Cruel anatomy

[Christine]

This may sound sacrilegious to some, but I wanted to know if there has been any talk in the dachshund world of breeding into the bloodline a body form that is less susceptible to back problems. I'm a former dachshund owner & think that they are really cool dogs, but I also think that since there is no compelling reason (except for fashion) for them to have such disproportionately short legs & a long back, that it is cruel to keep that status quo (not to mention very upsetting & disheartening to any owners that have had to live through their dog's demise due to back problems). I know of too many dachshunds that have been euthanized due to back problems & not all of them were old or out of shape. Even if introducing another breed into the dachshund bloodline to give them:
1)a much shorter back and/or
2)much longer legs
is too radical (although, it may be the most humane decision), I think that ethical breeders making a conscientious effort to select dachshunds with those 2 aforementioned traits for breeding purposes would be doing the right thing. Of course, it goes without saying that dog owners should be careful to not let their dachshunds become overweight and be careful with their backs, but they could also demand those 2 traits mentioned above when buying their puppies. What makes the dachshund so irresistible, lovable, & comical is its personality, spirit, & expression, not its body form. If anyone reading this agrees with this idea, please pass the word along to both breeders and owners.

[Jo]

Christine, THANK YOU THANK YOU for bringing this up!!! This has been my exact mission in life too, since my sweet little girl had back problems. Since I lost her I have not gotten another doxie. I love the breed so much but can't/won't go through that horrible heartache again. She did NOT deserve to suffer like that, and it is all because of the breeding!!!

I have talked to many breeders about this and they all say the same thing...it is what makes them a dachshund! I disagree! I am with you, it is their personalities and the shape they are is too high a price to pay just for cuteness.

I saw an exhibition in England of stuffed dogs from over 100 yrs ago...(these were real dogs..at one time). The dachshunds had MUCH longer legs and shorter backs, much more moderate than the doxies of today.

I'm afraid that as long as the current look of doxie keeps winning in the breed ring, the look is not going to change, but only get even more extreme. It is not only the shape that causes the back problems, but also genetics...the discs in a dog genetically prone to it, will dry out and become brittle at a much faster rate than a normal dog, making it a high risk for herniation and rupture. This would need to be considered as well as the shape but I have yet to meet a breeder concerned enough about the problem to work at making a change. Show puppies bring more money than pet quality ones after all. And they do not want thier reputations ruined by turning out doxies that don't look like doxies. It is disgusting as far as I am concerned.

It makes me so angry because I gave my baby the best home a dog could ever have, but after the horrors of those back problems and losing her at age 10, I just won't take that risk again.

It's good to hear someone with the same thoughts as I have Christine. I am afraid we will never get our wish and many many more doxies will suffer for it.

[Krista]

I think that I read somewhere that the breed standard was changed in Germany (might have been a different European country) to accept dachsies with longer legs and/or shorter backs.

[Jo]

krista, if you find out more about this or where I can learn more, please let me know!

[Christine]

Thanks for your replies, Jo & Krista. That's an excellent point about the winning look dictating the current form. It seems like if
anything is ever going to change, then a grassroots movement is needed to petition the organizations in power. Perhaps the plea will fall on deaf ears, but I'm going to directly e-mail the relevant organizations, as well as forward their e-mail addresses to my friends/family/e-mail buddies to help me pass the word along. If anyone reading this bulletin board wants to participate, I've pasted a bunch of e-mail addresses below for the following 4 groups:
1)kennel clubs
2)dachshund-specific kennel clubs
3)dachshund breeders
4)veterinarians (D.V.M.s should be sympathetic because they see the consequences firsthand & could inform owners of the potentially harmful body form)

Since some e-mail services may not allow more than 50 e-mail addresses/letter, the list below should be divided into three smaller lists & pasted into the "Send to" area of 3 different e-mails to accomodate any e-mail service limits:
crudegeair@aol.com
keystonekr@aol.com
clight155@blitz-it.net
wlicht@dcr.net
festfmly@swbell.net
cover@3rivers.net
teckelwood@charlo.net
delani@infinet.com
aubray@aol.com
arbnick@velocity.net
criscrss@aol.com
ruthenia @netxpress.com
belgated@aol.com
rmartin@agt.net
carlang@vetorialnet.com.br
glatour@mcia.com
dashndox@inreach.com
critter@harborside.com
ullman@algonet.se

outi.renko@pp.inet.fi
brooks@spar.ca
lilpaws@juno.com
miklyns@capital.net
WebMaster@OZDachs.Com
palakore@hotmail.com
cpreese@ipa.net
PrimoPrimo@AOL.Com
opalowl@cygnus.uwa.edu.au
lculpepper@computron.net
wagsmore@dnai.com
Oceansbrez@aol.com
jlingley@intergate.bc.ca
slankau@axionet.com
OSR@KAPO.ZH.CH
dogs@clas.net
jjsdvm@prodigy.net
AVMAINFO@avma.org
avmagrd@avma.org
bvahq@bva.co.uk
Epvma@epvma.org
myerstb@iol.ie
garyhob@iol.ie
cvoirl@iol.ie
isrvma@isrvma.org
kp@jph.gov.my
tkp1@jph.gov.my
tkp2@jph.gov.my
pepv@jph.gov.my
mail@nbec.org
info@ovma.org
sslate@rivma.org
JeanT@SPVS.org.uk
siteeditor@spvs.org.uk
TVMA@veterinary.or.th
info@vetpartners.com
wiscvet@wvma.org

[This message has been edited by Christine (edited January 09, 2000).]

[Krista]

Jo,
I read A LOT, both online and off so I don't remember where I saw that, but I will look back through my bookmarked pages and my other materials to see if I can find it.

If I saw it online, chances are that I found a link on Winston's Ultimate Dachshund Links or I found it through a Yahoo search.

[Krista]

I should have mentioned that I really did not pay close attention to the article because I am not a breeder, and never plan to be.

I love this breed the way they are and fear that by infiltrating it with other breeds to change the shape their wonderful personality will also be lost.

I hope that we (dachsie lovers & breeders) can help fix this problem though careful examination of the breeding lines used and by not breeding excessively long dachshunds. Those of us that do not breed should step in and help by supporting breeders that take these steps and by helping our own dachsies avoid troubles. We must train our dachsies not to jump around a a lot and maintain a healthy weight for them.

We all know that no breed is without its problems, and we must consider this in which breeds we choose to adopt as our own.

[Valerie]

I have been owned by, bred and exhibited mini longs & stan. smooth dachshunds since 1956. I have always bred for a compact dog which was not excessively long. Over that period of time I only had one with back problems and she got better and lived until she was 14. I have written an article about this problem and would be pleased to send it to anyone interested. As far as breeding shorter dachies with slightly longer legs, it is a thought and I believe the standard in Germany is just that. But on the other hand, a dachie has to have a certificate which says it is a hunter before it is accepted in the show ring. The reason they have short legs and long bodies is so that they are able to hunt in burrows and be able to turn around in the burrow. If you ae worried about backs in dachies think about the terrible things that are done to some breeds ears, cropping is so cruel, as is tail docking. These two practices should be stopped. Breeders of dachies should be breeding for slightly shorter dogs and should make sure that there is no back problems in the dogs they breed.
My email no. is valeriepalangas@hotmail.com

[Pam C]

I agree if the form has exagerated itself so much so that it is no longer functional it should be changed. Could this extra long dogs compete sucessfully in earth trails? (forgive my ignorance I am new to the breed)
By the by (I also am in a docked breed dobies) here is some interesting reading for those who want to ban docking. I have had personal experience with the problems shown at this web site. And it really is a serious operation on an older dog. http://www.cdb.org/letters.htm

[Christine]

>I have written an article about this >problem and would be pleased to send it to >anyone interested.

This bulletin board would be a good place to paste your article. If you don't want to do that, I'd be interested in receiving it at Agua9@Juno.Com

>The reason they have short legs and long >bodies is so that they are able to hunt in >burrows and be able to turn around in the >burrow.

Although, when you think about it, their long bodies don't enhance their burrowing maneuverability.

As you point out, short legs do indeed enhance their maneuverability in a burrow. However, if their little legs weren't short & little, but short & "thick" instead, (like a Basset Hound's more thick & muscular legs) that may help their structural vulnerability.

[JimGayle]

Valerie:

My wife and I currently have a very sweet Dachsie that just developed back problems. We would be very interested in your article you mentioned you wrote about this problem.

We (and Siggi) would appreciate it if you could E-Mail us a copy at jimgayle@flash.net.

Thanks for your help

Jim



Originally posted by Valerie:
I have been owned by, bred and exhibited mini longs & stan. smooth dachshunds since 1956. I have always bred for a compact dog which was not excessively long. Over that period of time I only had one with back problems and she got better and lived until she was 14. I have written an article about this problem and would be pleased to send it to anyone interested. As far as breeding shorter dachies with slightly longer legs, it is a thought and I believe the standard in Germany is just that. But on the other hand, a dachie has to have a certificate which says it is a hunter before it is accepted in the show ring. The reason they have short legs and long bodies is so that they are able to hunt in burrows and be able to turn around in the burrow. If you ae worried about backs in dachies think about the terrible things that are done to some breeds ears, cropping is so cruel, as is tail docking. These two practices should be stopped. Breeders of dachies should be breeding for slightly shorter dogs and should make sure that there is no back problems in the dogs they breed.
My email no. is valeriepalangas@hotmail.com