The dawn of a new millennium is upon us. Just think for a minute what a millennium is. Not a year, or a decade, or a century, but ten centuries. This moment comes only once in every one thousand years. When the clock strikes 12:00 on January 1, 2000, we will be among the very few in the history of the world whose lives will span the gap between two millenniums. If ever there is a time for resolutions with thought this is it, because unless cryogenic technology comes along quickly, I don't expect to be around for another event like this.
Since Shelties are a major part of our millennium spanning life, it seems only natural to reflect on where the breed has been and where it will go.
Although the Tooney dog has a history that dates back to the first inhabitants of the Shetland Islands, the Sheltie of today is a product of only the last century. Imported to the United States for the first time in 1910, its true start here did not take form until after World War 1. From this point on the breed's popularity grew steadily through the 1980's and, at the peak, Shelties reached a status as high as the AKC's sixth most popular breed. In recent years litter and puppy registrations have fallen off somewhat and we have now dropped back out of the top ten to about 14th or 15th at last reckoning.
The breed has come a long way in terms of temperament and standardization from 1910 to now. So much credit must go to the breeders who were our stewards during the last century. The fact that popularity has dropped off somewhat during the last decade is a blessing in my eyes. With popularity comes a certain number of opportunists. Generally these profiteers are detrimental to the wellbeing of a dog breed. For examples of what can happen you need only to look at other such popular breeds as Golden Retrievers, Doberman Pinchers, and German Shepherds.
Although breeding for profit's sake is probably the single over riding cause of the onset of major problems in a breed, there are other factors at play as well. Ego, the drive to win, to assert our importance in the world through the success of our dogs, certainly plays a part. In my opinion, the over-emphasis of ambition and politics to support this ego rush can be every bit as devastating to a breed as the problems that come from breeding for profit.
In recent years many maladies have begun to surface in the Shetland Sheepdog breed. The older ones such as Collie Eye Anomaly are still there, but in addition we now deal with DM, vWD, hip displasia, and hypothyroidism. I have recently had occasion to talk with specialists at Michigan State University, the leading authority in the country, regarding Shelties and thyroid disease. Now I'm aware that most Sheltie breeders consider thyroid problems to be on the low end of the importance scale when evaluating breeding stock for recessives. Did you know that 40 to 45 percent of the Sheltie population is either hypothyroid or potentially carries the genes for thyroid disease? I have been hearing about hypothyroidism in Shelties since I was a pet owner back in the 1970's, but it wasn't until this year that I realized to what extent it has infiltrated our breed. Did you know? Why haven't we heard more about it before now? I believe that the general breeder population does not consider this to be a major issue. That is exactly the attitude the Golden Retriever breeders took with hip displasia and now 6 out of every 10 Goldens born are displastic.
There is no good way to determine the carriers of hypothyroidism without a lot of family testing and information exchange among breeders. But there are definitive tests today to determine the 14% of the Sheltie population that have autoimmune thyroiditis, a disorder that may not be present with clinical signs for years. Although the exact mode of inheritance in dogs is not known for sure, it is currently believed to be an autosomal recessive. If this is true, breeding a dog known to be positive for thyroglobulin autoantibodies (TgAA) assures all offspring of being at least a carrier for thyroid disease. Breeding such dogs is not the way to eliminate the problem. If you want verification of this, see the February 1997 issue of the AKC Gazette. Here, an article about a nationwide symposium on hypothyroidism in dogs, advocates a 'stay on breeding' for TgAA positive dogs. To make matters worse, this insidious problem does not always manifest itself in laboratory tests until a dog is older. So even breeders making ethical decisions based on early testing can still wind up with problems down the road. The more I learn about dog genetics, the more convinced I become that a slow cautious approach to breeding is the safeguard of the breed.
Recessive and polygenic traits are in every dog of every breed. This is what makes breeding a challenge. Those who go too fast are so far into problems before they know it that correction becomes virtually impossible. We advocate that no stud dog be used before 2 years of age and then only after complete screenings for eyes, hips, and thyroid. Family history for HD, DM, vWD, and other genetic diseases should also be considered. If we continue to use dogs before this age, when they are too young to test effectively, we are just exaggerating our problems, because a certain percentage of these dogs will be affected. Then we do it again, and again, and, guess what, now we have a big problem. Let's say we take the slower approach, and then later we find a dog we thought to be clear is affected. If we only have a generation or two behind us, it is much easier to go back and correct the situation.
It is not our intention to repeat our breeder ethics here. Suffice it to say we have put a lot of thought into the subject and if you are interested in what we consider to be the best approach, please see the 'Twelve commandments of the ethical breeder' under our Philosophies page.
The point of this discussion is that we all need to give serious thought to where we are going with our breed, not just next year, but well into the next millennium. Will we be so blind, as to fall prey to the short-term temptations of money and ego? Or will we heed the wisdom that other breeds have learned the hard way and make the tough decisions now, so that future generations can enjoy this breed as we do?
Please think about it. We have the best breed there is, but the problems are starting. Sheltie breeders have always been more competitive than those of other breeds. Let's put those smarts to work and show the world why there is nothing else like a Sheltie.
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· Friends & Pets · Sheltie Tetherball · The Grapevine · Seasonal ·
· Rescue · Sheltie Links · Awards · Contact Us · Site Map ·
© 1999 - 2001 by John E. Rueckert - All Rights Reserved