Interesting article about breeding dogs

bigpinkelephant

Below article covers an experiment to see if a boxer with a naturally short tail can be created, thus avoiding the need to dock.

To achieve this, a boxer was mated to a corgi who had a naturally short tail.
The most suitable offspring of this cross were then mated to boxers until the final result was a bob-tailed boxer.

http://www.steynmere.com/ARTICLES1.html

See photos below of bobtailed Boxers who don't show any of their Corgi ancestry (besides the naturally short tail) and are producing show quality puppies (i.e. puppies that look completely Boxer).

http://www.steynmere.com/BOBTAILS.html

What are your opinions on this?

Do you think it is a good idea?

Crossing two breeds that are so different would mean the resulting offspring have a lot more genetic diversity. Do you think programmes should be put in place where outcrosses like this could be used to make breeds healthier in terms of genetic disease?

looserock

This is how its always been done!

whitser

out crossing should be allowed by the kc to improve the gene pools and the health of pedigree dogs. but uot crossing to get cosmetic changes is what got pedigree dogs in the mess they're in now.
so outcrossing for health reasons = good.
out crossing to get naturally short tails etc...=bad

kerrysgold

I agree about trying to improve their health, but still think it's stupid for dogs to be bred/altered to create what is essentially a dog missing an important communication tool.