Only speaking for myself as a pet owner, I logically think no, there is probably no way we could rid Cavaliers of all 4 of those problems without having some other problem come up. Mother nature doesn't seem to work that way! I've read some interesting books on how in an effort to improve our own health we hurt natural defenses that are in place and we end up doing more harm than good. I imagine the same must be true when breeding- when you manipulate one thing extensively, there have to be some repercussions. I do not have the expertise to guess what the repercussions are, though. ONly had 2 college Biology classes, and what I learned from those was how complicated the interconnectedness of health, environment, biology, genetics, etc. is.
My husband and I love doing agility with our Cavaliers, so obviously good structure, hips, patellas, eyes, and a strong heart are important to us. But they are pets first, and their exceptional temperament is also essential. And, honestly, part of the reason we love them is they are so darn beautiful. A typey Cavalier takes my breath away. If I were a breeder I couldn't imagine the myriad of decisions I would face. I agree we need to continue to work on health problems, and testing is one important tool. But I also don't want to lose all those other wonderful qualities that make a Cavalier a Cavalier. They are as important as health. A truly great breeder is one who can best balance all of the above things! Sarah > >So I am asking now-- > >DO YOU pet members truly believe that it is possible to breed to improve >specific things (such as hips, eyes, hearts and patellas) without seeing an >increase in other defects--such an immune disorders? And if you do, please >state the specific research you've found that says so. Or is it that you >prefer to see better hips, eyes, hearts and patellas but don't care if the >average dog gets cancer or an overwhelming infection at age 6 and dies? > >Laura Lang > ========================================================= "Magic Commands": to stop receiving mail for awhile, click here and send the email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20NOMAIL to start it up gain click here: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?body=SET%20CKCS-L%20MAIL E-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] for assistance. Search the Archives... http://apple.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ckcs-l.html All e-mail sent through CKCS-L is Copyright 2002 by its original author.
