Thread: Tamaskan Dogs..
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Old 02-07-2010, 18:42   #10
Gypsy Wolf
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Florida & Minnesota U.S.
Posts: 252
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No one wants to see their working dogs "watered down" - we have the same issue in Belgian Malinois (I have 2) and German Shepherds (I have 1), AND in Malinois we have the same issue of falsified pedigrees. No offense to any Dutch folks, but in the Malinois world it is common knowledge that the Dutch Malinois are mixes and one can never trust what is written on a pedigree - and even one famous French-bred dog, who appears in 95% of all Malinois pedigrees today NEVER ACTUALLY SIRED A LITTER.
That said, I heartily DISAGREE that all dogs should be bred for a working purposes. Honestly, nowadays, most dogs ARE PETS. There are no more 300 sheep flocks to watch over, we don't need to subsist on wild-caught game, or have dogs retrieve ropes to anchor ships.
Why are most dogs in shelters? Because of behavioral problems - many of which stem from the fact that the dog was too drivey and not able to be managed properly to channel that drive. The family wanted a PET. That is the new work of dogs. As we get further and further from our agrarian roots, dogs do too. Breeding for working drive, and not having a "market" for such is a serious issue. It's one reason I have never bred my Malinois. Not enough good homes for their "drive" requirements.
On the flip side, I am not worried about placing my German Shepherd's pups. Though they are drivey enough to do Schutzhund and Herding, among other working venues, they are also calm enough to place appropriately into "pet" homes. And 90% of such litters go to pet homes.
So why is it wrong for someone to want a gorgeous pet? Sheesh, if there wasn't a market, there would BE no Tamaskan dogs. So for you serious Sibe folks, be HAPPY someone is providing a "wolf-like" dog with a soft temperament for pet homes. Then they are not watering down your Sibes.
Tell me, how often do you have to harness up your dogs and bring supplies out to far-flung Arctic encampments? Even Sibes don't have a "job" anymore! And the folks who DO long-distance sledding often mix Sibes with hounds and other breeds as pure Sibes apparently do not work as well as mixes. But those mutts are actually WORKING, so was it wrong to for the true working-sledding folks to create a better sledding mix rather than using pure-bred Sibes?
Just food for thought. Certainly I do not want to see CsVs watered down, but I certainly cannot fault someone for wanting a beautiful pet. I also do not fault those same people for not going to the pound and "rescuing" someone else's garbage. I worked at a local SPCA for almost 10 years, and the dogs dumped there where discarded for a reason. Who wants to inherit a dog who bites, poos all over itself or other (insert bad habit)? Not only that, but aesthetics play a part. If I like a "wolfy" looking dog, why would I adopt a pitbull mix? Just because it is politically correct to adopt from a shelter? Think about it. Honestly. Ask yourself these same questions. Part of the reason we are attracted to a particular breed is also because we know there will be certain behavioral traits in that breed that we like. With a shelter dog, you have absolutely no clue what your are getting.
I am not advocating AGAINST shelter dogs - I am just playing Devil's Advocate here, because people tend to get on their high horse and criticize others, when in fact, when it comes right down to it, they would do the same thing...
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