Well, if you have several thousand dollars and a lot of time to spend, get a German Shepherd from Germany with a pedigree from the Verein fur Deustsche Schaeferhunde. They have been x-raying, tracking and certifying things like Hip Dysplasia since 1968. It doesn’t mean the dog is guaranteed to grow up healthy, but you are unlikely to run into any severe defects.
I don’t know anything about the AKC, but in my opinion ANY kennel or breed association should have “The dog must be healthy and happy” as it’s No1 guiding principle. Deliberately inflicting things like droopy eyelids, hairlessness, deformed skeletons and so on is animal cruelty, whether it is done by surgery or breeding.
Sorry for the double-post but I came across this from the Orthopedic Association for Animals. 75% of assessed Bulldogs had dysplasia :eek: I assume the sample they see is skewed from the normal population but I am still horrified.
as with any dog health/temperament issue: the individual dog’s parents and grandparents have more influence on the dog’s soundness than what breed/mix it is. within every breed you will find varying degrees of soundness.
a dog from parents that have been chosen for breeding based on their health (mental and physical) will be better than a dog that is from an irresponsible breeding.
i agree that the AKC is one of the worst things to happen to dogs. dog breeds were developed for certain purposes, and the AKC puts form before function.
FYI, the AKC is just a dog registry, nothing more. It is a “club” for breed clubs. They set NO standards when it comes to appearance - that’s what the parent clubs do. For example, I belong to the National Shiba Club of America which is the parent club that belongs to the AKC.
Now if you want to discuss AKC dog shows and how fads get started…