Rufnit Kennels Braque du Bourbonnais - Kennel Blindness
KENNEL BLINDNESS
by
Claudia Waller Orlandi, Ph.D.
As part of the critical process of choosing a sire and dam, as well as
deciding which puppies to keep, below we address the topic of kennel
blindness.
"The breeder, to be successful, must look his dogs ...not only in the
face, but in the body, front and running gear. Even to themselves many
breeders will not acknowledge their failure when they fall short of
their objective...and in an effort to convince others of the perfection
of their dogs, [they] convince...usually only themselves." ~Onstott
DEFINITION
Found in many kennels of purebred dogs, kennel blindness is a "disease"
which renders a breeder incapable of seeing faults in his own dogs.
Kennel blind breeders tend to twist and distort the standard to justify
the dogs they breed.
PROGNOSIS
Because serious faults can become set in a couple of generations, unless
quickly diagnosed and treated, kennel blindness can be fatal to a
successful breeding program.
SYMPTOMS
An inability to see and appreciate the good qualities in a competitor's
dogs.
Kennel blind breeders tend to focus on negative features in dogs other
than their own.
Suggestion: Re-read your breed's standard keeping in mind that most
standards delineate the essential aspects of a breed, allowing breeders
the freedom to express their own concepts of the non-essentials. In this
way a range of excellence may be produced in a breed without sacrificing
each dog's ability to fit into the standard.
The belief that you have bred the "perfect" dog.
No "perfect" dog has ever or will ever be bred in any breed. Even your
best can always be improved upon.
Suggestion: Realize that your concept of what is ideal may change.
Experience with a breed may gradually change the priority a breeder
gives to certain features. A stickler for correct heads may gradually
start emphasizing angulation and movement, realizing that the latter are
also essential aspects of the breed.
Blaming the fact that your dog is not winning on bad judging, politics
or anything except the possibility that there may be something wrong
with your dog.
Kennel
blind people always have an excuse for why their dog didn't win. While
some of their reasoning may be legitimate, consistently losing under a
variety of judges usually means a dog does not fit the standard in one
or more important aspects.
Suggestion: If your dog is not winning, ask several knowledgeable people
to evaluate your dog. Tell them to be honest and listen with an open
mind.
RISK FACTORS
Kennel blindness is more apt to be a problem for the following:
Breeders who do not have an 'eye' for a dog.
Some
breeders are simply not born with an 'eye' for a dog. Despite having
read and studied their breed's standard, they are incapable of correctly
evaluating structure and movement.
Novice breeders who are strongly affected by a dog's temperament and
personality.
Many kennel blind people think all puppies are cute. These owners
usually decide to breed their dog, not to improve the breed, but because
they love his personality and want more puppies just like him.
Breeders who have produced quality animals in the past but are now
struggling to stay on top.
Many successful breeders who have had past super stars are usually
looking for their next big winner. They may be more prone to
over-looking faults in their animals.
Breeders working with small numbers of dogs.
Because small breeders have less to choose from, they may not want to
open their eyes to problems in their breeding program.
Breeders whose every waking moment revolves around dogs.
Making dogs a "live or die" situation can affect objectivity.
CHARACTERISTICS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT KENNEL BLIND
They are truly objective and rarely satisfied with their own dogs,
criticizing them more harshly than others would.
Regardless of time and effort already spent, they are ready to remove
from their program dogs that do not pan out, even to the point of
starting over with new foundation stock.
They have an 'eye' for a dog and can appreciate a beautiful one
regardless of who bred or owns it.
TIPS FOR CURING KENNEL BLINDNESS
If caught in time, kennel blindness can be cured before it has a
lasting, detrimental effect on your breeding program. Following are some
tips.
Avoid over-emphasizing a certain feature in your breeding program to the
detriment of overall correctness.
Although most breeders try to emphasize the excellence of the whole dog,
it is human nature to over-emphasize certain features. In fact, the
importance we give to a particular trait in our dogs is how we express
our "breeding personality" and create what we feel comes close to our
ideal. One breeder may be a stickler for fronts and another for
toplines. .The danger here is that by focusing on just one feature we
can become "blind" to other faults that may be creeping into the
breeding program.
To assess your kennel blindness level, ask someone whose opinion you
respect to objectively evaluate your dogs.
Some of the best people to ask are knowledgeable breeders who are not
kennel blind themselves. Be sure this person really understands the
standard and request that they honestly critique the virtues and faults
in your dogs. Ask more than one qualified person and compare their
evaluations with your own.
If you
are falling short of your objectives, it is most important to admit it
to yourself.
As difficult as it is to admit failure, the realization that our dogs do
not possess certain virtues can be the first step in devising a plan to
obtain what we really want.
References
Byrne,
G. 1989. Der Deutsch-Kurzhaar: The German Shorthaired Pointer. Western
Australia, Austed Publishing.
Harris,
B.J. F. 1993. Breeding A Litter. New York, Howell.
Onstott, K. 1980. The New Art of Breeding Better Dogs. New York, Howell.
Seranne, A. 1980. The Joy of Breeding Your Own Show Dog. New York,
Howell
There are many reputable breeders of fine upland hunting dogs throughout
North America. Unfortunately in this business like so many others, the
buyer needs to be aware. Make sure that the puppy comes from a line of
dogs that have good health credentials. There should be a good history
in the pedigree of dogs that perform in the field (field trials, hunt
tests, etc.). As a rule, avoid "backyard breeders." Leave the art and
science of breeding to the breeders experienced with the breed and have
produced proven progeny. Take the time to make contacts and see if
there are any consistent problems reported about the particular breeder
you have selected. NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog
Association) is the foundation registry and testing organization for the
Braque du Bourbonnais in North America.
Remember that the least expensive part of the cost of a dog is its
initial price. Veterinarian bills, feeding, kenneling, training, etc.
are what really cost the most. Our advice: Do your research, you and
your companion will benefit in the long run.
