"Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light."
Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian Born American Journalist, 1847-1911
(Direction Point is defined as: 1: the course along which something moves;
2: directional focus on a compass)
MUDI COMPASS is the open databank program for the Mudi breed which will enable everyone to find the information they need to make an informed decision about which puppy to buy, which dogs to breed and which breeders and owners to support and encourage, for their willingness to keep the Mudi breed sound in health, instinct, temperament and body.
Only with open and honest communication and the sharing of accurate information can we the owners and breeders, who are the stewards of the Mudi breed, improve the overall genetic health and reduce the incidence of genetic disease in the breed we love and care for.
No dog breed is free of genetic diseases. No dog is perfect and there are no dogs or lines that are free of all defects or diseases. The question is not whether genetic defects are present, the question is which defects are in the dog you want to breed or buy. Genetic disease is common in purebred dogs as well as mongrels. Every time you sell, buy or breed a dog, carriers are involved. If you know which dogs carry which defective genes, you can prevent diseases and defects. The ultimate goal of this databank is to supply the information needed by breeders for the prevention of serious genetic diseases in the Mudi breed, as well as to maintain the herding instinct and sound temperament in the dogs that are bred.
Three things are needed to accomplish the removal and prevention of genetic disease from the Mudi breed: knowledge, information, honesty. All of these are within our personal control. If we want to make an impact on control of these diseases, we need an ethical approach to these needs based on fair, open and honest disclosure and positive support of those that contribute.
Knowledge that genetic disease and defects do exist and do occur in the Mudi breed needs to be acknowledged and accepted by everyone. Whether these diseases are rare or common is not the issue. What is rare can become common with out prevention and what is common will continually plague the breed. Therefore both need to be addressed equally.
Information that is honest and accurate is needed by breeders so they are aware of which diseases occur, what the mode of inheritance is and how they can be prevented. Symptoms, available testing and treatment options are needed to be well understood and this information provided to those that need it in an easily accessible location. This databank will provide the information you need to find out what diseases effect which dogs so you can breed and buy with informed capability.
Honesty and support of an open databank and those that provide information to it is what is needed most of all. The main reliance on today's closed health registries has not prevented any disease in dogs, publishing only the good or normal phenotypes does not work. We need to know about affected dogs and carriers if we want to control disease.
Whatever people involved in this breed do from this point on,
will affect the course of the Mudi for years to come.
will affect the course of the Mudi for years to come.
What you need to do as an owner or breeder to influence
the Mudi breed's direction positively:
Mentally accept that genetic diseases and defects exist
in the Mudi breed
Uniformly promote and advocate education and publicity
efforts regarding the incidence of diseases/defects in the breed
in the Mudi breed
Uniformly promote and advocate education and publicity
efforts regarding the incidence of diseases/defects in the breed
Directly participate in studies to identify the diseases and
defects that exist in the breed and their rate of occurrence
Invariably health and genetic test your dogs only with qualified
veterinarians and official health rating associations
Continually encourage others to test their dogs, use this open
databank and provide assistance to them for doing this
Openly report all diseases, defects and carrier status of your dogs
to this databank
Make all test results, positive or negative, openly available on
this databank
Participate in active support of breeders and owners who are
open and honest and contribute to this open databank
Avoid speaking negatively and spreading rumors in public or
private about anyone that voluntarily contributes information
Send notification to owners of related dogs about diseases and
defects that exist in your dogs now and new ones as they occur
Support and help owners and breeders of affected dogs with
compassion, it can happen to anyone
defects that exist in the breed and their rate of occurrence
Invariably health and genetic test your dogs only with qualified
veterinarians and official health rating associations
Continually encourage others to test their dogs, use this open
databank and provide assistance to them for doing this
Openly report all diseases, defects and carrier status of your dogs
to this databank
Make all test results, positive or negative, openly available on
this databank
Participate in active support of breeders and owners who are
open and honest and contribute to this open databank
Avoid speaking negatively and spreading rumors in public or
private about anyone that voluntarily contributes information
Send notification to owners of related dogs about diseases and
defects that exist in your dogs now and new ones as they occur
Support and help owners and breeders of affected dogs with
compassion, it can happen to anyone
