Me Animal

Poodles Breeding
http://www.canine-genetics.com/legacy_of_sir_gay.htm
That is one of the problem with dog shows!

Another problem in dog breeding:
For some reason, show dog breeders like dogs who hold their neck vertical.
http://www.canine-genetics.com/extend.htm#zec

It is so bad, that you can see it on most of the dog shows on TV, where the handler practically strangles the dog with a tight little choker put on the dog's neck, right under the dogs head.

Why? Not sure, but if you look at some of the Halloween costumes for dogs, that show the dog sitting and facing the camera, you will notice that the costume is designed to make it look as if the dog were a person, and his front legs are his feet - often false costume 'arms' are added, and often the body and rear legs of the dog are ignored.

I believe that the reason for wanting a vertical neck in show dogs has to do with human psychology - and a desire to humanize the image of the dog into that of furry people, not by having the dog walk upright, but by focusing on the front of the dog, and ignoring the rear.

The opposite of this (which IMO makes for healthier dog breeding) is where the dog breeder blurs their own self image (I am an animal), instead of trying to re-make (and sometimes crinkle) the dog into quasi-human forms.

Because when dog breeders choose to live with, or invite into their home 20, 40, 60 dogs - then there is IMO an identification between the dog breeder, who has that many animals, and those animals, or some part of the animal (like a fur fetish).