Purebred (dog) - Eugenics and History

Eugenics and History

Purebred dogs represent to many commentators the attitudes of the late Victorian era, when dog breeding first became popular and when most modern breeds originated. Purebred dogs were bred from a narrow set of ancestors, and an idea developed that this somehow made them superior in both appearance and in general goodness. Englishman Francis Galton used the term eugenics to refer to his ideas for applying domestic animal breeding techniques to humans, to produce a 'pure' and 'good' elite; the idea became an intellectual fad, promoted by people as diverse as Margaret Sanger and dog writer Leon Fradley Whitney, who both promoted the sterilization of 'unfit' humans; ideas that were extended horrifyingly by the Nazis in World War II era Germany. Purebred dog breeders of today have therefore been accused of following "a breeding paradigm that is, at the very least, a bit anachronistic in light of modern genetic knowledge, and that first arose out of a pretty blatant misinterpretation of Darwin and an enthusiasm for social theories that have long been discredited as scientifically insupportable and morally questionable."

However, information about the way early dog shows were intellectualized is of little interest to modern breeders and owners of pedigreed dogs, who are more interested in the real or imagined early history of their favourite breed's development. Reputable breeders attempt to produce the healthiest dogs the limited gene pool will allow, and buyers of purebreds primarily are interested in a puppy whose adult size, appearance, and temperament are predictable. In addition, tens of thousands of people worldwide enjoy the sport of conformation dog showing, which is restricted to dogs registered within their own kennel clubs dogs.