negative impacts of selective breeding on german shepherds

The German Shepherd, with its imposing posture, intelligent and sharp eyes, and loyal and reliable character, has become a beloved breed worldwide. Whether showcasing his skills in the military and police field, assisting in various difficult tasks, or becoming a caring and warm-hearted companion in ordinary people's homes, De Mu has shown unique charm. However, behind the glamorous appearance of the German Shepherd, excessive selective breeding is quietly bringing many tricky negative impacts to this breed, which worries every person who truly cares about the German Shepherd.

In the process of breeding German Shepherd, inbreeding is one of the common selective breeding methods, aimed at preserving certain specific excellent traits and maintaining the purity of the bloodline. But this approach hides huge hidden dangers. From a genetic perspective, inbreeding greatly increases the likelihood of homozygous harmful alleles. When the genetic similarity between parents is extremely high, pathogenic genes that originally existed in a recessive state in the population are more likely to appear in pairs in offspring, leading to a high incidence of genetic diseases.

Epilepsy is one of the severe disease challenges faced by German herdsmen due to inbreeding. This is a tricky neurological disease, once it occurs, dogs will uncontrollably twitch, lose consciousness instantly, and the scene is heart wrenching. There is also pituitary dwarfism, which mercilessly hinders the normal growth and development of German Shepherd puppies, keeping them in their juvenile size forever, and often accompanied by a series of other health problems. Joint diseases are also extremely common in inbreeding among German herdsmen, with hip dysplasia being particularly prominent. The sick German shepherd suffers unbearable pain when walking, and in severe cases, he may even be paralyzed in bed, losing his former vitality and agility. These genetic diseases, like heavy shackles, greatly reduce the quality of life of German shepherds and put the owners under dual pressure of mental and economic stress.

In addition to genetic diseases, inbreeding can also cause a series of physical defects. The immune system is at the forefront and becomes extremely fragile. Inbreeding has caused a sharp decline in genetic diversity, making it difficult for the German Shepherd's immune system to effectively resist the invasion of external pathogens like a fortress without a strong city wall. In this way, dogs are highly susceptible to various diseases or frequent allergic symptoms, and their bodies are in a weakened state for a long time, with their health deteriorating. In terms of body size, inbreeding can sometimes lead to abnormalities in German grazing. Although it is not an extremely small and fragile body shape like the Teacup Dog, it may also experience imbalanced bone development and uneven body structure, which can affect its normal mobility and physiological functions.

The shortened lifespan is another heavy blow brought by inbreeding to German herdsmen. Due to the torment of genetic diseases and the troubles of physical defects, closely bred German shepherds often find it difficult to live as long as their normally bred counterparts. They may have been plagued by serious health problems when they were in their prime, leaving this world early and leaving their owners with endless grief and regret.

In the pursuit of specific appearance characteristics of the German Shepherd breed, unreasonable breeding methods have also brought disaster to this breed. Some breeders, in order to meet the market's demand for the so-called "perfect German Shepherd", excessively pursue appearance features such as large heads and exaggerated backlines, and are willing to use other dog breeds such as Great Danes, Mastiffs, and St. Bernard to crossbreed with German Shepherd. This hasty approach completely deviates from the original genetic characteristics of the German Shepherd, giving birth to a group of deformed dog breeds with strange appearances. For example, the notorious "Hammer type German Shepherd", despite bearing the title of German Shepherd, is deeply mired in mucopolysaccharidosis due to its unique appearance, and its health condition is precarious. There is also the Bowbacked Shepherd Dog, commonly known as the "frog dog", which has serious structural problems with its hind legs and is extremely inconvenient to move around. It requires the assistance of its owner when going up and down stairs in daily life, and breeding is even more difficult, seriously affecting the quality of life and reproductive ability of the dog.

Long term selective breeding has also dealt a heavy blow to the genetic diversity of the German Shepherd. When the breeding process overly focuses on a few so-called excellent traits and constantly inbreeding dogs with these traits, the gene pool of the entire German Shepherd population becomes increasingly narrow. This means that when facing challenges such as environmental changes and new diseases, the adaptability and resistance of the German pastoral population significantly decrease. Once encountering unexpected situations, there may be a large number of German dogs who cannot adapt and may become ill or even die, seriously threatening the survival and development of the entire breed.

The negative impact of selective breeding on German Shepherd Dogs is multifaceted and extremely serious. From the rampant spread of genetic diseases, to the frequent occurrence of physical defects, to the shortened lifespan and reduced genetic diversity, every issue is like a hanging sword of Damocles, constantly threatening the health and future of the German Shepherd. As dog lovers and responsible breeders, we must deeply recognize the seriousness of these issues, abandon the erroneous concept of excessive pursuit of appearance and pure bloodline, and advocate for scientific and reasonable breeding methods. By increasing genetic diversity, carefully selecting healthy breeding individuals, conducting necessary genetic screening, and strengthening monitoring and management of the health status of German and German breeds, we can inject new vitality and vigor into this excellent breed, allowing them to grow strong on a healthy path, continue to establish deep and beautiful emotional bonds with humans, and jointly write a beautiful chapter of harmonious coexistence.