Page 112 - Aussie Magazine - 2024 Issue 3

Informative
How can we as breeders
resist the temptation
toward exaggeration?
Think about why the breed
standard was written as it is
and the practical applications.
For example, dogs with
excess rear angulation and a
sloping topline are winning
in the show ring now. Many
people want to win, see that
dog winning, then breed for
those traits, which creates a
trend; newer people believe
that is normal for the breed.
The next generation of
puppies may have even more
exaggerated angulation which
then becomes fashionable.
However, when some of
those puppies are sold to
“performance” people, the dog
might break down physically,
perhaps suffer an ACL rupture,
because excess angulation
is useful for winning shows,
but not for functioning in
the real world. The same is
true for sweeping sidegait,
blocky heads, and other
exaggerations in structure.
112 | A Worldwide Magazine for the Aussie • Issue 3/2024
Perspective
Dogs breeds are not an
accident.
Since the advent of the
dog-human bond, humans
have selectively bred dogs
for specific purposes:
hunting, guarding, herding,
etc. The most talented
and capable males and
females were crossed
and the puppies who had
more of the desired traits
were kept to produce the
next generation. Over time
those traits were set firmly
and specialized breeds were
created, based on a functional
purpose.
From function to fashion to
commerce.
The first modern dog show
was held in England in 1859—
only 160 years ago—and
dog shows rapidly became
fashionable. There was
controversy at that very first
show because dogs were
assessed on their “look and
shape rather than their abilities in
the field.” Clever marketers who
were not interested in preserving
the functional capabilities of the
breeds saw an opportunity to
raise the value of top winning
dogs, their stud fees, and their
puppies. Winning dog shows
became the priority for many
breeders and functionality became
less important. Breeds were
changing to serve these desires.
Reality check
Dog breeds evolve to suit the
particular desires of humans.
Human desires change. Early
ancestors of Australian Shepherds
were recorded in the late 1800s.
During the 1900s there was
much interbreeding with other
strains of herding dogs to produce
desired herding characteristics. As
the traits of these dogs became
clearly defined, the Australian
Shepherd breed was born. In
1957—just over 60 years ago—
the first Aussie was registered
by the Australian Shepherd Club
of America and in 1958 ASCA
held its first dog show—where
entrants were judged on their
appearance rather than their
ability to herd livestock.
As people discovered this new
breed, they realized that many of
the traits which were developed
for herding transfered perfectly to
dog sports, and Aussie fanciers
enthusiastically jumped into
canine sport competitions. Now
there are breeders who selectively
breed Aussies for these sports,
not for conformation shows or
herding. And so the evolution of
the Australian Shepherd breed
continues, adapting to new and
different human desires.