breed type. This information is then presented to the AKC Executive
Committee for a decision to allow or deny the request. The second
step of entry into the Miscellaneous Class usually takes several
years. By the time a breed is ready for the Miscellaneous
Class, it should have established three major milestones. (1)
A national breed club with a minimum of 100 active household
members located in at least 20 states in the United States. (2)
A list of the current officers and members, the current breed
standard and the club’s constitution and by-laws. (3) A
minimum of 300 to 400 dogs, with complete 3-generation pedigrees
in this country. Breed observations are then scheduled
by AKC Executive Field Staff. When these criteria have been met, the results
are presented to the Board of Directors of the American Kennel
Club for approval into the Miscellaneous Class. Breeds
usually remain in the Miscellaneous Class for one to three
years, sometimes longer. At the end of the first year there
is another evaluation which requires that the national breed
club update information about club matters, officers, directors
etc. to the AKC . When all the criteria have been met,
the updated information is presented to the Board of
Directors of The American Kennel Club for the final decision
which moves the breed from the Miscellaneous Class to regular
breed status and competition. CONCLUSION AND SUMMARY
Two conclusions can be drawn from this discussion. The
first is that cross-bred dogs should always be known for what
they are - mongrels or mixed breeds. When breeders refer to
them by their pseudo name i.e., "Labradoodle, Cocka-Poo",
they legitimize the efforts of the mongrel breeders and encourage
them create markets for their puppies. The second is
that the history of breed development is filled with failure
and disappointment. Creating a new breed is not for the timid
or those lacking in time, resources and adequate kennel space. The
more than 150 AKC recognized breeds each took decades to develop.
It is folly for breeders to think they can create in a few
years what it took others a lifetime to accomplish. For these
reasons, creating a new breed should be left to those with
the necessary skills, time, resources and determination.
References:
Barber, Tina M, and Kennedy, Cinnamon, The Shiloh
Shepherd Story, Mid Atlantic Highlands, Huntington, West
Virginia, 2006.
Battaglia, C. L. – Breeding Better Dogs,
BEI Publications, Atlanta, GA 1986
Bell, Jerold S. "Choosing Wisely", AKC
Gazette, August 2000, Vol. 117, Number 8, p-51.
Bell, Jerold, S. "Developing Healthy Breeding
programs", Canine Health Conformance, AKC Canine Health
Foundation, Oct. 15-17, 1999. St. Louis MO.
Brackett, Lloyd, C. Planned breeding, Dog World
Magazine, Chicago, Illinois, 1961.
Carlton, Bronwyn and Alger, Bill, “Bow-Wow”, AKC
Family Dog, New York, New York, March/April 2006, pg 11.
Keller, Greg, “The use of health databases and
selective breeding, a guide for dog and cat breeders and owners”. Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals Inc, 2300 Nifong Blvd, Columbia Missouri 2003.
Willis, Malcomb, "Breeding Dogs" Canine Health
Conference, AKC Canine health Conference, Oct. 15-17, 1999.
St. Louis, MO.
| This article has
been reproduced with the kind permission of Dr. Carmen
L. Battaglia for the CFBA, the CIDBT, and their students
of Dog Behaviour & Training |
ABOUT THE AUTHORCarmen L Battaglia holds a Ph.D.
and Masters Degree from Florida State University. As
an AKC judge, researcher and writer, he has been a leader
in promotion of breeding better dogs and has written
many articles and several books.Dr. Battaglia is also a popular TV
and radio talk show speaker. His seminars on breeding
dogs, selecting sires and choosing puppies have been
well received by the breed clubs all over the country.
Those interested in learning more about his seminars
should contact him directly. Visit his website at http://www.breedingbetterdogs.com
|
