(ex) Rottweiler Breeders: I´m talking to you! by Ryan O´Meara.

(ex) Rottweiler Breeders: You Suck! You REALLY SUCK!

The Kennel Club has today released its annual registration figures.

Volumes are fairly static - 271,719 puppies registered in 2008 (at £15 per pup, that’s £4,075,785 in revenue - nice work if you can get it!)

The figure that stood out to me and is mentioned in the Kennel Club’s own release:

Some traditionally docked breeds have seen their numbers fall quite significantly since the introduction of the docking ban in 2006. Just two years ago, Rottweilers were the 11th most popular breed by registration but they have now fallen to 20th in 2008. Just 2,631 puppies were registered last year, representing a drop of 60% from their 2006 level of 6,575 dogs. Similarly, Dobermanns have also seen a decrease of almost 45% in their numbers over the past two years.

So the Rottweiler has not only fallen out of the top 11 ‘most popular’ breeds, it’s out and out nosedived all the way to 20th - and the reason? The tail docking ban!

I remember when the tail docking ban was being proposed (incidentally, the Kennel Club opposed the ban in direct conflict with the views and will of animal welfare campaigners and veterinarians - where have we heard that ‘tail’ since?) and I saw some breeders (of Rottweilers funnily enough) who, in a fit of proposterous childishness ‘threatened’ to ‘pull out of the breed if the ban comes in’. Well, my word, they weren’t bluffing were they? These imbeciles who claim to have a love for dogs have, as it turns out, got as much attachment to the lopping off of the dog’s tail as the dog does to the whole idea of keeping it!

How incredibly revealing, stomach churning and pitiful that breeders/exhibitors have opted to just ditch a breed because they can no longer whip its tail off. Wow, that sucks to be them, it really does.

But here’s food for thought. Where did these dock-happy rats jump ship to? Are the scissor sisters currently infesting another breed having abandoned the much-malinged, and desperately in need of friends Rottweiler?

The biggest increases in individual breed numbers came in French Bulldogs and Smooth Coated Chihuahuas, both of whom saw 49% rises in their registration numbers during 2008.

Hmmm. A 49% rise in registration numbers. So that means either a lot of ‘established’ French Bulldog and Smooth Coated Chihuahuas breeders are prodcing a hell of a lot more stock - no doubt to the meet the demand for these highly desirable designer pedigrees - or the two breeds have attracted some new breeders. Let’s just hope those new breeders aren’t the sort of change-their-allegiance-with-the-winds-of-fashion and ditch the breed the moment things aren’t going their way type of folks who’ve just given the Rottweiler the old heave-ho!

Let’s just hope that French Bulldogs and Smooth Coated Chihuahuas aren’t clocking up days in shelters in the next 10 years - like the poor old Rottweiler. Fairweather, trend-hopping friends who abandon ship the moment there are changes introduced to enhance the welfare of the breed are really not what pedigree dogs need right now. Oh, but I forgot, it’s only the so-called ‘designer crossbreed’ breeders who are guilty of that, isn’t it?