Form or Function
In my opinion anyone breeding a litter of any kind of pups has a moral duty to breed the best pups they can.
That does not happen when you breed pups to look the way buyers want them to look like.
It happens when you breed pups that will be physically able to perform to the best of their ability.
Breeding to look good in a show ring is human greed.
Your duty is to breed dogs that are getting progressively fitter, faster , stronger more agile etc than their forebears.
Breed for ability not looks.
A Bull Terrier that can no longer perform the work they were designed for is a travesty.
Breed for the good of the dog.
Not the good of your ego/wallet.
Comments
Of course people who want to ensure their dog has the physical and mental capabilities that display ability to perform the functions they were bred for. However, there are some breeds that had little function other than "looks." Take the English Bull Dog for example and read the standards of that breed and you'll soon note that they were basically bred for looks only which is truly what attracts people to them. Are they a good performing dog in any form of activity? Absolutely not. They were bred to be faithful companion to owners that love the way they look as well as the temperament and loyalty they display to their owners.
In the event that the Breed Standards were ignored and we had some breeders who concentrated solely on their physical agility, hunting capabilities, speed, and overall performance we would soon have all different sizes, shapes, and looks of that breed which in time would would project the appearance of that breed to have so many variances. This would eventually ruin the breed and turn it into what is known as a "Mutt." A good example of this would be the American Pit Bull Terrier which now comes in every color, ranges in size from 25 pounds to 125 pounds, black nose, red nose, blue nose, cropped ears, uncropped ears, etc etc. You could actually take two APBT's and put them next to each other and have two completely looking dogs in all areas. If you've ever wondered why AKC will NOT recognize this breed as a pure bred it's due to good reason - They are not a "Pure" bred and the breed has no defining Standards.
The Breed Standards were written to enforce breeders to "Breed to Standard" in order to maintain the sole function and proper look of the breed. Will there be breeders who choose to ignore the Standards and strive to change either the look or function to better suit their personal opinion of what they would consider to be an improvement? Yes, and it happens every day with every breed. Will these breeders receive more money in their wallet for breeding against the Standard? Absolutely not. Those with familiarity on the breed of dog they love usually can usually detect quality bred vice faulted. Keeping within the Standard ensures that not only the look of the breed remains true but also the temperament, character, and health of the dog remains true which does NOT minimize their working abilities, performance, or function.
Once breeders start coming up with changes that are against the standards the breed soon loses continuity which can dramatically effect the proper appearance, performance, and health of the breed. A good example of this would be the German Shepard which American breeders over time deeply ruined in all areas of their original standard.
Reputable breeders who breed properly and professionally to the Standards of the breed don't have to worry about "Ego's" or "Financial Gain" because their bloodlines will be sought after by many who seek the utmost quality in all spectrum of the breed. The purpose of AKC shows is to compete bloodlines against other bloodlines in order to prove merit within breeding to the standard. This doesn't just include conformation shows which illustrate "proper" structure, movement, and conformation but shows that encompass performance within Agility, hunting, field, obedience, tracking, etc. These competitions are based on the description of appearance, performance, and intelligence of the breed as depicted within the Standard.
So in short, if you wish to breed for quality in all areas the "Key" is to breed to the Standards as written and not deviate from it which will maintain the breeds originality and function as it was meant to be.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com