In some breeds one can see a constant development (good and bad) and many breeds are changing over time. At the whippet world congress in Sweden in July I was talking one afternoon with another participant about our breed and its development. I said that I now believe that our breed has reached a point where the boundaries are set and within these boundaries we the breeders must work. What I mean is that I feel we have come to a point where we can’t make the necks longer, breed for even more length or more angulations behind. If we continue trying to breed for more I believe we will end up breeding caricatures of true whippets. So the challenge will be to aiming for breeding well balanced whippets without trying to “make more”.
Luckily whippets is a breed that is constructed in a way that I feel it’s nearly impossible to breed them in a way that will affect their soundness or there ordinary life and all the activities that involves. Take a breed like the Pekingese, they were extreme already when they arrived in the western hemisphere and by breeding longer coats, lower to the ground and shorter in body you can easily end up with specimens whose everyday life is a struggle. So if anyone will be tempted to breed for more maybe these whippets will look odd but they will still be able to live a good life?
Am I on the right track in my thoughts or am I totally wrong??
5 kommentarer:
Nybörjare i rasen som jag är så tycker jag ändå att ditt resonemang låter mycket sunt och helt rätt! Man kan ju inte påstå att man bevarar en ras om man håller på att förändra den så det låter klokt att stanna upp här och inte göra "mer" av rasen. Fast människan är ju en naturkatastrof i sig och säg det som vi inte håller på att förstöra med våra klåfingriga ideer.
Man kan i alla fall hoppas på att whippets kommer födas upp med sunt förnuft och kärlek till rasen och inte som en egotripp för egen vinnings skull.
If you keep breeding for "more" you'll have American whippets!
all the best-
Patience
what do you think constitutes American whippets?
Well, I was being a little tongue - in - cheek, but we've gone for so much "more" over here, that we have a lot of exaggerations. Looooong necks, Loooooooooong rears, and now we've got bone and muscling that looks more bulldog than whippet. I think you Scandinavians have done SUCH a good job of improving movement, without losing TYPE.
But that's just me.
all the best-
Patience
Thanks Patience!! Interesting to hear your thoughts from an American perspective!!
Henrik
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