From: abb@unislc.uucp (Anne Beck)
Subject: Re: On the breeds' original purposes
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 17:11:44 GMT

From article <1h4omqINNhqt@CS.UTK.EDU>, by primeaux@carlsberg.cs.utk.edu (David Primeaux):
> 
> Toss up for discussion:  Are the original purposes of the breed so sacrosanct
> that they can not evolve to match today's purposes of the breed?
> 
> For the record:  I do not believe they are, but I am interested in hearing
> other perspectives -- particularly those which go beyond "but where do you 
> then draw the line on allowing change in breed specification?"
>  
Can't pass this one up!

The other day I was walking my Newf when we came upon one of our
"walk friends" (a person we see frequently while walking, but whose
name we don't even know; nevertheless, he loves my dog, so he's a
Good Person!).  He was trying to turn his boat over to get the
snow and dead leaves out of it.  It was a fairly heavy aluminum boat,
and he was trying to do this on slippery ground.  He asked if I'd
help.  He and I heaved from one side of the boat, trying to turn it
over.  Well, the boat had a rope on it.  My Newf took the rope in
her mouth and pulled.  (Yeah, she has done the take a line and
the boat pull exercise twice!)  The two of us alone couldn't budge
the boat.  The added pull from the other side did the job.

OK, so you don't necessarily want to keep a Newfoundland around the
house on the off chance your rowboat will get iced up in the winter.
However, my dog instinctively helps with "pull" and "draft" jobs.
She was bred to do this.  Years ago I was sitting on the beach at
Yellowstone Lake watching my son and his fishing pole drifting
further away from me than I thought prudent, knowing that I'm
not a great swimmer.  And I thought to myself, I'm going to get
the dog of my dreams!  At last I have a good reason for doing so!
(Yeah, sometimes you have to have children before you can get
certain breeds of dogs! :))
Seriously, we spend lots of time around the water, fishing, hiking,
etc., so a Newfoundland "fit."  Yes, a Labrador would also
partly "fit," but I didn't want the rest of the Labrador picture,
appealing and necessary as it might be to others.  (We don't hunt.)

I know a really nice Newf who consistently places in Group, but
he HATES water and he HATES draft work and he HATES obedience
and he has absolutely NO NOSE.  But boy, does he have a GREAT
COAT!  Now, in my own little world, that dog would be neutered
faster than you could say "Take it!"  But he has lots of progeny,
and thank the almighty that the breeders found bitches
who like to work, so about half the pups have some working
instinct.  But I think they've diluted the breed, and I think
it sucks!

What good is a Newfoundland without its basic working abilities?
I mean, these are pretty messy, high maintenance dogs.  
I guess you could keep one around for the conversation value,
or because you have stock in a vaccuum company, or because
dog slobber really turns you on or something, but they
should have some basic "Newf" ability.  Oh, I know -- it's
that great Newfie personality.  Yes, but without the
working ability, I think they start losing that personality.
Part of many breeds' "lovingness" comes from the work
they were bred to do:  Labs are great with kids and people
because gun dogs have to be cooperative.  Etc. etc.  So
even if it's only the personality of the dog and not its
working ability a person is interested in, that personality
can be lost if the dog's original purpose is tampered with
too much.

That doesn't mean that individual dogs can't be aberrant.
The occasional Newfoundland can hate the water without
damaging the breed, unless that dog is bred and bred and
bred with no regard to what he or she is bred to.

On the other hand, dogs themselves may be archaic per se.
All of us on this net may be arguing about something that
will be moot in fifty years.  Now there's a sobering thought!

-- 
   Anne Beck			| The difference between difficult
   abb@unislc  sun!unislc!abb   | dogs & vicious human beings is
   Unisys  SLC UT               | that difficult dogs don't rise to 
			        | prominent positions in the community.