Health Foundation ASC ORIENTATION D'ÉLEVAGE RESPONSABILITÉS OF ÉLEVEURS.
All Cockers' breeders must feel responsible for the future of the breed they chose to use for their own enjoyment. Among their logical objectives, it is important not only to improve the performance of their line in beauty, obedience, or field, but also to improve the quality of their pet puppies. Too often, there is little or no concern about the eradication of hereditary defects, although this changes in a positive way.
En tant qu’éleveurs responsables et membres de l'American Spaniel Club, nous devons au Cocker Américain de déployer de sérieux efforts pour réduire l'incidence des tares héréditaires. Nous devons être conscients de tous les problèmes de santé au sein de notre race. Ces recommandations né concernent que quelques-unes des tares les plus répandues et les plus graves. Actuellement, notre registre de santé répertorie tous les Cockers qui lui sont soumis et qui sont exempts des tares que nous sommes en mesure de contrôler par des tests standardisés.
When we envision a reproduction, we must evaluate our lineages, not only for structure, type, attitude and temperament, but also for health defects. The Cocers with genetic characteristics that cause pain or those requiring lifelong treatment or surgery necessary for survival, should not reproduce. When considering the rearing of small-weight Cockers, we need to think about what the dog can bring to breed. Does it have enough qualities to overcome the flaws? One of the important contributions we can all make is to communicate honestly. If a dog develops a tare, all the buyers of descendants who could be used for breeding, and, in the case of a stallion, the owners of the breed dogs that he has protrudes, must be warned. In this way, other breeders benefit from the information they must have for their breeding programs and a major contribution to the future of the breed will be realized. Finally, some might think that the recommendations presented here are too restrictive. However, the incidence of hereditary defects has reached such proportions in the Cocers that only strict adherence to the accepted principles of genetic selection can reduce their frequency.
By following these guidelines, by improving the sincere communication between breeders, and by educating and accompanying the new breeders, we can reduce the incidence of these flaws that threaten the future of our (American) Cocker.
TWENTY BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BREEDING
Par Raymond H.Oppenheimer
Consistently breeding top show dogs is an art and the legendary British expert succeeded in a difficult breed - the Bull Terrier. These basic breeding principals must be studied if you intend to breed your own show dog!e légendaire expert britannique a réussi dans une race difficile — le Bull Terrier. Si vous avez I'intention d'élever votre propre chien d'exposition, il est important d'étudier les fondamentaux I
1. Don't make use of indiscriminate outcrosses. A judicious outcross can be of great value, an injudicious one can produce an aggregation of every imaginable fault in the breed.
2. Don't line breed just for the sake of line breeding. Line breeding with complementary types can bring great rewards; with unsuitable ones it will lead to immediate disaster.
3. Don't take advice from people who have always been unsuccessful breeders. If their opinions were worth having they would have proved it by their successes.
4. Don't believe the popular cliché about the brother or sister of the great champion being just as good to breed from. For every one that is, hundreds are not. It depends on the animal concerned.
5. Don't credit your own dogs with virtues they don't possess. Self-deceit is a stepping stone to failure.
6. Don't breed from mediocrities; the absence of a fault does not in any way signify the presence of its corresponding virtue.
7. Don't try to line breed to two dogs at the same time; you will end by line breeding to neither.NDT : choisissez votre étalon idéal et tenez-y vous !]; vous finiriez par né produire la lignée d'aucun d'entre eux.
8. Don't assess the worth of a stud dog by his inferior progeny. All stud dogs sire rubbish at times; what matters is how good their best efforts are.
9. Don't allow personal feelings to influence your choice of a stud dog. The right dog for your bitch is the right dog, whoever owns it.
10. Don't allow admiration of a stud dog to blind you to his faults. If you do you will soon be the victim of auto-intoxication.
11. Don't mate together animals which share the same fault. You are asking for trouble if you do.
12. Don't forget that it is the whole dog that counts. If you for- get one virtue while searching for another you will pay for it.
13. Don't search for the perfect dog as a mate for you bitch. The perfect dog (or bitch) doesn't exist, never has and never will!
14. Don't be frightened of breeding from animals that have obvious faults so long as they have compensating virtues. A lack of virtues is far the greatest fault of all.
15. Don't mate together non-complementary types. An ability to recognize type at a glance is a breeder's greatest gift; ask the successful breeders to explain this subject - there is no other way of learning. (I would define non-complimentary types as ones which have the same faults and lack the same virtues.)
16. Don't forget the necessity to preserve head quality. It will vanish like a dream if you do.
17. Don't forget that substance plus quality should be one of your aims. Any fool can breed one without the other!
18. Don't forget that a great head plus soundness should be another of your aims. Many people can never breed either!
19. Don't ever try to decry a great Bull Terrier. A thing of beauty is not only a joy forever but a great Bull Terrier should be a source of aesthetic pride and pleasure to all true lovers of the breed.
20. Don't be satisfied with anything but the best. The second best is never good enough