Conformation standards and breeding into the future

Personally, I am of the belief that breeding into the future requires sound animals from which to start. What I have seen with these magnificent animals is that conformation seems to be last on the list of desirable traits. Go to a conformation show and you will see all sorts of non-conforming dogs shown. That could range from anything from a curled tail, to being hocked in the rear or splay footed in the front end.

While it is understood quite universally that athleticism, temperament, breed character, etc. are important, conformation doesn't seems to be ranked quite as high.

Surely, there should be a few comments?

 

If one were to wonder about the order of precedence traits should follow, start at the beginning, use their name game dogs as reference. After that everything has its place, performance molds and shapes the dogs, and the beauty is the finished product. Let me know how a curled tail has ever hindered performance?

 

Never said that a curled tail inhibited anything. It just doesn't meet the breed standard.

 

Not every great dog met what peoples current ideal of the physical standard is, their greatness was defined by what was in the animal, to put beauty first throws the baby out with the bathwater. I wonder how many dogs have shoulder layback or arch over loin put ahead of indomitable courage, that's part of the standard as well. My feelings are contrary to your original posting, I feel there are too many pretty dogs being bred without consideration of if their heart is in the right place.

 

"Look to the profession of the dog in establishing the APBT standard, so that our grandchildren will at least see an authentic physical reproduction of a fighting dog.
 
If we start with the premise that conformation should reflect the ideal for the dogs usage and that this particular animal was suppose to win a dogfight, we come naturally to the question, what did it take to win?  1. Gameness 2. Attitude 3. Stamina 4. Wrestling ability 5. Biting ability.  Note that only one of these qualities; wrestling ability, is directly related to conformation. One other, stamina may be partly due to conformation, but is probably as much reliant on inherited efficiency of the heart and circulatory system. Some people seem to feel that the shape of the head determines hard bite, but in practice, it seems there are a lot of other factors involved.

When we talk of conformation we really only mean one thing - - wrestling ability.
 
Conformation and wrestling ability are very closely related and it's usually the bottom dog in the fight that quits. The dog whose muscle and bone structure doesn't permit him to wrestle on even terms, needs more of everything else to win.  So It is believed that wrestling ability (and therefore conformation) is a very important ingredient in a fighting dog.

Our Standard of Conformation can not be based on what someone who never saw a dogfight thinks a fighting dog should look like, but should be based on those physical attributes displayed by winning pit dogs of yesteryear." - ADBA

 

So if my English comprehension is correct, conformation real is of little importance, according to the ADBA. And, judgement of a dog should be based upon what a fighting dog actually participating in a match actually looks like. That being said, anyone born after 1976 will have never seen a dog fight. 1976 is the year they passed the animal cruelty act. It won't be long and we won't have a judge that has ever seen a fight. Would have been illegal.

The above paragraph has little to do with my initial post. That being dogs meeting the bred standard as laid out by the ADBA.

Guess we don't need conformation shows after all, not to mention standards.

 

Good conformation is what makes the american pitbull terrier stand out from all other dog breeds...but it all comes down to personal preference...and the future of the breed depends on great people who live and breathe pittbulls And cherish these beautiful animals..

 

If a dog performs the standard is met. Performance dogs are judged on performance. Breeding working dogs to a written standard has ruined almost every single working breed in this country which is why people export working dogs from germany and other places. Their dogs are better. In the working world pretty is as pretty does.

 

Amen to that

 

Silly me, I thought gameness was what separated the apbt from the other breeds.

 

Gameness is what makes the APBT stand out from all other breeds.

 

Bravo Rich, that is what makes the A.P.B.T. stand out from all other dog breeds.

 

"Silly me, I thought gameness was what separated the apbt from the other breeds".... you can get a game one in any breed by definition.

 

depends on what game your playing...theirs people that push their dogs to their physical limits...untill near death or death Just to prove the dog is game...their is much more to an American Pitbull Terrier than that...they one of the most smartest breeds and will do anything you ask of them...and their heart and determination is what seperates them from the rest..now thats game..

 

So in which game does conformation separate the apbt from other breeds?

 

Dont get me wrong..im all about performance thats why i own a game bred dog...but i believe a pitbull should have good conformation...Thats just my Personal preference...

 

So you have to have a pretty performance dog?

 

Here we go....people should worry about what they are breeding and producing instead of running their mouth about what other people are doing...i can care less what the next man is doing With his dogs...keep up the good work and keep breeding your dogs with deformaties..im sure the pedigree is pretty though...

 

Just because a dog doesn't have the perfect conformation doesn't mean it is deformed and i am not worried about what anyone else has i was just asking a question... i mean there are certain characteristics that relate to conformation that can help determine performance, but when we get into little things like stated above maybe a curled tail for example.... which would make no difference on performance i think most could care less not trying to start any type of bs here it gets us no where

 

I believe that conformation is important, in fact my dogs do pretty well adba BUT your statement that conformation is what separates the apbt from other breeds is wrong. All breeds have pretty show dogs with good conformation, I don't think that makes a dog special. Its what's inside that counts....