Breeding Unsound Bitches – Not a Good Idea

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150 – February, 2023

By William Given

“She is a beautifully built bitch, but if I cannot examine her, I cannot consider her,” the judge said to the handler. Just minutes later, the handler is heard telling her husband, “She may be no good for showing, but we can breed her and have a great litter of puppies.” While stewarding at all-breed shows, I have witnessed a similar exchange at least once a year for the past forty years. In contrast, how rare is it for an owner to realize that a bitch that has a very nice show win record may be totally unsuitable for breeding.

All too common is the attitude which seems to take it for granted that a bitch which would have no real chance of winning Winners Bitch in the conformation ring, because of some major fault, will produce offspring wholly free from the failings of the dam. This, I think, is responsible for a high proportion of the unsound temperaments and structural shortcomings which occur so frequently today in many different breeds.

A Widely Held Belief

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150 – February, 2023

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