Has the AKC Standard for OES changed over time?
I ask this because in the past 20 years since we have owned Westies, the American standard for the breed has changed. Sadly they are now often seen with overly large ears, longer tails and less boxy bodies. I personally see this as a sad thing because no one now knows what a real Westie is supposed to look like. Is this happening withe OES as much? Are the puppy mills and backyard breeders changing the standard? And I hope I'm not treading on any toes, but is it normal to go to the winning kennels to seek a new puppy? Where does everyone go to make sure they keep within the standard. I've read the American OES website and know the e-mail address to the person responsible to refer a breeder, but I've also read a few kennel websites where they say you can't specify what you want. I'd never give a list of what I want in an OES, but I'd also like to know that it would be a good fit for me. Also I'm very close to my parents and visit them several times a week. My mom has lots of white carpet  She already loves to say Sophia pees under the dining room table and of course I blame that on dad. Would an OES puppy just go nuts and tear through her house? Is it true that the OES pups and the breed in general take on the attitude of their owners?
Thanks, VerveUp, I will PM you. |
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| How did this end up its own thread?
I meant to keep it under the post I'd already started as to not take up more room. |
| It is an interesting question. My guess is that backyard breeders would lead to dogs that don't meet the official standards, but I doubt it would cause the standards themselves to change.
I didn't see the other thread. . . |
| Sometimes if a question comes up in a different thread, Ron will move it to its own.
That way the subject is listed and is easier for people to find and respond to. |
| The most common thing I see from breeders who are not breeding to the standard are grossly obvious faults like a long snipey muzzle, which in the standard, in any country, is a deformity and a disqualifying fault. Many of them have no topline, which is hard enough to breed for when you are working really hard at it, but they have lost it completely when they don't breed for it. That topline and proper shoulder layback are two major contributors to that rolling, ambling gait we know and love.
Those things do not prevent people from enjoying their pet, but the changes in temperment, because a BYB or mill is not willing to remove a dog from a breeding program who is not mentally stable, are serious. Too many neurotic dogs, with aggression, fear to a limiting fault, etc are out there because the mill and BYB's look at the bottom dollar, not the quality of the breed for generation to come. If you want to be sure you are getting an oes to standard, then yes I would recommend going to a top winning kennel. The price is either no different or not much different than most breeders. Most have tried to keep their prices equal, and that higher price is to attempt to compensate for all the money they spend on showing, doing health testing before breeding, proper vet checks for all dogs and puppies, vaccines, a high quality food, and the cost of high quality dogs to breed from. To campaign an OES can cost 10,000 to 25,000 a year depending on how serious the campaigner is. The standard itself in various countries has seen a couple of very minor changes, but essentially is the same, only worded differently to adapt to present day english. On the other side of the coin, a title on a dog does not mean that dog is ideal, it only means that enough times it was better than the dogs it competed against. I would suggest going to several shows, watching, learning and asking questions, to see why certain dogs meet the standard more than the one behind it. |
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