Cooper Puggle

[jamshundred]

An extended family member, male teenager, has wanted a puppy for a long, long time.  He finally won over the voice of authority and could pick his puppy.  Cooper is the chosen one.  Cooper is a cross between a Beagle and a pug.  (I think he favors the beagle ancestors. . .  .don't you)?   Cooper Puggle got me to thinking about chicanary and deceit yet again.   In the Dexter cattle world, Cooper may have become a beagle. . . .or he may have become a pug, for in the world of Dexters . .  .outcrosses become uncrossed with a stroke of the pen and a turning of the head.

Which brings me to the second train of thought.   White Dexters.  The other day a "White Dexter"  bull was advertised for sale on a FB Dexter group.  A Dexter owner jumped right in saying there was no such thing as a white Dexter.  I just don't get how they don't get it.    The White Dexters are a "new breed" developed from White Park Cattle and Dexters.  There are a number of new breeds that have been designed with Dexters, and given new identities.  The comment came from a polled owner who has fought bitterly to keep from having to admit those polled cattle in her pasture are by-products of grade cattle.   Not even descended from purebred.   Kind of cattle puggles, one might say because the stewards of the breed failed to give them a new and proper breed identity so that forever they will be the Puggles of Dexter cattle.  Outcrosses without a proper identity.

I was just puggling around these thoughts.

[karenp]

I have no problem crossing breeds to try to get qualities of both, dexter/jersey aka belfair is a popular cross as are lab/poodle, labradoodles. You know what you're getting. I have a polled Dexter. I would have no problem if she was called something else, maybe be american Dexter vs Irish Dexter. The ad for the white dexter says he is registered, where I wonder.

[Deleted]

they have there own registry. I have no problem with the crossbreeding except for the fact that both breeds dexter and white park are extremely rare breeders and it is a shame that this may take some breeders away from choosing ether one an opting for this new one.

I do have a problem with the name they choose it is misleading. Makes one think that it is actually a dexter that is the color white. they are misusing the dexter name. should have been called a wexter or parxter.

 

[jamshundred]

Karen,

They are registered with the mini cattle registry, established by Richard Gradwhol, installed as ADCA Director at the time of the political split in 2004.  At the time he became Director he had not registered a Dexter in nine years and was busy developing multiple cattle breeds using his Dexter animals, and registering them in the mini cattle registry.  Much of the story is in the historical section.  He developed quite a few new breeds.   Panda cattle,  Mini belties and mini milking belties, and a few "shires" and he developed the "mini white Dexter" as well as the Belmont which is known to many as the mini-Jersey.  I remember a number of years ago, ( and perhaps still) Dexter breeders were solicited into a contractual breeding program to breed these various new lines on their farms with their Dexters.     Here's a link to the number of mini cattle he developed ( they are trademarked names).  www.minicattle.com/listing_mini_cattle.html

There are a number of cattle breeds much admired and  developed over centuries.  Red Poll for example is a cross of Sussex Dun and Lincoln Reds, both of the foundation breeds are now extinct I think.    The Belgian Blue is a "new" breed, ( it hurts my soul to look at them though) and most everyone is familiar with the modern breed, Lowlines.  They were not "passed-off" as something they were not.

The difference is:    They developed these animals from other breeds and gave them a new identity.

With the polled cattle, there was a documented effort in the US  to hide the fact the bull was a product of outcrossing.  Repeated efforts to get that information into the hands of breeders so they could make informed choices in their herds was stonewalled.   Messengers were not treated kindly.  The personal attacks and insinuations continue to this day.   There was strong denial among those who were invested in breeding animals they were told were "pure", and the fact that DCS hasn't gotten around to correcting the pedigree keeps the effort going to get the truth out.   England made mistakes . .  .several of them. . .  .but the leadership of the US has a sordid record of ignoring and hiding the truth  in this matter that can never be erased from the history books.    They failed the breed they gave themselves permission to protect.  It was easy to unearth the truth and even to document it and if a single one of them did . . . . . . . they would not admit it.

As always the truth and honesty is the best choice in all things.  Had the truth been told and the polled animals organized into a new breed, or even a division within the breed, the situation would have been forthright rather than tarred with feathers of deceit.  They had been outcrossing in England for decades. . . .  . but in the US. . . . . breeders were restricted ... . . . and then forced to compete with animals represented as something they were not.   Hundreds of Dexters lost their lives, culled or buthered because they did not measure up to the imported/ outcrossed  characteristics that came in with the imports.  It is just a sad commentary that the leadership of this breed has all but destroyed it replacing it with descendents of a single .  .. . . non-purebred.......bull.   

A tragedy in this breed of epic proportions from which the US herd will likely never recover.  The bickering and resentment can be traced to the deceit. . . . for the breeders were all deceived and were angered when the myth propagated and continued by their leadership was challenged they were angry at the messengers.   

Judy

[jamshundred]

Mike,   I agree there should have been a different breed distinction for these animals.  It appears to me they carry more White Park characteristics in their phenotype than Dexter, but Dexters are such a wonderful unique little breed. . . . . . trading on the name is more of a plus than a minus.   And the leadership of this breed has never. . . . . .  .not a single time in the US.......stood up and fought to protect it.

Judy

[lonecowhand]

I gotta say,Judy, that puggle Cooper is about the cutest thing I've seen related to a Pug!

Boy , we've fought over this one a while, haven't we?

I do agree with Karen that folks can do what they want, and agree with Mike that the traditional Dexters are now so few in numbers that they ought to be bred for more Dexters when possible, when you consider they only have a 14 calf breeding life, average.
I also agree that a cross should be recognized as a cross, and not mislabeled. I think the "Traditional Horned Dexter" moniker makes that clear.

Bill