increasing problems with their skull being too small for their brain.  More and more Dalmatians are testing with deafness.  Most bulldog births are by c-section because the puppies’ heads are too big and hip dysplasia in bulldogs is rampant.  These choices ending in near deformities are only a few of the examples resulting from long term breeding extreme practices or worse.    
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Breeders have choices to truly improve or preserve the breed with an eye to the future.  The Coefficient of Inbreeding (COI) is only one tool for healthier puppies.  It was developed by Sewell Wright (1922) and begins with an individual to measure how closely related - or not - an individual’s ancestors were by how genetically similar they were. In dogs this means looking at the level of inbreeding. This identification is represented as a percentage (0%-100%). The higher the number means a greater amount of inbreeding and a lot more. Greater diversity is reflected in a lower COI. The annual breed average COI varies according to breed.
 
Diversity is one of the keys to the survival of any breed. Lack of diversity or a higher COI means there will be a serious loss of vitality or vigor in the puppies and an increase in recessive mutations. ‘Vigor’ is a term denoting fecundity or successful breeding/fertility along with normal life expectancy and health.  One study found closely related breeding pairs resulted in one less puppy per litter. Another study showed  adults were 6% smaller than normal.

A COI of only 5-10% has modest detrimental effects on a puppy where a COI over 10% shows predictable, significant harmful effects on the descendants and the breed.  COI has been proven to be a more a successful formula for healthier dogs than pedigree-based estimates have been. Diversity tests are done with saliva swab.  Easy. UC Davis VGL is one testing center among others. The sad fact is that within some breeds it is impossible to breed unrelated dogs.  Most of those ‘vulnerable breeds’ have higher inbreeding histories. 
     
Participating in dog shows is fun and can continue for many years whether or not participation is as a hobbyist or a more serious contender.  Many of these vulnerable breeds are represented in these shows. A great number of breeders or owners do not participate in showing their dogs.  In each conformation show one beauty moves up the competition echelon for the title of  Best in Show which is the pinnacle for any show. 

Generally, competition classes go through Winners Dog[male](WD) or Winners Bitch(WB), Best of Breed(BOB), Best of Opposite Sex (BOS), then Best of Winners(BOW).  There are classes designated by age. Breed winners compete for the title of Best in Show.  Dogs compete against dogs of their own breed, dogs in their group, and so on. There are seven groups competing. In the Toy group alone, there are 21 breeds.  A lot depends on the number of dogs in attendance.
 
Shows vary in size, for example there are very few bearded collies, none or a lot. Earning points, majors, championships, levels of championships are all part of excelling in the exciting world of competitive dog shows whether in conformation or sports.  There are few shows that award monetary prizes.  Westminster does not award monetary prizes where the  AKC Championship Show awards $50,000 to its Best in Show winner.  

The winners must defeat champions along the way and there are regulations about judges.  It is the same competitive path with a few caveats from the smallest shows to the more prestigious ones.  Most shows do not have prior requirements to register other than being a member of AKC.  There are non-AKC shows that do not support AKC and titles are not interchangeable.  It takes winning many shows and years to achieve such a thing as an AKC Bronze or Platinum Grand Champion. Showing requires a pretty dog that wants to show, time, a committed owner, and the finances to support it.  Handlers are available to show the dog as well.
 
The preeminent conformation show is the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, June 12-13, hosted this year in Tarrytown, New York.  This conformation show was established in 1877 but was originally started in Manhattan as an opportunity for hunters to gather and showcase their dogs, mostly Setters and Pointers.  The group met at the Westminster Hotel in New York City. 
They established the Westminster Kennel Club, and the show grew exponentially in popularity.   Today there are about 48 breeds categorized as gun dogs or bird dogs.  Subcategories are flushing dogs, retrievers and pointing breeds. 

Normally at Westminster there are roughly 3000 dogs competing to be the Best of Breed and ultimately, Best in Show.  These dogs represent about 204 breeds and varieties. Prior to the main two days of competition there are miscellaneous events such as the Masters Agility Championship.  Second to the Kentucky Derby, Westminster is considered the oldest, continuous sporting event in America.  From the beginning Westminster donated funds from this show to support worthy charities.  Participants meet specific qualifications to compete at Westminster. In 2020 competitors came from 49 states and 19 countries.
 
Most people who show their dogs because they love their dogs and want to prove their value.  A different aspect of winning with a dog is the business of breeding and the value of the puppies, where champions and grand champions rule.  Super studs in any breed are part of what is called “popular sire syndrome”. A very prolific number of litters can be produced via artificial insemination or semen storage process by a single sire for years. It is seen when the same name appears over and over again on one pedigree or across the years on many pedigrees.   

When the studs are simply conformation (beauty) superstars without good genetic and physical health testing and may affect breed health they perpetuate hereditary problems. Unfortunately, due to status their progeny are highly valued.  Even if health testing is done at an early age – and some tests or exams cannot be done or validated until a dog is over a year old.  There are health conditions that have no test available and/or  do not announce themselves prior to presenting the symptoms.  Hip testing begins at two years of age although there are a few preliminary OFA tests in different areas such as eyes that can be done early for informational purposes. German shepherds have more than 50 hereditary disorders that are preventable with genetic and health testing.  

Judges cannot see into the DNA of a beautiful dog and do not know the current or past health history of a competitor.  They judge for beauty and individual breed standard in conformation looking at structure, appearance, temperament  and how true to the individual breed the dog is.  Judges have qualifications they must meet along the way, too. In other events it is the same – the best competitor wins.  Bloodlines may be well known but often flaws or disease such as junior cataracts (congenital) do not weigh heavily nor are such things recorded in a pedigree.  Having healthy breeding dogs is ultimately the owner’s and/or breeder’s responsibility and choice.   
    
The genetic health of the sire and dam gives insight into the health and disposition of the puppies. If breeders do not health test their dogs before breeding them then the breed can be adversely affected by continuing avoidable flaws and preventable disease litter after litter.  Unhealthy choices based on perceived beauty have proven to be detrimental to the welfare of several breeds, such as the extreme breeding to flatten a pug muzzle.  Two of the many problems with facial shortening is overheating and breathing difficulty.  Compared to the dogs of the past there are breeds that have changed dramatically.
 
The KC  list of ‘Vulnerable Breeds’ includes breeds such as the otter hounds, Welsh corgis, the bloodhound, collies, bearded collies, the old English sheep dog, mastiffs, and the  Scottish deerhound. The list continues with various terriers large and small, spaniels and setters.  See the article for exact ‘vulnerable breeds’ listed Dr. Stanley Corner authored the Canine Corner for Psychology Today and wrote about endangered breeds. In his article ‘Dog Breeds Vulnerable to Extinction in the United States’, Dr. Corner postulated that the vulnerable breeds in the United States include again, terriers, spaniels, greyhound, mastiff, Coonhound, Briard, sheepdog, and a few others. See the article for exact breeds listed 
 
Understanding these survival dangers even from a layman’s perspective enriches a breeding program and encourages hope. Inbreeding Depression describes the deterioration of a breed (health, vitality,  longevity and fertility) when two closely related dogs are bred together. In short, Inbreeding Depression means the reducing a breed’s survival rate.  Details include things like:

• Declining health of the puppies
• Difficulty of conceiving or whelping
• Ability to live or be healthy without outside intervention, etc. 

Another aspect of a breed’s decline includes an ‘Extinction Vortex’.  It is the point of inbreeding where the vigor (smaller litters, increased deaths, and mutations) negatively impacts a population.  Without intervention the population decreases and spirals down into extinction. 
 
Random Genetic Drift, also known as genetic sampling error or The Sewall Wright Effect,  It is a change in a small population occurring by accident. A random genetic trait is lost or multiplied in the genetic pool independently of reproductive or survival values. This is not the same as natural selection and can result in sterility. Just one of Mother Nature’s chance occurrences. Genetic drift is another component of the extinction vortex.

One answer to many of these concerns is Outcrossing or breeding unrelated health tested dogs.  Limiting line- and inbreeding is a growing concern.  Supporting breeding dogs with a COI no greater than 6.25%  would be ideal. Trying to keep the COI very low would make a huge difference especially for some of these endangered breeds although this may not be possible with some breeds. Again, there is COI average according to the breed. Spaying or neutering flawed and/or diseased breeding stock to prevent propagating avoidably unhealthy puppies regardless of their accomplishments or other considerations would be a change and challenge for some breeders.
 
A standard international health test check list for dogs that breeders could use would be beneficial for each breed.  Puppies are imported and exported all over the world.  Breed health requirements beyond vaccinations should be standardized internationally where possible.  Puppies can be tested almost immediately for a few things that will determine whether or not they are possibly a good breeding candidate.  Health testing is a growing field.  Its growth and usage benefits us all. 
 
Another improvement would be that judges take refresher clinics on breed standard vs. breed presentation in conformation with some accountability added which could be helpful. Judges set the standards by elimination. In some ways judges are the gate keepers to maintaining and enforcing the breed standard via their influence.  For example many Havanese are dressed to look like Shih Tzu in the ring because that is what the judge’s *winning* choice is even though the breed standard states otherwise.

The key to supporting a healthy breed standard is the institutions that promote the best in hereditary health, current health, and the purpose for what this breed was meant for. It plays a part in intentions. A good example of this is: A breeder that breeds a gun dog looks for and encourages different things than a breeder that breeds a herding dog.
  
To that end individual breed standards need to be medically evaluated to move them forward to support healthy bodies in the future. The KC in England “cracked down on non-functional extremes . . . in order to stop the trend of turning dogs into caricatures”(Fred Lang/TheDogPlace). A healthy standard or directive needs to be confirmed and certified for each breed through its own international breed club.  
 
Celebrating purebred dogs recognizes these beautiful, unique dogs and their rich history and the need for breeders to chart a clear course for their future.  There needs to be more breeders who work to preserve and perhaps, repair their breed through diversity in their breeding program,  investigative health testing, and following OFA testing recommendations. It is an important trait to have the fortitude to shut down breeding any dog that produces proven genetic flaw(s) or is genetically diseased regardless of investment, etc. In other words they put the breed first. Multi-level intervention early on increases breed stability, health, and growth.  For so many breeders who invest their hearts and finances in their dogs, step it up, this makes a difference!  

P.S.  For all you folks out there that have beloved dogs with varied histories, this is not an attack on your wonderful dog nor is your dog less than. This article's goal is that if we want purebred dogs, as preservation breeders, we have to have a defined outline of that breed, their health, and the intention for which this breed came about.  The standards are there to qualify the goal. 

Recommendations:
For Havanese COI, we use Havanese Gallery

References:
ABRI, UNE. Inbreeding, http://abri.une.edu.au/online/pages/inbreeding_coefficient_help.htm.

Anonymous. “Your Purebred Is Inbred: 5 Realities of Dog Breeding.” Cracked.com, Cracked.com, 19 Jan. 2016, https://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-1712-your-purebred-inbred-5-realities-dog-breeding.html.

Arnold, Brandy. “History of the Westminster Dog Show.” The Dogington Post, 7 Nov. 2019, http://www.dogingtonpost.com/history-of-westminster-dog-show/.

Boyko, Ph. D., Adam. “Dog Inbreeding, Its Consequences, and Its Quantification: Embark.” Embarkvet, Embark Vet, 6 Apr. 2022, https://embarkvet.com/resources/dog-health/oedipus-rex-inbreeding-its-consequences-and-its-quantification/.

“Coi FAQS: Understanding the Coefficient of Inbreeding.” The Institute of Canine Biology, https://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/blog/coi-faqs-understanding-the-coefficient-of-inbreeding#:~:text+So%2C%20in%20terms%20of%20health.detrimental%20effects%20on%20the%20offspring.

Coren Ph. D., DSc, FRSC , Stanley. “Dog Breeds Vulnerable to Extinction in the United States.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 13 Nov. 2013, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201311/dog-breeds-vulnerable-extinction-in-the-united-states.

Crabtree-Hannigan, James. “Westminster Dog Show Prize Money: How Much Do the Winners Make in 2020?” Sporting News, 10 Feb. 2020, https://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/news/westminster-dog-show-prize-money-2020/5byztinvhu3v1pe0ajnpvf48f.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Genetic Drift.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/science/genetic-drift.

Gabriella. “Home.” German Sheperd Corner, 12 Jan. 2021, https://germanshepherdcorner.com/health-issues-in-german-shepherds/.

Gornstein, Leslie. “22 Vulnerable Dog Breeds That Could Disappear.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 7 Jan. 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/meet-22-dwindling-dog-breeds/.

“Gun Dog Magazine.” Gun Dog, https://www.gundogmag.com/.

“Gun Dog.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Apr. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_dog.

“Inbreeding Dogs and Genetic Disease: Dog Breeding Information.” Dog Breeding Information | Take Your Breeding to the next Level..., Dog Breeding Information, 27 July 2016, https://www.dogbreedinginformation.com/inbreeding-dogs/.

“Is Inbreeding Coefficient of 9.5% a Deal Breaker?” The Labrador Forum, https://thelabradorforum.com/threads/is-inbreeding-coefficient-of-9-5-a-deal-breaker.15653/.

Lanting, Fred. “Topline: Canine and GSD Illustrated.” TOPLINE, BACK, SPINE: CORRECT GSD ILLUSTRATED | TheDogPlace.org, The Dog Place, http://www.thedogplace.org/ShowPlace/Topline-Canine-GSD_Lanting-149.asp.

Magrane, Paddy. “Why These Dogs Are in Danger of Extinction.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 11 Oct. 2016, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/life-and-style/disappearing-dog-breeds/.

New York Daily News. “Scientists Studying Why Golden Retrievers Are Dying Sooner, Getting Cancer  .” Nydailynews.com, New York Daily News, 9 Apr. 2018, https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/study-underway-shrinking-lifespans-golden-retrievers-article-1.2212563.

Olzer, Rachel, et al. “2.10 Mechanisms of Evolution: Genetic Drift.” The Evolution and Biology of Sex, https://open.lib.umn.edu/evolutionbiology/chapter/2-10-mechanisms-of-evolution-genetic-drift/.

The incredible Helen Keller (1880-1968) overcame her disabilities in a manner that was historically unheard of. She graduated cum laude Radcliffe College in 1904, traveled to 39 countries on five continents (1924-1964) giving over 450 lectures educating the world about the disabled on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB).   She encouraged removing the disabled from asylums to advocating social and legislative change worldwide.  While her story is well known many activists worked very hard for a better life for the disabled and who were practically, unknown.  
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wheelchair were suppressed. One of the first wheel-chair-accessible government buildings was the White House. Morris worked to change the rules for guide dogs to travel in the compartment with their owner by train in 1935 and by air rather than crated in cargo. In 1939, hotels started to allow more guide dogs in. ​
     
A few days before Buddy passed away, Morris and her world changed yet again. Buddy was allowed to be with Morris in the cabin on a commercial flight. Together they had travelled over 50,000 miles demonstrating how a guide dog could offer independence with dignity for the blind and visually impaired. All five of the following seeing-eye dogs Morris had were named Buddy. He always spoke of “the divine gift of freedom” that the original Buddy had given him. Buddy opened doors for Morris never thought could happen.  People wanted to talk to him about his dog and Morris was able to talk about his dog to the world. May 23, 1938, Buddy passed away, and her death was noted in the New York Times.  
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In 1956, when Morris retired, there were laws passed giving the blind the right to access public buildings and restaurants with their guide dogs.  After 27 years with The Seeing Eye®, Morris founded his own insurance agency. He returned to selling insurance as he had during his Vanderbilt years. In 1965 The Seeing Eye® moved to a newer building and its current location in Morristown, NJ.  

In 2005, a sculpture of Morris and Buddy by John Seward Johnson II titled, The Way to Independence, was unveiled in Morristown. In 2008, Nashville, a plaque that reads, “Independence and Dignity Since 1929,” was dedicated in memory of Morris near where The Seeing Eye was founded. Morris was also posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field in 2010. ​

​“The Seeing Eye is an innovator and pioneer in the field of breeding, raising, and training outstanding Seeing Eye® dogs . . .  [and] continues to honor the legacy of Morris Frank and Buddy by educating the public about the rights of people with disabilities and pursuing legislation that will protect guide dog teams.” – President and CEO, Jim Kutsch. 

Recommendations: 
​​'First Lady of the Seeing Eye' by Morris Frank and Blake Clark    
Dog Tales on Spotify, 'Buddy: America's First Seeing-Eye Dog'
The Seeing Eye's® Website​ The Seeing Eye is a founding member of  the Council of U.S, Guide dog Schools.  It is also a fully qualified member of the International Guide Dog Federation.  For more about The Seeing Eye, its support of veterans and the visually impaired please go to visit the website or call (973) 539-4425, or email [email protected].  
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References: 
“Art + History: Gassed by John Singer Sargent.” Smithsonian Associates, https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/art-history-gassed-by-john-singer-sargent.

Corrigan, Richard. “Rules for Flying with a Service Dog.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 8 Feb. 2017, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/rules-flying-service-dog-103409.html.

“Dorothy Harrison Eustis.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Mar. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Harrison_Eustis.

“Helen Keller.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/biography/Helen-Keller.

“History.” The Seeing Eye - History, https://www.seeingeye.org/about-us/history.html.

“Louis Braille.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Apr. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Braille.

“Morris Frank & Buddy.” TN History For Kids - Morris Frank & Buddy, https://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/history/people/morris-frank-buddy/.

“Morris Frank Inducted 2010.” Morris Frank, https://sites.aph.org/hall/inductees/frank/.

“Morris Frank.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Nov. 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morris_Frank.

“Morris S. Frank Originator of ‘Seeing Eye’ Philanthropy for the Blind.” UTA Libraries Digital Gallery/Digitalgallery-Beta, 23 Mar. 2020, https://library.uta.edu/digitalgallery/img/10013318.

Parcast. “Buddy: America's First Seeing-Eye Dog.” Spotify, Parcast, 11 Nov. 2019, https://open.spotify.com/episode/0XfhDDnPZ1k2p7s09XrCoG.

Pruszewicz, Marek. “How Deadly Was the Poison Gas of WW1?” BBC News, BBC, 30 Jan. 2015, https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31042472.

“The Seeing Eye Celebrates 90th Anniversary on Jan. 29.” The Seeing Eye - The Seeing Eye Celebrates 90th Anniversary on Jan. 29, https://www.seeingeye.org/press/press-releases/the-seeing-eye-celebrates.html.