A famous judge of Dobermanns was once asked if he’d use a particular stud, given the chance, knowing full well the dog was throwing DCM positive pups like mad and he said *yes*.
They only have to live long enough to get a title, hit the specialties, get ‘famous’ and start breeding.
The DCM test results are online for everyone to see and 99% of the positive dogs, if you trace their pedigree, have one or both of the studs I mentioned.
The owners of the stored ‘pupsicles’ know this and still send it out for $1000 a straw..and up.
For 37 years I’ve watched this great breed slide to hell.
It breaks my heart that I can not even slow down the descent.
[ironically, now they’re importing Euro Dobes to “fix” the health issues and are even considering breeding back in the old, once nearly extinct German Pinscher which was one of the foundation breeds]
Sure took ‘em long enough.
:-\
[and you *know* my opinion of the ‘modern’ GSD]
I was trying to be optimistic. :D
I’m sure many of these biggies in the game couldn’t care less about their dogs having the disease. They won’t tell anyone, either.
Sometimes I do think, in the German Shepherd Club, there are a few people who are trying to make a difference, publicly. But I think they are few and are overwhelmed by the majority status quo. Here’s an example.
The “GS Review” is often mostly just a gigantic set of advertizements for everything, including grandiose memorial ads for not-famous dogs. Not too long ago, someone on the staff - maybe the editor, maybe someone else - made the public suggestion, in writing, that maybe some of these memorials could include the cause of death. It may even have been stated that only those stating such would be printed, I don’t recall exactly.
In any case, here we are maybe 5 years later, and still I hardly ever see a reason for death. Lots of these dogs are awfully young (I mean 5 or so), which really makes you wonder what the heck went wrong.
The Review more boldly prints oddball non-AKC taboo subjects now (degenerative myelopathy, Schutzhund work, herding info), but I really don’t see serious action.
I suspect it’s again because the majority are not interested, only in using their studs regardless how sick they are.