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Smooth collie - he is one of the lowest in sociability and curiosity?
JT: I didn't quite now where to make the topic under, but hopefully this the right place. Today I read quite an interesting article about "Dogs bred for looks lose mental bite". Here is the article to read, I recommend to pay attention to couple of the last rows. THE desire of pet owners for attractive-looking dogs has eroded the mental agility and alertness of the working breeds from which they are descended, researchers have suggested. Only a century ago, guard dogs had to protect houses or livestock, and gun dogs needed to find and pick up dead birds to justify their upkeep. Now, however, their descendants are merely required to look attractive. The behaviour expected of them is to be friendly and docile at home, rather than alert and aggressive outside. Scientists in Sweden have found strong evidence that breeding modern dogs for their appearance has led to a decline in intelligence. A separate group of researchers from Lincoln University is to investigate whether this is linked to the dogs’ loss of a working role. Pilot studies suggest so-called working breeds perform particularly badly in tests of attentiveness and responsiveness. Kenth Svartberg, author of the Swedish research, said the changes in intelligence had happened over just a few generations. “Modern breeding practices are affecting the behaviour and mental abilities of pedigree breeds as well as their physical features,” he said. Researchers believe too many breeders are now concentrating on outward aspects and ignoring the mental qualities of dogs to appeal to modern pet owners and the dog shows that dictate the characteristics of pure breeds. The trend has been exacerbated by inbreeding. Pedigree bulldogs, for example, often have genetic defects that lead to skin and coat problems, breathing disorders, joint problems and cleft palates. Svartberg, who carried out his research at Stockholm University, gave 10 tests to 13,000 dogs to rate 31 breeds on characteristics such as sociability and curiosity. He found that, in general, animals that were bred for appearance, and especially for shows, displayed reduced levels of all these qualities. The worst affected breeds included smooth collies and rhodesian ridgebacks. These showed low interest in exercises to test their curiosity and sociability and were also likely to walk away from a strange object. Svartberg found there were also variations within breeds according to what the particular dogs had been bred for. He said attractive appearance was often linked with introversion and a boring personality. “Perhaps the genes behind attractive looks could also be closely linked [on the same chromosome] to those that cause fearfulness,” he said. You can find the article in here Firstly I was guite a suprised that a smooth collie has been labeled as a "one of the dogs who's characteristics is low such as in sociability and curiosity"! What do you think? I have to say that I don't agree with that at all. I wonder who were these dogs who were tested to get such a result. On the contrary my smoothie is very sociable (with people, other dogs, etc) and curious dog (sometimes even too curious).. so I really think the article does unjustice to our smoothies! Well the article is something to think about ...
Îòâåòîâ - 5
Mabinogion: 1 reed that to in dutch ,well i dont know who the collies are they testet ,they did not test out dogs they put there noses into everything and are sitting in front of looking to new things
Glenmorangie: Hello, Thank you very much :-)) I am just preparing my "counter-attack"..... I need to know the exact conditions to obtain the "Sweden Champion" title. Many thanks in advance, Françoise
Duna: JT wrote: I wonder who were these dogs who were tested to get such a result. ...and what kind of test it was?
Jack Mack: I read about this in articles following BBC news. I wondered why no smooth people ever investigated about this or had an answer! These tests were done from 1997 to 2000 and as far as I know already published in 2003. Probably nor for a wide public. Now with the BBC news everybody read it but still no outcry...... I wanted to write an article in our smooth collie magazine and did some research also on Kenth Svartbergs homepage. I felt it strange that especially in Sweden with their mentaltests should be such a population of smooth collies with bad temperament. Svartberg said he tested about 40 individuals of every breed. 40 smooth collies with bad temperament........ Only with the help of Jeanette there is now an answer but it is not very satifying: These collies were rough and not smooth collies Svartberg said it was not possible to change it.......... So, do we now have to live with it????
OneWay's: Svartberg hade written smooth collie instead of rough collie, and he couldn't change that. Jolanda, interesting to se yor dogs at the swedishtests... MH & MT, it's not that easy that you think.
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